​​​Representatives of 22 universities from 17 countries will be on campus this week attending the annual Stellenbosch International Academic Networks (SIAN) meeting. The event, hosted by the Postgraduate and International Office (PGIO), will see Stellenbosch University (SU) staff members and students engage with representatives from partner institutions focussing on internationalisation. 

A total of 30 visitors from as far as Switzerland, Czech Republic, the USA and Taiwan, including seven African countries will attend the meeting hosted from Tuesday 17 till Saturday 21 March 2015.

The weeklong gathering coincides with International Week celebrations taking place from Monday 16 to Thursday 19 March 2015.  Targeting SU students, SIAN participants will take part in an International Mobility Fair in the Neelsie Student Centre on Thursday 19 March. Here they will give SU students first-hand information on study opportunities at their respective institutions. 

Other activities lined up for the week, are workshops with PGIO staff members and colleagues from academic and administrative environments, discussing topics such as  the internationalisation of doctoral education, building networks in Africa and student leadership at SU.

SIAN delegates will also get an opportunity to explore Stellenbosch and the Western Cape with excursions to local wine farms, the Ukwanda Rural Clinical School on the Worcester Campus and a tour of the Cape Peninsula and V&A Waterfront.

The following partner institutions will take part in the SIAN meeting: University of Ghana, University of Antananarivo(Madagascar), University of Helsinki (Finland), Hochschule Konstanz (Germany) , University of Lausanne(Switzerland), University of Bath (UK), KU Leuven (Belgium), University of Stuttgart (Germany), University of Namibia, Wageningen University(the Netherlands), TU Chemnitz ( Germany), University of Nairobi(Kenya), University of North Carolina at Charlotte (USA), Czech Technical University in Prague (Czech Republic), University of Bologna(Italy), Makerere University (Uganda), University of Zurich (Switzerland), Leipzig University (Germany), Humboldt University(Germany), TU Chemnitz(Germany), National Taiwan University (Taiwan), Hunan University (China) and  University of Dar es Salaam (Tanzania). 

​​Stellenbosch University (SU) reaffirmed its partnership with the University of Freiburg with a meeting held between the heads of the two institutions on 2 April 2015.

Prof Dr Hans-Jochen Schiewer, Rector of Germany's fifth oldest university, is the first high-ranking leader from a partner university to meet with new Rector and Vice-Chancellor, Prof Wim de Villiers. Leading a delegation from the University of Freiburg Prof Schiewer held informal talks on internationalisation with his SU counterpart and representatives from faculties. Prof Schiewer's visit followed his participation in the AC 21 International Forum hosted in Stellenbosch in April 2014.

Prof Schiewer was accompanied on his second visit to Stellenbosch by Prof Ursula Wittwer-Backofen, Director: Department of Biological Anthropology, and Ms Anja Hausmann from the International Office at the University of Freiburg. Mr Robert Kotze, Senior Director of the Postgraduate and International Office at SU, also attended the meeting.    

The University of Freiburg is one of 16 German universities Stellenbosch has an institutional partnership with. SU also has faculty level partnerships with five other German institutions and several departmental collaboration activities.

Pictured from left are: Mr Robert Kotze; Prof Ilse Feinauer, Vice Dean: Languages; Prof Dr Hans-Jochen Schiewer; Prof Wim de Villiers; Prof Mariana Kruger, Executive Head and Paediatric Oncologist: Paediatrics and Child Health; Prof Ursula Wittwer-Backofen; and Ms Anja Hausmann. 

​Photo: Hennie Rudman

A delegation from Leiden University visited Stellenbosch University (SU) on Friday 24 April 2015. It consisted of Prof Simone Buitendijk, Vice-Rector; Prof Robert Tijssen, Centre for Science and Technology Studies at Leiden University, extraordinary professor at SU and member of South Africa's DST-NRF Center of Excellence in Scientometrics and Science, Technology and Innovation Policy (SciSTIP); Dr Jeroen't Hart, Director Student and Educational Affairs and Dr Marieke te Booij, Associate Director International Relations.

The delegation met with Prof Eugene Cloete, Vice-Rector: Research and Innovation, and other university representatives to discuss areas of mutual interest and to explore further areas of possible collaboration and cooperation. Leiden University is the oldest university in the Netherlands and also one of SU's oldest partners. Prof Simone Buitendijk will further be attending the inauguration of Prof Wim de Villiers as Rector and Vice-Chancellor of Stellenbosch University on Wednesday 29 April.

From left, are Dorothy Stevens, Deputy Director: Postgraduate and International Office (PGIO) at SU; Dr Jeroen't Hart; Ben Nel, Manager: International Student Mobility (PGIO); Prof Simone Buitendijk; Prof Robert Tijssen; Dr Marieke te Booij; and Jan Willem van der Westhuizen, Coordinator: Student Exchanges and Mobility Programmes (PGIO).

