​The waste tyres research group is an interdisciplinary effort between the Department of Process Engineering and the Department of Chemistry and Polymer Sciences at Stellenbosch University, sponsored by the Recycling and Economic Development Initiative of South Africa (REDISA). The research effort has a focus on the development of technological pathways for the revalorisation of waste tyres, both from an environmental and economic viewpoint.

South Africa currently has approximately 60 million waste tyres in landfills and stockpiles and annually 11 million are added to this problem. This type of disposal can result in significant environmental disturbances, such as uncontrolled fires (with accompanying pollution of the atmosphere, soil and groundwater) or by supplying breeding ground for rats, mosquitoes, etc. At its core REDISA concentrates on addressing this mounting environmental problem by finding solutions that benefit the tyre recycling industry with waste reduction and economic value adding, whilst simultaneously creating work opportunities.

In line with its mandate to develop a waste tyres collection and recycling industry, REDISA has entered into a four-year research agreement with Stellenbosch University (SU), entitled Beneficiation of Waste Tyres from Recycling. The RESIDA-SU research group supports the recycling industry by investigating several approaches for the recovery of value added chemicals/materials from waste tyres, either for re‐use in the production of tyres or other economically valuable applications.

The two main approaches currently under development are devulcanisation and thermal fractionation, followed by separations and upgrading. Both of these pathways generate a broad range of valuable products ranging from plasticisers, solubilised polymers, oils, pyrolysis-char and -gas, and numerous chemical species such as limonene, styrene, syngas, etc. Classical and novel separation processes, e.g. distillation, solvent extraction and membrane technology, are utilised. The group also investigates the production of environmental friendly tyres, using alternative, sustainable sources of raw materials. Further aspects of sustainable tyre recycling include conversion efficiency, economic viability and environmental impacts.

The REDISA-SU research group hosts ten postgraduate students and two postdoctoral researchers, supervised by Prof Johann Görgens and Drs Cara Schwarz and Percy van der Gryp from the Department of Process Engineering and Prof André de Villiers from the Department of Chemistry and Polymer Sciences.

This initiative by REDISA marks an innovative and daring research field, aiming to transform the tyre recycling industry, and making a valuable contribution to waste management in South Africa.

​Photo left: Monwabisi Scott doing pyrolysis of waste tyres.​ 

Photo right: Kirsty Henry does upgrading of pyrolytic char obtained from waste tyres.

Traffic gridlock in Stellenbosch has become a common sight, largely owing to the town being an intense trip attractor due to the high number of trip destinations in the town, including Stellenbosch University, good schools, a bustling central business core and tourist appeal. All routes into Stellenbosch are severely congested during the morning, with reverse congestion conditions in the afternoon. Significant delay and adverse environmental impact result. These are some of the issues that the Stellenbosch Smart Mobility Laboratory (SSML) aims to address.

The SSML was established in the Faculty of Engineering in June 2014. It focuses on technology applications to transport problems (also known as Intelligent Transportation Systems or ITS in short) and provides a platform for the development of innovative and cost-effective transportation solutions for developing countries.

In order to address the traffic problems in Stellenbosch, as a point of departure, congestion in Stellenbosch needs to be quantified. It is recognised that Stellenbosch is well connected with surrounding areas, with five arterial routes extending from the town centre in a radial configuration. These radial routes then join to form a single north-south arterial road west of the town centre, Adam Tas Road. Collector roads, extending predominantly in an east-west direction into the town centre, connect to this arterial road. General traffic direction is towards the Stellenbosch town centre during the morning peak, and out of Stellenbosch to surrounding areas in the afternoon peak.

The SSML uses new and innovative techniques to quantify traffic congestion in Stellenbosch by studying speeds and travel times obtained from data obtained from moving vehicles on the arterial routes. During the morning peak hour, traffic on the outskirts of Stellenbosch especially along Strand Road (R44 South) and the R304 is highly affected by congestion, with speeds affected up to 6 km from town. During the afternoon peak hour, congestion on the outskirts of town is less intense than during the morning peak hour, however, roads within Stellenbosch town centre are more highly congested than in the morning, particularly on the stretch of Adam Tas Road between Bird Street and Strand Road, with an average speed of less than 10 km/h. Typical additional delay experienced on these arterials during peak periods, range between 20 and 26 minutes.

New ITS techniques, such as the use of data obtained from moving vehicles, assist traffic engineers to analyse and to understand traffic patterns in a cost-effective manner. This traffic data will assist the SSML to conduct future research into ITS solutions not only to the congestion experienced on roads in Stellenbosch, but also in ways to enhance traveller information made available to users of the local transportation system. This will greatly contribute towards the improvement of mobility in the "smart city" environment, with an emphasis on providing sustainable and cost-effective solutions aimed at developing countries.

Photo left: Gridlock in Stellenbosch during peak-hour.

Photo right: Megan Bruwer (lecturer on the right) demonstrates traffic signal phasing to postgraduate students in the SSML.

​VIVUS August 2015 - read about the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences' innovation, engagement and excellence. 

Latest issue of the Faculty newsletter includes:

- US $1.75m for research on the TB and Diabetes co-infection
- "Be agents of change", Rector asks Tygerberg students
- Strengthening nursing education in Africa
- Article impacts on international AIDS research community
- Students host surgical symposium at Tygerberg Campus

Click here​ to read VIVUS.

"We should not be surprised about the turbulence on campuses now, but neither should we be alarmed. South Africa is still a society in transition and change is always difficult, but it's the right thing to do and greater diversity is an absolute requirement for excellence."

This was the message of Stellenbosch University Rector and Vice-Chancellor Prof Wim de Villiers to new student leaders on Wednesday night (26 August 2015). He was speaking at a scheduled event at Academia Residence soon after the conclusion of "election season" on campus when students get to elect new representatives on such structures as the Student Representative Council, house committees, Societies Council and the Academic Affairs Council. (Click here for a video of the Rector's speech, and here for a PDF copy.)

