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28 May 2025 | Story Lilitha Dingwayo | Photo Lunga Luthuli
Lunga Luthuli
From left to right: Larshan Naicker, Deputy Director: Teaching and Learning, UFS Library and Information Services; Jeannet Molopyane, Director: UFS Library and Information Services; Prof Vasu Reddy, Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Research and Internationalisation; Keitumetse Eister, University Librarian: Central University of Technology; and Dr Monde Madiba, Deputy Director: Collection Development and Management, UFS Library and Information Services

In a celebration of academic excellence, the University of the Free State (UFS) hosted its first multidisciplinary Library and Information Services Honours and Undergraduate Research Conference (LISHURC) on the Bloemfontein Campus on 23 May 2025. The event offered undergraduate and honours students a unique opportunity to present their research in a professional academic setting.

As a collaborative initiative between faculties and Library and Information Services, the conference served to intellectually stimulate young scholars while promoting scholarly engagement among both students and lecturers. 

Distinguished UFS leaders, including Prof Vasu Reddy, Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Research and Internationalisation, and Prof Matseliso Mokhele-Makgalwa, Vice-Dean Research Engagement and Internationalisation in the Faculty of Education, were in attendance as guest speakers.

Prof Reddy highlighted the university’s commitment to ensuring that student research reaches a global audience through open-access platforms such as KovsieScholar. 

“I encourage you to embrace this opportunity not only as a moment of recognition, but as a stepping stone toward future research, postgraduate studies, and professional impact,” he said.  

Prof Mokhele-Makgalwa commended the university’s inter-faculty collaboration, led by Library and Information Services, in creating a platform that nurtures academic inquiry. Reflecting on the growth of the initiative since its inception in 2019, she acknowledged its success in 2025 as a milestone.  

“We must also consider the broader purpose - preparing our students not only as researchers but as global citizens, leaders, and innovators,” she said, adding that critical thinking, problem-solving, and strong communication skills are essential in today’s academic and professional landscape. 

Among the student presenters was Langelihle Malaza, an honours student in Information Systems from the Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, who shared his insights into his group’s project: 

“Our group focused on designing a centralised digital platform - a website that would serve as a hub for both educational resources and communication for users involved in the Information Technology Service Learning (ITSL) programme.”  

The team also acknowledged the instrumental support of Dr Rouxan Fouche, lecturer in the Department of Computer Science and Informatics, for his valuable guidance on both content and presentation. 

Attendees praised the event for its inspiring atmosphere and academic depth.  

“I am always interested in learning what other students are researching. When I saw this event, I knew I had to attend - and it exceeded my expectations,” said Jabulile Maseko, a master’s student in Zoology.

This event exemplifies the UFS’s commitment to cultivating research excellence and aligns with the institution's Vision 130 – a roadmap to producing globally relevant graduates who are ready to make a difference. 

News Archive

Vocal student invited to Summer Academy in Austria
2011-08-25

 

Theresa de Wit

One of our students, Teresa de Wit, joined some of the world’s most gifted young singers at the International Summer Academy in Salzburg this week.

Teresa, a B. Mus. Honours student under the tutelage of Petrus van Heerden from the University of the Free State’s Odeion School of Music (OSM), has been selected to participate in master classes presented by applauded soprano Barbara Bonney.

The Mozarteum Music University hosts the International Summer Academy in Salzburg every year during July and August. It has become one of the world’s biggest and most renowned institutions of its kind, offering 60 master classes for between 800 and 1 000 participants. Founded in 1916 by Lilli Lehmann to teach voice, the programme was expanded over the years to include violin, piano, composition, and conducting and opera courses. It was named the Mozarteum International Summer Academy in 1947.

During the six-week summer academy, the crème de la crème of professional artists share their expertise during two weeks of intensive courses. Over the years the summer academy has also become the scouting ground for the foremost music agencies of Europe and the United States of America.

 

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