Photo: Simon Sonnekus

​Passing his undergraduate and honours degrees with flying colours, Matie student Riaan Visagie is on his way to London to add another qualification to his list of achievements.

As recipient of a Commonwealth Scholarship, Riaan has been accepted to King's College in London, where he will enrol for a Master's degree in Intelligence and International Security. He will study for a year at this elite institution, part of the golden triangle of universities in the cities of Cambridge, London and Oxford.

Riaan, who completed his BA International Studies (2013) and BA Honours International Studies (2014) cum laude, is the only Stellenbosch University (SU) student to receive the scholarship this year. Awarded to "high academic quality" scholars of developing Commonwealth countries the scholarship offers support for full-time Master's and PhD studies at an UK institution. SU was invited to nominate eight students in a process facilitated by the Postgraduate and International Student Funding Office.  

"There is no way that my mother or I could afford the costs to study at an overseas university," says Riaan who is also currently completing a Master's degree in Political Science at SU. "This bursary provides a great opportunity to specialise in my study field and at the same time gives my mother's purse a break after almost five years of study fees."

With two degrees under his belt and two to go, Riaan says determination and a passion for his studies brought him to where he is today.

"Up until I came to university, I had never performed at any level, not in sports, culture or academia. I remember the first few months of being a first-year. I was convinced that I had made a big mistake to pursue a tertiary education. As a constant underperformer, I never expected that I would achieve anything remarkable at university.

"Passionate about my studies I was well motivated to put in a little extra with every assignment, test or exam and as I continue with it my marks improved accordingly. My first subject distinction was a watershed moment, and when I first tasted success I was determined to pursue it all costs in everything I do at the university."

Swapping the Cape Town winter for an English autumn, Riaan begins his studies at King's College in September this year.

"I am looking forward to the English winter, long cold nights and snow. I know I will enjoy the theatres and I will have a busy time in a city full of history and culture. I hope to slip out of the city during short holidays and explore the rest of the country."

Photo: On his way to England. Riaan Visagie with Chantal Swartz, manager of the Postgraduate and International Student Funding Office.

​I feel displaced. I feel embarrassed. I feel disgusted.

These were some of the sentiments expressed in a discussion about violent attacks on foreign nationals held on campus on Thursday, 30 April 2015. About 50 students gathered at Metanoia residence to take part in the XenoFactor: #TalkIsCheap Critical Engagement organised by the Zimbabwean Society at Stellenbosch University (ZimSoc).

Local and international students expressed their feelings about safety on and off campus following recent xenophobic attacks in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng.

"I feel disgusted at how one person can kill someone just because there is a border separating our countries," a participant told the group who started the conversation by each telling how they feel about the attacks. I feel surprised at the way people treat other people, human beings, another echoed. Nigel Tatenda Zhuwaki, an Engineering master's degree student, told the audience Africans killing each other makes him feel hopeless. "I feel like there is no hope for Africa."

Steering the conversation Tanya Mushohwe, a former chairperson of ZimSoc, asked what should be done to "prevent Africa from being disunited in this manner again". Talking about similar attacks in 2008 the group discussed possible reasons for the attacks. More than one speaker blamed poverty, inequality and colonial borders for the violence. Some blamed those in leadership positions, more specifically Zulu King Goodwill Zwelithini, who according to some media reports fuelled the attacks.

Localising the incidents students raised concerns about safety on and off campus. One student said that as a woman and a foreign national she was worried about her safety around workers from nearby areas where xenophobia attacks were mostly to take place. Another added that talks about xenophobia seems to be a problem only for international students and that local students are not much involved in the fight.

Hazel Sekeso, current chairperson of ZimSoc, said discussions on the issue should remain open. "We as a university nest future leaders and have the ability to practically empower positive relations and unity in our immediate communities as well as the surrounding areas. Xenophobia can be curbed by extending love."

Representatives from Stellenbosch University's Student Parliament and the Listen, Live & Learn (LLL) village also took part in the conversation. 

​

Wim Tijmens is a man with an abundance of stories and experiences to share. Well-known and respected in botanical circles, he has travelled the world hunting for plants. Several of these excursions has been to China, a place he and fellow botanists refer to as the "Mother of Gardens". In the last five decades Netherlands-born Tijmens has undertaken no less than 17 expeditions to China, acquiring a number of paintings and artefacts during his journeys. 

A private collection of artworks from his botanical and cultural journeys to China will be on display at the Stellenbosch University Museum from Wednesday 20 May 2015. Tijmens Chinese Paintings and Craft Artefacts exhibition will run for three months. It is run under the auspices of the Confucius Institute at Stellenbosch University, part of the Postgraduate and International Office.

