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14 February 2025 | Story Charlene Stanley | Photo Kaleidoscope Studios
Prof Hester Klopper
Prof Hester Klopper, newly appointed Vice-Chancellor and Principal of the University of the Free State.

Re-discovering Our Institutional Heart was the theme of the official opening address of the University of the Free State (UFS) presented by newly appointed UFS Vice-Chancellor and Principal, Prof Hester Klopper, as she addressed UFS staff members in the Odeion Auditorium on the Bloemfontein Campus.

Prof Klopper sketched the current global, national, and local contexts that have affected higher education in general, and the UFS in particular, giving an overview of where the institution has come from, where it currently is, and where it is going. She emphasised the need to focus on the qualities and research areas for which the university has become well known, and to stay true to the values and principles set out in its Vision 130.

“Vision 130 illuminates our way into the future – expounding how we want to establish ourselves as a top-tier university that is continually extending its influence and impact locally, regionally, and globally,” she said.

 

The institutional heart

Prof Klopper referred to the image of a heart that is reflected in the UFS marketing logo, encouraging staff to rediscover what lies at the heart of the institution, and what sets it apart.

“A university such as ours inevitably forms and moulds the lives and characters of the people associated with it; and in turn, it too is shaped and transformed by those who have graced its campuses over the decades. It too has a character. And it certainly has a heart.”

She elaborated on the metaphorical meanings locked up within the concept of a heart, touching on how it symbolised vitality, flow, and energy, interconnectedness, and a sense of belonging. She also highlighted its significance as a beacon of resilience.

“It is associated with courage and steadfastness. Over the past 120 years, the University of the Free State has prevailed despite adversity and has managed to constantly reinvent itself in order to remain relevant, without losing sight of the values in which it is anchored,” she said.

 

Priorities for tenure

One of the broad focus areas that Prof Klopper identified as a priority during her term was establishing the UFS as an innovation and entrepreneurial ecosystem. “This includes advancing transdisciplinary research, moving towards identifying two to three core research themes that address local, regional, and global challenges, and strengthening our unique offering,” she said.

Another focus area will be working towards systemic sustainability, which will include a disciplined approach towards financial management, as well as revision and optimisation of the academic model. She also indicated that internationalisation will be a core theme during her tenure, as will the establishment of the UFS as a first-choice employer and a magnet for talent. To this end, she announced the establishment of a VC Strategic Personnel Fund to grow and attract the best academic talent.

 

Innovation through connection

Prof Klopper concluded that the heartbeat of the UFS lies in innovation through connection.

For her, innovation is expressed in the university’s cutting-edge programme content, its focus on creating a culture of entrepreneurship, optimisation of the academic model, and finding new ways to diversify income streams. On the other hand, connection is reflected in heightened internationalisation, expansive collaborative networks, and a renewed focus on transdisciplinary research and real societal impact through engaged scholarship.

“My sincere wish is that each one of you will rediscover this heartbeat and that it will inspire you this year to take our great institution to even greater heights,” she said.

 

Click to view document Click here for the official opening speech.

News Archive

Maize breeder rewarded for his research to enhance food security in Africa
2016-08-26

Description: Maize breeder rewarded  Tags: Maize breeder rewarded

Prof Maryke Labuschagne from the UFS Department
of Plant Sciences, Berhanu Tadesse Ertiro, a
postgraduate student in Plant breeding at the UFS,
and Dr Peg Redinbaugh of the US Department of
Agriculture in Wooster, Ohio.
Photo: Supplied

Ethiopia is one of the African countries, deeply affected by food insecurity. Berhanu Tadesse Ertiro, a citizen from Ethiopia started his career - after graduating with his undergraduate degree in 2003 - as a junior maize breeder. Today he is pursuing his doctorate degree in Plant Breeding at the University of the Free State (UFS).

His research had made some great strides in contributing to food security in Africa. He recently received a fellowship from the prestigious Norman E. Borlaug Leadership Enhancement in Agriculture Program (Borlaug LEAP).

This fellowship is only awarded to students whose research has relevance to the national development of the student’s home country or region. The aim of these fellowships are to enhance the quality of thesis research of graduate students from developing countries who show strong promise as leaders in the field of agriculture and related disciplines.

Low soil fertility a major maize production constraint
Berhanu is also a visiting student at the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) in Kenya, where he is running field experiments for his PhD thesis dissertation. His research focuses on Nitrogen Use Efficiency (NUE) and Maize Lethal Necrosis (MLN) disease tolerance. Low soil fertility and MLN are among the major maize production constraints in eastern and southern Africa, where maize is staple food.

Such hybrids have the potential to contribute greatly
towards food security among farmers and their
families through increased productivity.

The use of new tools could increase breeding efficiency and reduce the time needed for the release of new stress tolerant hybrids. Such hybrids have the potential to contribute greatly towards food security among farmers and their families through increased productivity. Berhanu is looking at the feasibility of genome wide selection for improvement of NUE in tropical maize.

Fellowship includes mentorship and supervision across borders
The programme supports engaging a mentor at a United States university and Consortium of International Agricultural Research Centers (CGIAR). During his fellowship, he will be supervised and mentored by Prof Maryke Labuschagne of the UFS, Prof Rex Bernando, a professor of Corn Breeding and Genetics at the University of Minnesota and Dr Biswanath Das of CIMMYT, Kenya.

As a LEAP fellow, Berhanu was invited to attend the 30th Annual World Food Prize events to take place in October 2016, in Des Moines, Iowa. The week will include his attendance at the Board for International Food and Agricultural Development meeting, participation at side-events at the Borlaug Dialogue International Symposium and the World Food Prize.

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