Latest News Archive

Please select Category, Year, and then Month to display items
Previous Archive
25 June 2025 | Story Dr Nitha Ramnath | Photo Lunga Luthuli
Dr Omololu Aluko
Dr Omololu Aluko, Senior Lecturer in the Department of Biostatistics advances health research and collaboration during prestigious fellowship at Ghent University, Belgium.

Dr Omololu Aluko, Senior Lecturer in the Department of Biostatistics in the Faculty of Health Sciences at the University of the Free State (UFS), recently completed a prestigious short research stay at Ghent University in Belgium. The fellowship, hosted in April 2025, was awarded through the highly competitive Africa Platform of Ghent University Association (GAP) funding scheme, with additional support from the UFS International Office. 

A recognised expert in infectious disease modelling, particularly HIV/AIDS research in low-resource settings, Dr Aluko has devoted his academic career to using biostatistics to address pressing health challenges. His selection for this fellowship marks a significant achievement both for his individual research trajectory and for the broader ambitions of the Faculty of Health Sciences and the UFS.

 

Strategic steps towards international collaboration 

The opportunity for the fellowship was first announced in the UFS Digest Newsletter. Motivated by the potential for international collaboration, Dr Aluko began seeking a host at Ghent University whose interests aligned with his own. After several weeks of correspondence with various departments and researchers, a suitable academic collaborator agreed to host him. 

With a host confirmed, Dr Aluko submitted his application, which underwent a rigorous review and selection process. His proposal was shortlisted and ultimately approved. While Ghent University provided partial funding, supplementary financial support was secured through the UFS International Office. Dr Aluko credits the office’s assistance – especially the guidance of Mr Kagiso Ngake, Senior Officer: Partnerships – for helping him successfully secure the necessary resources. 

 

Advancing research in health data science  

During his time at Ghent University, Dr Aluko focused on the application of machine learning algorithms to address public health challenges – an increasingly important field within the Faculty of Health Sciences. His research demonstrated how advanced data analysis techniques can improve health outcomes and optimise treatment strategies, especially in resource-constrained settings. 

Beyond the immediate research achievements, the fellowship laid a foundation for long-term collaboration between the UFS and Ghent University. Key outcomes include: 

  • Opportunities for joint PhD supervision, allowing UFS students to conduct part of their research at Ghent University 
  • Prospects for publishing collaborative research in leading international A1-rated journals 
  • The identification of a promising young research collaborator, paving the way for future academic partnerships 
  • Plans to explore future staff exchange programmes, as new funding calls are announced 

     

A growing partnership in a new academic field 

Dr Annelies Verdoolaege, Coordinator for the Africa Platform at Ghent University, emphasised the broader vision behind the initiative:

“The purpose of these fellowships is to foster structural academic collaboration between Ghent University and partners in Africa. We offer a dedicated amount of seed funding to support short-term mobility, with the aim of building long-term partnerships – through student exchange, joint PhDs, joint funding proposals, and collaborative research publications. 

The UFS is a long-standing partner of Ghent University, especially in Education, Linguistics, and Agriculture. We are delighted that this fellowship has taken place in the field of Data Analysis and Mathematical Modelling - a scientific domain still to be fully developed between our institutions.” 

 

Enhancing UFS’ global research impact 

Dr Aluko’s successful fellowship reflects the high calibre of researchers at the UFS and illustrates the importance of international academic mobility. By securing this competitive opportunity, Dr Aluko not only advanced his own work but also strengthened the UFS’ global research footprint - opening new collaborative avenues and reinforcing the university's growing reputation in health sciences and data-driven research. 

The UFS expresses its sincere gratitude to the Africa Platform of Ghent University and the UFS International Office for their critical support in enabling this milestone. Partnerships such as this are key to fulfilling the UFS’ mission of producing world-class research and fostering meaningful global engagement. 

News Archive

Groundwater management vital for groundwater sustainability
2016-11-09

Description: Dr Yolanda Kotzé Tags: Dr Yolanda Kotzé

Dr Yolanda Kotzé, Affiliated Researcher in the
UFS Institute for Groundwater Studies, is passionate
about the management of groundwater.
Photo: Rulanzen Martin

An interest in groundwater resource management ignited the spark for a PhD research thesis by Dr Yolanda Kotzé, Affiliated Researcher in the Institute for Groundwater Studies (IGS) at the University of the Free State (UFS).

Her PhD research thesis titled, A Framework for Groundwater Use Authorisations as Part of Groundwater Governance in Water Scarce Areas within South Africa, was the result of her interest in groundwater resource management. Dr Kotzé identified the agricultural sector as one of the major water users, and a decision was made to conduct research within this sector.  

Research funded by Institute for Groundwater Studies
Groundwater is water found underground in cracks and spaces in soil, sand, and rocks. It is stored in, and moves slowly through geological formations of soil, sand, and rocks (aquifers). The National Department of Water and Sanitation was indirectly the client for this research. The research project was funded by the IGS. Given the current drought, effective groundwater resource management can be achieved within all sectors through sustainable abstraction and use without over-abstraction.

“Groundwater can be effectively managed
in the agricultural sector by sustainable use,
monitoring the quantity of groundwater use,
and measuring groundwater levels,”
said Dr Kotzé.

Research addresses improvement of groundwater management
Her promotor, mentor, teacher, and friend, the late Prof Gerrit van Tonder, introduced her to the field of Geohydrology, and especially to groundwater resource management. “With my research, I made a significant contribution to the improvement of groundwater governance and groundwater resource management, as well as to the handling of groundwater use authorisations for irrigation purposes in South Africa,” said Dr Kotzé. With this significant contribution, she attempts to address the phenomenon of poor groundwater allocation and groundwater resource management by means of a framework. The development of this framework has shown the value of action research in an attempt to find a solution to a problem. “Groundwater can be effectively managed in the agricultural sector by sustainable use, monitoring the quantity of groundwater use, and measuring groundwater levels,” said Dr Kotzé.

The methodology of the research consisted primarily of action research, which has a five-phase cyclical process. The research was Dr Kotzé’s application for a PhD in Geohydrology at the UFS in 2012. The research was completed in 2015.

We use cookies to make interactions with our websites and services easy and meaningful. To better understand how they are used, read more about the UFS cookie policy. By continuing to use this site you are giving us your consent to do this.

Accept