Page 30 - University of Pretoria Research Review 2017

28
UP celebrates 100 years of Agricultural Science
The University of Pretoria celebrated the centenary of agricultural science
at UP, and the achievements, over the century-long history, that have positioned the University to contribute significantly to the challenges related to agriculture and food security.
Johan van Zyl, former Dean of the Faculty of Agriculture and UP Agriculturalist of the Century.
The Faculty of Agriculture was established at UP in 1917, incorporating three disciplines: phytopathology, soil science and livestock-breeding. Its name and identity evolved to become the Faculty of Agricultural Sciences in 1969, and later in 1994, the Faculty of Biological and Agricultural Sciences. In 1999, the faculty merged with the natural sciences to become the Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences. This merger formalised the link between agricultural science and a number of other disciplinary fields, including the biological, mathematical and physical sciences, which strengthened multi- disciplinary research.
The Dean of the Faculty, Professor Jean Lubuma, has emphasised the importance of the focus on agricultural science in addressing food security and the well-being of people, linked to the UN SDGs. UP has a long history of being recognised globally, as among the top 1% of institutions in the Web of Science Essential Science Indicators, in the fields of agricultural science, plant and animal science, and ecology and the environment. This means that UP is well-positioned to contribute, through science and technology, to addressing some of the major challenges that face Africa and the world.
also acknowledged partnerships with government
and industry in advancing scientific research. The University’s experimental farms have always been important facilities for collaborative research, and for the training of students from agricultural and veterinary sciences. A long-standing partnership with the Animal Feed Manufacturers Association is one example
of many. So are partnerships with the Agricultural Research Council, and the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research in contributing to the development of South Africa’s bioeconomy, and UP’s active participation in the Africa-wide Regional Universities Forum for Capacity Building in Agriculture (RUFORUM) in the training of next-generation agriculturalists.
The agricultural science milestone in the history of the University concluded with an event in November 2017 where Dr Johan van Zyl, former Dean of the Faculty, and Vice-Chancellor of the University, received the
UP Agriculturalist of the Century award. Dr van Zyl was one of the masterminds behind the Postgraduate School of Agricultural and Rural Development in the Faculty, and played a major role in establishing the Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute (FABI) at UP, and he has served on the UP Council.
The centenary celebrations of Agriculture at UP