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Pioneering solutions through the Green Futures Hub

16 January 2025 | Story Dr Cindé Greyling | Photo Supplied

Our earth is very resilient, and a green future is possible, but we must make changes. At the forefront of this mission is the Green Futures Hub, spearheaded by Prof Wayne Truter at the UFS. Prof Truter holds a PhD in Integrated Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, with more than 25 years of experience. He is a leader in the field of forage, pasture, and land regeneration – particularly those impacted by mining.

The Green Futures Hub is a virtual platform that bridges academic research and industry gaps, aiming to solve real-world challenges with scientific insights. It is designed to showcase and integrate the research happening across various disciplines at the University of the Free State (UFS), making it accessible to industry and communities alike. “People often lose faith in academic institutions, thinking that the research done there has no practical value,” Prof Truter notes. “The Green Futures Hub aims to change that by making scientific findings accessible and relevant to daily life.”

This platform offers a unique opportunity for industries to connect with researchers working on solutions related to climate change, sustainable agriculture, or environmental rehabilitation. “Our hub is a space where industries can come to us with their challenges, and we can offer solutions based on research,” Prof Truter explains. “It’s about creating real impact.”

Collaboration and integration are central to the Green Futures Hub’s approach. “Through interdisciplinary collaboration and a commitment to environmental stewardship, we want to develop solutions to the complex development challenges related to ecosystems, agroecosystems, water resources, biodiversity, infrastructure, and communities,” says Prof Truter.

One of the hub’s projects that is close to Prof Truter’s heart, is the future coexistence of mining and agriculture. Mining and agriculture are two important industries in South Africa, often competing for land. However, the hub seeks to bridge this gap by exploring how these industries can coexist sustainably.

“The future coexistence of mining and agriculture is critical,” says Prof Truter. “While mining often uses the land intensively, they have the responsibility and capability to rehabilitate it for agricultural use, ensuring that it is as productive – if not more – than it was before. Farmers and miners have much to gain from each other,” he explains. “By partnering with industries, we can help rehabilitate the land that has been mined, and in turn, farmers can harness and bring back the productivity to that land with the financial inputs of mining companies.”

Prof Truter also emphasises the importance of science communication. “We need to do better at communicating the value of the research we’re doing. Many times, industries don’t understand the significance of what we’re working on because it’s not explained in a way that resonates with them. The hub ensures that research findings are accessible, understandable, and applicable to real-world issues.”

The Green Futures Hub is more than just a research platform; it is a testament to the power of collaboration between academia and industry. “We’re not just conducting research,” Prof Truter concludes, “we’re developing solutions.”

News Archive

UFS to award honorary doctorate to Maria Ramos

2004-12-08

The Council of the University of the Free State (UFS) recently approved the awarding of an honorary doctorate to Ms Maria Ramos, Group Chief Executive of Transnet in April 2005. A total of five honorary doctorandi will be honored.

The other doctorandi are Proff Jan Groenewald (D Sc (hc)), Jaap Durand (D Phil (hc)), Sampie Terreblanche (C Dom (hc)) and Anthon Heyns (MD (hc)).

Me Ramos will receive an honorary doctorate in Economics (P hD (Economics) (hc)) for the large contribution she made to the establishment of a prudent fiscal and macro-economic policy in South Africa and hence, to the restoration of the financial credibility of the country in the eyes of domestic and foreign investors. Ms Ramos was the Director General of the National Treasury from 1996-2003.

She obtained the MSc-degree in Economics in 1992 from the University of London and was awarded a British Council Scholarship (Helen Suzman award) in the same year and in 1991. During the early nineties she was among others project leader of the ANC’s Macro-economic Research Group and also a member of the team that negotiated chapters on finance in the interim Constitution of South Africa. She was a research associate at the Centre for the Study of the South African Economy and International Finance at the London School of Economics and also lectured at the Universities of South Africa and the Witwatersrand.

“It is a great privilege for us to honor Ms Ramos and the other doctorandi in their different fields of expertise. This once again serves as an example of the UFS’s policy to give recognition to people who excel and make a difference,” said Prof Frederick Fourie, Rector and Vice-Chancellor of the UFS.

Prof Jan Groenewald will receive an honorary doctorate for his life-long commitment to the establishment and development of Agricultural Economics as a subject field in South Africa and in Africa and his various contributions to the UFS. During his career, Prof Groenewald received various awards among others in 1998 when he received the Stals Prize for Economics from the South African Academy for Science and Art and in 1990 when he received an honorary medal from the South African Society for Agricultural Economics.

Prof Jaap Durand will receive an honorary doctorate in Philosophy for his pioneering work on various fields in the South African society. He obtained his Masters degree in Philosophy from the UFS and contributed to almost 60 articles and collections. Prof Durand has a colourful career as academic manager: from professor in Systematic Theology and dean of the Faculty of Theology at the University of the Western Cape to Deputy Vice-Chancellor of the same university. He was the ombudsman of the University of Stellenbosch from 2002-2003.

Prof Sampie Terreblanche will receive an honorary doctorate in Economics for the important role he played, and is still playing, to keep the debate about and the need for socio-economic and socio-political reform in South Africa going. Prof Terreblanche started his career as a lecturer at the UFS. In 1992 the Stals Prize for Economics was awarded to him by the South African Academy for Science and Art. Prof Terreblanche was also a founding member of ASSET, an organisation addressing the problems of poverty, inequality and social injustice in South Africa.

Prof Anthon Heyns, Chief Executive Officer of the South African National Blood Service, will receive an honorary doctorate in Medicine. Prof Heyns is a well-known international researcher in Hematology and recently received a Centenary Medal from the UFS for his strong role and national prominence as expert and leading figure in establishing and developing Hematology at the UFS. He was the first head of the UFS’s Department of Hematology and is also co-editor of the only Afrikaans hand book of Hematology. He serves among others as a council member and member of the executive management of the South African Medical Research Council. On the international front he serves on at least five committees of the World Health Organisation based in Geneve, Switzerland. He has two honorary appointments as professor respectively at the UFS and University of the Witwatersrand.

Media release
Issued by: Lacea Loader
Media Representative
Tel: (051) 401-2584
Cell: 083 645 2454
E-mail: loaderl.stg@mail.uovs.ac.za
8 December 2004

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