Stellenbosch-based Tijmens says the exhibition will give an introduction to Chinese history with the main items emphasising the country's rich diversity of flora. His collection consists of mainly scroll paintings of bamboo and flowers. Among the items on display are paintings of peony (the Chinese national flower) and clay figures of the Terracotta Army that guards the tomb of the first emperor or China.

Tijmens, who spent more than 35 years as curator of the Stellenbosch University Botanical Garden (1962 – 1999), speaks passionately about plants and recalls trips to Europe, New York and Japan sharing knowledge and collecting plants.

 After a trip to Japan, Dr Masahiko Hayashi, an expert on genus Haworthia, personally delivered a plant of the Camellia chrysantha, an extremely rare plant discovered in China, to Tijmens and Stellenbosch University. Another story he shares is being part of a organising scientific expedition from Stellenbosch to Cairo with renowned scholar Norio Kondo, former director of the Evolutionary Biology Research Institute in Tokyo – also the man who created the wingless chicken.

Tijmens majored in horticulture and landscape architecture in the Netherlands and came to South Africa to study fynbos in the early 1960s. Job offers from Prof Brian Rycroft, third director of Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden and Stellenbosch University, kept him in the country ever since.

Given the name Wei Mu by Chinese associates, meaning somebody of standing who is knowledgeable about plants, Tijmens says most plants around the world have their origins in China.

"I would say that if you look around Stellenbosch and ask a plant 'what is your name, where do you come from and how did you get here', you will find out that about 70% of all the plants in an average garden originated in China.

The exhibition will be a fascinating short, insightful tour of the wonders of China – a learning experience for students and scholars." 

Contact details for the University Museum:

52 Ryneveld Street, Stellenbosch

021 808 3691/3/5​

The continent celebrates Africa Day on Monday 25 May and Stellenbosch University is joining in the festivities.

The Postgraduate and International Office (PGIO) will commemorate the day celebrating this year's theme "Opening the Doors of learning & culture from Cape to Cairo". Staff and students are invited to show their pride for Africa expressing themselves through music and poetry at an open mic session. The lunch hour event will be held in front of the Wilcocks Building. Maties are encouraged to dress up for the theme and write congratulatory messages which they can leave under a tree outside the PGIO.

Africa Day celebrates the day when the Organisation of African Unity (OAU), the precursor to the African Union (AU), was formed in 1963.

Date: 25 May

Time: 13:00 

Flags of 54 African countries flew proudly at Stellenbosch University (SU) on Africa Day on Monday 25 May. Taking up President Jacob Zuma on his call to help promote the African Union (AU), the AU flag was also raised at events hosted on the SU and Tygerberg campuses.  

President Zuma on Sunday 24 May urged companies and institutions to fly the AU flag alongside the national flag. He also asked South Africans to learn the AU anthem.

Celebrating this year's Africa Day theme "Opening the Doors of Learning & Culture from Cape to Cairo" the Postgraduate and International Office (PGIO) invited students and staff to write congratulory messages and leave it outside their office in the Wilcocks Building. The PGIO also held an open mic session where Maties expressed themselves through poetry, song and dance. The lunch-hour event kicked off with the crowd singing the AU anthem followed by music from SU student and up and coming musician Zander Stander.

Joining the events outside the Wilcocks Building, Prof Wim de Villiers, Rector and Vice-Chancellor, wrote down on a board his message "We are Africa - Africa solutions to African problems". Speakers at the event echoed Prof de Villiers message encouraging the crowd to take pride in being African.

Farai Mubaiwa, head of the student-led Africa Matters Movement, ask them to help change the "problematic" African narrative. Referring to the "extensive media coverage" of the Charlie Hebdo- shooting on 7 January, she told them the Baga massacre in Nigeria the following day hardly made the news. She asked spectators to be proud of their heritage. 

In his speech, Robert Kotzé, Senior Director of the PGIO, said the SU is proud of its footprint on the continent. He told them that SU's student population comprised 93 % Africans, South African students included. SU also held an Africa Day Seminar with the theme "Increasing our African Footprint in Postgraduate Education and Research" on the Tygerberg Campus. 

Two Stellenbosch University (SU) students are on their way to China after winning the South African Preliminary Competition of the 14^th "Chinese Bridge" Chinese Proficiency Competition for College Students. Liesl Kotze, an Honours Mandarin student, and Jamie Cripwell, a PhD student in Process Engineering, were named joint winners of the competition, an international contest sponsored by Hanban/Confucius Institute Headquarters. Deemed the best in the competition, they will represent South Africa at the global "Chinese Bridge" competition in Changsha City in Hunan in July.

