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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. 

News Archive

Kovsies to celebrate excellence at 2014 December Graduation Ceremony
2014-12-02

 

Live streaming: http://apps.ufs.ac.za/ufslivestreaming/ 

On Thursday 11 December 2014, the University of the Free State (UFS) will award degrees and qualifications during our Summer Graduation Ceremony at the Bloemfontein Campus.

The graduation will take place during two ceremonies in the Callie Human Centre, where master’s and PhD degrees will be awarded during the first ceremony at 09:30. Diplomas, certificates and undergraduate qualifications will be awarded to students from the School of Open Learning and the Faculty of Health Sciences at 14:30.

Radio personality, Redi Thlabi, and cardiothoracic surgeon, Dr Susan Vosloo, will address the graduates.

Apart from her radio show on 702 and CapeTalk, Thlabi has also hosted local television news shows and anchored for international broadcasters like SKY and the BBC. In addition, she has presented two of her own TV shows: ‘Redi’ on Mzansi Magic and ‘South to North’ on Al-Jazeera.

Her first book, Endings and Beginnings (Jacana) received popular acclaim and is currently being turned into a screenplay for a movie.

Dr Susan Vosloo, a Kovsie alumnus, graduated in 1980. She completed her internship in Pretoria and spent the following year in Critical Care Medicine at Universitas Hospital, Bloemfontein, before starting her surgical training in Johannesburg.

She is currently in independent private practice at the Netcare Christiaan Barnard Memorial Hospital in Cape Town, having also worked from 1998 – 2012 at the Vincent Pallotti Hospital in the same city.

Dr Vosloo maintains close ties with our university and has quite a number of addition roles to that of surgeon:

• member of the Council of the UFS;
• UFS Council Representative in the Senate;
• member of the Standing Advisory Committee of the School of Medicine, UFS;
• member of the Provincial Department of Health;
• Africa representative for the Pediatric Cardiac Intensive Care Society; and
• founding member of the World Society for Pediatric and Congenital Heart Surgery.

Prof Boelie Wessels will also be awarded his 10th academic degree from the UFS since 1974. Adding his Honorary Doctorate degree to the list, it will make this his 11th degree. Prof Wessels is 84 years old and has 18-plus academic qualifications from various institutions – a phenomenal achievement.

Furthermore, Moses Lubinga and his wife, Stellah, will be the first married couple to be awarded their PhDs at the same graduation ceremony at the UFS. Mr Lubinga will receive his Doctorate in Agricultural Economics, while Mrs Lubinga’s PhD is in the field of Economic and Management Sciences.

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