The UFS drives transformative research that advances health, tackles food insecurity, and combats poverty, strengthening social justice and promoting equitable development to improve lives across Africa and contribute meaningfully to global sustainable development priorities.
People are situated at the heart of the Sustainable Development Goals. The SDGs strive for a safer, healthier, and more prosperous world by 2030 – while rigorously respecting the limits of our planet.
The eradication of poverty is central to the objectives of the UN’s 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Eliminating poverty and hunger is not a challenge confined to any one nation or continent – it is a shared global imperative. Guaranteeing global food security and improved nutrition at both household and planetary levels is essential to eliminate hunger.
Addressing these critical issues is vital for the health and well-being of people worldwide, especially those in the Global South, and more urgently, in sub-Saharan Africa. Human, animal and environmental health intersect; therefore, it is imperative that research addresses planetary health and social equity to ensure a sustainable and healthy future for all life on Earth.
The University of the Free State stands firmly committed to this global mission. Through transformative research, our scholars lead pioneering efforts that directly improve lives – championing better health, tackling food insecurity, and relentlessly working to eradicate poverty and hunger. Upholding our core value of social justice, we also drive innovative research that promotes equity and elevates the quality of education across communities.
The research of Profs Martin Nyaga, Felicity Burt, Motlalepula Matsabisa, Liezl Lues, Loyiso Jita and Maria Tsakeni serves as exemplars of the university’s contribution to cutting-edge advancement to improve the lives of people.
