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Emerging researchers shine at inaugural UFS Honours and Undergraduate Research Conference

28 May 2025 | Story Lilitha Dingwayo | Photo Lunga Luthuli

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

Nat Nakasa the inspiration behind UFS academic’s PhD thesis

2017-01-09

Photo: Supplied

“I’m interested in alternative ways of approaching things, so I wanted to look at how journalism can be used in an unconventional way to contribute to a developing society.”

This is why Dr Willemien Marais, a lecturer in the Department of Communication Science at the University of the Free State (UFS), decided to title her thesis: Nat Nakasa as existential journalist, describing a form of journalism that places emphasis on the individual’s experiences.

“Existentialism is a philosophy that provides scope for an individual approach to life, and I like Nat Nakasa’s writing because of his excellent sense of humour despite his horrific circumstances as a black journalist during apartheid,” she says.

A practical approach to writing

Dr Marais analysed Nat Nakasa’s approach to journalism through articles he wrote in the early 1960s. She searched for relevant themes of existentialist philosophy in Nakasa’s work in order to prove that he could be read as an existential journalist.

She mentions that in terms of contemporary relevance, Nakasa’s approach to journalism suggests that existentialism could provide the journalist with a practical approach to writing, especially for those journalists working in developing societies.

“The relevance of this approach lies in the fact that any society is always between things – the old and the new – which might require the journalist to operate outside the boundaries of conventional journalism.”

This study was qualitative in nature because of the interpretation required. She mentions that it was basically one of many possible interpretations of Nakasa’s work; with this one using existentialism as a lens.

An intellectually stimulating thesis

Dr Marais quotes French existentialist Jean-Paul Sartre, who said that interpreting someone’s work, especially someone who was no longer alive, was open to “thousands of shimmering, iridescent, relevant meanings”, and her research represents one of these possible meanings of Nakasa’s work as a journalist.

When asked how long she had worked on her thesis, Dr Marais simply answered “too long!” She mentions that her thesis was initially more of an intellectual exercise. Whereas the actual act of writing took about four months, she spent many years thinking about the topic. “Now that all is said and done, I realise I had to grow into the topic. It took me a while to realise that true understanding does not come overnight!”

Dr Marais mentions that other than herself and the work of Nat Nakasa, there were no other roleplayers involved. “For many, many years it was just Nat Nakasa and I. It was frustrating and exhilarating all at the same time.”

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