Liesl and Jamie were not the only SU students who impressed in the local competition. Two other Matie students Leanne Robinson and Daniel Stein came third in the contest held in Durban on 30 May 2015.

More than 30 participants from different Confucius Institutes and classrooms, including the Confucius Institute at SU – part of the Postgraduate and International Office –​ took part in the contest in Durban.  The 8^th "Chinese Bridge" Chinese Proficiency for Secondary School Students was hosted at the same time. The theme for the competition was My Chinese Dream and included a writing exam, speech and talent show.  The Consul-General of China in Durban, Wang Jianzhou and Chinese Embassy representative Song Bo attended the event.

Liesl, who impressed judges with her knowledge of Chinese, says she is a little bit nervous, but looks forward to participate in China. The honours student says she loves languages and will continue with her Master's degree in Mandarin. "I would like to be an interpreter and Chinese is a good language to learn in South Africa."

​Photo: From left are Liesl Kotze, Wang Jianzhou and Jamie Cripwell. 

​​​​​​​A doctoral scholarship is a critical requirement for the advancement of higher education and research ― more so for the African continent. This message rang through discussions and talks at the 5^th Annual Winter School presented by the African Doctoral Academy (ADA).

Speakers, including Prof Wim de Villiers, Rector and Vice-Chancellor, highlighted the importance of doctoral studies for inclusion in the global knowledge economy.

About 160 PhD students and researchers from institutions across South Africa and the continent, as well as lecturers and presenters from around the world attended​ the Winter School from 29 June to 10 July 2015. The two-week programme included workshops ranging from the key concepts in methodology, writing and publishing of articles during the course of the doctorate and becoming a university lecturer.

Delivering the welcome address in the second week of the Winter School, Prof de Villiers commended PhD students for "sharpening their scholarly skills and upping their academic game", telling them their efforts will pay off. "There is growing enthusiasm for higher education world-wide – especially in the developing world. This also explains why the PhD – the top university training product – has become so sought after."

Drawing comparisons between scientific and trivial research, he encouraged participants to produce relevant and meaningful research.

 Prof De Villiers also praised the ADA, housed within the Postgraduate and International Office, and said Stellenbosch University (SU) is proud of it. "It is certainly a jewel and I commend them."

Prof Stan du Plessis, Dean of the Faculty Economic and Management Sciences, welcomed participants in the first week and told them they were "standing at the pinnacle of the tertiary education system as PhD students with much to offer".

In his closing address on Friday 3 July, Prof Eugene Cloete, Vice-Rector: Research and Innovation, said SU is proud of its contribution producing high quality graduates. He shared the story of Prof Maggie Momba, Research Professor in the Department of Environmental, Water and Earth Sciences at Tshwane University of Technology, a Matie alumnus. He helped supervised her from impoverished student to respected academic, and said much is expected from Winter School delegates. He also highlighted SU's role as 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.

Travelling from Tanzania to attend the Winter School, Hellen Namawejje, a PhD candidate from the Nelson Mandela African Institution of Science and technology (NM-AIST) in Arusha, said she felt encouraged, inspired and motivated. Pursuing a PhD in Applied Mathematics and Computational Sciences, and specialising in disease modelling, she is one of five African Women in Agricultural Research and Development (AWARD) Fellows attending the Winter School.  

"I would highly recommend scholars who want to learn how to analyse their data, to attend the ADA Winter School. The facilitators are very knowledgeable and so passionate teachers."

• ​​Click here for Rector's speech
  

​​​New to Stellenbosch University (SU), about 400 international students gathered in the Wilcocks Building to be welcomed as Matie students on Tuesday 14 July. 

The students from countries such as China, Switzerland, Australia, Gabon and the USA attended a welcome and orientation session hosted by the Postgraduate and International Office (PGIO). The students are the second intake of international students for the year and will enrol for full-degree and short-term programmes.

Welcoming this group of students to the "wine capital of South Africa", Robert Kotzé, Senior Director of the PGIO, said they have chosen a good university and urged them to make a difference while here. Highlighting Stellenbosch University's research achievements he encouraged them to connect with the community and help contribute to society.

"Student success is important to us. Use the facilities, use the structures and make it a successful semester," he told students. Some will enrol at the University of Stellenbosch Business School. Staff members from the Bellville Campus also attended the event.

In Stellenbosch for her second visit, Monique Heyden from Germany was one of the hundreds of students attending the orientation session.  "When I left Stellenbosch after the first time (2013), I cried so much.  I knew I had to come back! I fell in love with the people here and I hope to actually live and work in Cape Town when I'm done with my master's."

