​In an op-ed published in Business Day on 15 July 2015, Prof Eugene Cloete, Vice-Rector: Research and Innovation at Stellenbosch University, argues that "universities can help reshape the continent's future in two ways: by producing more high-quality graduates through top-notch teaching, and by producing more reliable knowledge through relevant research."

Read the complete article -- as sumitted -- below, or click here to read it online as published on BDLive.

CAPTION: Pictured above are, from left, a group of PhD graduates at SU in 2014, and Prof Eugene Cloete, SU's Vice-Rector: Research and Innovation.

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Human capital for Africa

By Eugene Cloete

Having become one of the fastest growing regions in the world, Africa is undeniably "rising", as The Economist famously declared back in 2011. Yet the fruits of this boom have not reached the majority of our continent's 1.1 billion people, who remain trapped in poverty.

Africa scores poorly on the Human Development Index of the United Nations Development Programme, which measures life expectancy, education and gross domestic product. The 18 lowest ranked countries on the 2014 index are all African.

The challenge is to translate GDP growth into broad-based human development. This is not a public-relations exercise. We need tangible results stemming from real impact. We do not need spin doctors but medical doctors and farmers, entrepreneurs and engineers, teachers and physicists. We also need relevant and reliable research in both the natural and social sciences.

This is how to create "the Africa we want" as set out in the AU's Agenda 2063, which featured prominently at the African Union (AU) Summit in Sandton recently. The document contains a 50-year plan "to build a prosperous and united Africa based on shared values and a common destiny." To this end it advocates "expanding the African knowledge society through transformation and investments in universities, science, technology, research and innovation."

Africa has only 35 scientists and engineers per million inhabitants, and despite improvements the past two decades, its annual share of global research publication is less than 1.5% although the continent is home to 15% of the world's population.

How do we change this? Higher education holds the key. Universities can help reshape the continent's future in two ways: by producing more high-quality graduates through top-notch teaching, and by producing more reliable knowledge through relevant research.

The world is working on a post-2015 development agenda as the era of the Millennium Development Goals comes to an end, and the Common African Position, published last year, calls for increased support for research and development. It also foresees enhancing technological capacities for Africa's transformative agenda, and building an enabling environment for innovation.

The research produced at universities is essential to address the many developmental challenges facing Africa, in such fields as food security, energy, climate change, water, transport, communications infrastructure, human resource development, urbanisation and inequality.

South Africa (SA) has a sound track record of research, and at Stellenbosch University (SU), we are proud of our contribution in this regard. For several years now, we have been named the country's most research-productive university. In January, the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) confirmed that SU had achieved a weighted research output of 2.97 units per capita in 2013, with UCT, Rhodes, Pretoria, Wits and UKZN following in that order.

This measure refers not only to publications produced per permanently employed academic, but also to universities' output of research master's and PhD graduates. Both categories – research and graduates – are vital because in today's Information Age knowledge is the most important resource. More than anything else, this is what will make our continent's socio-economic transformation sustainable.

University World News reported in 2013 "there is broad agreement that Africa needs tens of thousands more PhDs, to renew an ageing professoriate and to staff rapidly expanding higher education, boost research and generate the high-level skills growing economies need."

This was confirmed at the African Higher Education Summit in Dakar in March, where the lack of sufficient numbers of academics with PhDs on the continent was highlighted. Delegates said it has adversely affected the quality and depth of instruction provided to undergraduate students and the ability to provide postgraduate students with adequate supervision.

The need to produce more doctoral graduates has also been identified in SA. In 2012, a target of more than 100 PhDs per million by 2030 was set in the National Development Plan (NDP), compared to the 28 per million currently produced annually, which is "very low by international standards". To achieve this target, SA needs more than 5 000 doctoral graduates per year – considerably more than the 1 420 produced in 2010, yet attainable if the country's growth in graduates between 2008 and 2013 (12.3% per annum) is maintained.

Also in this regard SU is proud of its contribution. For the last two years for which comparative figures are available – 2012 and 2013 – Stellenbosch produced 462 doctoral graduates in total, again the most of any university in the country, followed by Pretoria, UCT, UKZN, Wits and North West in that order.

In terms of master's degrees, SU awarded 1 293 in 2014 – 490 of which went to black, coloured and Indian students. Taken together with the 95 PhDs to candidates from these designated groups, this is a noteworthy investment in the development of individuals from previously disadvantaged communities.

SU is making a significant contribution to high-level human capital not only through our own output of postgraduates, but also through joint capacity building with other higher-education institutions on the continent. We are a founding member of the Partnership for Africa's Next Generation of Academics (PANGeA), a network of universities working together to build and sustain world-class doctoral programmes on and about the African continent. Other members are the universities of Botswana, Dar es Salaam (Tanzania), Ghana-Legon, Makerere (Uganda), Malawi, Nairobi (Kenya) and Yaoundé I (Cameroon).