Prof De Villiers said we should not be surprised at what is happening on campuses because the legacy of South Africa's past "is still with us – the inequality and poverty and unemployment."

"The other reason why we should not be surprised is that we are 20 years into our democracy now and the 'born frees' are coming of age – that's you guys," he said to the audience.

"You are now old enough to think for yourselves, to see the problems around you. But at the same time you are young enough to want to do something about it, you have the energy to do it.

"So not surprised, but neither should we be alarmed. Change is always difficult. Actually, if it does not make us uncomfortable, we are not doing it right."

He said he found the Luister video released on social media last week "extremely uncomfortable to watch" because "I don't enjoy knowing that some of my students on campus have negative experiences."

He acknowledged that the video "raises very important issues" and contains "valid lived experiences," and although it had "some flaws" he said he was "not going to defend the indefensible – racism, discrimination, human rights violations, exclusion, marginalisation."

"This is wrong; end of story. Except, whatever's wrong must be fixed. And we are attempting to do that. Stellenbosch University has been in a process of transformation for a long time, but we have not done enough yet."

However, "I also am not going to tolerate the unacceptable – disruption, hate speech, violence, destruction of property … by whomever. Because these things are also wrong and we will act against it. But we are not victimising anyone, and I am certainly not silencing protest. Because students should be critical – that is the nature of the open discussion."

On the issue of language of tuition, Prof De Villiers explained: "Last year in November, Council made a policy decision to put English and Afrikaans on equal footing as languages of tuition. Now it is being implemented. Many courses are already offered fully either in English or Afrikaans. Other classes might be bilingual. Or there is a simultaneous interpreting service. And as has been the case for a long time, most text books are in English, and one can write assignments, tests and exams in English.

"There are problems with implementation – we acknowledge that. We have task teams that are investigating, and have issued an open invitation to all to raise these issues with us. We have received and are investigating proposals from the SRC, Open Stellenbosch and many other stakeholders. And we will report back to campus and Council about what we find, and how we can make things better."

But I want to debunk the fallacy which equates the mere presence of Afrikaans with racism. Parallels are being drawn between Stellenbosch University today and Soweto in 1976. There is a huge difference. In 1976 Afrikaans was imposed on school learners as part of a system of state discrimination, as part of apartheid. In 2015, we have a democratic Constitution in place, with a Bill of Rights, enshrining the values of human dignity, equality and freedom.

"Let me quote from it: 'Everyone has the right to receive education in an official language of their choice in public educational institutions.' But there are two qualifications – "where reasonably practicable", which is what we are trying to do, and that 'access' may not be restricted, hence we are also using English."

He said Stellenbosch was becoming "much more diverse".

"It is interesting to note that when Madiba was released in 1990, there were less than 1 000 black, coloured and Indian students on campus. Now we have more than 11 000 – nearly 38% of the student body, up from 31% in 2008 as we head for 50% by 2020.

"Diversity is an absolute requirement for excellence, because it exposes us to a variety of people and ideas, which broadens the mind and enriches us. That is our vision – to become more inclusive. We want to be more welcoming.

"So, we need to open Stellenbosch University even more, let us have open discussions, let us be open to change – let us all take 100% for the change we want to see because it is a collective duty we have. We are all 100% responsible for this."

• Click here for a video of the Rector's speech.
• Click here for a PDF copy.

​Endurocad – a distance running and endurance sport academy – recently hosted its fourth high performance camp at the Department of Sport Science, situated within the Faculty of Education at Stellenbosch University.

According to Elana Meyer from Endurocad they invited talented athletes to the camp where physiological testing was done. 

“These tests are the baseline from which we can identify the potential and abilities of the athletes,” said Meyer.

The primary objectives of Endurocad are to identify and develop world-class distance runners in South Africa; professionally manage and support the careers of these athletes; assist each athlete in qualifying as a IAAF “Gold Label” elite athlete; develop and support South African athletes to be more successful in international, city, Olympic and Commonwealth marathons; and to build and profile distance running and runners in South Africa to inspire future generations.

Some 18 athletes between the ages of 15-22 years attended the camp.

Louise Engelbrecht of the Department of Sport Science was in charge of all the testing done in the lab. 

“We performed anthropometrical measurements that included height and weight, skinfolds, perimeters and some bone widths, from which we obtain percentage body fat and somatotyping. These tests will help determine if the athlete has the right physique for a career in endurance sport,” explained Engelbrecht.

“After this we performed Functional Movement Screening (FMS) in order to identify any weaknesses and muscle imbalances. Each athlete also received a document with corrective exercises. 

"Lastly they ran a VO2max test on the treadmill. VO2max (maximal oxygen consumption) is a good indication of endurance potential. From the data collected we can determine at what point they make the switch from predominately using fat to using mainly carbohydrates as the main source of energy, which provides us with information about the athlete’s training status. From this we can prescribe exercise intensity zones; to help target the right energy systems for the purpose of each session.”

Meyer added that these tests are vital in identifying athletes for the Endurocad programme. “We are appreciative of this working relationship with the Department of Sport Science. What they do is vital in what we want to achieve with Endurocad.”

Two outstanding emerging researchers at Stellenbosch University (SU) were honoured by the National Research Foundation (NRF) at an award ceremony in Umhlanga, KwaZulu-Natal on Thursday (27 August 2015).

​Dr Nuraan Davids, a lecturer in the Department of Education Policy Studies, and Mr Ethan Newman, a doctoral student in the Department of Botany and Zoology, received the Research Excellence Award for Female Early Career/Emerging Researchers and the Research Excellence Award for Male Next Generation Researchers for 2015 respectively.

These prizes, which are awarded to next generation and early career/emerging researchers for exceptional research performance, form part of the NRF's strategy to increase the number of next generation researchers, to develop emerging researchers, and to grow the number of established researchers.

