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UFS bridges disciplines and technology to drive South Africa’s energy future

27 June 2025 | Story University of the Free State | Photo Supplied

Ecological Engineering — Dr Jacques Maritz, Albert van Eck, and Dr Nola Redelinghuys are among the University of the Free State researchers driving an interdisciplinary project that combines social insight, high-performance computing, and ecological engineering to support South Africa’s just energy transition.

The University of the Free State (UFS) is taking bold steps to address the complexities of South Africa’s energy transition by combining expertise across disciplines, innovative technologies such as high-performance computing (HPC), and active student involvement. This forward-thinking approach is positioning the UFS at the forefront of solving real-world challenges linked to renewable energy adoption and social dynamics, while equipping students with future-ready skills.

Interdisciplinary solutions for a just energy transition

“Current grand challenges – the pressing societal and scientific problems shaping research at the UFS and globally – require students and researchers to include computational approaches such as modelling, simulations, and large-scale data analysis,” says Dr Jacques Maritz, Head of the Unit for Engineering Sciences at the UFS.

“One such example is in merging social dynamics with energy paradigms – two seemingly different worlds, yet connected via scientific elegance,” says Dr Maritz. Energy decisions, such as shifting to renewables, are shaped by the behaviour of communities, governments, and industries. As a recent response to these challenges, ecological and nature-based engineering sciences at the UFS aim to integrate human activity into nature, while benefiting both via the merging of computation, ecological engineering sciences, nature-based solutions, and data-driven complexity science.

The UFS’ pioneering project models these complex social-energy relationships to better understand how South Africa can sustainably and justly transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy. This interdisciplinary effort involves researchers and students from physics, sociology, engineering, data science, and mathematical modelling working together to map these interdependencies shaped by economic, political, cultural, and community forces.

For students such as Lurgasho Minnie, a final-year MSc Astrophysics student, this interdisciplinary exposure is transformative. “It has given me a new lens or perspective on approaching and solving problems in my field of research. By approaching challenges from an interdisciplinary point of view, new methods and techniques can be applied to solve challenging problems,” he says.

A crucial part of this research involves modelling dynamic social-energy networks using systems thinking, network analysis, and scenario planning. These tools help simulate interactions between government policies, community behaviour, environmental impacts, and technological innovations, allowing researchers to predict and plan for different future scenarios.

Students are actively shaping this work. The first set of social data was collected by UFS students on the Qwaqwa Campus, with training and support from the Centre for Global Change and Student Affairs. These data-gathering efforts are not only enriching the research but also building students' skills in real-world data collection and analysis.

“One of the study objectives is to inform the development of an awareness campaign about the complexities inherent in transitioning from a predominantly non-renewable to a renewable energy system, firstly aimed at UFS students but ultimately at the broader community,” explains Dr Nola Redelinghuys, Senior Lecturer in Sociology at the UFS.

The research team also hopes to help shape sustainable energy solutions for the university itself, with plans to create a renewable energy supply network that balances energy demand and renewable supply across the UFS campuses.

High-performance computing powering new insights

At the heart of this initiative is the UFS High-Performance Computing (HPC) Unit, which enables researchers to run complex simulations and process vast data sets. The HPC is essential for solving problems that require immense computing power and data storage, and the UFS is making these resources accessible to a growing number of students – even those from non-computational disciplines.

“The eResearch and HPC team promotes the development of new skills and knowledge to harness the power of HPC and expand one’s technological abilities to solve problems. The HPC staff must first train a student or researcher to use the system effectively before using their toolsets. Thereafter, students can streamline or even automate specific processes by using a collection of more generic toolsets. Even if not using an HPC daily (or after entering the workforce), the HPC methodologies and toolsets they are exposed to often change how a person approaches future problem sets. Students using the HPC are more likely to share their experiences and are encouraged to assist other students in their department to lessen the burden of entry for newcomers. This broadens the collective knowledge within a department on their toolsets and how to use them effectively,” says Albert van Eck, Director of the UFS HPC.

Students can also learn how to build and configure basic HPC clusters through freely available training materials, opening doors to careers in private cloud hosting, data science, genomics, and other tech industries. By focusing on open-source tools, the UFS ensures that students acquire industry-relevant skills without being locked into specific software vendors.

The project is also laying the groundwork for partnerships with renewable energy companies, technology firms, NGOs, and development agencies. These collaborations will strengthen the UFS’ industry ties and create more work-integrated learning (WIL) opportunities for students.

As part of UFS Vision 130, this project advances academic excellence, societal impact, and inclusivity. By involving diverse staff and students from both the Bloemfontein and Qwaqwa Campuses, it demonstrates the university’s commitment to building a future-ready, skilled, and socially conscious graduate community prepared to tackle South Africa’s energy challenges.

