Change the world

24/08/2015

Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University (NMMU) George Campus Forestry Students, Trudy Sebelebele, Heinrich Hechter, Ullrich Hechter and Tatenda Mapeto, have secured the bid for NMMU to host the 45th  International Forestry Students Symposium (IFSS) in 2017. 

The students recently attended the International Forestry Students Association’s (IFSA)  43rd IFSS in the Philippines were Trudy Sebelebele, Heinrich Hechter and Tatenda Mapeto were appointed to leadership positions as Board Member (Head of Council), Southern Africa Regional Representative and Head of the Forestry Education Commission respectively.

South Africa had hosted this symposium in 1997 (Stellenbosch) and 2007 (NMMU) and the ten year trend will be upheld as NMMU again hosts it in 2017. The bid was tightly contested by universities from Australia and Indonesia.  

The International Forestry Students Association (IFSA) connects over 75 universities offering forestry programmes across the globe. NMMU George Forestry students have continuously been at the helm of the organisation while championing forestry education in Southern Africa and beyond.

Tatenda Mapeto, an NMMU PhD student in Forestry will also present a paper at the upcoming XIV World Forestry Congress (WFC) to be held in KZN.  This follows the hosting during July of the very successful Forestry INDABA jointly by NMMU (George Campus) and the Department of Agriculture Forestry and Fisheries (DAFF).

Dr Mike Wingfield (far left), President of the International Union of Forest Research Organisations, with NMMU and other student delegates at the opening plenary of the 43rd IFSS held in the Philippines.  The students, from left, are: Ullrich Hechter (NMMU George BTech student), Thabo Ngubeni (University of Venda), Daniel Boenkhe (Stellenbosch), Tatenda Mapeto (NMMU George PhD student), Heinrich Hechter and Trudy Sebelebele (both NMMU 3rd year Forestry students) and May Anne Then (President of the International Forestry Students Association). 

Contact information
Ms Alet van Tonder
Manager: Marketing & Corporate Relations
Tel: 27 44 801 5098
alet.vantonder@mandela.ac.za