Davids said she was deeply honoured by the NRF award. "It recognises and celebrates the potential of women in advancing knowledge construction in South Africa.  And, to be a part of this, is indeed, very humbling."

Specialising in the philosophy of education, democratic citizenship education, Islamic education, and ethics in education, Davids has more than 30 research publications to her name including two international books and 10 book chapters. She is an Associate Editor of the South African Journal of Higher Education; an Editorial Board Member of the international journal Ethics and Education and serves as a reviewer of the American Educational Research Association, amongst others.

Davids also received numerous awards, amongst others, the Knowledge, Interchange and Collaboration Award (2013); the Mellon Academic Staff Development Award (2014); the NRF Thuthuka Award (2014-2016); and the Rector's Award for General Performance (2014-2015). 

"I feel privileged to have won the NRF Research Excellence Award for Next Generation Researchers," said Ethan Newman. He expressed his gratitude to SU and the NRF for their continued support of his postgraduate career. "I feel extremely lucky to have been given these excellent opportunities and without doubt, I would not be a PhD student today if it were not for the support given."

Eyeing a career in the biological sciences, Newman has already presented five conference papers and published four research papers in high impact international journals like Evolution and Annals of Botany. He is such an excellent researcher that in year two of his studies his MSc project was upgraded to a PhD.

Newman has been the recipient of various scholarships, merit bursaries and grants, amongst others, the Ernst and Ethel Eriksen Trust Scholarship (2013-2015); the NRF Innovation Scholarship (2014-2015); National Geographic Young Explorers Grant (2013 & 2014) and the NRF Scarce Skills Scholarship (2012-2013). He has also been accepted as an exchange student at the University of Montpellier in France as part of the Erasmus Mundus exchange programme.

Another SU researcher, Dr Oonsie Biggs, was also honoured at the Awards ceremony. She recently obtained a P-rating from the NRF for her outstanding research on social-ecological regime shifts and their impact on ecosystem services.

• Photo: Dr Nuraan Davids and Mr Ethan Newman
  

The Senate of Stellenbosch University (SU) has expressed its support for transformation. At a scheduled meeting on Friday afternoon (28 August 2015), Senate adopted the following motion:

"In light of the recent campus discussions on transformation, stimulated by amongst others the Open Stellenbosch movement, Senate states the following:

1. We are concerned about the many reports of racism and racist incidents as well as sexual harassment that still occur on campus and in town. We would like to appeal to the campus community (staff and students) to refrain from any such actions.
2. We acknowledge the complexity of the relationship between SU's language policy and transformation, and believe over-simplified solutions are inappropriate.
3. We express our support for the manner in which SU Management is conducting the transformation discussions, as well as for the new initiatives which have been announced and implemented.
4. We further express our confidence in SU Management in continuing with the transformation discussion with wisdom, understanding and an attitude of reconciliation and justice."

The motion was passed by Senate without any dissenting votes. Senate is one of the University's statutory bodies, and consists mainly of full professors.

Stellenbosch University's (SU) newly elected SRC chairperson, Axolile Qina, a master's degree student in Theology, says his first and biggest goal for his term is to unite the campus.

Axolile, known among fellow students as Diamond, was elected by the new Student Representative Council (SRC), last night (27 August). He also served on Helderberg Men's residence's house committee for the last three years, this year as primarius (head student).

"I am so overwhelmed, it is such a humbling experience," Axolile said at a breakfast with former SRC chairs, among others Erica Venter, the first women to hold this position, and Chris Jones, Chairperson of the Club for former SRC chairpersons.

"My vision is to unite the campus and to change the mind-set of students to a human consciousness, realising we are all human. I want to get all the student bodies and societies around one table, because this needs to be an united effort.

"We are at a crossroads, not only at Stellenbosch, but in our country, and there are going to be some big challenges on the road ahead, but I am not one to shy away from a challenge. I am looking forward to this opportunity."

Prof Wim de Villiers, Rector en Vice-Chancellor, congratulated Axolile and wished him all the best with the term ahead.

"The University finds itself in turbulent times, and it is now more than ever that we need visionary leadership. I look forward to working with Axolile and the SRC to take the University forward and to make it a place everyone can be proud of. We have a deep appreciation for the hard work that the SRC has put in over the last few months to not only advise but also to challenge Management on issues that are important to students. This includes fruitful discussions on transformation. I am confident that Axolile and his team will successfully take over the baton in this regard."

​Children all across South Africa will now benefit from Active Play, a programme developed for Virgin Active Health Clubs by Stellenbosch Kinderkinetics, based in Stellenbosch University’s Department of Sport Science.

This is in addition to the Department of Sport Science’s Kinderkinetics programme that was implemented at the Stellenbosch Virgin Active in 2012 and Waterstone Virgin Active this year.

The Kinderkinetics programme, presented by Dr Eileen Africa and her students at Waterstone and Stellenbosch entails the development of fundamental gross motor skills, baby massage and stimulation, as well as age-specific fitness-related activities.

“This programme is where the students gain experience and practical hours under supervision of a qualified Kinderkineticist. It is important to note that this programme is different from the Active play programme. The SU students do not present Active Play, it is presented by Virgin Active Club V staff,” said Africa.

Active play was developed and implemented this year.

“The activities presented in the Active Play programme were also developed by Stellenbosch Kinderkinetics and is based on the sequence of development of selected locomotor, manipulative and stability abilities according to approximate age of onset,” Africa added.

The Kinderkinetics programme, as well as Active Play, is not only important in terms of the development of Kinderkineticists and promotion of the importance of Kinderkinetics in general, but for Africa it’s also about giving children access to the advantages gained from such a programme.

“It is a child’s job to be active. An active child is a happy child and a happy child becomes a healthy adult. Physical activity has cognitive, social, physical and physiological benefits and can help prevent a sedentary lifestyle.”

Africa has big dreams for the future of the Active play programme and believes the next step is to employ a Kinderkineticist to provide more structure to the programme to ensure a fluent activity session.

