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26 August 2025 | Story Martinette Brits | Photo Martinette Brits
From the left: Elisa Mosala (Dairy Assistant), Dr Analie Hattingh (Lecturer and Production Manager), Eline van der Velde (cheesemaking expert from the Netherlands), and Martha Kantoane (Dairy Assistant) on the UFS Experimental Farm.

Cheesemaking expertise from the Netherlands has given University of the Free State (UFS) students a unique taste of hands-on learning. From 10 to 22 August 2025, Eline van der Velde, a cheesemaking specialist and lecturer in food technology, spent two weeks at the UFS Paradys Experimental Farm teaching students, guiding dairy assistants, and working with staff to strengthen the university’s Dairy Processing Unit.

Supported by PUM – a Dutch volunteer organisation that connects international experts with local projects – her visit combined technical training with practical exposure, showing students the full process of transforming fresh milk into a range of cheeses.

 

Hands-on cheesemaking at the UFS

In interactive sessions, Van der Velde introduced students in the BSc Food Systems programme to the art and science of cheesemaking. They learned how to prepare paneer, halloumi, feta, mozzarella, and cottage cheese, while experimenting with flavoured varieties such as garlic-and-oregano and chilli cheese.

“I gave demonstrations on different types of coagulation and let the students try it out themselves. They asked great questions and enjoyed it so much that they wanted to come again for more practicals,” she said.

For many students, the opportunity was a first step into the practical realities behind food science. “It’s as if a whole world has opened up for our students,” said Dr Analie Hattingh, Lecturer and Production Manager at the Paradys Experimental Farm. “They don’t just hear about pH in theory – they can relate it to what they’ve seen and experienced here. That’s what prepares them for the workplace.”

“Due to food safety regulations all over the world, it is becoming increasingly difficult to take food science or food sustainability students into commercial factories. They don’t allow students or visitors anymore. At least with this facility here, our students can experience a real production environment and see how the industry works,” Dr Hattingh said. 

 

From farm girl to food technologist

Van der Velde’s passion for cheesemaking began on her uncle’s farm in the Netherlands, where she helped with milking and turning cheeses in storage. “Even though I grew up in the city, I think I’m more of a farm girl at heart,” she recalled.

Today, she teaches at an agricultural school and trains adults entering the food industry, while volunteering internationally through PUM. “I like to share knowledge – it’s not for me alone. That’s why I volunteer, to support projects across the world,” she explained.

 

Sustainability at the heart of the farm

The cheesemaking unit also forms part of the experimental farm’s commitment to sustainability. The cheeses are made from milk produced by Jersey cows on the farm, with careful attention to hygiene and quality. Byproducts are reused – whey is processed into ricotta, and the remainder is spread as fertiliser in the fields. “Nothing goes to waste,” Van der Velde noted.

Hattingh added that this integrated approach ensures that the farm serves as both an academic training ground and a model for sustainable food production. “We want to be self-sustaining and academically valuable, without competing with industry – to serve both the university and its students,” she said.

 

A shared learning journey

For dairy assistants Elisa Mosala and Martha Kantoane, working alongside Van der Velde and the students was equally rewarding. “It was nice, especially learning how to do different kinds of cheese,” said Kantoane.

Mosala agreed: “It was nice working with students and experiencing more every day. I learned new skills and got out of my comfort zone.”

Looking to the future, Van der Velde emphasised the value of involving students in the entire process – from milking to packaging and selling – so that they graduate with both knowledge and practical skills. She also believes in the potential of more international exchange: “These projects benefit both sides. Knowledge exchange in agriculture and food science is essential for building sustainable solutions worldwide.”

News Archive

Graduates challenged to fulfil their leadership obligations
2017-12-08


 Description: 2017 December summer graduation Tags: 2017 December summer graduation 

Photo: Johan Roux

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6 December: Morning
6 December: Afternoon
7 December: Morning
7 December: Afternoon

A total number of 1 226 qualifications, including diplomas, certificates, and degrees, were conferred during the two days of the 2017 End-of-Year Graduation Ceremony which took place on the Bloemfontein Campus of the University of the Free State (UFS). Forty doctorates and 109 master’s degrees were awarded. Most doctorates (19) were awarded in the Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences which  also conferred the biggest number of master’s degrees (27).