In a country grappling with energy security and the need for a just transition, the UFS’ approach – blending social insight, cutting-edge technology, and student empowerment – offers a valuable model for addressing one of the nation’s most pressing development priorities.

News Archive

Higher than expected prevalence of dementia in South African urban black population

2010-09-22

Prof. Malan Heyns and Mr Rikus van der Poel

Pilot research done by University of the Free State (UFS) indicates that the prevalence of dementia, of which Alzheimer’s disease is only one of the causes, is considerably higher than initially estimated. Clinical tests are now underway to confirm these preliminary findings.

To date it has been incorrectly assumed that dementia is less prevalent among urban black communities. This assumption is strongly disputed by the findings of the current study, which indicates a preliminary prevalence rate of approximately 6% for adults aged 65 years and older in this population group. Previous estimates for Southern Africa have been set at around 2,1%.

The research by the Unit for Professional Training and Services in the Behavioural Sciences (UNIBS) at the UFS and Alzheimer’s South Africa is part of the International 10/66 Dementia Research Group’s (10/66 DRG) initiative to establish the prevalence of dementia worldwide.

Mr Rikus van der Poel, coordinator of the local study, and Prof. Malan Heyns, Principal Investigator, say worldwide 66% of people with dementia live in low and middle income countries. It is expected that it will rise to more than 70% by 2040, and the socio-economic impact of dementia will increase accordingly within this period. 21 September marks World Alzheimer’s Day, and this year the focus is on the global economic impact of dementia. Currently, the world wide cost of dementia exceeds 1% of the total global GDP. If the global cost associated with dementia care was a company, it would be larger than Exxon-Mobil or Wal-Mart.

The researchers also say that of great concern is the fact that South Africa’s public healthcare system is essentially geared toward addressing primary healthcare needs, such as HIV/Aids and tuberculosis. The adult prevalence rate of HIV was 18,1% in 2007. According to UNAIDS figures more than 5,7 million people in South Africa are living with HIV/Aids, with an estimated annual mortality of 300 000. In many instances the deceased are young parents, with the result that the burden of childcare falls back on the elderly, and in many cases elderly grandparents suffering from dementia are left without children to take care of them. “These are but a few reasons that highlight the need for advocacy and awareness regarding dementia and care giving in a growing and increasingly urbanized population,” they say.

Low and middle income countries often lack epidemiological data to provide representative estimates of the regional prevalence of dementia. In general, epidemiological studies are challenging and expensive, especially in multi-cultural environments where the application of research protocols relies heavily on accurate language translations and successfully negotiated community access. Despite these challenges, the local researchers are keen to support advocacy and have joined the international effort to establish the prevalence of dementia through the 10/66 DRG.

The 10/66 DRG is a collective of researchers carrying out population-based research into dementia, non-communicable diseases and ageing in low and middle income countries. 10/66 refers to the two-thirds (66%) of people with dementia living in low and middle income countries, and the 10% or less of population-based research that has been carried out in those regions.

Since its inception in 1998, the 10/66 DRG has conducted population based surveys in 14 catchment areas in ten low and middle income countries, with a specific focus on the prevalence and impact of dementia. South Africa is one of seven LAMICs (low and medium income countries) where new studies have been conducted recently, the others being Puerto Rico, Peru, Mexico, Argentina, China and India.

Mr Van der Poel says participating researchers endeavour to conduct cross-sectional, comprehensive, one-phase surveys of all residents aged 65 and older within a geographically defined area. All centres share the same core minimum dataset with cross-culturally validated assessments (dementia diagnosis and subtypes, mental disorders, physical health, anthropometry, demographics, extensive non-communicable risk factor questionnaires, disability/functioning, health service utilization and caregiver strain).

The local pilot study, funded by Alzheimer’s South Africa, was rolled out through an existing community partnership, the Mangaung University of the Free State Community Partnership Programme (MUCPP).

According to Mr Van der Poel and Prof. Heyns, valuable insights have been gained into the myriad factors at play in establishing an epidemiological research project. The local community has responded positively and the pilot phase in and of itself has managed to promote awareness of the condition. The study has also managed to identify traditional and culture-specific views of dementia and dementia care. In addition, existing community-based networks are being strengthened, since part of the protocol will include the training and development of family caregivers within the local community in Mangaung.

“Like most developing economies, the South African population will experience continued urbanization during the next two decades, along with increased life expectancy. Community-based and residential care facilities for dementia are few and far between and government spending will in all probability continue to address the high demands associated with primary healthcare needs. These are only some of the reasons why epidemiological and related research is an important tool for assisting lobbyists, advocates and policymakers in promoting better care for those affected by dementia.”

Media Release
Issued by: Mangaliso Radebe
Assistant Director: Media Liaison
Tel: 051 401 2828
Cell: 078 460 3320
E-mail: radebemt@ufs.ac.za
21 September 2010

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