“But this is only a dream at the moment,” she says.​

​​The feasibility of concentrated solar power (CSP) as a realistic, cost-effective and clean alternative to fossil fuels is set to be given a major boost with the launch of a pilot CSP facility at Stellenbosch University (SU), demonstrating a new solar collector system.

Powerful pilot facility opens soon

Situated at Mariendahl, an experimental farm of SU, the Helio100 pilot facility will be officially opened at the end of September. The Helio100 technology is designed for CSP plants as small as 100kW – enough power to provide electricity for about 30 South African households.

Sponsored by the Technology Innovation Agency (TIA), Helio100 is being developed by the Solar Thermal Energy Research Group (STERG) at SU – the first university research group in the country to focus on solar thermal energy research. The project is hosted in the Centre for Renewable and Sustainable Energy Studies (CRSES) in SU's Faculty of Engineering.

What is Helio100?

"Helio100 consists of a field of tracking mirrors called heliostats and a small tower that captures concentrated sunlight capable of running a turbine at 1 000°C," explains Paul Gauche, a senior researcher at SU and founding director of STERG. Air is heated which drives a gas turbine similar to that found in jet engines. This means that no water or other working fluids are needed.

"The real hindrance worldwide to the technology really taking off is that it needs to be done at low cost – something we believe we have the solution for."

In early 2014, the STERG team won a grant from the TIA to showcase the technology in the 100kW pilot facility. The technology takes a simple and fresh approach to overcome the current challenges in heliostat fields.

Fast facts

• Helio100 can be installed almost anywhere.
• Installation does not require highly skilled labour, ground preparation or a large workforce.
• It can be set up by only two people.
• The pilot version already generates enough electricity to power 30 households.
• Production is low-cost and cheaper than using diesel, the most commonly used back-up during power outages.
• Much more energy for day and night use, regardless of the weather, can be stored.
• Environmentally friendly and adaptable for small to large-scale operations.
• A powerful addition to current renewable energy solutions.

Simple, adaptable, quick and cheap!

"We managed to do this by using a holistic approach that included ignoring what people said could not be done. The unique design uses smaller, smarter and modular heliostats to overcome the cost challenges," says Gauche. "The heliostats also don't need any ground or civil preparation which automatically provides a natural dust suppression mechanism. We use the terms 'plonkable' heliostats and 'plonkability'."

Multiple useful, cost-effective and economy-boosting features

Concentrated solar power (CSP) – especially via Helio100 – is able to provide clean electricity when it is needed, from resident use to large utility scale, with the added benefit of boosting the local economy by sourcing components from local suppliers and manufacturers. Modular heliostat fields can be manufactured and installed by as few as two people and by duplicating this, modular generating units can be connected into larger power plants, mostly using local resources.

Energy for the future

"This research breakthrough ties in with the vision of Stellenbosch University to be inclusive, innovative and future-focused," says Prof Wikus van Niekerk, CRSES Director. "Developing a CSP industry in South Africa has the potential to help resolve the challenges around sustainable energy supply. It can be similar to the commercially successful development of the Fischer Tropsch technology by Sasol that the company is now seen to be world leaders in. The Helio100 project can be seen as a significant step in this development pathway for South Africa."

The construction of the pilot facility will be completed by September 2015 and will be unveiled to the CSP world at SolarPACES, the leading international CSP conference.

Stellenbosch University boasts more than 40 years of research on renewable energy, spearheaded by CRSES and STERG.

• For media enquiries, please liaise with Amelia Burger of Lemonade Hub on 082 824 8440 or at amelia@lemonadehub.co.za, or visit http://helio100.sun.ac.za for more information.
• Read an article that appeared in the British newspaper The Guardian here. 

​​Public Protector and Stellenbosch University honorary doctorate, Dr  Thuli Madonsela, encouraged staff and students of SU to continue with the difficult conversations that are happening on campus around transformation and to continue to actively pursue social justice for all.

Dr Madonsela's address formed part of Women's month celebrations and was organised by the Stellenbosch Women's Forum.

"The reality is that if we do not allow a difficult conversations​ to take place, it usually still takes place. And when it does, having had to force itself, the aftermath is more difficult to deal with," Madonsela said.

She spoke about how in 1956 a few women brought together 20 000 women to protest against pass laws. "That is what happens when you are driven by the audacity of hope, the power of love and the power of faith. Faith in yourself as an agent of change, faith in humanity that they will join you in your crusade and faith in those you are fighting against, that they will hear you. I believe that spirit is still here with us – that's why you are having this conversation.

"It is not just this conversation of today, but an ongoing conversation about the role each of us can play in bringing about social justice in the world we live in."

Dr Madonsela explained that the reason women have been involved in crusades for social justice is because as humans our happiness and prosperity are dependent on that of our fellow human beings.  "As human beings we are interconnected. Women globally and in this country have always appreciated this interconnectedness. They have always appreciated that I cannot harm you or let you suffer, without being adversely affected.  If you do suffer, I will feel it, even if I look away."

She referred to two women, Olive Schreiner, author of the well-known novel, The story of an African farm, and Charlotte Maxeke, who is often honoured as the 'Mother of Black Freedom in South Africa'. "All they spoke about was social justice, and it wasn't just social justice for women, they just concerned them with humanity - that everyone deserves better.

"At the core of these two women, is the spirit of Ubuntu – I am because you are."

She went on to say that many others, like Schreiner and Maxeke, "continue to push the frontiers of freedom further, particularly to ensure that everybody enjoys an improved quality of living and has their potential freed".

Madonsela spoke highly of businesswomen, Wendy Appelbaum, who was the driving force behind a successful application by the SU's Legal Aid Clinic about emoluments attachment orders (EAOs, also known as garnishee orders).