PANGeA doctoral candidates are often senior academics taking the final step of completing their PhD, for which they get a three-year full-time residential scholarship at SU. The first three cohorts have produced 25 graduates, each of whom has returned to their home institutions to forge ahead with their own research and supervise a new crop of up-and-coming postgraduate students.

An important contributing factor to the success of the PANGeA doctoral programme has been the SU Graduate School of Arts and Social Sciences. Thanks to a comprehensive support system – administrative, academic, financial and physical – its full-time doctoral candidates are completing their studies almost twice as fast as 'regular' PhD students.

Another example of SU's contribution to the revitalisation of scholarship on the continent is the African Doctoral Academy. This model of capacity building takes the form of summer and winter schools in Stellenbosch. Since 2009, more than 1 000 prospective and current PhD students, postdoctoral fellows and doctoral supervisors from institutions across Africa have received research support and academic development in this way.

Master's and doctoral degrees are important not only because they provide universities with a future supply of academics. They also provide universities as well as industry and the public sector with the high-level research and analytical skills needed to build a prosperous and united Africa. This is why Stellenbosch will continue doing its utmost to produce research and postgraduates for Africa.

SOURCES:

Cloete, N, Sheppard, S & Bailey T. 2015. "South Africa as a PhD Hub in Africa?" Centre for Higher Education Transformation.

Dookayka, Kamlesh. 2015. "Stimulating Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) Development in Africa: An Urgent Post-2015 Agenda". Association for the Development of Education in Africa.

Kigotho, Wachira. 2015. "HE Summit to call for more graduates, PhDs and research". eduAction Africa news No. 9.

National Planning Commission. 2012. National Development Plan 2030.

UNDP. 2014. Human Development Report 2014. United Nations.

* Prof Eugene Cloete is Professor of Microbiology at Stellenbosch University, where he serves as Vice-Rector: Research and Innovation.

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Stellenbosch University (SU) will focus on the consistent and possible accelerated implementation of the approved Language Policy and Language Plan. This evolutionary process will include monitoring and corrective measures, and give pertinent attention to the needs of students who maintain that language implementation processes adversely affect their academic performance. An Office for Transformation is being established, and a Transformation Committee has been constituted.

These are some of the announcements made by Prof Wim de Villiers, Rector and Vice-Chancellor of Stellenbosch University, in an e-mail bulletin to staff and students on 17 July 2015.

At the end of the first semester the University Management made a commitment to respond to the proposals received from the campus community on, amongst others, multilingualism, transformation and the reinstitution of the position of Dean of Students by the beginning of the second semester.

A task group is currently giving priority attention to the practical application of multilingualism, and in August student groups will be invited to a joint round-table discussion on improvements in the implementation of learning and teaching languages.

In addition to the Office for Transformation and the Transformation Committee, Stellenbosch University will also revisit the statutory role of the Institutional Forum related to transformation, and the establishment of a Research Chair in Reconciliation and Transformation is envisaged.

The request from the student community for the reinstitution of the position for Dean of Students will be investigated further during the second semester as well as a Research Chair in Reconciliation and Transformation .

Read the comprehensive bulletin here.

​Bonnievale script writer Sheline Bothma (22) and director Jemina Kleinbooi (25) recently became the first artists to participate in a short training course for community theatre practitioners at the Drama Department of the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences at Stellenbosch University (SU). The two attended the course at no cost after winning it as a prize during the recent Eden/Cape Winelands Community Theatre Festival in the category 'Exceptional Youth in Applied Theatre'.

The Festival is organised by the Department of Cultural Affairs and Sport of the Western Cape Government.

"The Department is committed to making a difference in the lives of youth through the programmes that we embark upon. Our approach is one of affording opportunities through networks, partnerships and training to youth in all facets of the arts. Through our drama development programme, as well as through collaborations and partnerships forged with role players in the arts, the Department was able to facilitate training opportunities for Sheline and Jemina at Stellenbosch University," says Ms Jane Moleleki, the Director: Arts, Culture and Language Services of this Western Cape department.

Sheline and Jemina were accommodated at the expense of the Faculty in an apartment a stone's throw from the Drama Department during the course which ran from 5 to 14 June.

"This was a once in a lifetime opportunity for us," says the two, who work for the Valleys and Mountains Development Foundation in Bonnievale.

"We felt that we needed to let everything that we were taught here, sink in and go back and apply it to our own drama group, because not everyone gets the opportunity to come to University and to study here. It's not about the trophies we have won or the money, it's about what we can learn here and how we can grow and the skills we can transfer to our community," says Sheline.

During their ten day stay at Stellenbosch, Sheline and Jemina were exposed to different genres of theatre like classical farce, physical theatre and puppetry, and were able to speak to the directors working in these different genres about how they approach their productions. During the day they attended workshops on the actor training approach developed by the American theatre practitioner Sanford Meisner, as well as seminars on voice production, while in the evenings they attended productions and rehearsals and were able to learn from experienced directors, amongst them Marthinus Basson.  They also worked alongside theatre makers from other community groups who were also invited and were taught new techniques in Applied Theatre.

