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Prof Gert van Zyl honoured with prestigious SAAHE council medal

08 August 2025 | Story Reuben Maeko | Photo Reuben Maeko

The Southern African Association of Health Educationalists (SAAHE) recently bestowed the Council Medal Award – its highest accolade – on Prof Gert van Zyl, Dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences at the University of the Free State (UFS) in recognition of his extraordinary and sustained contributions to Health Professions Education (HPE) in Southern Africa.

The SAAHE Council Medal is awarded to individuals who have demonstrated long-term, impactful contributions to HPE, transforming pedagogy, advancing equity and diversity, and inspiring excellence in teaching, research, and engagement. Recipients must also demonstrate national and international recognition, as well as exemplary leadership, mentorship, and inclusiveness.

A transformative leader in medical education

Prof Van Zyl’s visionary leadership has been pivotal in shaping the future of medical education in South Africa. His strategic role in the development and implementation of the UFS’s five-year MBChB curriculum modernised the teaching and learning experience for medical students, aligning it with international best practice while addressing the specific needs of the South African healthcare context.

Speaking of his award, Prof Van Zyl expressed his gratitude and humility, acknowledging the collective efforts of colleagues, students, and institutional partners over the years. His recognition serves as an inspiration to the HPE community, illustrating the profound and lasting impact that dedicated leadership and innovation can have on the future of healthcare education.

Central to his transformative approach has been the integration of Interprofessional Education (IPE) and Community-Based Education (CBE). These innovative strategies ensured that medical training not only develops technical expertise but also nurtures collaborative practice and community engagement. Prof Van Zyl championed practical learning through CBE initiatives in Trompsburg and Springfontein, later expanding this model to Botshabelo, thereby fostering a strong culture of service to underserved communities.

A founding member and lifelong contributor to SAAHE

Prof Van Zyl’s association with SAAHE dates to its very inception in the early 2000s. As a founding member, he was actively involved in the organisation’s transition from the South African Association of Medical Educators (SAAME) to SAAHE, participating in the first meeting in Bloemfontein. His leadership and passion for HPE have been constant in the association’s growth and evolution.

His sustained commitment is evident in his 15 years of service on the SAAHE Executive Committee (2005-2020). Throughout this period he was instrumental in guiding the association’s strategic direction, ensuring that it remained a dynamic platform for advancing medical and health professions education.

Prof Van Zyl’s engagement extended well beyond committee work. He has been a consistent and influential presence at SAAHE conferences, contributing his expertise and thought-leadership at gatherings in 2006, 2007, 2012-2015, 2017-2019, and 2024. His presentations and discussions have enriched the dialogue around pedagogy, curriculum reform, and capacity building in HPE.

Advocate for mentorship, inclusivity, and capacity building

At the heart of Prof Van Zyl’s career is a deep commitment to mentorship and capacity development. Colleagues and students alike have benefited from his guidance, which blends academic excellence with a genuine investment in the growth and success of others. His leadership style has consistently promoted inclusivity and equity, fostering an environment in which diverse perspectives and talents can thrive in the service of excellence in HPE.

A deserving recognition of a lifetime’s work

The awarding of the SAAHE Council Medal to Prof Van Zyl is a fitting acknowledgment of his decades-long dedication to advancing HPE in Southern Africa. His transformative influence – spanning curriculum innovation, professional development, organisational leadership and community engagement – embodies the qualities the medal seeks to honour.

With this accolade, SAAHE not only honours Prof Van Zyl’s remarkable achievements, but also celebrates a career devoted to building a stronger, more inclusive, and forward-looking HPE landscape in Southern Africa.

News Archive

Students receive hands-on crime scene investigation training

2016-09-02

Description: Crime scene investigation training Tags: Crime scene investigation training

Ntau Mafisa, a forensic science honours student
at the UFS, and Captain Samuel Sethunya from
the SAPS Crime Scene Management in
Bloemfontein.
Photo: Leonie Bolleurs

With murder and robbery rates on the rise, the Forensic Science Programme of the Department of Genetics at the University of the Free State is playing a key role in training South Africa’s future crime scene investigators and forensic laboratory analysts.

According to the Institute for Security Studies (ISS), murder and aggravated robbery rates for 2014/2015, as recorded by the South African Police Services (SAPS) have increased. Incidents of murder increased by 4.6% in the period from 2013/2014 to 2014/2015 and aggravated robbery increased by 8.5 % in the same period. The ISS is an African organisation thant enhances human security by providing independent and authoritative research, expert policy advice and capacity building.

Dr Ellen Mwenesongole, a forensic science lecturer at the Department of Genetics, said the university was one of a few universities in South Africa that actually had a forensic science programme, especially starting from undergraduate level.

Crime scene evaluation component incorporated in curriculum
As part of its Forensic Science Honours Programme, the department has, for the first time, incorporated a mock crime scene evaluation component in its curriculum. Students process a mock crime scene and are assessed based on how closely they follow standard operating procedures related to crime scenes and subsequent laboratory analysis of items of possible evidential value.

The mock crime scene forms part of a research project data collection of the honours students. In these projects students utilise different analytical methods to analyse and distinguish between different types of evidence such as hair fibres, cigarette butts, illicit drugs and dyes extracted from questioned documents and lipsticks.

Students utilise different analytical methods to analyse
and distinguish between different types of evidence.

This year, the department trained the first group of nine students in the Forensic Science Honours Programme. Dr Mwenesongole, who received her training in the UK at the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow, Scotland, and Anglia Ruskin University in Cambridge, England, said incorporating a crime scene evaluation component into the curriculum was a global trend at universities that were offering forensic science programmes.

Department of Genetics and SAPS collaborate
It is important to add this component to the student’s curriculum. In this way the university is equipping students not only with theoretical knowledge but practical knowledge on the importance of following proper protocol when collecting evidence at crime scenes and analysing it in the laboratory to reduce the risk of it becoming inadmissible in a court of law.

The Genetics Department has a good working relationship with the Forensic Science Laboratory and Free State Crime Scene Management of the Division Forensic Services of the SAPS. The mock crime scene was set up and assessed in collaboration with the Crime Scene Management Division of the SAPS. Although the SAPS provides specialist advanced training to its staff members, the university hopes to improve employability for students through such programmes.

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