In closing she remarked on how women in South Africa have participated in creating a national legal framework that moves us towards equality. She referred to the Frene Ginwala generation - which was focused on entrenching equality, not just for women,  but for everyone - as the women who should be celebrated without reservation.

 Watch a video of Dr Madonsela's speech here.

​Stellenbosch University (SU) is currently in the news for transformation with the Luister video making headlines across the country. In an opinion article published in Cape Times on Monday (31 August 2015), SU Rector and Vice-Chancellor Prof Wim De Villiers, writes: "Transformation remains a priority – because it is the right thing to do, not because of the pressure on universities this year. We are committed to an open discussion, and welcome the opportunity to engage with our students and all other partners and stakeholders."

• Read the complete article below, or click here for the article as published.
  

The Luister video posted on YouTube recently raises very important issues regarding transformation at Stellenbosch University (SU). I found it extremely uncomfortable to watch. It contains valid lived experiences of some of my students, and I do not enjoy knowing that they suffer.

So, I am not going to defend the indefensible. Racism, discrimination, human rights violations, exclusion, marginalisation – these things are all wrong, end of story. Except, whatever is wrong must be fixed. We are attempting to do exactly that, and SU has been in a process of change for a long time, but that is not to say we have done enough. Transformation remains a priority – because it is the right thing to do, not because of the pressure on universities this year.

The current turbulence on campuses should not surprise us, for two reasons. South Africa is still a society in transition. The legacy of the past lingers on – the inequality and poverty and unemployment. And 21 years into our democracy, our born frees are coming of age. They are old enough to think for themselves, to see the problems around them; and young enough to want to do something about it.

However, neither should we be alarmed at calls for transformation. Change is always difficult, but if it does not make us uncomfortable, we are not doing it right. That is why universities are important – because they stimulate critical thinking.

Since the start of my tenure in April, I have been promoting an "open discussion" at SU. The phrase comes from Johan Degenaar, one of South Africa's greatest philosophers who died recently. He was known as the "Socrates of Stellenbosch" because he lived by the principle that "the unexamined life is not worth living."

If we listen and engage in a "discussion without borders", there is no way we can defend the indefensible. We have to put things right. Two recent examples are the termination of the services of a lecturer who sent a student a racist SMS, and the removal of the HF Verwoerd plaque from one of our buildings.

But neither am I going to tolerate the unacceptable – the disruption of classes, hate speech, violence, destruction of property, by whomever. Because these things are also wrong. However, we are not victimising anyone, and I am certainly not silencing protest. Students should be critical – that is the nature of the open discussion.

Now, let me briefly point out some of the flaws of the video. It is not accurate because Elsenburg Agricultural Training Institute is not part of Stellenbosch University, despite the fact that we accredit one of its qualifications. It is not balanced because it is not true to the dictum "hear the other side". And it is not fair because off-campus incidents in pubs or clubs are not under the University's control – though we must do everything we can to stop racism everywhere.

It is also not correct that Stellenbosch University does not heed transformation calls. Take the language issue. I said very clearly at my inauguration that Stellenbosch is no longer just serving one part of the population. Stellenbosch is not an Afrikaans or English or isiXhosa university. It is a world-class, multilingual institution, a national and international asset advancing knowledge in the service of all.

The research shows that multilingualism provides a competitive advantage in today's diverse and integrated society. Last year in November, our Council decided to put English and Afrikaans on an equal footing as languages of tuition. Now we are in the process of implementing this policy. Many courses are already offered fully in parallel English and Afrikaans streams. Other classes are bilingual. Or there is simultaneous interpreting. And as has been the case for a long time, most text books are in English, and one can write assignments, tests and exams in English.

Yes, there are problems with implementation – we acknowledge that. Task teams are investigating, and there is an open invitation to anyone to raise concerns. We are examining proposals from the SRC, Open Stellenbosch and others, and we will report back to campus and Council.

But I want to debunk the fallacy which equates the mere presence of Afrikaans with racism. Parallels are being drawn between Stellenbosch University today and Soweto in 1976. There is a huge difference. Then Afrikaans was imposed on school learners as part of a system of state discrimination, apartheid. Now we thankfully have a democratic Constitution, with a Bill of Rights, enshrining the values of human dignity, equality and freedom, which we wholeheartedly support.

Let me quote from it: "Everyone has the right to receive education in the official language or languages of their choice in public educational institutions". One qualification is that it should be "reasonably practicable", which is what we are trying to get right. Another is the need for "access", "equity" and "redress". This is partly why we also use English as a medium of tuition in line with our commitment to multilingualism and in order to equip our students for full participation in the global knowledge society.

Language is not an easy issue to handle – to the contrary. And as American journalist HL Mencken said, "For every complex problem there is an answer that is clear and simple … and wrong". That makes it doubly important to avoid such cognitive distortions as emotional reasoning, labelling, overgeneralising and blaming.

We are an institution of higher learning, and true to the Socratic method, universities should not be teaching students what to think but how to think. Critical thinking means you have to question unexamined beliefs, received wisdom and rhetoric.

We must go beyond borders, leave our comfort zones, put ourselves in the shoes of others. One example is our new Resident Placement Policy. The emphasis is on greater integration so that people from different backgrounds can get to know each other. Another example is our LLL Initiative, "Listen, Live and Learn" – which is not restricted to the LLL Village of student housing units; the principles are applied throughout campus. It is based on sound academic research about the benefits of "active listening" and encourages the pursuit of ideological pluralism, a safe space for all perspectives, reasoned disagreement, principled dissent and multiple interpretations.

Stellenbosch is becoming ever more diverse. We now have more than 11 000 black, coloured and Indian students – nearly 38% of the student body, up from 31% in 2008 as we head for 50% by 2020. Diversity is an absolute requirement for excellence, because it exposes us to a variety of people and ideas, which broadens the mind and enriches us.

So, we need to open Stellenbosch University even more. We are open to change, which is a collective duty of all our stakeholders. We are all 100% responsible to be the change we want to see, as Gandhi put it. We are committed to an open discussion, and welcome the opportunity to engage with our students and all other partners and stakeholders.