Sheline, who is a qualified full-time Early Childhood Development practitioner, has a passion for writing scripts and the performing arts. She joined the Foundation in 2011 and was initially responsible for its dance programme. However, since 2013, she has moved to the youth division of the Foundation called the Vangnet-Projek, sharing responsibility for a youth leadership programme of the Department of Social Development which is implemented by the Foundation. Her connection to Vangnet presented her with the opportunity to go on a script writing course and become the Foundation's script writer, penning productions like Alibi, which won the Best Script award and was the runner-up production at the Cape Winelands Drama Festival in 2013; and Afvlerk, which was performed at the Winelands Festival (winning Best Script here in 2015), the Zabalaza Festival, the KKNK Festival and the Suid-Oosterfees. Alibi was also performed at the Zabalaza Festival and Suid-Oosterfees – it won Best Script at the latter festival in 2014.

Jemina, who studied drama at Northlink College, joined the Foundation in 2013 to volunteer her skills to develop the Vangnet drama group. She was later appointed as the group's director, working with Sheline to direct Alibi. She won the award for Best Director of that production at the Suid-Oosterfees in 2015. Her colleagues at the Foundation describe her as a passionate and intelligent woman who along with Sheline was a major contributor to developing the community theatre programme and directing items performed at the community theatre evenings hosted by the Foundation.

Through Vangnet, Sheline and Jemina work with learners as well as out-of-school and unemployed youth between the ages of 14 and 21 to teach them acting skills. The same youth also perform in the theatre productions the two create.

However, their engagement with the youth goes beyond transferring acting skills, but also focuses on teaching them how to work within a group, improving their self-esteem and encouraging them to reach for their dreams.

Asked about why they chose specifically to grow their talents in the community theatre arena, Jemina says: "When I realised that I could depict issues in the community through community theatre and that I could show people in the community how a character in a play deals with the same issue and how they find a solution to a specific challenge, I realised I had found my passion".

"As a writer, I feel that I am not only talking for myself when I write a script, but that I am also speaking for other women. I do not write the things I write based on how I feel, but I write it to have a positive effect on our community. Many times women in our community go through challenges that are not exposed in our society. Through the chance I get to write, I am able to speak about those issues and help our community and our women heal by bringing those issues out into the open."

According to the short course organiser, Dr Rufus Swart of the SU Drama Department, the aim of "awarding the course as a prize was to offer quality training to the next generation of theatre makers".

"With this particular round, we were specifically looking at empowering the female voice in community theatre. Currently, it is still a male-dominated space where female theatre makers are often side-lined. However, this award was made not at the exclusion of the male voice, but to rather further strengthen the female voice in the theatre world," explains Swart.

Swart was one of the judges during the semi-finals of the Festival held at the Klein Libertas Theatre in 2014 and presented the prizes to Bothma and Kleinbooi in May this year at the finals, which were held at the Arena Theatre in Cape Town.

"Giving someone money is not as beneficial as developing their talent, sharing expertise and helping them to hone their skills. I believe it is important to train the leaders of the theatre world, and with the specialist knowledge concentrated in drama departments such as at Stellenbosch University, we can provide courses that are rich in content by exposing participants to different techniques applied in the performing arts.

Photo: Jemina Kleinbooi (left) and Sheline Bothma in front of the HB Thom theatre on the Stellenbosch University campus. (Anton Jordaan, SSFD)

​​Mandela Day, which each year coincides with the late President Nelson Mandela's birthday on 18 July, presents us with an opportunity to reflect on how we help each other to get on in life. This applies to both individuals and "corporate citizens", with the latter including all societal structures and not only businesses.

Educational institutions play an important part in this regard. As Madiba said: "Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world."

Many have used this quote, but how does it actually work? How does education enable us to change the world? In terms of universities, this mainly occurs in two ways: through the empowerment of individuals and through the generation of knowledge.

On the one hand, we train people to be professionals who will be able to make a positive contribution to society in various fields – from medical doctors, teachers and engineers to entrepreneurs, artists and scientists.

On the other hand, our academics and students – particularly at the postgraduate level – engage in scientific research that generates new knowledge in the search for solutions to social challenges such as unemployment, poverty, inequality and corruption.

A good illustration of the empowering effect of education is the story of Robin Bosman, one of our newcomer first-years at Stellenbosch University (SU) this year. She matriculated from Swartberg Secondary School in Caledon last year with an average of 93%.

The support she received in her family home laid the foundation for this achievement. According to Robin, her parents and other family members instilled in her an appreciation for a good education from a very young age. For this reason, when opportunity knocked, she grabbed it to ensure that she performed well enough to obtain matric exemption. This opportunity took the form of SU's Hope@Maties programme, which offers top learners in historically disadvantaged schools additional tuition in key subjects on Saturdays and during school holidays.

Robin's Grade 12 achievement secured her a spot on the Western Cape Education Department's merit list and she is currently studying towards her BSc in Molecular Biology and Biotechnology at SU. One day, she says, she wishes to do medical research that can "help other people". Clearly, she has a firm grasp of SU's pursuit for science in aid of society.