Gabe Epstein from Clarke University in Worcester, Massachusetts, was one of many US students attending the session. Majoring in geography and the environment he will complete the sustainability programme at SU.

"I'm excited about being in the wine country. Hiking mountains and meeting new students, is something I'm really geared up for."

Gabe will be joined by fellow Clarke University student Mary Molloy on campus and in class.

"The only other programme that caught my eye was one in Costa Rica, but I wanted to push the limits a little bit further. The wild life and totally different geographic landscapes here were something that really drew me in."

International students will take part in a three-day welcome and orientation programme.  The highlight is a welcome dinner on Thursday 16 July. 

Welcome and Orientation session ​in the Wilcocks Building. 

Photo: Hennie Rudman 

​Award Criteria: Any field of study, full-time or part-time.

Criteria of award include: good moral values and positive post-matric leadership potential in the following fields: sport, cultural, academics, religion, etc. Although not a requirement for the award, the University will give preference to applicants who, in addition to the stipulated conditions, obtained a good academic record in their previous degree/studies. Two testimonials verifying the criteria must accompany application. A CV should also accompany the application.

In order to comply with the requirements candidates need to state 3 outstanding achievements in at least 2 of the following leadership categories, i.e. participation in SU student leadership structures, sport, participation in cultural activities/community involvement or leadership roles in religion.

Please follow the link for further information and application. 

​An international labour law expert, Prof E. Klare, George J. & Kathleen Waters Matthews Distinguished University Professor at the School of Law at Northeastern University in Boston in the USA, will be the speaker at the Annual Human Rights Lecture of the Law Faculty of Stellenbosch University (SU).

The lecture, themed "Self-Realisation, Human Rights, and Separation of Powers: A Democracy-Seeking Approach", will be held at 18:15 in the JC De Wet Hall in the Old Main Building in Ryneveld Street in Stellenbosch on Thursday, 20 August 2015.

"Recent political events in South Africa have prompted wide-spread public debate regarding what role courts can and should play in society," comments Prof Sandy Liebenberg, H.F. Oppenheimer Chair in Human Rights Law in the SU Faculty of Law.

"Court judgments regarding, for example, the powers of Parliament to sanction minority party members, as well as the proceedings regarding Al Bashir's presence in South Africa, have led politicians to question whether South African courts are exceeding their powers in terms of the principle that government power should be distributed between distinct branches of government."

In his lecture, Klare will discuss issues related to the separation of powers between the legislative, executive and judicial branches of government. The constitutional idea of a separation of powers is based on ensuring that there are checks-and-balances in the political governance of a country, and that there is a division of roles and functions between Parliament, government and the courts. 

Klare will argue that debates regarding the separation of powers in South Africa today are outdated in light of the commitments South Africans made in the 1996 Constitution. These include the commitment to a rights-based conception of democracy, the idea that political and socio-economic democracy are inseparable, and that the Constitution is a tool to transform South Africa into a more equal society.

He will also call for a "democracy-seeking" approach to the issue of separation of powers, drawn from the unique concept of democratic government that the Constitution embraces.

• Liaise with Prof Sandra Liebenberg at tel 082 2023452 or e-mail sliebenb@sun.ac.za  for more information.

PROFESSOR KARL E. KLARE: PROFILE

Karl E. Klare is George J. & Kathleen Waters Matthews Distinguished University Professor at the School of Law, Northeastern University (Boston, USA), where he has taught since 1977.  He did undergraduate study at Columbia University (BA 1967); graduate work in political science at Yale (MA 1968); and received his J.D. from Harvard Law School in 1975. 

He was recently awarded an honorary doctorate in law by the University of Pretoria.  He has been a visiting professor at the Universities of Cape Town, British Columbia, Michigan, and Toronto, and was a Fulbright Lecturer at the European University Institute (Florence, Italy).  He has published and lectured extensively on labour and employment law and human rights.  He was an early voice in the US critical legal studies movement, a founder of the International Network on Transformative Employment and Labour Law, and currently is one of the conveners of the International Social & Economic Rights Project. 

Klare is a member of the Massachusetts Bar.  Before academic life he represented labour unions and employees in private practice and earlier was a staff attorney at the National Labour Relations Board.

The son of trade unionists, Klare came of age participating in the civil rights, antiwar, and student movements of the 1960s.  Inspired by the anti-apartheid movement as a child, Klare first visited South Africa in 1992 on the eve of democratic transition.  He has returned many times and focused much of his scholarly attention in recent years on South Africa.  He was an accredited election observer in Soweto in 1994, worked on several projects with the Centre for Applied Legal Studies at Wits, and serves on the advisory board of the Southern Africa Legal Services Foundation.  