* Professor Wim de Villiers is Rector and Vice-Chancellor of Stellenbosch University. This article is based on his address to new student leaders on 26 August at a scheduled event at Academia Residence.

Sweden; Denmark; Finland; Switzerland; Austria; Slovenia; United Kingdom; Singapore; Australia; Canada; United States of America; Egypt; Qatar; Zambia; Botswana; Nigeria; Ghana; and South Africa.   These are the home countries of the 36 IFLA delegates who were warmly welcomed to the SU Library and Information Service on Friday 21 August 2015!

The visit to the SU Library and Information Service was one of the conference tours on offer to delegates of the 81^st IFLA World Library and Information Congress (WLIC).  The Congress took place at the Cape Town ICC.  IFLA is the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions. 

Delegates were met at their bus outside the University Museum.  Four library staff members each guided their group to the JS Gericke Library, highlighting important historic campus buildings and features en route.

In the E-classroom of the JS Gericke Library, guests were formally welcomed by the Senior Director of the Library and Information Service, Ms Ellen Tise.  Ms Tise, a Former IFLA President (2009-2011), is a member of the IFLA WLIC 2015 National Committee.   The 36 guests were shown a dynamic prezi presentation providing an overview of the services and facilities of the central and five branch libraries.  This was followed by an informative presentation on the digital collections and services of the SU Library and Information Service.

After enjoying refreshments in the modern staff tea room, the delegates were able to experience first-hand the innovative spaces and services at the JS Gericke Library.  The guests were shown around the library by their 'tour leaders'.  The tour included 'stops' at the Research Commons, the Learning Commons, Special Collections and Technical Services.

After a short ride in their bus, the delegates visited the inspirational Engineering and Forestry branch Library.  They were similarly shown around the library by two staff members and made use of the opportunity to engage with the staff.

SU Library and Information Service is very proud to have hosted and interacted with its international IFLA peers!

Persons who wish to undertake invigilation duties during the SU examinations from Tuesday 27 October to Saturday 05 December 2015 have the opportunity to apply till Thursday 17 September 2015.

Minimum qualification is Matric, but preference will be given to graduated SU staff members and post graduate students. Undergraduate students unfortunately do not qualify. Lecturing staff should obtain permission from their Deans but are not required to apply for leave.

Remuneration is R64,00 per hour, plus an additional half hour per examination session for invigilators, and an additional two hours per examination session for convenors. Remuneration for all invigilation until 18 November 2015 will be paid on December 15, 2015 and for the period thereafter at the end of January 2016.

Application forms are available at the Information Desk, Admin A. Closing date for applications is Thursday 17 September 2015 at 16:00. Contact Miriam Walters at 021 8089111 for further enquiries. Submission of an application form does not guarantee appointment.

​Stellenbosch University took note of the list of concerns from students who took part in a march on Wednesday, 28 August, to highlight sexual harassment and assault. There is a deep appreciation for students who highlight these important issues as they can play a crucial role in curbing incidences of sexual harassment and assault in South African society.

It is unfortunate that the Chairpersons of the Sexual Harassment Advisory Committee were denied the opportunity to address the gathering who viewed it as a student event. A memorandum was accepted and a commitment made to respond to these issues. This memorandum is a first response to the content of the memorandum received from the students.

It is important to differentiate between two entities in the memorandum – the Centre for Student Counselling and Development (CSCD), and the Committee dealing with Sexual Harassment. A staff member of the CSCD serves on the Sexual Harassment Committee as a consultant. The CSCD is located in five buildings in Victoria Street (next to the Conserve up to the Bosman Street circle) and have four Units that offer specialized services to support holistic student development. These service range from academic counselling and development, support for students with special needs, career services as well as therapeutic and psychosocial support. A 24-hour Crisis Service is available for students in crisis. The telephone number of the Crisis Service has been printed on stickers that are widely available on campus and appears in all Welcoming Programme materials. The number of the Crisis Service is 082 557 0880.

The CSCD's contact details are actively distributed and widespread; on the SU website, as well as in the Matie Diary. The Matie Diary displays a section on the CSCD in the first few pages, contact details included. The number of CSCD is listed again in the back of the diary under Important Numbers. The CSCD also works actively with the SU student mentors in order to equip them to refer students to the necessary services. Brochures with information and contact details are distributed to students and staff.

The second entity referred to in the memorandum, is the Committee dealing with Sexual Harassment. Stellenbosch University confirms that there is a zero tolerance for sexual harassment and assault and that the University will not hesitate to act against anyone who is found guilty of such practices. In the last year the two committees handled 13 cases of sexual harassment and in all of them there were outcomes, some ending in disciplinary hearings leading to the expulsion of students or the termination of staff members' contracts.

The University also confirms that free psychological support is already available and that students have free access to the University's Crisis Service. Furthermore, there is an ongoing campaign to create awareness. These include consciousness raising sessions for staff members while also speaking to student groups and experts being invited to residences and groups to speak on sexual harassment.

The University cannot conduct investigations into allegations of rape. As rape is a criminal offence, it falls under the jurisdiction of the South African Police Service and the judiciary. The University will provide its full cooperation in such matters, and students convicted on a charge of rape will be expelled from the institution. The University does investigate all reported cases of sexual misconduct, and provides counselling and support to students who seek assistance after incidents of sexual harassment, sexual assault or rape. The University can however only investigate harassment that is reported.

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​Five Part-time MBA students from USB reached the Top 3 in their industry in the BSG International Competition, a contest among high-performing business strategy companies from around the world.

The students are Jaco Engelbrecht, Tamsin Olsen, Ryan Britain, Ciska Booyens and Alfred Mbawa, and the team's name was Groovy Shoes.