This then brings me to the second way in which Madiba's statement about education unfolds in practice – namely through research that generates reliable and useful knowledge.

Consider, for example, the work of Dr Ronald van Toorn, a senior specialist in paediatric neurology at SU. As part of his PhD studies, he found that certain innovative treatments used at Tygerberg Hospital offer children with tuberculous (TB) meningitis a much better chance of survival. These treatments may also enable children who have been left paralysed or blind by this serious condition – the most common form of bacterial meningitis in the Western Cape – to walk or see again.

A PhD represents a university's top training product. Working towards a doctorate, you not only absorb large volumes of knowledge in a particular field of study, but you also learn to generate new knowledge yourself. And this is precisely what Van Toorn has done. However, to have reached PhD level, he also had to start out as a first-year – just like Robin.

Robin is one of 160 newcomer students who obtained admission after having completed the Hope@Maties programme. This year, the number of applications for this programme received by SU exceeded the available number of places by more than four times – with 22 000 hopeful applicants competing for only 5 000 places. This illustrates the extent of society's thirst for education and knowledge.

However, more than a third of our students – 37% to be precise – probably would not have been here without financial aid. Last year, SU paid out bursaries and loans to the tune of R588 million. This is an astonishing amount, which is equal to nearly 55% of our revenue from student fees.

In this way, SU is putting its words into action in order to become more inclusive. Approximately 55% of our bursaries and loans go to coloured, black and Indian students – based on merit and financial need. And as we seek to further broaden access to the University, we would like to award even more bursaries. This represents a golden opportunity for the type of empowerment our country so desperately needs.

What I find particularly encouraging is that our students themselves also assist their fellow students. An example of this is the M4M ("Maties for/vir Maties") bursary fund, initiated and managed by the Students' Representative Council (SRC). This serves as a supplementary bursary that pays out smaller though essential amounts in an effort to promote student success.

SRC members contribute to the bursary from the honorariums they receive, with other sources being the revenue generated from lockers in the Neelsie and Study Centre as well as the annual sêr contest. Some Maties also make bursary donations out of their own pockets, or raise funds for bursaries.

Our alumni too contribute to bursaries, thereby giving expression to the saying: "Once a Matie, always a Matie." Bursaries are an excellent way to offer the next generation the same opportunities we were fortunate enough to have – and more.

When Madiba was awarded an honorary doctorate from SU in 1996, he said the following in his acceptance speech: "This occasion is testimony to the fact that we South Africans have struck out on the road of building a joint future, that we are in the process of breaking down the divisive bulwarks of the past and building up a new nation – united in all its rich diversity."

Almost two years after Madiba's passing and 20 years after he became an SU alumnus, the challenge remains for us to change our country and the rest of the world by means of education. This makes bursary donations – the gift of education – an appropriate tribute to the man who continues to teach us about the virtue of selfless service to others.

* Prof Wim de Villiers is the Rector and Vice-Chancellor of Stellenbosch University.

CAPTION: Stellenbosch University conferred an honorary doctorate on former President Nelson Mandela on 25 October 1996. Pictured with him above are, from left, Prof Andreas van Wyk, then SU Vice-Chancellor, Dr Sibusiso Bengu, then Minister of Education, Dr Jan van der Horst, then SU Chancellor of Stellenbosch University, and Mr Gys Steyn, then SU Council Chairperson.​

• This article was also published on IOL, Skills Portal and (in a different version) on The Conversation Africa. 

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The Military Academy hosted the 7^th South African-Netherlands International Security Course over period 1 – 12 June 2015.  Apart from becoming an annual event, the course attracts increasing attention from the African continent.  Members from the Centre for Military Studies (CEMIS) at the South African Military Academy and members from the Netherlands Defence Academy co-hosted and organised the event.  Due to major renovations at the Military Academy, the course was presented at Air Force Base Langebaanweg.

The aim of this course is to provide young officers with a proper appreciation of international relations and to develop skills necessary for forming and developing opinions on the matter.  Participants received a number of presentations during the course and also had ample opportunity to participate in discussions and make presentations on different subjects. The approach were therefore twofold: to provide relevant information on international relations and security, and to stimulate debate and independent thought on the subject.

The course content are intended to address the needs of junior officers serving on peacekeeping or other complex missions.  The course also equips attendees with a broader understanding of a geo-political environment in which current missions are undertaken as well as provide knowledge transfer on human rights, the law of armed conflict, the role of gender in conflict and peace and lessons learnt from specific case studies.  Due to repeated student requests and the range of the content of the presentations, the course duration was extended to two weeks.

This year the students were officers from the South African Defence Force, as well as officers from the defence forces of Botswana, Mali, Mozambique and Zambia.  The course was presented by lecturers from CEMIS (SA Military Academy), the Netherlands Defence Academy, Transparency International and from the ICSC.

Also a first for the course was the visit by the GOC Training Command, Major General Andries de Wit on 5 June 2015, accompanied by the Commandant of the Military Academy, Brigadier General Lawrence Mbatha.  It was really appreciated by the members and the overall feedback from the attendees on course was again very positive.

