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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

UFS awards honorary doctorates during its centenary week

2004-10-07

The University of the Free State (UFS) will award 12 honorary doctorates on Thursday 14 October 2004 to a diverse group of outstanding South Africans and international experts.

This will be the last in a group of 18 honorary doctorates that the UFS will be awarding in its centenary year.

The awards comprise of a number of well-known language experts and writers, experts in higher education, first-time awards in community service and development studies, as well as music.

“This reflects quality and also diversity, a spectrum of convictions as well as the recognition of persons who played a major role in changing society in the last couple of decades, “ says Prof Frederick Fourie, Rector and Vice-Chancellor of the UFS.

The awards can be grouped in the following categories:

Language and literature:

Mr Karel Schoeman (D Litt (hc)) – well-known Afrikaans author and former student of the UFS. Some of the awards he has received include the Hertzog prize for prose (1970, 1986 and 1995), the CNA prize (1972 and 1994), the Old Mutual prize (1985 and 1991), the SABC prize for best television drama in 1990, the M Net book prize in 1997 and the State President award (former President Nelson Mandela: Order for Excellent Service – silver) in 1999. It is an honor for the UFS to have this gifted and creative person among its former students. This conferment is a fitting recognition of his status as leading South African writer.

Ms Antjie Krog (D Litt (hc)) – well-known South African poet and former student of the UFS. Her popularity as poet is evident in her piercing honesty and unequalled power of expression. Some of the awards she has received include the Eugéne Marais prize in 1973, the Rapport prize in 1987, the Hertzog prize in 1990 and the RAU prize in 2000. Her writing has been translated into seven languages. She has also received numerous honors for her involvement in and journalistic documentation of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s (TRC) proceedings. It is therefore an exceptional privilege for her alma mater to honor her with an honorary doctorate.

Prof Jaap Steyn (D Litt (et phil) (hc)) – recently, Prof Steyn again distinguished himself as biographer whose thorough research is apparent in the published biographies of illustrious writers such as NP van Wyk Louw and MER. The numerous awards, among which the Stals prize from the South African Academy of Science and Art for the Van Wyk publication, are a matter of record. He conducted the research for this great prize-winning work as honorary professor at the UFS.

Prof Jakes Gerwel (D Phil (hc)) – Chancellor of the University of Rhodes and Director of Naspers, Old Mutual, Gold Fields and Brimstone. His doctoral thesis was published in The Netherlands under the title Literatuur en apartheid. Konsepsies van “gekleurdes” in die Afrikaanse roman tot 1948 (1983). He received an honorary doctorate from Clark College ( Atlanta), the City University of New York and Missouri in the USA, the University of the Western Cape, the University of Cape Town, the University of Natal, Rhodes University, the University of Stellenbosch and the University of the Witwatersrand. He is also outstanding professor in the Humanities at the University of the Western Cape, honorary professor in the Humanities at the University of Pretoria, and was the chairman of the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC).

Development Studies:

Dr Frederick van Zyl Slabbert (D Phil (hc)) – for his academic achievements, his endeavors for bringing about a peaceful transition in South Africa and his demonstration of the social investment role of the corporate sector. Dr Van Zyl Slabbert has received honorary degrees from the University of Natal and the Simon Fraser University in Canada. He has published seven books and various academic articles.

Community Service:

Prof Robert G Bringle (D Phil (hc)) – from the Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) in the USA. He is currently Chancellor’s Professor of Psychology and Philanthropic Studies at the IUPUI and also Director of the IUPUI’s Centre for Service Learning. He is honored for his exceptional contribution to several of the UFS’s community service projects as well as his role in the advancement of a multi- and inter-disciplinary approach to academic development and the integration of service learning within the faculties of the UFS. He has also made a valuable contribution to the conceptual framework of the UFS’s unique community service policy and more recently to the advancement of a research culture regarding community service.

Higher education:

Dr Khotso Mokhele (D Phil (hc)), President of the National Research Foundation (NRF) is honored for his contribution to the South African higher education sector. He has also made a substantial contribution to the development of the research capacity of universities and technikons in South Africa. Dr Mokhele was born in Bloemfontein and matriculated at the Moroka High School in Thaba Nchu.

Prof Saleem Badat (D Phil (hc)), the Chief Executive Officer of the Council on Higher Education (CHE). Prof Badat has devoted himself to transforming and building South African higher education, and has constantly challenged the higher education sector to retain the moral basis of higher education and tackle its challenges with intellectual honesty, ingenuity, creativity and courage. He is honored for his intellectual leadership in the development of a equitable, just and quality higher education system in South Africa.

Law:

Prof HA (Boelie) Wessels (D Legum (hc)) – for his contribution to the fields of Roman Law, Legal History at the UFS. He is currently a part-time lecturer at the UFS’s Faculty of Law.

Medicine:

Prof CJC Nel (D Phil (hc) Posthumous) – for the way in which he strived for the advancement of excellent medical education in the country. Prof Nel also did pioneering work in the field of transformation in higher education. Under his guidance the School of Medicine at the UFS became one of the first medical schools to adopt a parallel-medium system of instruction.

Music:

Prof Leo Quayle (D Mus (hc)) – for the significant contributions he has made to the development of music – not only in Bloemfontein, but also on national level and abroad. His initiative, enthusiasm and dedication contributed to the eventual founding of the Free State Musicon, as well as the first symphony orchestra and the first string quartet in Bloemfontein. Prof Quayle is a former head of the Department of Music at the UFS.

Prof Jack de Wet (D Mus (hc)) – well-known for his exceptional contribution to violin tuition in South Africa. As pedagogue of international stature, he still moulds violinists who compete at national and international level. At an advanced stage of his career, he still actively conveys his knowledge, experience and distinctive insight in his field of speciality to yet another new generation of young violin teachers. Today the symphony orchestras in Bloemfontein and Port Elizabeth also stand on the foundations laid by him.

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

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