Two of them shared what they had learned from this experience:

JACO ENGELBRECHT: "From my side, what I had learned from the BSG is that teamwork is key to success, knowing one's weaknesses is just as important as knowing one's strengths, and finally that there are lessons to be learned around each and every corner of life, if you are open to seeing them as lessons."

ALFRED MBAWA: "I learnt some of the pertinent issues involved in running a business, such as understanding the environment in which you are operating, and the changing trends in important factors such as supply levels, pricing, costs and the effect of external factors like the rate of exchange. The game is modelled around simulating a real-life business. Being able to forecast and correctly anticipate the next move of your competitors and quickly adapt seems to be key in this game. I presume business also demands such attributes."​

A third-year student from the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences has been selected to attend the Global Youth Consultation for the World Humanitarian Summit (WHS) in Doha, Qatar from today (1 September) to 2 September.

Ms Lea Koekemoer, a third-year BA Humanities (majoring in Political Science and History) student is one of 100 youths from across the world to be selected from over a 1 000 applicants to attend this event, which is hosted by Reach Out To Asia (ROTA).

ROTA is a "Qatar-based development agency that empowers local communities by providing access to quality primary and secondary education to children affected by crisis across Asia".

The Global Youth Consultation is organised by the WHS Youth Working Group and the International Federation of the Red Cross and supported by the WHS Secretariat. The Working Group is facilitated by the United Nations Major Group for Children and Youth.

According to the WHS, the "Consultation is aimed at engaging youth from different backgrounds and different experiences to discuss where youth stand in the current humanitarian landscape, what they can provide to the field, how the world can better maximize their potential and how youth can have a stronger voice in humanitarian issues".

The first World Humanitarian Summit, which is an initiative of the UN Secretary-General, will be held in Istanbul in May 2016 and will concentrate on bringing together the global community "to commit to new ways of working together to save lives and reduce hardship around the globe".

Koekemoer, who has been involved in community interaction and volunteer initiatives throughout her life, said she decided to apply for the event after she saw a notice stating that applications for the Consultation had been extended.

"When it popped up on my Facebook newsfeed, I thought, let me give it a try."

"I applied for the Global Youth Consultation because I really have a passion for helping communities and it is something I strongly believe in, however, I also feel that worldwide humanitarian work has not managed to make communities self-sustainable in the long run," says the 20-year-old South African who moved to Swaziland with her family when she was five.

Since joining Stellenbosch University in 2013, she has continued their family tradition of giving back to others by implementing a life skills-orientated development programme at Klapmuts Primary, a local school based in a disadvantaged community.

"Our family has always been involved in community interaction. It is something we did as a family each December. We would take a few children between the ages of 4 and 6 from an orphanage which was run by my mom's friend and we would take them to the hot springs for the day. We would spend the day swimming – something they don't often get to do – play games and have a braai," explains Koekemoer.

During high school, she continued to pursue this passion as her school, Waterford Kamhlaba United World College of Southern Africa, was "particularly focused on community service".

Her project at Klapmuts Primary School was developed in conjunction with the school in 2013 after it identified a need amongst Grade 5 learners to develop important life skills. Many of these learners come from households headed by young, single mothers who do not always have permanent partners in their lives.  
"Many of these moms had their children at a young age – some as young as 14 or 15 – so they have not had the opportunity to complete their schooling, which means they are not highly educated and can therefore not educate their children beyond a certain point.  Some of the things we teach the learners are very basic life skills such as what happens to your body at various stages of development or the kinds of careers that they can pursue, but while these are things we take for granted, it is something that these learners do not know about at all."

Koekemoer, who has been involved in the project up to this point, will be stepping down next year as the new student leadership at Academia – the residence that drives the project – will be taking it forward with her fulfilling an advisory role.

"It's still early days, but we have noticed that a lot of kids' behaviour has improved, especially with regards to their emotional intelligence. However, I feel that we will only see the real improvements in the learners four or five years down the line. The aim is to transfer skills to the current learners so that they can transfer those same skills to a broader community. We are already witnessing the older kids passing their knowledge to their younger siblings and other learners. In the end, the aim is to equip the school community with the skills they need to run this project on their own. Then we can leave and start the process in a new community again."

Koekemoer hopes to apply the same principles she has applied in developing the Klapmuts project to make an impact on a global level by participating in the Youth Consultation.

"Working with MGD (Matie Gemeenskapsdiens or Matie Community Service) has taught me that communities need to be supported in ways that allow a project to be sustainable even if the student partner leaves. In going to the World Summit, I hope to make an impact from that point of view and work towards campaigning for humanitarian policies that has sustainability at its core. With the World Humanitarian Summit next year we will have UN General Assembly members and leaders of countries as well as non-governmental organisations in attendance and as youth, we can have a stake in this platform and hopefully also influence policy by what we discuss and do at the Consultation.

"Across the world, the youth feels that pumping money into humanitarian work and aid is not the solution anymore. There needs to be more concrete actions, better knowledge transfer between those who come to assist and those who are being assisted, and a better understanding of what communities need by listening to them. You cannot serve a community's needs because you think you know what they need. They are better positioned to know what they actually need."

This, says Koekemoer, is something she learnt through implementing her own project in Klapmuts.

"I could not arrive there with my own ideas about what they needed, but rather needed to hear what the community wanted. They are far more in-tune with what they need on a daily basis than I am, a student who lives a life far removed from their own."

* View a video of the project which Koekemoer has implemented at
Klapmuts Primary school here: https://youtu.be/jx5CQGVSEVo

Photo: Lea Koekemoer at Klapmuts Primary School with some of the learners that she mentors. (Supplied)

Scientists dealing with the impact of climate change on African ecosystems should not ignore the proverbial elephant in the room.

This is the advice of prof. Guy Midgley, a world-leading climate change scientist in the Department of Botany and Zoology at Stellenbosch University.