Celebrating excellence
Some of the highlights at this year’s graduation ceremonies were when the university honoured Prof Paul Holloway and Marius Botha with honorary doctorates and Joyene Isaacs with the Chancellor’s Medal. 

Isaacs, Head of the Department of Agriculture in the Western Cape, who was nominated by the Centre for Sustainable Agriculture in the Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences for the Chancellor’s Medal, said: “Agriculture is one of those areas people take for granted. With this medal, agriculture can come to the fore. Agriculture is placed in the spotlight and it is important for this country, but also globally, because we look after the food supply. For me agriculture has been a sustainable livelihood but also a career. Everything about agriculture excites me! I hope that through this award I can take agriculture to the next level.”

Prof Holloway, internationally acclaimed expert in the science and technology of surfaces, thin films, and nanoparticles, who received the Honorary Doctorate in Science degree, said: “This award recognises the efforts we (the UFS and the University of Florida in the US) have jointly developed. We introduced the UFS to phosphors and today it (the UFS) has world-wide recognition expertise in this field. We also learnt from them. They brought us technology we did not have before. It was a mutual growth technique and we all benefit from that. If you work together you can achieve remarkable things.”

“It is the greatest honour of my life. I’ve been associated with the UFS for 17 years in the capacity of moderator, examiner and sometimes lecturer.” These were the words of Botha, author and expert in the financial planning circles of South Africa who was nominated for an honorary degree by the School of Financial Planning Law.

Botha told graduates that a qualification in the financial planning field would give you many opportunities. “If you enter almost any financial services organisation in South Africa, you will find senior people there that completed the postgraduate diploma in Financial Planning Law at the UFS,” he said.

During a luncheon that was hosted by Prof Francis Petersen, the UFS Rector and Vice-Chancellor, in honour of these esteemed graduates, he thanked them for the contribution they had made, not only for the UFS, but for advancing science, technology, and the better of society. “The Honorary degrees and Chancellor’s Medal are the highest accolades and recognition that the university can bestow on individuals who have excelled in science or scholarship or have contributed to service to this country. You are exemplary individuals and you make the UFS, our country and the world proud,” he said. 

 Description: 2017 Summer Graduation read more Tags: 2017 Summer Graduation read more 

Photo: Johan Roux

Inspiration for the future
Likeleli Monyamane, a UFS Council member, addressed graduates during the morning ceremony on 6 December 2017. She motivated graduates to walk tall and learn to serve our country. “Finding your voice comes with a responsibility to speak for those who do not have a voice,” Monyamane said. 

Leah Molatseli, who launched South Africa’s first legal e-commerce website, Lenoma Legal, was the guest speaker at the afternoon session on 6 December 2017. “You are going to start afresh. It is going to feel like you know absolutely nothing and it’s ok. You need to make peace with that in order for you to learn. 

“A lot of young people expect instant success when they enter a job. I am 29 and have had three jobs, two side jobs and numerous certificates. But I decided to create my own future. That is what I did with Lenoma Legal. Some people are meant to be ordinary and some extraordinary,” said this young entrepreneur and Kovsie Alumnus.

On the second day of the graduation ceremonies Dr Imtiaz Sooliman, founder and Director of the Gift of the Givers Foundation, challenged the newly graduated alumni to be carriers of hope for Africa. “We need people of skill, spirituality and heart,” he said. 

“How do you want others to believe in you if you don’t believe in yourself? We South Africans, we can make things happen. Believe in yourself,” he said. 

“The best science you can do is for others. The moment you achieve that, you mean something to someone,” he said. 

Prior to dissolving the congregations, Dr Khotso Mokhele, the Chancellor of the UFS, said: “It has taken hard work, commitment, dedication, to walk across the stage. You deserve all of that.” 

Interesting facts of the graduation
Among the graduates at these ceremonies was former Miss World 2014, Rolene Strauss. She received a Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery Degree. 

The Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences is also very proud of the first group of BAgric students who graduated on the Agricultural College Programme. The eight agriculture students all received the Bachelor of Agriculture degree, majoring in Agricultural Management.

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