The latest edition of Research@Stellenbosch University, an annual publication that offers an accessible overview of the research activities at SU, contains no fewer than eight articles about research in the Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences.

​Die braille-vertaling van die boek Leadership for All deur prof Marius Ungerer, professor in Strategiese Bestuur by die Universiteit van Stellenbosch Bestuurskool (USB), is onlangs by die USB-kampus bekend gestel. Die vertaling – 'n eerste van sy soort – was die inisiatief van Carinna Krantz, 'n MPhil-student in Bestuursafrigting.

Dr William Rowland, ere-president van die Suid-Afrikaanse Nasionale Raad vir Blindes, was die gasspreker by die bekendstelling. Die boek is geskryf deur prof Marius Ungerer, Johan Herholdt en Jannie le Roux.

Dr Rowland said: "I have read lots of academic books in braille, but never a business book. This being the age of motivation and self-improvement it is right and applicable that this particular book on leadership is made more accessible."

Prof Ungerer, 'n USB-professor in strategiese bestuur, het gesê: "Die belangrike deel van die boek is sy inklusiewe paradigma: 'leierskap vir almal' sê ons is almal leiers en dit is binne ons bereik om leiers te wees. Ons moet egter 'n bewuste keuse maak om 'n leier te wees. Deur die vertaling in braille bereik die boek 'n uitgebreide mark wat ek en my mede-skrywers nooit gedink het toe ons begin het met hierdie reis nie."

​​On Friday, 14 August Stellenbosch University (SU) researchers will once again have the opportunity to meet their research colleagues from other faculties, with the objective of stimulating academic collaboration at the University. "The idea with these networking events is to encourage symbiotic relationships between researchers across all our campuses," says Anita Nel, Senior Director of Innovation and Business Development at SU and CEO of Innovus.

The next event will take place at the University's LaunchLab offices on Friday, 14 August at 3pm. A short presentation on one of the University's exciting new technologies will be presented as well as a short introduction on a hot new topic in the international research arena. "We have earmarked 2015 as the 'Year of Inspiration' and we'd like to use this event to inspire our researchers and prompt more of the innovative thinking that Stellenbosch University has become renowned for," says Nel.

Refreshments will be served at the event and there will also be ample time to mingle with other researchers and colleagues from faculties all over campus. This is the fourth networking event of its kind, after the opportunity was first created for researchers to meet at an Innovation Breakfast hosted by Innovus in August 2014. According to Nel, these events were prompted by the fact that SU researchers often coincidentally speak to each other about their work and then realise that they can work together to solve a problem.  The researcher networking event seeks to provide the platform for such "chance" meetings in a relaxed environment.

"We'd like to ignite a renewed sense of excitement about the research taking place at SU. I'd also like to invite all deans and heads of departments to market this event in their faculties and departments. It's the ideal opportunity to meet like-minded academics who can provide valuable insight and feedback on the research projects taking place all over campus," says Anita.

 A formal invitation to the event will follow via e-mail. In the meantime, interested parties can contact Christle de Beer at christled@sun.ac.za  or call (021) 808 9062.​

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Read all the lastest MGD news: ​TA33300_Newsletter3.pdf

​Stellenbosch University (SU) and the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) launched two new Research Chairs – one in Quantum, Optical and Atomic Physics and one in Artificial Intelligence – at  Lanzerac Hotel in Stellenbosch on Monday (20 July 2015). The launch was held as part of a SU/CSIR research seminar that focused on particular areas where expertise exist at both institutions.

The Faculty of Science will host the Chair in Quantum, Optical and Atomic Physics, while the Department of Information Science in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences will be home to the Chair in Artificial Intelligence. Dr Hermann Uys, a physicist at the CSIR and SU, and Prof Arina Britz, CSIR Centre for Artificial Intelligence Research (CAIR) representative at its SU node, will be the holders of the respective chairs.

Prof Eugene Cloete, Vice-Rector: Research and Innovation at SU, described the launch as a celebration of SU's relationship with the CSIR, while Dr Rachel Chikwamba, CSIR Group Executive: Strategic Alliances and Communication, said "the launch of two research chairs is absolutely amazing." She thanked SU for the partnership and said the CSIR will not be able to solve everyday problems and develop new knowledge without the support of universities.

Referring specifically to the Chair in Quantum, Optical and Atomic Physics, Prof Louise Warnich, Dean of the Faculty of Science at SU, said the launch "is quite a moment for the Faculty of Science, the Department of Physics and SU. In five years' time we will look back and be quite amazed of what has come of this research chair."

The Chair in Quantum, Optical and Atomic Physics will allow researchers to focus on the use of single trapped atomic ions for studying quantum phenomena, and on developing laboratory technologies for the field of research that can be commercialized.

Highlighting the benefits of the Chair in Artificial Intelligence for SU and the CSIR, Prof Bruce Watson, Chairperson of the Department of Information Science, said it would double the department's research capacity and allow for the allocation of bursaries to undergraduate and postgraduate students.

