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04 October 2024 | Story Dr Nitha Ramnath | Photo Supplied
International Young Scholars Conference 2024
International Young Scholars Conference.

The University of the Free State (UFS) continues to advance its global academic collaborations, as evidenced by the recent keynote address delivered by Prof Hussein Solomon at the prestigious International Young Scholars Conference at Jawaharlal Nehru University on 3 October 2024. In addition to his keynote, Professor Solomon presented a thought-provoking lecture titled "India’s Contribution in Ensuring Africa’s Security" at Jamia Millia Islamia on 4 October 2024, highlighting India’s significant role in the African security landscape.

Throughout his visit to India, Prof Solomon actively participated in multiple conferences at various universities and institutions, reinforcing the importance of academic dialogue between the two regions. His engagements reflect UFS’s unwavering commitment to fostering international knowledge exchange and collaborative partnerships.

A notable outcome of this visit is the pending finalisation of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Delhi University. This agreement aims to expand the current partnership with Jawaharlal Nehru University from a faculty-level agreement to a comprehensive, institution-wide collaboration across multiple disciplines beyond the humanities. This development will facilitate joint research initiatives, collaborative PhD supervision, and joint funding proposals, marking a significant step forward for both institutions.

Reflecting on the potential of these partnerships, Prof Solomon remarked, “The Indian academic landscape is incredibly dynamic. With India poised to become the world’s largest economy by 2050, strengthening ties with Indian institutions provides the UFS with immense strategic opportunities.”

Prof Solomon’s academic contributions extend beyond administrative agreements. He is co-editing a forthcoming book on BRICS and climate change with Prof Bashabi Gupta from the Department of Geography at Delhi University. This work aligns with the upcoming BRICS Summit in Kazan, Russia, later this month. Moreover, plans are underway for a second volume, as well as a new book focused on feminist decoloniality from African and Asian perspectives, which seeks to amplify marginalised voices in global scholarship.

In line with the UFS’s dedication to expanding its international reach, Prof Solomon continues to build on existing relationships and pursue new collaborations with Indian scholars, particularly within the BRICS and BRICS Plus frameworks. These efforts will enhance academic exchange and research opportunities, further positioning UFS as a key player in global academic discourse.

As UFS broadens its global footprint, such initiatives not only elevate the institution’s reputation but also enrich the academic experiences of its students and researchers, promoting a more interconnected academic landscape. 

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DiMTEC teaches on disasters with international counterparts
2009-06-12

 
Photo: Supplied


 

The Disaster Management Training and Education Centre for Africa (DiMTEC) at the University of the Free State (UFS) recently presented a training course on vulnerability and disaster risk management in collaboration with the United Nations University Institute for Environment and Human Security (UNU-EHS).

The focus was on social, environmental and economical vulnerability, global warming and early warning systems.

Dr Fabrice Renaud, Associate Director: UNU-EHS, Dr-Eng. Jörn Birkmann, Head of the section Vulnerability Assessment: UNU-EHS, and Prof. Dusan Sakulsky, Africa Representative: UNU-EHS from Bonn, Germany presented the course, together with Mr Andries Jordaan, Director: DiMTEC and Eugene Poolman, Chief Forecasting Specialist: Disaster Risk Reduction, South African Weather Service.

This course will be presented again at the Novi Sad University, Serbia in October 2009 and September 2010 as well as in Bonn, Germany in May 2010, where it will be part of the UNU PhD block course.

Conducting the training were, from the left: Mr Jordaan, Prof. Sakulski, Ms Awatif Ayadh, DiMTEC student from Sudan, and Dr -Ing. Vilma Hossini, Training Programme Associate: UNU-EHS.

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