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DF Malherbe Memorial Lecture

22 April 2025

DF Malherbe Memorial Lecture Invitation

Invitation

DF Malherbe Memorial Lecture

You are cordially invited to the University of the Free State’s (UFS) DF Malherbe Memorial Lecture – Afrikaans 100.

View the invitation

Date: Thursday 15 May 2025

Time: 17:30

Venue: Economic and Management Sciences (EMS) Auditorium, Bloemfontein Campus

The lecture is a celebration of a century of Afrikaans as an official language and will be a showcase of the language’s rich diversity and an intellectual reflection on the history thereof.

The keynote speaker is Prof Joan Hambidge, the rejoinder is delivered by Prof Hein Willemse, and entertainment is provided by musician Frazer Barry, the UFS Department of Drama and Theatre Arts, and the Odeion String Quartet.

Interpreting services will be available.

Prof Joan Hambidge
Poet, novelist, and a public intellectual. She is currently retired and a fellow (senior researcher) at UCT.

Prof Hein Willemse
Former Head of the Department of Afrikaans, University of Pretoria and a leading language activist.

Frazer Barry
Renowned musician, television and radio presenter, rhymer, producer, and entrepreneur.

Enquiries:
Alicia Pienaar: pienaaran1@ufs.ac.za
Register by Monday 5 May 2025.
Click to register

Datum: Donderdag 15 Mei 2025

Tyd: 17:30

Plek: Ekonomiese en Bestuurswetenskappe (EBW)-ouditorium, Bloemfontein-kampus

Die lesing is ’n viering van ’n eeu van Afrikaans as amptelike taal; dit sal ’n vertoonvenster wees van die taal se ryke diversiteit en ’n intellektuele besinning oor die geskiedenis daarvan.

Die hoofspreker is prof Joan Hambidge, repliek word gelewer deur prof Hein Willemse, en vermaak word verskaf deur musikant Frazer Barry, die UFS se Departement Drama en Teaterkuns, en die Odeion Strykkwartet.

Tolkdienste sal beskikbaar wees.

Prof Joan Hambidge
Digter en romanskrywer, openbare intellektueel en afgetrede senior navorser aan die Universiteit van Kaapstad.

Prof Hein Willemse
Voormalige hoof van die Departement Afrikaans, Universiteit van Pretoria en ‘n toonaangewende taalaktivis.

Frazer Barry
Bekende musikant, televisie- en radio-aanbieder, rymelaar, vervaardiger en entrepreneur.

Navrae:
Alicia Pienaar: pienaaran1@ufs.ac.za
RSVP teen Maandag 5 Mei 2025.
Klik hier om te registreer

Letsatsi: Labone 15 Motsheanong 2025

Nako: 17:30

Sebaka: EMS Auditorium, Bloemfontein Campus

Puo ena ke mokete wa ngwahaketekgolo wa Afrikaans e le puo ya mmuso mme hona e tla ba pontsho ya katleho ya mefutafuta ya puo esita le totobatso ya bohlalefi mabapi le nalane ya yona.

Sebui sa sehlooho ke Moprofesa Joan Hambidge, puo ya karabelo e tla hlahiswa ke Moprofesa Hein Willemse, boithabiso bo tla phethahatswa ke setsebi sa mmino e leng Frazer Barry, ya hlahang UFS Lefapha la Drama and Theatre Arts, esita le Sehlopha sa Likhoele tse ’nè (String Quartet).

Ho tla ba le ditshebeletso tsa bofetoledi.

Prof Joan Hambidge
Moprofesa Joan Hambidge ke sethothokisi, setsebi sa dipale, esita le ramahlale wa setjhaba. Ha jwale o phomotse mosebetsing ebile ke mofuputsi e moholo wa UCT.

Prof Hein Willemse
Moprofesa Hein Willemse ke Hlooho ya mehleng ya Lefapha la Afrikaans, Yunivesithing ya Pretoria ebile ke motataisi le mokgothaletsi ho tsa puo.

Frazer Barry
Frazer Barry ke setsebi sa mmino se tsebahalang, mohlahisi wa thelevishene le seyalemoya, sethothokisi, mohlahisi le setsebi sa kgwebo.

Dipotso:
Alicia Pienaar: pienaaran1@ufs.ac.za
Etsa bonnete ba hore o ngodisitse pele ha Mantaha 5 Motsheanong 2025.
Tobetsa mona ho ingodisa

News Archive

UFS hosts first SA Digital Sky Academy at the Naval Hill Planetarium

2015-10-02

From the left are: Prof Neil Heideman
(Dean: Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, UFS),
Jack White (Director: Sky-Skan Oceania),
Dr Michelle Cluver (Department of Astronomy, University of the Western Cape),
Martin Ratcliffe (Director: Professional Development, Sky-Skan).
Photo: Mart-Mari Duvenhage

South Africa hosts some of the world’s largest telescopes, and won the bid to co-host the SKA recently. So it’s not surprising that there is unprecedented interest in Astronomy in our country. Astronomy is seen as a gateway subject that attracts people to the sciences, while planetariums help to make Astronomy accessible to millions of people. Digital planetariums are especially powerful teaching tools because they are versatile, offer an immersive experience, and explain and illustrate three-dimensional concepts effectively. On the other hand, scientists, are eager to exploit a digital planetarium’s potential to represent and explore data visually, whether the data relate to medicine, astronomy, chemistry, the environment, or other fields of research.

The four-day ‘Digital Sky Academy’ (DSA) presented at the Naval Hill Planetarium in Bloemfontein from 18 - 22 September 2015 was an opportunity to offer training and first-hand experience of digital planetarium technology to representatives from other centres in South Africa. The Department of Physics at the University of the Free State (UFS) was the host of this event.

The Department of Science and Technology has designated the Naval Hill Planetarium as the South African hub for the training of digital planetarium presenters and operators. In addition to attracting interest from scientists and future planetarium operators and presenters, the DSA workshop provided an invaluable opportunity for our presenters to hone their skills.

A number of experienced and distinguished people attended the workshop. Among them was Dr Mark SubbaRao from Chicago in the United States, who shared information on data visualisation techniques used in the Adler Planetarium. Jack White, Director of Sky-Skan, one of the few companies that provide digital technology for planetariums throughout the world, coordinated the event in partnership with Prof Matie Hoffman from the Department of Physics at the UFS.

Jack travelled from Melbourne in Australia to oversee the workshop. Two Sky-Skan colleagues from the United States, Martin Weiss and Martin Ratcliffe, were on hand to share their expertise on digital planetarium hardware and software. The workshop programme included Skype conference calls with other US-based planetarium experts. Amongst the delegates to the DSA representatives from the SKA, the Iziko Museum, and five South Africa universities. They were here to gain experience, explore the capacity of the digital facility, and share ideas on future collaboration.

During the workshop, a public lecture was held on 19 September. Dr Michelle Cluver from the University of the Western Cape gave a presentation entitled, ‘More than the eye can see: the significance of infrared light in Astronomy.’

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