"It would make it possible to bring more artificial intelligence research into our courses and would also create a student pipeline for the CSIR in the sense that students may one day work with or for the CSIR."

Watson said artificial intelligence is one of the very interesting research areas and could find application in defense, service delivery, and information and communications technology.

Stellenbosch University is one of the partner institutions of CAIR, a national collaborative research network that originated in 2011 as a joint initiative between the CSIR and the University of KwaZulu-Natal.

Stellenbosch University has an active memorandum of understanding (MOU) in place with the CSIR. This MOU provides a framework for the establishment of strategic cooperative project-specific agreements, and for collaboration in selected areas of research, development and administrative initiatives. It lends itself to collaborative research activities, staff development and the relevant sharing of facilities and other resources.

• For more information on the MOU with the CSIR, please contact Maryke Hunter-Hüsselmann of the Division for Research Development at mh3@sun.ac.za.

Photo: Back from left: Prof Erich Rohwer, Executive Head of the Department of Physics, Dr Hermann Uys, Prof Johan Hattingh, Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, and Prof Bruce Watson. Front from left: Prof Eugene Cloete, Dr Rachel Chikwamba, and Prof Louise Warnich.

Photographer: Justin Alberts.

Maties Parasport swimmer and law student Hendri Herbst won two of South Africa's three medals at the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) Swimming World Championships held in Glasgow last week.

He came third in both the 100m and 50m freestyle events in the category S11 (visually impaired).

South African Kevin Paul won gold in the SB9 100m breast stroke.

According to a press release on SASCOC's website, Herbst was over the moon when he won his second medal on Friday, 17 July. He clocked a Paralympic qualification time of 27.04.

 'I am so happy with my improved performance, as I was only fifth in London a few years ago. My preparations for Rio 2016 are certainly on track,' said Herbst.

Also swimming to a Paralympic qualification time of 59.84, Maties Parasport's Achmat Hassiem completed the S10 100m butterfly final in 7th position.

'I am very pleased with my Paralympic qualification time and that I was able to go under the minute mark. This is a stepping stone for Rio 2016 and I now know what I need to work on to get into the Paralympic team for next year,' concluded Hassiem. 

​Photo credit: www.sascoc.co.za

​Accelerated development in South Africa is a matter of national security – if this matter doesn't receive urgent attention it could have serious consequences for the country in the long run.

With these words Prof Johan Malan, Chair of the Department of Industrial Psychology at Stellenbosch University (SU) opened the 'Empowering Development Conference' hosted at STIAS on Friday, 17 July. The conference was attended by researchers, representatives of various SU divisions as well as representatives of industry and NGOs. It was the first of its kind and showcased research made possible by a strategic fund grant from the university.

Prof Stan du Plessis, Dean of the Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences, said the topic of accelerated development is of great importance to the faculty and the university.

"It speaks to all three of SU's overarching strategic priorities: To broaden access, sustain momentum on excellence and enhance societal impact.

Research was presented around two themes: 'Learning potential assessment as a tool in the pursuit of accelerated development' and the creation of an 'Enabling environment characterised by supportive organisational behaviours, empowering leadership characteristics and appropriate Education, Training and Development (ETD) practices'.

Prof Callie Theron of the Department of Industrial Psychology warned that every South African should take the issue of accelerated development seriously.

"In South Africa we are failing with regard to the second objective of the Employment Equity Act: The demographic profile of especially the private sector does not reflect the demographic profile of the economically active population.

"We need to respond urgently and appropriately," Prof Theron said, referring to South Africa's high Gini-coefficient (the extent to which wealth in a country is shared equally/unequally).

"There is a long list of structurally-interrelated problems that are associated with a high Gini coefficient: Poverty, crime, social unrest, reliance on social grants, smothering of economic growth, etc."

Prof Theron argued that looking at potential alone will not rectify the situation in South Africa and expressed the hope that the lack of opportunities in the past hasn't already done irreparable damage. "The nasty possibility exists that this damage cannot be undone," he said.

 "We need to keep two balls in the air. We have to transform the private sector while staying competitive and maintaining productivity."

If the solution lies in (what he refers to as) affirmative development, we should invest in those most likely to succeed and optimise the circumstances for success, he argued.

The papers dealing with learning potential as a tool in accelerated development covered a large range of variables, including abstract reasoning capacity, information processing capacity, meta-cognitive knowledge, meta cognitive regulation, prior learning, conscientiousness, openness to experience, locus of control, tenacity, grid, academic self-efficacy, hope, optimism, resilience, learning motivation, learning goal orientation, academic self-leadership, time cognitively engaged, as well as environmental unfavourableness and parental quality.

Papers dealing with an enabling environment dealt with affirmative development coaching and trainer competencies, as well as school principal competencies; skills development and learnership performance in the agricultural sector; the facilitation of the career success of black employees, as well as the success stories of Harambee and the Witzenberg Pals land-reform initiative.

