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26 February 2025 | Story Martinette Brits | Photo Supplied
Prof Maxim Finkelstein, A1-rated researcher from the University of the Free State, has been selected as the 2024 - 2026 Ewha Global Fellow by Ewha Womans University.

An esteemed researcher from the University of the Free State (UFS), Prof Maxim Finkelstein, has been named a 2024 - 2026 Ewha Global Fellow (EGF) by Ewha Womans University in South Korea.

Prof Finkelstein, an A1-rated researcher from the Department of Mathematical Statistics and Actuarial Science, received this honour in recognition of his outstanding collaboration with Prof Ji Hwan Cha from Ewha’s Department of Statistics. Prof Cha nominated him as a leading expert in his field, highlighting their long-standing partnership and significant contributions to mathematical sciences.

According to Hyang-Sook Lee, President of the Ewha Womans University, the EGF programme “encourages distinguished scholars from all over the world to actively collaborate in research and education with Ewha faculty members.”

 

The genesis of a unique collaboration

Prof Finkelstein has collaborated extensively with researchers across Europe and the United States but his partnership with Prof Cha is particularly notable. “I started working at the UFS as a Professor in 1998 when he had just obtained his PhD,” recalls Prof Finkelstein.

At the time, Prof Finkelstein was already an established researcher, while Prof Cha was in the early stages. “His letter to me about one of my articles was sent to me by regular mail to my previous working address in Saint Petersburg, Russia, and did not reach me. We eventually connected around 2006, and our collaboration gradually took shape,” he explains.

Over the years, their partnership evolved into a balanced and mutually enriching research relationship. Their joint efforts have resulted in over 120 published papers and two books, setting new standards in the Mathematical Theory of Reliability and its applications. This collaboration has significantly influenced both their careers and contributed to Prof Finkelstein’s recognition with South Africa’s highest research accolades, including an NRF A1 rating in "Mathematical Sciences" in 2021, following his A2 rating in 2015.

 

A breakthrough in stochastic modelling

One of the major achievements of Prof Finkelstein's collaboration with Ewha has been their pioneering work in stochastic modelling. Their research led to the development of the Generalised Polya Process, a novel model for understanding natural and industrial point events - such as failures in electricity generation, lightning strikes, and hurricanes. By incorporating the ‘history’ of previous events, this model offers a more precise stochastic description of real-world phenomena.

The results of their research have been widely published and have paved the way for further exploration into more complex stochastic processes. Some of their key findings were summarised in the 2018 Springer book Point Processes for Reliability Analysis.

 

Looking ahead: Future collaboration and continued innovation

Despite being in the later years of his career, Prof Finkelstein remains deeply engaged in research and committed to his partnership with Ewha. Due to the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, his visits to Ewha were limited, but plans are now in place for future visits. During these visits, he will deliver lectures to students and collaborate with faculty members.

For Prof Finkelstein, continuing his nearly two-decade-long collaboration with Prof Cha remains a vital and exciting part of his academic journey. 

News Archive

Advocate Thuli Madonsela leads Law Symposium on corruption
2014-06-05

 

Advocate Thuli Madonsela speaking at the Law Symposium on corruption.

The Faculty of Law, Centre of Business Law held a symposium on corruption in the public sector. The symposium took place on 5 June 2014 in the CR Swart Auditorium on the Bloemfontein Campus.

In her keynote address, Public Protector Adv Thuli Madonsela highlighted the government’s efforts to curb the high rate of corruption prevalent in the South African public sector. She also pointed out the effect it has had on service delivery, especially in municipalities and key government departments.

This highly-anticipated event drew a large group consisting of members of the public, the judiciary, government, non-governmental organisations, as well as the business and academic sector.

Responding to questions from the floor, Adv Madonsela spoke of corruption as an on-going problem that should be tackled in a collective effort by government officials and the public alike. “Whistleblowers are our main hope in fighting corruption … The Protected Disclosures Act protects them … it is also management’s responsibility to protect whistleblowers,” she said.

The symposium featured several well-respected names, including:
• Prof Jonathan Jansen, Vice-Chancellor and Rector;
• Honourable Justice I van der Merwe, Judge of the Free State High Court and Chairman of the Council of the UFS;
• Honourable Justice FDJ Brand, Judge of the Supreme Court of Appeal; and
• Prof JJ Henning, Acting Dean of the Faculty of Law.

Other high-ranking legal professionals from the office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, PriceWaterhouseCoopers, the Free State High Court and the Institute of Security Studies attended the event.


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