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UFS’ Prof Hussein Solomon fosters cross-cultural dialogue in India

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.

News Archive

Kovsies beat Pukke at USSA tennis tournament

2010-01-13

The Kovsies women’s team that participated in last year’s USSA tennis tournament were, from the left, front: Elrien de Villiers and Nicola Dormehl; middle: Rensia Henning and Christine Keyser; back: Jeanne du Plessis and Elizna Barnard.

The men who participated in the tournament were, from the left: Willem Steenkamp, PW Holtzhausen, Duke Munro, Janine de Kock (manager), Marnus Kleinhans (coach), Divan Olivier, HB Steyn and Reon Henning.

Last year Kovsie tennis concluded on a highlight when the men’s tennis team of the University of the Free State (UFS) won the USSA tournament that was held in Grahamstown for the first time in twenty years. The UFS women’s team also excelled by going through to the final round, where they had to bow the knee before the team of Stellenbosch University.

The result of these excellent achievements was that two of the five players that were selected for the USSA women’s training group were Kovsies. They are Rensia Henning and Christine Keyser. Elrien de Villiers was selected as the player of the tournament but unfortunately she could not be included in the group because she is a Namibian citizen.

The men’s group existed of eight players, of which four are Kovsies. They are Reon Henning, Duke Munro, Willem Steenkamp and PW Holtzhausen.

Members of the USSA training group will participate in training camps, tournaments and trials to prepare for the Confederation of University and College Sport Association (CUCSA) games (where all the Southern Africa countries participate) in Botswana that will take place from 5-11 July 2010. The training group will also participate in the World Student Games in 2011.

The Kovsies men’s team kick-started last year’s USSA tournament by beating the team from the University of Cape Town with 6-1 and later on the same day beating the team from the University of Johannesburg with 5-1. The next day they beat the team from the Tshwane University of Technology with 7-0 and the team of the University of Pretoria with 5-1. According to Ms Janine de Kock from KovsieSport at the UFS this is an excellent achievement, taking into account that Tukkies had ended in second place at the 2008 tournament.

In the semi-finals Kovsies played against the North-West University and beat them with 4-1. After this triumph in the singles matches the organisers decided that the doubles would not be played.

The women’s team won their matches against the Universities of Pretoria, Cape Town, Rhodes, KwaZulu-Natal and the Tshwane University of Technology. The tournament ended with Kovsies and Maties as the only two unbeaten teams and Stellenbosch University walked away with the laurels. The North-West University did not have a women’s team at the tournament at all.

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