During the discussions the need to work closer with business, the public sector and institutions, such as universities, to disseminate information about this research was emphasised.

Photo captions: 

Left: Researchers and representatives of various SU divisions, industry and NGOs.

Right: Prof Johan Malan and Prof Stan du Plessis.

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​​Stellenbosch University has an active Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC). This MOU provides a framework for the establishment of strategic cooperative project-specific agreements, and for collaboration in selected areas of research, development and administrative initiatives. It lends itself to collaborative research activities, staff development and the relevant sharing of facilities and other resources.

A delegation from the HSRC visited the DRD on 25 June 2015 to learn more about the functioning of the SU Research Ethics Committee: Humanities and our new electronic application form and process.  The delegates included Dr Christa van Zyl (Deputy CEO: Research (Research Use and Impact Assessment), Ms Khutso Sithole (administrator of the HSRC REC) and Mr Samuel Mafoko (IT/Systems Development at the HSRC). 

The DRD and HSRC found the sharing of information on processes very valuable. Part of the visit was for the HSRC to see how the DRD applies the InfoEd ethics module for online applications for ethics clearance. In this regard, Dr Christa van Zyl said: “We have gained the kind of information that will help us to plan our own further work, and look forward to engaging with the DRD as we plan and prepare for our own on-line solution in the coming months.”

​​The Division for Research Development (DRD) distributed the first Departmental Information Pack to departmental chairs in June 2015. This booklet provides a snapshot of research-related activities and one was compiled for each department at SU. The pack currently only includes information of which the Division for Research Development is the owner (i.e. information on postgraduate bursaries, students delivered etc. does not form part of the booklet). It includes statistics on research publication outputs, information on funding obtained, NRF ratings, ethics applications, and also provides some general information on the DRD functions and services. The DRD is in the process of completing a similar information pack for each Dean. It is the first time that such an integrated information set per department is made availableby the DRD, and we trust that the booklet will add value to take departments to even greater research success!

Please contact Maryke Hunter-Hüsselmann (mh3@sun.ac.za) for more information.

"The best way to successfully treat cancer is to make an early diagnosis. The sooner the disease is identified, the more likely treatment is to be effective," says Prof Christo van Rensburg, head of the division of Gastroenterology at Stellenbosch University.

As a leading cause of death in the Western world, colorectal cancer (CRC) is currently the third most common cancer in both men and women in the United States.  Improvements in screening and prevention have partially led to a decline in the incidence and mortality rates since the 1980's. However, the long-term survival has not improved. 

Van Rensburg explains that risk factors include a family history of CRC, a personal history of chronic inflammatory bowel disease, advancing age and excessive alcohol consumption, smoking, obesity and physical inactivity. 

CRC are grouped into two broad categories: sporadic where there is no known family history of disease and familial where cancers tend to occur in several generations of a family and affected individuals often has close relatives with the same cancer type.  Inherited CRC only accounts for approximately 5% of all CRC cases. 

Familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP) (an inherited condition in which numerous adenomatous polyps form mainly in the epithelium of the large intestine) and hereditary non-polyposis colorectal cancer (HNPCC) are the two major colorectal cancer susceptibility syndromes.

"There is evidence that non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as aspirin, can reduce the development of colon and rectal cancer, but it is linked to increased bleeding risk and therefore not routinely advised," says Van Rensburg.  "The consumption of milk and calcium as well as higher blood levels of Vitamin D appears to decrease CRC risk." 

There are usually no symptoms associated with early-stage colorectal cancer.  At a more advance stage there might be bleeding per rectum, bloody stools, a change in bowel habits, non-specific abdominal pain, anaemia due to blood loss, as well as loss of weight and appetite.  These symptoms are non-specific to the disease. 

Screening for colorectal cancer has proven to be effective in reducing colorectal cancer incidence and mortality.  Several screening options are available, but unfortunately many negative perceptions about some of the procedures exist. 

Currently the American Cancer Society's National Guidelines recommend that those 50 and over at normal risk should have regular screening with detection techniques that identify polyps or cancer every 5 (sigmoidoscopy, double contrast barium enema or virtual colonoscopy) or a colonoscopy every 10 years. 

Screening methods that primarily detect cancer include digital rectal examination, faecal occult blood test (sample of stool tested to detect small quantities of blood) and immunochemical test on a yearly basis as well as a stool DNA test. "Those at higher risk for colon cancer due to bowel disorders or a family history of the disease should be screened more often and earlier," says Van Rensburg.

While the precise benefit of screening exclusively by colonoscopy is not yet known, unquestionably, the examination is central to the success of any screening programme.  The test affords the opportunity to detect and resect neoplasia (the development of new tissue without a useful function) across the entire large bowel and is the definitive examination when other screening tests are positive.

However, colonoscopy is invasive and often requires sedation as well as extensive bowel preparation, all of which puts the patient at risk. Furthermore, the test can technically be demanding and, certainly, there is variation in how it is performed.

