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07 July 2025 | Story Martinette Brits | Photo Charl Devenish
NAS Conference
Leaders in science and innovation at the NAS Research Conference 2025. From the left: Prof Samuel Adelabu (Vice-Dean: Research and Postgraduate Studies in NAS), Prof Vasu Reddy (Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Research and Internationalisation), Prof Bonang Mohale (Chancellor), Prof Paul Oberholster (Dean of NAS), Dr Alba du Toit (Research Chair: Innovative Agro-Processing for Climate-Smart Food Systems), and Prof Daryl Codron (Department of Zoology and Entomology).

The inaugural Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences (NAS) Research Conference at the University of the Free State (UFS) signalled a decisive shift in how science is being imagined and practised at the institution. The two-day gathering, which took place on 1 and 2 July 2025, not only showcased research excellence, but also marked the official launch of two flagship initiatives: the Green Futures Hub and the Complex Systems Hub. Both are designed to enable transdisciplinary research that connects across fields, responds to global and local challenges, and contributes to the university’s Vision 130 strategy.

The conference theme, Integrating science for societal impact and a sustainable future, framed the programme, which featured presentations by researchers, postgraduate students, and postdoctoral fellows across all NAS disciplines. Opening the event, Prof Paul Oberholster, Dean of the Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, said: “This is more than a research gathering. It’s a signal – a step forward in our faculty’s approach to science, innovation, and impact.”

He emphasised that in a world marked by climate instability, digital disruption, and growing inequality, science must step forward not only to understand the world, but also to help shape it. “Our goal is to create research pathways that are sustainable, collaborative, and responsive to both local and global needs,” he said. The Green Futures Hub and the Complex Systems Hub are practical, future-facing platforms that make that vision real – connecting researchers, government, industry, and communities, he explained.

 

A catalyst for agricultural and environmental transformation

Prof Wayne Truter, Executive Manager of the Green Futures Hub, introduced the initiative as a catalyst for bringing applied science and sustainability together. He asked how innovation can translate into practical solutions that serve society and the environment. “We often focus so deeply on our disciplines that we forget to ask how our work creates social and economic impact,” he said.

The Green Futures Hub is a virtual platform and flagship of agricultural and environmental stewardship and sustainable development. It fosters partnerships that unleash value through nature-based solutions, land rehabilitation, climate risk finance, water resource management, bio-energy innovations, and more – by connecting researchers with industry, government, and international stakeholders. It also supports initiatives that enhance food and water security, investigate the coexistence of mining and agriculture, and address the carbon and nitrogen economy. The hub serves as a space for funding, knowledge transfer, and community transformation.

Prof Truter noted that complex societal challenges – from sustainable agriculture to the energy transition – cannot be solved by isolated disciplines. “Research must be applied in ways that industry and communities can understand and value,” he said. “If we want businesses to believe in science, we must speak their language and show relevance. The Green Futures Hub exists to bridge that gap.”

 

Science that responds to complexity

Prof Oberholster explained that the faculty’s second major initiative – the Complex Systems Hub – is designed to equip researchers to solve pressing problems in a digitally interconnected age. By bringing together data science, AI, advanced modelling, and interdisciplinary design, the hub strengthens the university’s ability to respond to global challenges.

“These are not abstract concepts,” he said. “They are practical responses to the question: how can we do science that matters?”

Dr Jacques Maritz, Head of the Unit for Engineering Sciences, who presented the launch, emphasised that complexity is not a threat to science – it is a source of innovation. “Scalability, unpredictability, nonlinearity, and emergence – these aren’t just buzzwords. They define the future of research.”

The Complex Systems Hub is a digital platform that enables agile, multidisciplinary teams to develop integrated responses to major issues such as climate change, pandemics, and space science. It connects NAS entities such as the Green Futures Hub, the One Health Centre of Excellence, and Advanced Materials Research to foster collaboration and innovation.

Dr Maritz explained that the hub bridges academic research and real-world application by creating spaces where diverse fields intersect. “If we want research to move from lab scale to real-world solutions, we need diverse teams working together – no single field can do this alone.”

Current projects include eco-friendly materials for sustainable construction, scientific water management using algae, and genomic surveillance for public health – all united by one goal: to turn complexity into opportunity and data into direction.

 

Bringing research closer to impact

Prof Vasu Reddy, Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Research and Internationalisation, officially opened the conference and praised the faculty for its foresight and leadership. “This conference is not only about exchanging ideas,” he said, “but about igniting conversations that matter.” Science, he noted, is not a luxury of the privileged, but “the lifeblood of progress,” and its success must be measured not only in citations but in consequences.

He reminded delegates that global challenges such as climate change, food insecurity, and biodiversity loss are no longer distant threats, but urgent realities. “Science must respond – not with silence, but with solutions and deeper questions.”

Referencing the university’s Vision 130 strategy, Prof Reddy said the goal is not just to be research-intensive, but to reimagine the role of science in society. “The world doesn’t necessarily need more data,” he said. “It needs more direction. If our research does not touch lives, it is not reaching far enough.”