The University of Stellenbosch Business School will be awarded the 2015 Diamond Arrow Award after being ranked the top school for the fifth consecutive year in the Professional Management Review (PMR.africa) annual survey of accredited business schools offering MBA and MBL degrees in South Africa.

The respondents (employers) rated MBA graduates and students in the workplace across 19 attributes, with USB scoring 8.16 (up from last year's 8.00) out of a possible 10.00.

Prof Piet Naudé, USB director, says: "USB is delighted about this confirmation that our students are highly regarded in the actual marketplace. It is a vindication of hard work by our academics and of a programme design that prepares students for the fast shifting demands of the business world."

Naudé also says USB remains committed to deliver the next generation of business leaders that will shape economic thinking and business practice in South Africa, Africa and the global community.  

Prof Marlize Terblanche-Smit, head of the USB MBA, emphasises: "It is imperative that we as a business school continuously up our game. The MBA remains the best vehicle to equip students with the necessary skills to lead in culturally diverse and global environments – and the PMR survey tells us that many employers do realise that."

Marketing director at USB, Dr Marietjie Theron-Wepener, says that the reputation of any organisation is ultimately determined by its clients and other stakeholders. "The fact that this survey was done by an external, independent institution gives the outcome credibility."

Commenting on the fact that USB scored even higher this time around, she added that it means USB's constant renewal of its MBA programme and the impact of its MBA graduates on South African organisations are being noticed.

The school is the only one in Africa with five-year European (EQUIS) accreditation. It was also the first school from an African university to be awarded all three major international accreditations – EQUIS, AACSB and AMBA.

Human resource directors and line managers at listed and large companies, national, provincial and local government departments, municipalities and state-owned enterprises participated in the PMR.africa survey.

Employees who are studying at or who have graduated from accredited business schools were ranked according to a list of criteria, including academic knowledge, application of knowledge in the workplace, communication skills, emotional intelligence, entrepreneurial skills, environmental awareness, ethical business conduct, financial management and human resource management.

The other attributes were implementation of corporate governance, information management, innovation, insight into sound sustainable development, international perspective, leadership skills, marketing management, operational management, quantitative abilities and strategic management.

Announcing the results of the 2015 survey, Johan Hattingh, CEO of PMR.africa, explained, "Through the awards we want to acknowledge the best business schools and set a benchmark that others can aspire to".

The 23^rd Meeting of the International Council on Virus and Other Graft Transmissible Diseases of Fruit Crops (ICVF) was held in Morioka, Japan in June 2015. This focussed fruit tree plant virology conference was an opportunity for representatives from 21 countries to assemble for discussions and share research results. Local scientists from different institutes presented the plenary talks that ranged from plant quarantine and certification schemes to disease management of viruses and viroids of fruit trees. From the scientific talks it is clear that the most deleterious virus in fruit tree remains Plum pox virus with two sessions dedicated to it. Dr Hano Maree, of the SU Department of Genetics, presented in the first session of the conference on Pome and Stone fruit viruses. His presentation was about the application of next generation sequencing (NGS) to study plant pathogen interaction. It was interesting to note the increased uptake of NGS technology among the researchers with two whole sessions dedicated to the application of NGS in diagnostics. There were also focussed sessions on phytoplasmas and two sessions on virus diseases in small fruits (cane and strawberries).

Delegates also undertook a site visit to the National Agricultural and Food Research Organization's (NARO), National Institute of Fruit Tree Science - Apple Research Station. The tour was very informative especially the disease orchard where disease symptoms of viruses and viroids are studied in different cultivars of apples. Researchers were guided through the whole breeding process at the facility, which is similar to most places in the world. The most successful apple cultivar bred on the premises was the 'Fuji' cultivar and the original tree is still standing (see photo).  The 'Fuji' apple was bred from a cross between 'Ralls Janet' and 'Delicious' in 1939 and was originally named 'Tohoku No. 7' (1958), and officially registered as 'Fuji' in 1962. The 'Fuji' apple is the most popular apple cultivar in Japan constituting 50% of the apple production and in 2001 became the most popular apple worldwide.

Photo: Some of the delegates attending the ICVF conference in Japan in front of the original 'Fuji' apple tree at the National Institute of Fruit Tree Science - Apple Research Station, Japan. Photo taken by Prof Yoshikawa.

Although there are limits to what courts can do, they are obliged to protect the fundamental rights of citizens and to enhance democracy.

This was one of the viewpoints of Prof Karl Klare, George J. & Kathleen Waters Matthews Distinguished Professor in the School of Law at Northeastern University in Boston, USA, on Thursday (20 August 2015). He delivered the 10th Annual Human Rights Lecture of the Oppenheimer Chair in Human Rights Law at the Faculty of Law at Stellenbosch University (SU). Prof Sandra Liebenberg holds the Oppenheimer Chair in Human Rights Law.