"This variation in performance has now been definitively linked to important outcome measures. For example, interval cancers (cancer detected in the intervals between routine screenings) are more common in low adenoma detectors as compared with high adenoma detectors," says Van Rensburg.

According to him, robust quality assurance programmes and high-quality training can optimize this procedure.

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+27 (0)21 938 9505
mandi@sun.ac.za
Marketing and Communication Office
Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences 
Stellenbosch University                                  

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​(English translation to follow)

​Stellenbossers word genooi om ʼn spesiale herdenking van die Slag van Andringastraat, wat 75 jaar gelede plaasgevind het, by te woon. Die herdenking is ʼn inisiatief van studenteleiers van onder meer Dagbreek en Wilgenhof Manskoshuise van die Universiteit Stellenbosch (US) en vind Maandag (27 Julie) om 18:00 by Christ Church (vroeër bekend as St Paul's) in Banhoekweg 26 plaas.

Die Slag van Andringastraat, op 27 Julie 1940, het plaasgevind toe studente ʼn area wat destyds bekendgestaan het as Die Vlakte ingevaar het en grootskaalse skade aangerig het aan die eiendomme van hoofsaaklik bruin inwoners van dié area wat begrens is deur Muller- en  Ryneveldstrate, Banhoek- en Smutsstrate en Merrimanlan en Birdstraat.

Die Vlakte is jare later, op 25 September 1964, kragtens die Groepsgebiedewet van 1950 tot ʼn wit groepsgebied verklaar. Benewens die 3 700 bruin inwoners, is ses skole, vier kerke, ʼn moskee, ʼn bioskoop en tien sakeondernemings deur die gedwonge verskuiwings geraak.

"Ten spyte van die erns van die gebeurtenis was daar nooit werklik enige diep refleksie of proses van heling wat plaasgevind het na afloop van die gebeurtenis nie," sê mnr Wiaan Visser, een van die organiseerders. "Inteendeel, die gebeurtenis is eers in 2005 deur die Universiteit 'herontdek' en daar is hernude aandag op die gebeurtenis gevestig toe inwoners van Dagbreek Manskoshuis in Augustus 2012 namens die koshuis om verskoning gevra het vir die rol wat inwoners in dié gebeure 75 jaar gelede gespeel het."

Die apologie het as motivering gedoen vir die inrig van ʼn Herinneringskamer in 2013 in die Wilcocksgebou – die geesteskind van wyle prof Russel Botman, op daardie tydstip Rektor en Visekanselier van die US.

Die herdenking bied ʼn geleentheid om te reflekteer op die rol wat die gebeure in 1940 gespeel het in die verhouding tussen die Universiteit en die gemeenskap, voeg Visser by.

Sprekers by die geleentheid sluit in prof Wim de Villiers, US Rektor en Visekanselier, en Raadslid Derrick Hendrickse.

• ​Skakel met Wiaan Visser by tel 079 748 9899 vir meer inligting of tel 021 808 2493 of e-pos sharine@sun.ac.za om ʼn sitplek te verseker.  

​​Stellenbosch University (SU) once again celebrated one of South Africa's greatest leaders, Nelson Mandela, through various activities in the period surrounding his birthday.

One of these activities was the Toasties for Tummies project, where staff and students from SU's Stellenbosch and Tygerberg campuses aimed to make and distribute 10 000 sandwiches to those in need.

At the Tygerberg Campus staff and students gathered in the Student Centre to make 3 000 sandwiches to be distributed to schools in the Tygerberg community.

Prof Jimmy Volmink, Dean of the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, who made the first sandwiches, said he is delighted that the faculty was able to host Toasties for Tummies at Tygerberg Campus for the very first time. He quoted Tata Madiba who once said "there can be no keener revelation of a society's soul than the way it treats it children." Volmink remarked that it is a great tragedy that so many of our children in South Africa go to bed without food.  "What a privilege to be instrumental in ensuring that, at least today, some of them will receive their 'daily bread'," he said.

At the Stellenbosch Campus staff and students, with help from the municipality and other organisations, jumped in to help make the remaining 7000 sandwiches.

​Early Wednesday morning the Frederick Van Zyl Slabbert Institute for Student Leadership Development held their annual Mandela Day Discourse Café. This event offers students and staff the opportunity to reflect on and discuss Madiba's lessons and legacy.  This year's theme was " Madiba's Legacy and Gender Equality". Under the guidance of Professor Amanda Gouws, well known expert in human rights and politics, 'n group of students pondered the question: "What was Madiba's vision for women's rights?" Third year student Farai Mubaiwa joined the conversation to talk about the role of students in promoting Nelson Mandela's vision for the development of gender equality.

On Monday, 20 July, Prof Wim de Villiers, Rector and Vice-Chancellor, read the book Raserige dinosourusse to Gr.1 learners at Rietenbosch Primary School. "The kids enjoyed it and so did I. This is a fantastic school with inspiring leadership. What a tonic!" Prof De Villiers said afterwards.

Prof De Villiers also wrote an op-ed about Mandela Day, that was published by IOL, Skills Portal, The Conversation Africa and Die Burger.