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UFS welcomes GeoCongress 2025 delegates

02 June 2025 | Story Leonie Bolleurs | Photo Supplied

Dr Martin Clark, chair of the local organising committee, is looking forward to welcoming delegates to the GeoCongress.

In just more than three weeks, the University of the Free State (UFS) will open its doors to delegates attending GeoCongress 2025, hosted in collaboration with the Geological Society of South Africa. From 23 to 27 June 2025, academics, industry professionals, and students will come together on the Bloemfontein Campus to share knowledge, discuss new research, and connect with peers in the geosciences.

This biennial event will feature a dynamic programme of workshops, keynote addresses, and presentations covering a broad range of topics in the field.

Message from the event organisers and UFS leadership

“It is a unique honour to be able to host the national GeoCongress, being responsible for bringing together our partners in industry and academia to share our evolving understanding of the rocks, minerals, and advances in the geosciences and associated disciplines. My view of the GeoCongress stems from my appreciation and understanding of one of South Africa’s most highly regarded geologists, Dr Hans Merensky. Dr Merensky is credited with finding platinum in the Bushveld, diamonds in Namaqualand, and phosphorus and vermiculite in Phalaborwa. However, less remember was Dr Merensky’s ability to coordinate comprehensive investigations of rocks, and his tenacity in exploring across the South African landscape. For this, I believe our theme Embracing Change through Collaboration is apt, since it's through interactions between various sectors that we are best able to handle the challenges of tomorrow,” comments Dr Martin Clark, Senior Lecturer in the UFS Department of Geology and principal investigator of the Merensky Group for Airborne Geological Image Classification (MAGIC) at the Department of Geology.

“The 2025 GeoCongress symbolises the principles of sustainable research and innovation that we advocate for in the Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences and underscores our dedication to the development of interdisciplinary collaboration. Research collaboration through our Green and Complex Research Hubs is consistent with the congress theme of ‘Embracing Change Through Collaboration’. By integrating geoscience research with broader sustainability and technological advancements, we guarantee that our scientific discoveries make a significant contribution to both environmental stewardship and industry," said Prof Paul Oberholster, Dean of the Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences.

Outstanding line-up of attendees

GeoCongress 2025 is set to bring together some of the most influential minds in geoscience, creating a space where leading academics, industry experts, and emerging researchers can exchange ideas and insights. Attendees will have the opportunity to engage with key figures shaping the field, including Prof Glen Nwaila, Director of the Wits Mining Institute and a leading authority in economic geology and geometallurgy at the University of the Witwatersrand; Prof John Carranza, a highly regarded researcher at the UFS; and Sifiso Siwela, Chairperson of the SAMCODES Standards Committee and past president of the Geological Society of South Africa.

Adding to the wealth of expertise, Dr Geoffrey Howarth, Senior Lecturer at the University of Cape Town and Head of the Electron Microprobe Facility, will bring his knowledge in mineral studies, while Prof Susan Webb, Associate Professor of Geophysics at the University of the Witwatersrand and acting co-director of the DSI-NRF Centre of Excellence for Integrated Mineral and Energy Resource Analysis (CIMERA), will share her insights into geophysical research. Dr Hayley Cawthra, specialist scientist at the Council for Geoscience, will contribute her expertise in coastal geology, and Prof Steve McCourt, President of the Geological Society of South Africa and Professor Emeritus at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, will bring his experience in structural geology. The line-up also includes Prof Wolfgang Maier from Cardiff University, whose research on magmatic ore deposits continues to influence the field.

To make the most of your GeoCongress 2025 experience, be sure to take full advantage of the networking opportunities – from informal meet-and-greets to engaging panel discussions. Don't miss the chance to attend hands-on workshops and exciting field excursions. These excursions offer a deeper look into the country’s rich geological history, with opportunities to visit Florisbad, Kimberley, the Beatrix operations in the Goldfields, or the Drakensberg. For more tips on navigating the congress and must-see highlights, visit the GeoCongress 2025 website at https://geocongress2025.org.za/ or contact us at secretariat@geocongress2025.org.za.

GeoCongress 2025 is set to be a landmark event on the geosciences calendar. With the UFS as your host, prepare for an experience that combines academic excellence, innovation, and a collaborative spirit. Welcome to GeoCongress 2025!

News Archive

Unique programme for next generation of professors launched

2010-11-19

Some of the scholars taking part in the Vice-Chancellor's Prestige Young Scholars Programme are, from the left: Dr Andréhette Verster, Ms Liezel Kotzé and Dr Nthabeleng Rammile.
Photo: Stephen Collett

The University of the Free State (UFS) has launched a programme that will provide an accelerated pathway to 25 young scholars with recent PhDs and teach them how to become professors through intensive local and international mentorship, research support and academic training.

The Vice-Chancellor’s Prestige Programme for Young Scholars focuses on the next generation of top researchers in South Africa who will fill the gap left by retiring academics. It will also add significantly to the diversity of the professoriate at the UFS.

No other university in the country has a programme of such scale and intensity for building excellence and diversity through young scholars.

“The programme is highly selective and limited to the most promising young scholars at the university. It will also contribute towards establishing an international reputation for the university and positioning the UFS as one of the best research institutions in the country,” said Prof. Neil Roos, Director of the Postgraduate School at the UFS. He will manage the programme together with Prof. Jackie du Toit, also from the university.

Running for the next three years, the programme will put the 25 scholars through an intensive programme of academic and scholarship support which includes advanced theoretical and methodological training and exposure to leading international scholars in their fields. They will also be exposed to intensive reading and writing programmes, high-level seminar and conference participation and presentation, accelerated publication schedules and personal mentoring and advising plans.

“Scholarship will only grow if there is a critical mass – and this is what we want to achieve at the UFS. We want to create a pool of young scholars, develop and connect them with international scholars and place them at top universities in the world where they can be mentored by the best in their respective fields,” said Prof. Jonathan Jansen, Vice-Chancellor and Rector of the UFS at the launch of the programme.

According to Prof. Jansen, the UFS aims to draw public intellectuals and A-rated scientists to the campus and make academic work attractive to academics at the university and countrywide.

The group of scholars has a good academic record, with 69% of them completing their PhDs within the last five years. The group is well represented in terms of race and gender; the majority are in the 26 to 30-year age group and specialisations include the social sciences (including education, the humanities and arts) as well as the natural sciences.

“Scholarship develops over time. We are proud and extremely honoured to be selected for this prestigious programme. With this scholarship we acknowledge the responsibility of building the UFS and of extending our knowledge across disciplines. We will establish a scholarly advancement for our university that will enable it to compete with the best in the world,” said Dr Nalize Marais, one of the prestige scholars.

The launch was also attended by members of the university’s International Advisory Council (IAC). This council, which visited the university the past week to advise the leadership on its future positioning strategies, especially in relation to its international aspiration to become a place of scholarship and service among the leading universities in the world, congratulated the UFS on this groundbreaking programme.

“You are lucky to have a leadership that dares to dream and that can act the dream. You are fortunate that your leadership wants to take this university forward and explore new horizons,” said Prof. Aki Saweyrr, former Secretary-General of the Association of African Universities in Ghana and member of the IAC.

Ending the evening’s programme was Dr Gansen Pillay, Vice-President of the National Research Foundation. Prof. Gansen also congratulated the UFS on its visionary and inspirational leadership. “It is a privilege to make a life-changing contribution to research in the world. Universities must take ownership of their own development – which is exactly what the UFS is doing. And, although this is a truly South African programme, it could have an impact on the rest of the world,” he said.

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