This flagship event of the Law Faculty was attended by the Rector and Vice-Chancellor of SU, Prof Wim de Villiers, the Dean of SU's Law Faculty, Prof Sonia Human, and a stellar cast of jurists, including retired Constitutional Court Justice, Kate O'Regan, and currently serving Constitutional Court Justices, Edwin Cameron and Johan Froneman, together with a wide cross-section of the legal profession, academics, human rights NGOs, and students.

Klare talked about the separation powers, that is, the separation of three main spheres of government, namely legislative, executive and judiciary. He also focused on the role of courts to uphold the Constitution and to see to it that fundamental rights of citizens are protected.

Klare said if there is a default in social provision or a neglect of fundamental rights, a court is obliged to declare the existence of an unconstitutional state of affairs.

"The default in social provision or neglect of fundamental rights harms more than the claimants' dignity and well-being; it unbalances the equilibrium in the constitutionally controlled relationship between the represented and he representatives."

"A court's declaration of an unconstitutional state of affairs under these circumstances is not an affront to democracy and does not undermine government by the will of the people.  The court's action vindicates democracy and self-governance as conceived in the South African constitution."

Klare said South Africa has embraced the idea that fundamental rights are constitutive of democracy and therefore also the premise that counter majoritarian action by courts is not only justified by democratic ideals but on occasion necessary to fulfill democratic ideals.

"It is a tenet of South African constitutional jurisprudence that when a court issues an order of constitutional invalidity it strengthens and enhances democracy."

Klare mentioned that traditionally, courts have tread lightly when asked to review legislative proceedings or executive actions, especially when it comes to Parliament's right to manage its own affairs.

He said courts must respect and accord generous deference to the policy choices of the representative branches and to organs of government that possess special expertise. 

"Courts must generously respect reasonable efforts by government to address the daunting problems it faces with limited resources." 

However, this should not deter courts from intervening when a decision is to be made whether, for example, Parliament has transgressed a citizen's right to representative government, Klare said.

Klare said if the judiciary pursues the values of the Constitution, it will have legitimacy in the eyes of the South African people.

• Photo: Proff Sonia Human, Karl Klare, Sandra Liebenberg and Wim de Villiers at the Human Rights Lecture.
  
• Photographer: Anton Jordaan
  

The Management of Stellenbosch University (SU) has taken note of the "LUISTER" video that was distributed via social media. The video touches on several important issues that affect students at SU. Management is not apathetic towards these issues and confirms that these are the kind of issues that are currently receiving pertinent attention on various levels and in high-level discussions with various groups and individuals on campus.

That the University is serious about transformation cannot be over-emphasised. It is part of the core being of the University – not only because of a deep-rooted commitment to transformation, but also because transformation is viewed as a key prerequisite for success.

This choice for transformation is clearly outlined in the University's Vision, as formulated in its Institutional Intent and Strategy, which states that Stellenbosch University is inclusive, innovative and future-focused. The University's Institutional Plan also encapsulates its transformation objectives which are entrenched in its core business.

The University is working purposefully and in a structured and focused way towards this end. Prof Wim de Villiers, Rector and Vice-Chancellor, informed the campus community on the progress of this process via various letters to staff and students during the course of this year.

Various initiatives attest to the seriousness with which the SU Management approaches transformation. Some examples are the participation in a dignity march earlier this year; the removal of the Verwoerd plaque; strategic appointments in top management; the creation of a bursary fund for descendants of inhabitants of Die Vlakte; the establishment of a Transformation Office and Transformation Committee and a proposed Research Chair in Reconciliation and Transformation; an investment of R70 million in the  diversification of the University's staff corps; and task groups that give priority attention to issues with regard to the practical implementation of the University's language policy. (See more information on initiatives here.)

Management is deeply aware of the fact that the institutional culture is experienced by some students as unwelcoming. This is an element that receives top priority at the University and very focused interventions aimed at creating a welcoming and inclusive campus culture has been launched over the last couple of years at SU. For example, the University has with great success instituted the Listen, Live and Learn student communities on campus some years ago that has already played a crucial role in ensuring that the University is becoming home to all.

In addition, the University again confirms that the violation of human rights and victimisation will not be tolerated – regardless of who is involved. Proof to this is termination of the service contract of a lecturer who sent a racist SMS to a student.

Misrepresentation

As far as the video is concerned, there are certain misrepresentations that must be pointed out.

One such issue is that the University takes disciplinary action against students who participate in protests. This is not the case.

