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UFS celebrates and honours its exceptional academic achievers

23 October 2024 | Story André Damons | Photo CTL

Dr Arno van Niekerk — Dr Arno Van Niekerk, Senior Lecturer in the Department Economics and Finance was awarded the UFS 2023 Book Prize award at the UFS Exceptional Academic Achievers Awards.

The University of the Free State (UFS) celebrated its researchers, academics and academic support staff at the inaugural UFS Exceptional Academic Achievers Awards with Prof Hendrik Swart, Dr Arno van Niekerk and Jana Lamprecht walking away with the Prestige Academic Achievers Awards.

Exceptional Academic Achievers Awards bring together the annual Learning and Teaching Awards (hosted by CTL), as well as the Research Awards hosted in 2023 by the office of the Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Research and Internationalisation. This award function aims to recognise exceptional academic achievements in the area of learning and teaching, as well as research – breaking down silos within the academic space.

Prof Swart, Senior Professor in the Department of Physics and the SARChI Research Chair: Solid-state Luminescent and Advanced Materials, won the Exceptional Established Achievers’ Award which comes with R30 000 in prize money. Dr Van Niekerk, Senior Lecturer in the Department Economics and Finance was awarded the UFS 2023 Book Prize award for his book The Inclusive Economy: Criteria, Principles and Ubuntu, winning R25 000, while Lamprecht, Senior Lecturer in the School of Accountancy, walked away with the Vice-Chancellor’s Awards in Learning and Teaching.

In her welcoming address, Prof Anthea Rhoda, Acting Vice-Chancellor and Principal of the UFS, said the purpose of the ceremony is to recognise those scholars at the UFS who are doing outstanding work in research and in teaching and learning in their respective disciplines. She said what is especially exciting about awards is the recognition of both research and teaching excellence as these two pillars of academia are often viewed separately but at the UFS it is understood that they are deeply interconnected.

“Each one of the nominees and winners is making a significant impact in their fields of research and in teaching and learning at the UFS and in doing so, are raising the excellence profile of the UFS and driving our aspirations to be a student-centred, research-led university, as outlined in Vision 130,” Prof Rhoda said.

Prof Vasu Reddy, Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Research and Internationalisation, said: “Quality research is another building block in a university.” He emphasised that the recognition of research excellence is about “asking key questions as to what makes the research by our colleagues unique, what makes it novel, how does it build on past and current knowledge, but perhaps more important, how does it shift the knowledge base to move us to innovation and impact?”

Freedom to be creative and innovative

Lamprecht, who received a special recognition for being a National University Teaching Awards (NUTA) nominee, says she feels absolute gratitude for winning this award. “I am grateful that the University of the Free State not only allows me the academic freedom to be creative and innovative in my teaching but that the university also recognises and rewards excellence.”

Last year she won the Innovation in Learning and Teaching Best Conference paper as well as the Innovating my Curriculum through Student Engagement and/or Motivation awards at the UFS Learning and Teaching awards. In 2020, Lamprecht also walked away with awards at the UFS Learning and Teaching awards as well as a Senior Top Achiever: Teaching and Learning Award from the Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences.

According to her, she had to submit a teaching portfolio and was invited to present at the Learning and Teaching conference. However, she did not expect to win the category as the other three colleagues who were also nominated in this category were strong contenders.

“It always feels good when efforts are recognised and rewarded. However, for me, this award is about having a platform to share innovative teaching and learning ideas with fellow lecturers, empowering colleagues to have a positive impact on the academic careers of our students,” says Lamprecht.

Recognition is motivation

Dr Van Niekerk had previously received the Junior Lecturer of the Year award from his faculty (EMS), as well as the Service-Learning award for the engaged scholarship work he does with his students.

According to him, he did not expect to win and was surprised when his name was called as the winner. Says Dr van Niekerk: “I was hoping but I didn’t want to raise my expectations too high. I mean, the UFS has excellent academics in various faculties, so I honestly didn’t expect anything.

“I was so surprised, to be honest. I also felt a deep sense of appreciation for recognising the hard work one puts in in writing a book like that. The many hours of waking up at 3am to do the research for the book now really feels worth it.”

Dr Van Niekerk says recognition has a special effect on you and motivates you in a surprising way. Academics, he says, do not do research and teaching for the awards, so when they come by, it gives you a warm feeling.

“Lecturers really put in a lot of effort, which isn’t often seen or recognised because we have to balance so many responsibilities – and the expectations keep rising. I have to admit, we do feel under constant pressure, which I don’t think is ideal. I decided to write the book out of passion to contribute towards real economic change. Now that it’s recognised, it confirms to me once again that people flourish when they live out their passion, not when they’re under pressure.”

According to Prof Swart, it is always a great honour to be recognised for the work he has done in the past.

“I knew I had been nominated, but I was not expecting to win. This award is only possible if you have a large team of collaborators all over the world, staff, postgraduate and postdoctoral students that work together, producing world-class research. Although I received the award, I accept it on the team's behalf and thank them for their support over the years,” says Prof Swart.

Research and teaching and learning valued, supported, and celebrated

Prof Rhoda commended the award-winning researchers and said their perseverance, curiosity, and hard work have led to remarkable contributions. She said they remind us that academic excellence is not just about individual success but about shaping the world for the better.