In an article published in Nature Climate Change this month, Prof Midgley and co-author, Prof. William Bond, call for an urgent reassessment of our current understanding of the impacts of climate change on African ecosystems. Prof. Bond is chief scientist at the South African Environmental Observatory (SAEON) and emeritus professor at the University of Cape Town.

"African ecosystems are unique, with big herbivores like elephants and frequent wildfires sweeping through the landscape. We are now finding that disturbances by herbivores and fire can be as important as climate in shaping the structure, functioning and diversity of African ecosystems," Prof. Midgley says.

However, most projections published so far (the so-called niche-based models) are based on the assumption that vegetation and biodiversity patterns are determined by climate alone.

"In Africa, grasslands can be maintained by frequent fires even where rainfall is high enough to support a forest. But when fire is suppressed, trees can take over. This means that some ecosystems can flip quite quickly from one kind to another independent of any climate change," explains Prof. Midgley.

Scientists are already observing these changes taking place. Many southern African sub-tropical grasslands and savannas are being transformed into woodlands: "More carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is causing the tree saplings to grow faster, allowing trees to establish. More trees suppress wildfire and result in the spread and thickening of woodlands. A niche-based model would not be able to take these effects into account."

This means that many current predictions of climate change impacts on African ecosystems need to be reassessed. But that is not the end of the problem.

Lack of empirical data from African ecosystems

Prof. Midgley says even though a new class of models (the so-called Dynamic Global Vegetation Models) are able to account for disturbances and the effects of carbon dioxide, the data is lacking: "There is a dire lack of empirical evidence and information on interactions between climate, disturbances and the impact of atmospheric CO₂ on ecosystems in tropical and sub-tropical climates.

"In the Nature article we argue that these issues require urgent resolution, because there are significant and immediate implications for biodiversity risk assessments, and adaptation and mitigation responses relevant for policy makers and land managers."

In other words, the widely accepted approach is to increase tree cover in order to sequester atmospheric CO_2. But in Africa the opposite might be the case. With better models and more data it may be better to suppress trees in order to maintain savanna and grassland diversity.

"Managing the responses of African ecosystems to climate change requires home-grown knowledge, as well as an understanding of the trade-offs between biodiversity and carbon sequestration objectives in Africa," he concludes.

In September 2015 Prof. Midgley and Prof. Bond will co-lead an international workshop, partly funded by the National Research Foundation (NRF), to address some of these issues.

Photos courtesy of Prof. Brian van Wilgen

​​The Varsity Sports Netball tournament kicks off on 6-7 September and some of the country's best netball players will be in action.

Part of this year's tournament is a new social media campaign aimed at making the match day experience more entertaining. The #ShowYourColours initiative is an invitation for all varsity sport fanatics to get behind their teams, dress in their local university's colours and support them when they play at home.

Winners will be selected by the Varsity Sports team and announced on Fridays.

Post your #ShowYourColours selfies with the hashtags #ShowYourColours and #VS Netball to:
Twitter: @VarsitysportsSA; Facebook: Facebook/VarsitySportsSA; Instagram: @VarsitysportsSA
YouTube: Varsity Sports SA.

Maties finished fourth last year and as co-captains Juline Rossouw and Suné Claassens will play a big role in their team's efforts to do even better this year.

Rossouw is a former Paarl Gymnasium learner who enrolled at Stellenbosch University (SU) in 2011. She is currently studying towards a degree in Education. Netball is her passion and she is not planning on quitting any time soon.

"I don't think there is anything else in this world that makes me as happy as being between those four lines on court."

This defender, who represented the Proteas in the Fast Five World Series in New Zealand in 2013, is currently playing for Maties, the Cape Winelands Senior A side and the Southern Stings (in the Brutal Fruit Netball Cup).

Claassens, a former Augsburg High (Augsburg Landbougimnasium) learner, also enrolled at SU in 2011. She is currently busy with a postgraduate diploma in development finance. As centre she is playing for Maties, the Cape Winelands Senior A side and the Southern Stings.

"Netball isn't just a sport for me, it's a lifestyle," she says.

Both Rossouw and Claassens encourage new students to continue playing sport while at university, and after. "It teaches you to manage your time, keeps you fit and healthy, offers you a break from your studies and gives you the opportunity to meet new people. To top it all, you also get the chance to be part of something like Varsity Netball," says Claassens.

Varsity Netball competition:

The 2015 Varsity Netball competition will kick off at the Coetzenburg Centre in Stellenbosch on 6 and 7 September when Maties take on NMMU and Tuks. Four teams start their campaign in Stellenbosch.

6 September 15:00 – Tuks vs UCT; 16:30 Maties vs NMMU.

7 September 17:30 – NMMU vs UCT; 19:00 Maties vs Tuks.

The other teams in the competition – UJ, VUT, Kovsies and NWU Pukke – will play at the University of the Free State.

Other dates:

14 September 19:00 – Maties vs NWU-Pukke in Potchefstroom.

20 September 13:00 – Maties vs UJ in Pretoria.

21 September 14:30 – Maties vs UCT in Pretoria.

28 September 18:00 – Maties vs VUT in Stellenbosch.

5 October 19:00 – Maties vs Kovsies in Stellenbosch.

12 October – Semi-finals

19 October – Final

Get your tickets

• Download the Varsity Sports SA Mobile App (from the Google Play Store or iTunes) and receive one free ticket.
• Visit http://varsitysportssa.com/ and buy tickets online for R10.
• Available on the day for R20 at a ticket sales booth.

Tune in to Kwêla tonight (2 September) at 20:00 to watch an interview with the Maties Parasport swimmer and law student Hendri Herbst.

It will be broadcast on kykNET (DSTV channel 144).

Herbst won two of South Africa's three medals at the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) Swimming World Championships held in Glasgow in July: Bronze in both the 100m and 50m freestyle events in the category S11 (blind).

He participated in the Paralympic Games in London where he won bronze in the 100m freestyle event and is currently preparing for Rio 2016.

His coach is Dr Karin Hugo.