The University acknowledged in various communication pieces this year the right of students to take part in protest action, provided that it takes place within the rules and guidelines applicable to the entire campus community; that academic and administrative activities are not disrupted; that the rights of fellow students to study are not infringed upon; and that no risks are created. Actions such as the disruption of a lecture, the sit-in in an administrative building and the disruption of a careers fair in July are completely unacceptable and the University has an obligation to act against the guilty parties in these cases.

The video also creates the impression that Elsenburg is part of Stellenbosch University. This is not true since Elsenburg resorts under the Department of Agriculture in the Western Cape.

Ultimately, the impression is created that the SU management does not listen to students. This cannot go unchallenged. Prof De Villiers has committed himself on various platforms this year to listening (for example in his inauguration speech) and has in writing encouraged staff and students to enter into conversation with him to enable open and courageous conversations on campus. However, mutual respect is a key principle that applies to all conversations. Otherwise, meaningful conversations cannot occur.  

Numerous of these conversations have already occurred.  

Prof De Villiers has also received several contributions on various issues this year, inter alia, from the Student Representative Council, individual members of the campus community (staff, students and alumni), from our Listen, Live and Learn communities, the Open Stellenbosch movement and other formal and informal campus organisations. All these inputs are seriously considered by the SU administration.

Therefore it is disingenuous to state that there is an unwillingness on the part of the SU Management to listen.

The Management of Stellenbosch University remains committed to open discussions with all stakeholders and to transformation. SU is on an exciting journey of profound transformation and innovation. We are proud of what we have achieved, and excited about what the University can be.

We are thinking in new and different ways about a number of issues, of course, all within the framework of the academic environment and democracy. There is deep appreciation for all who work hard to take SU forward.

​​ ​​The South African Sign Language (SASL) Home Language curriculum is being rolled out in South African schools for the Deaf this year. Educators responsible for teaching this school subject evidently require advanced training in SASL literature so that they can present this part of the curriculum to their learners. In order to assist in the provision of such training, the Department of General Linguistics at Stellenbosch University organised and hosted a two-day short course presented at STIAS by Prof Claudine Storbeck (Head of the Centre for Deaf Studies at the University of the Witwatersrand) on 13 and 14 August 2015. The course was attended by 48 educators from five Western Cape schools for the Deaf, two special education representatives of the Western Cape Education Department, and two representatives of the National Institute for the Deaf. The course was presented in English (and partly in SASL as Prof Storbeck is a proficient user of this language) and was simultaneously interpreted into SASL. Because SASL (like all other sign languages) is not a written language, educators cannot source literature (novels, poems, short stories, dramas) in the conventional manner as one would for written languages, i.e. by obtaining material in libraries or from publishing houses. During the short course, educators were introduced to visual recordings of poems and short stories in sign languages and to so-called Deaf art (i.e. created by Deaf artists) and Deaf literature (i.e. literature written in English by Deaf poets and writers). This was the first course of its kind to be presented in South Africa to educators responsible for teaching SASL as school subject.

​​The judges at Stellenbosch University's Kleinsêr final deliberated for more than an hour before announcing the winners of this year's competition.

In the end, their decision echoed campus opinion. Campus favourites Hippokrates Ladies and Pieke Manssêr (PMS) were named the 2015 Kleinsêr champions and will represent SU at the national competition next week. Stellenbosch will play host to this competition.

The local final was held at the His People Centre at N1 City on Saturday 22 August.​

Complete translation in English to follow.

Dit was van die begin af duidelik dat Hippokrates se vrouesêrgroep 'n groot gunsteling is. Met hul uitbeelding van president Jacob Zuma en sy 19 vroue, en gereelde verwysings na die brandswembad by Nkandla, storte, en die gerug dat een van sy vroue hom wou vergiftig, het hulle 'n groot deel van die gehoor op hul voete gehad ná hul vertoning.

Dit is die derde keer in vier jaar dat hulle die plaaslike sêrkompetisie wen. Hulle het nie verlede jaar deelgeneem nie.

Osler Dames, ook van die Tygerberg-kampus, was tweede en Metanoia Dames derde. Hippokrates het die prys ontvang vir die beste voorgeskrewe liedjie (Therapy deur Mary J Blige) en Metanoia vir die beste selfgeskrewe liedjie.

Met hul oefenkleertjies, rooi tekkies en liedjies soos Simply the best, Nothing's gonna stop us now en We are the champions het Pieke Manssêr die kampus én die beoordelaars se harte gewen. Hulle was verlede jaar vierde.

Eendrag en Helshoogte se sêrgroepe moes, soos verlede jaar, tevrede wees met onderskeidelik tweede en derde plek. Wilgenhof se sêrgroep het die prys ontvang vir die beste voorgeskrewe liedjie (It had better be tonight deur Michael Bublé/Fran Jeffries) en Eendrag vir die beste selfgeskrewe liedjie.