According to her, research is the bedrock of innovation. It is through research that we challenge boundaries, explore new frontiers, and contribute to the advancement of our society.

“At the UFS, we pride ourselves on fostering an environment where research can thrive – where questions can be asked, hypotheses tested, and knowledge advanced. Tonight, we honour those who have not only asked the important questions but have provided answers that make an impact.

“Our researchers are producing ground-breaking work that addresses some of the most pressing challenges facing our world today – whether in health, science, commerce, the humanities, education, or technology. Your work enriches the intellectual fabric of this institution, and it positions us as a global player in the academic community.”

But research, Prof Rhoda continued, is only one side of the coin. Teaching and learning are equally critical to the mission of this university. It is through innovative and impactful teaching and learning that we prepare the next generation of leaders, innovators, and critical citizens, she said.

“Great teaching inspires; it transforms lives and lays the foundation for future achievements. Tonight, we recognise the outstanding educators who have gone above and beyond in their commitment to teaching and learning. You are the mentors, the guides, and the role models who make a lasting impact on the lives of your students.

“Through your creativity, dedication, and compassion, you help students not only acquire knowledge but also develop the critical thinking and problem-solving skills they need to navigate an ever-changing world. To our award-winning educators, we thank you for your service to the university and to your students.”

Prof Reddy concluded by emphasised a theme of the event stating that “research and teaching are inextricably intertwined and interrelated. Purposeful teaching efforts and investments in good teaching can make us better researchers. The flipside is also true.” He added: “Research results inspire and instil fresh insights into the lecture theatres and laboratories, both scientific and creative.”

Click to view document Click here to view a complete list of UFS Learning and Teaching Conference winners, and click here to watch the highlight video.

Interested in finding out who the nominees were? Click here to view the booklet.

News Archive

Teachers should deal with diversity in education - Prof. Francis

2010-10-08

At the occasion were, from the left: Prof. Jonathan Jansen, Rector and Vice-Chancellor of the University of the Free State (UFS); Prof. Francis; and Prof. Driekie Hay, Vice-Rector: Teaching and Learning at the UFS.
Photo: Jaco van der Merwe

Prof. Dennis Francis, the Dean of the Faculty of Education at the University of the Free State (UFS), recently delivered his inaugural lecture on Troubling Diversity in South African Education on the Main Campus in Bloemfontein.

He urged teachers to be open to what “diversity” might mean in a particular context and how diversity relates to either inclusion or exclusion.

“An approach that promotes the inclusion of all must be based on an understanding of how exclusion operates in ways that may have typical patterns of oppression, but differ in the specific ways that exclusion is expressed and becomes normalised in that context,” he said.

“The good teacher thus seeks to understand how these forms of exclusion may develop in the school’s context and respond through taking thoughtful action to challenge them. It may require creating a climate that enables the silent to speak and recognising that not all groups communicate in exactly the same ways.”

He said teachers also had to affirm the experiential base of learners and students. He said there was an assumption that students would be more effective practitioners if their own experience were validated and explored.

“It is crucial that the students’ own history is treated as valuable and is a critical part of the data that are reflected,” he said. “Equally important is that such stories and similar activities are intentionally processed to enable students to make the connections between personal experience and relevant theory.”

He also urged them to challenge the ways in which knowledge had been framed through oppression.

“Schools are often characterised by messages that draw on one or another form of oppression. Thus, expectations are subtly or in some cases unsubtly communicated, e.g. that girls are not good at physics, or that, while white learners are strong in abstract thought, African learners have untapped creativity, and so on,” he continued.

“For someone to integrate into their role as educators a commitment against oppression means confronting obstacles that one may previously have shied away from, such as challenging authority, naming privilege, emphasising the power relations that exist between social groups, listening to people one has previously ignored, and risking being seen as deviant, troublesome or unpopular.”

Furthermore, Prof. Francis said dealing with diversity in education was always affectively loaded for both students and teachers. He said in South Africa one injunction from educators was to be “sensitive” and thus avoid risking engagement with the contentious issues around imbalances of power.

“If both students and teachers are to confront issues of oppression and power in any meaningful way, we need to design more purposely for the difficulties they will encounter, for example, creating a classroom environment that promotes safety and trust so that all students are able to confront and deal with prejudice and discrimination. Classroom environments will need to balance the affective and cognitive in addressing issues of diversity and social justice,” he added.

He also said that teachers should recognise the need to complement changing attitudes with attempts to change the structural aspects of oppressions.

“To prevent superficial commitments to change, it is important for students to explore barriers that prevent them from confronting oppressive attitudes and behaviours. In this way students are able to learn and see the structural aspects of oppression,” he said.

“Equally important, however, is to get students to examine the benefits associated with challenging oppression. A fair amount of time must therefore be spent on developing strategies with students which they will be able to use practically in challenging oppression.”

He also advised educators to affirm the capacity of staff and learners to act and learn in ways that do not replicate patterns of oppression.

“Many South African schools have survived both the harsh repression of apartheid and the continuing legacy of oppression of various kinds. Despite that, we are often as educators made aware of the ways in which young people in particular affirm themselves and each other in creative and confident ways,” he concluded.

Media Release
Issued by: Lacea Loader
Director: Strategic Communication (acg)
Tel: 051 401 2584
Cell: 083 645 2454
E-mail: loaderl@ufs.ac.za
7 October 2010

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