UFS PhD student honoured with L’Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science Award
AwardsResearchUniversity of the Free State October 20, 2025
Runè van der Merwe, a final-year PhD student in the Department of Zoology and Entomology at the University of the Free State (UFS), has been selected as one of eight recipients of the prestigious L’Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science National Programme Award in 2025. The accolade recognises exceptional early-career women scientists whose research... Read more
UFS medical physics, oncology at forefront of AI-powered cancer treatment planning
ResearchUniversity of the Free State October 5, 2025
The Departments of Medical Physics and Oncology at the University of the Free State (UFS), together with Universitas Academic Hospital, was the first clinical site worldwide to integrate artificial intelligence (AI) into cancer treatment planning. In adopting the Radiation Planning Assistant (RPA), a web-based AI platform developed at MD... Read more
UKZN research explores political disillustionment, existential freedom
ResearchUniversity of KwaZulu-Natal September 6, 2025
Yoliswa Madondo graduated cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts Honours in English Studies, driven by a long-standing passion for using language and literature to reflect on and reshape society. Her study is shaped by the contradictions of post-apartheid South Africa, where the promises of democracy and freedom remain... Read more
ASSAf helps to demystify POPIA for researchers
Academy of Science of South AfricaResearch September 3, 2025
The Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf) is proud to announce the launch of its POPIA Voluntary Compliance Framework for Research, endorsed by the ASSAf Council on 14 May 2025. It is compulsory for all researchers to comply with POPIA. This voluntary Framework provides practical guidance for researchers... Read more
First case of rare, deadly fungus in sub-Saharan Africa identified
Free StateResearch September 2, 2025
Medical staff at the University of the Free State (UFS) and the National Health Laboratory Service (NHLS) at the Universitas Academic Hospital have identified the first case of S. oblongispora mucormycosis in sub-Saharan Africa and among HIV-positive patients. This discovery was made when a 32-year-old male patient was admitted to the Universitas Academic... Read more
Weevil species released into the Crocodile River to combat invasive alien aquatic plant
National Research FoundationResearch May 23, 2025
The South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity (NRF-SAIAB), a National Research Foundation (NRF) research facility, plays an important role in conserving the country’s biodiversity. In an effort to combat the growing threat of the invasive alien plant Salvinia minima to South Africa’s freshwater ecosystems, the DSTI/NRF-SAIAB SARChI Chair in... Read more
Scientists tackle one of Africa’s most destructive invasive trees
ResearchStellenbosch University May 23, 2025
A major new book on the ecology and management of one of the most destructive invasive weeds in Africa,is now available online. The book, titled The Ecology and Management of Invasive Prosopis Trees in Eastern Africa, is the outcome of a large, decade-long collaborative research project involving six universities... Read more
New study finds emerging pathogen inside brown locusts
ResearchUniversity of the Free State May 23, 2025
A new study by researchers from the University of the Free State (UFS), the National Health Laboratory Service, and the University of Venda has confirmed for the first time that common brown locusts are carriers of pathogenic yeasts that can cause severe infections in humans – especially in people... Read more
NRF, Costech sign MoU to deepen bilaterial scientific cooperation
National Research FoundationResearch May 23, 2025
The National Research Foundation (NRF) and the Tanzania Commission for Science and Technology (COSTECH) have signed a landmark Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to strengthen and expand their scientific partnership. The signing took place during the 13th Annual Meeting of the Global Research Council (GRC), hosted by Saudi Arabia’s King... Read more
Cutting off parasite’s energy supply could help fight malaria
ResearchStellenbosch University April 25, 2025
In 2023, malaria caused 597 000 deaths worldwide, according to the World Health Organization, with most occurring in Africa, where the deadliest malaria parasite, Plasmodium falciparum, is most prevalent. Once inside an infected person’s body, the parasite relies on glycolysis—breaking down glucose (a sugar)—to produce energy and stay alive. A... Read more
