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UFS to offer agricultural engineering, as well as Africa’s first postgraduate ecological engineering sciences degrees

01 September 2025 | Story Martinette Brits | Photo Supplied

For the first time, the University of the Free State (UFS) will be offering a full four-year engineering degree. From 2026, the Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences will present the Bachelor of Engineering (BEng) in Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering, alongside new PhD and MSc degrees in Ecological and Nature-based Engineering Sciences – the first postgraduate qualifications of their kind on the African continent. Together, these programmes strengthen the university’s role in addressing some of the world’s most pressing and complex sustainability challenges.

Louis Lagrange, BEng Project Manager, describes the new undergraduate degree as a milestone for the university: “It will be the first full engineering degree presented by the UFS, and it directly targets the pressing water–food–energy nexus. It combines hard-core engineering and precision farming digital skills with the living world of biosystems to develop regenerative and environmentally sustainable food production systems.”

The BEng degree is endorsed by the Engineering Council of South Africa (ECSA) and approved by the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA). It is designed to prepare students for the full agricultural engineering design process – from identifying and evaluating challenges, to designing, implementing, and testing sustainable solutions. Students will also be able to specialise through electives in animal production, horticulture, or open land crop production.

Lagrange explains that the programme offers students hands-on engagement from the start. “They will gain experience in agricultural mechanisations such as drones and GIS, water and irrigation systems, soil and environmental stewardship, renewable energy including solar and biofuels, precision agriculture, data-driven smart farming, and food processing.”

BEng graduates will be well positioned for diverse careers, ranging from agricultural/biosystems engineer, irrigation and water resource engineer, smart farming specialist, and food processing engineer to roles in mechanisation, soil conservation, animal husbandry, and energy conversion. Employers include agribusinesses, consulting engineers, environmental firms, government agencies, and research organisations.

According to Dr Jacques Maritz, Head of Engineering Sciences, “Our BSc, MSc, and PhD graduates will be uniquely positioned as ecological engineering scientists who can also branch out to advanced sustainability analysts, computational sustainability professionals, or nature-based complexity scientists who will have the future-proof skill of solving complex sustainability challenges in interdisciplinary teams by using some of the most advanced technology. On the horizon – an NQF 8 postgraduate diploma (PGDip) in Ecological and Nature-based Engineering Sciences to academically link undergraduate students to postgraduate studies.”

Postgraduate degrees: advancing ecological engineering

Alongside this undergraduate development and the existing BSc specialising in Physics with Engineering Subjects, the UFS is also introducing new postgraduate degrees in Ecological and Nature-based Engineering Sciences. “These are the first qualifications of their kind on the African continent and are endorsed by the International Ecological Engineering Society (IEES) and the Ecological Engineering Institute of Africa (EEIA),” explains Dr Maritz.

Dr Maritz explains: “Ecological engineering applies ecological and complexity science principles to design and restore sustainable ecosystems that integrate human society with the natural environment. These programmes will also strengthen work-integrated learning at the UFS, preparing graduates to address climate resilience, scientifically led biodiversity restoration, pollution remediation through data-driven interventions, and sustainable complex systems development.”

The postgraduate programmes are linked to the UFS’ growing research agenda, which includes plans for a biomass production facility at the UFS Industrial Park to advance scientific circular economy solutions, sustainable energy, and bio-inspired technologies. They also engage with cutting-edge fields such as extreme ecological engineering – creating new ecological functionality in severely degraded environments – and industrial ecological engineering, which reimagines the built environment through green construction materials, circular economy practices, and innovations such as 3D-printed green concrete.

Both Lagrange and Dr Maritz emphasise that these qualifications reflect the UFS’ Vision 130 commitment to being research-led, student-centred, and regionally engaged. They agree that the new programmes are ideally suited for students who want to combine engineering, science, and nature with emerging technologies, while pursuing careers that make a real impact on sustainability in South Africa and beyond.

News Archive

Inaugural lecture: World on verge of agricultural revolution

2008-05-19

A changing economic climate and new technology will see to a number of interesting changes in the livestock industry in the next few years. This is according to Prof. Frikkie Neser of the Department of Animal and Wildlife and Grassland Sciences, who delivered his inaugural lecture at the UFS on the subject: “The quest for a superior animal”.

Prof. Neser focused on the future of animal breeding in the next few decades.

He said the world, but especially South Africa, stand on the verge of a revolution in the agriculture sector. The whole production scenario will probably change. The high fuel and food prices are the two biggest factors that will play a role.

“Increasing fuel prices opened the door for the production of bio-fuel. The fuel industry is in direct competition with humans and the livestock industry for the same resource that result in unbelievable high prices for maize, sunflower and soya. These prices can further increase with the worldwide shortage of food,” he said.

More profitable breeds could take the place of existing breeds because of the big increase in input costs, he said. “Selection for more effective, and not maximum production, will became more important.

“There are also indications of pressure on feed lots. If this industry downsizes, it could lead to a total turnaround in the beef industry. The feed lots prefer a later maturing animal that can put on a lot of weight before fat is laid down. If this industry declines, early maturing breeds and some of the synthetic breeds, as well as crossbreeding with early maturing breeds, will play a more prominent role in the meat industry.

“This will also lead to a decline in the total number of animals in order to prevent overgrazing. This can result in an increase in imports from neighbouring countries and especially Brazil, where production costs are much lower.

“One way to increase the profitability of meat production is to utilise niche markets. There is world-wide a shift to more natural products. The demand for grass-fed beef drastically increased. According to research it is healthier than meat from feed lots and usually free of hormones and antibiotics. If factors such as traceability are put in place, this could be a very profitable niche mark for the South African meat industry,” he said.

Prof. Neser also said: “In order for breeding societies to survive they need to increase the number of members and the animals that are being registered. This they do by replacing the word stud with recorded animals. Hereby they open the door for excellent commercial animals to become part of the seed-stock industry. Another benefit is that especially in the smaller breeds more information becomes available, resulting in more accurate breeding values.”

Prof. Frikkie Neser.

Download complete Inaugural lecture - Afrikaans (Pdf format)

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