He described the conference as a space to “plant ideas, cross-pollinate disciplines, and harvest innovation,” and applauded the launch of the two new research hubs as engines of hope and practical impact. Addressing postgraduate students and early-career researchers directly, he encouraged them to be curious, collaborative, and courageous: “You are not simply here to follow footsteps. You are here to forge new paths.”

 

Building a future grounded in our own narratives

Prof Bonang Mohale, the Chancellor, reminded delegates that science cannot be separated from history, context, or social justice. Quoting Emeritus Professor J Edward Chamberlin, he asked: “If this is your land, where are your stories?” He challenged researchers to ensure that science is not only excellent but also rooted in African realities and driven by the desire to transform society.

“Those nations that make English compulsory but agriculture optional are destined to produce a citizenry that speaks fluently – but on an empty stomach,” he said. “We must do science that describes, defines, and shapes this country in our own image.”

 

A faculty on the move

Over the two-day programme, students and researchers presented cutting-edge work aligned with the faculty’s wide range of disciplines and the university’s strategic research goals. The conference replaced the Flash Fact competition as NAS’s flagship research platform.

In closing, Prof Oberholster invited delegates to make the most of the opportunity to engage across disciplines. “Let’s ensure that the science we do here continues to transform lives – locally, nationally, and globally.”

News Archive

Kovsies celebrate ‘model of humanity’
2013-07-19

 

Zelda la Grange
Photo: Sonia Small
19 July 2013

   Video clip (YouTube)

Photo gallery
UFS Mandela Day Pledge (pdf)
Zelda la Grange speech (pdf)

The University of the Free State (UFS) joined people around the globe in celebration of the fourth annual Nelson Mandela Day. Long-time Madiba confidant, Zelda la Grange, delivered the main address, inspiring the crowd with anecdotes gleaned from her intimate knowledge of the former president.

La Grange felt that the UFS as an institution can contribute greatly towards the upliftment of South African society.

“Your university has become what we hope for in South Africa – a transformed society whose purpose serves the greater good of humanity. Embrace and nurture what you have here under the leadership of Prof Jansen and his team. And influence society consciously, every day, in the same way as Madiba did for every day of the 67 years of his activism, and beyond.”

As UFS Vice-Chancellor and Rector, Prof Jonathan Jansen, aptly put it, the Kovsie celebrations aim to give thanks to Madiba as a ‘model of humanity’ and for what he has done for all South Africans.

Prof Jansen stressed that the importance of Mandela Day cannot be overstated.

"I think it is incredibly important because the real legacy of Nelson Mandela is that of a man who gave everything he had for the struggle to gain our freedom, our democracy and that we can get along as just human beings and not as a skin colour, a religion or as strangers," he said.

Events began with a clean-up operation by UFS volunteers, Zelda la Grange and the Bikers for Mandela Day, the Mangaung Metropolitan Municipality and other sponsors. The team cleaned areas in Heidedal and Manguang before returning to the UFS Bloemfontein Campus.

Kicking off the campus section of the programme, UFS staff and students formed a ‘human chain’ on the Red Square as part of a wider initiative which was the brainchild of Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu – who was the main attraction of the 2012 Mandela Day activities at Kovsies.

The assembled ‘chain’ recited the UFS Mandela Day pledge, whilst snaking around the Red Square and the gardens surrounding the Main Building, before offering interfaith prayers to Madiba in honour of the 67 minutes of selflessness epitomised by Nelson Mandela Day.

To conclude the first part of the celebrations, the No Student Hungry campaign’s patrons, Mrs Grace Jansen and Dr Carin Buys, released symbolic doves and joined the chain in the singing of the national anthem.

Rudi Buys, Dean of Student Affairs, said that the symbolic chain showed the UFS community’s aim to “join together as a country and show our commitment to our people” on the special day.

Mangaung Metropolitan Municipality Executive Mayor, Thabo Manyoni, together with Prof Jansen, welcomed UFS staff and students to the main festivities which centred around a coin-laying ceremony in front of the Main Building. All proceeds of the coin laying are to be contributed towards the NSH. More than R83 000 was raised through the coin-laying ceremony and donations, more than double the amount of 2012.

The jubilant crowd was edged on by OFM presenter, Johrné van Huyssteen, who offered to preside as master of ceremonies free of charge as part of his 67 minutes.

Manyoni stressed that Mandela Day is a celebration and should be regarded as a joyous occasion. He said that Madiba’s ability to take action and inspire change, is the foremost aspect of his legacy, one all South Africans should strive to emulate.

“We should all be the champions in the areas where we are. There can never be another Madiba, but we should all aim to be smaller, better Madibas,” he said.

Zelda la Grange emphasised the life-changing influence Madiba has had on her own life, as well as South Africa in general.

“Mandela Day is a call to action for individuals, for people everywhere, to take responsibility for changing the world into a better place, one small step at a time, just as Mr Mandela did. It is a day of service,” she said.

According to her, certain key characteristics are responsible for Madiba’s vast reverence throughout the world, principles everyone should try to emulate. She mentioned his principles, simplicity, honesty, integrity, discipline and respect for other people even when opinions differ, as the foremost of these qualities.

La Grange also stressed that the goodwill shown on Mandela Day should not be limited to one day in a year, but that we should all strive to live each day according to these principles.

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