Stellenbosch University played an instrumental role in a study documenting regional and global factors impacting the livelihoods of southern Africans, released in Pretoria at the Conference Centre of the South African Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) on 8 November. 

The study not only focuses on the assessment of risk profiles, environmental and social pressures and humanitarian emergencies in the region, but provides some directive for future responsive and proactive initiatives: the priorities suggested will be taken forward by the Southern African Regional Interagency Standing Committee (RIASCO) through several joint planning initiatives.

The study, entitled Humanitarian Trends in Southern Africa: Challenges and Opportunities, was commissioned by RIASCO through the food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO). According to ReliefWeb, a specialised digital service of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA), the study found that southern Africa is in fact a region exposed to compound and contiguous risks, contrary to prevailing perception: "multiple, frequently repeating and compounding shocks prevent communities from fully recovering." Additionally, there is a "diversity of shocks" in terms of population growth, the challenges in food insecurity, children and people living with HIV/AIDS, the increasing interconnectedness of southern African economies and climate risks, not merely limited to the increase in cyclone- and flood-related events.

The release of the report also marks an impressive landmark for this type of study, at the very least considering the research hubs and expertise involved. The research was conducted during 2012 by 33 researchers across four research hubs in Southern Africa. These involved the University of Antananarivo (Madagascar), North-West University (South Africa), Stellenbosch University (South Africa), the Technical University of Mozambique, along with independent researchers in Lesotho, Malawi and Johannesburg.

According to Dr Ailsa Holloway, Director of Stellenbosch University-based RADAR, formerly known as the Disaster Mitigation for Sustainable Livelihoods Programme (DiMP), this extensive collaboration meant that a complex regional research project could be carried out across 14 very different southern African countries (and in English, French and Portuguese). RADAR was the coordinating partner of the study and represented Stellenbosch University.

"Never, in the history of UNOCHA has such a humanitarian trends study been implemented at regional scale, and never by a consortium of southern African universities."

That the research covered Anglo-, Franco- and Lusophone countries, is also significant. Stellenbosch University coordinated the study and two of the key research hubs on the project were the University of Antananarivo, which covers the Francophone Indian Ocean countries such as Comoros, Mauritius, Madagascar and the Seychelles, and the Technical University of Mozambique that covered Swaziland and Malawi and in part, some of Lusophone Africa: Angola and Mozambique.

The report is available on the website of UNOCHA. More information on the report, the partners involved or Stellenbosch University's involvement can be found by contacting Dr Ailsa Holloway, Director of RADAR at: ailsaholloway@sun.ac.za / 021 808 9281.

A once in a life-time prize.

This is how prof Maarten Kamper of the Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering described the first prize he and his PhD student Johannes Potgieter received for their article on a novel type of wind generator at an international conference​ recently.

The Electrical Machines Committee (EMS) under the Industry Applications Society (IAS) of the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE) made this award at the IEEE's international Energy Conversion Congress and Exposition (ECCE) held in Denver, Colorado. This year some 1 300 delegates attended the IEEE's flagship conference.

The article award, first prize, was awarded for the technical competence displayed in the article, Optimum design and technology evaluation of slip permanent magnet generators for wind energy applications, that was presented at the ECCE conference in Raleigh, North Carolina in 2012. (At ECCE conferences articles are evaluated after the conference, with prizes being awarded at the following year's conference.)

The winning article dealt with the optimum design and evaluation of a component of a new type of slip-synchronous permanent magnet wind generator. Their first publication on this subject appeared in 2010.

"This new type of wind generator differs from the conventional kind in this respect that it does not need a gearbox or a power electronic converter. There are great advantages attached to the absence of a gearbox and power electronic converter as this improves the reliability and the life cycle cost of the wind generator. We have been working on this concept since 2009," says Johannes Potgieter.

This unique system has already been tested on the SA research base in Antarctica where it performed well. At present two 15 kW prototypes are being tested at a wind turbine testing facility at Mariendahl, one of Stellenbosch University's experimental farms. The power generated by these generators is utilised by the farm.

The technology has been patented and a spin-out company, SWET (Stellenbosch Wind Energy Technology), has been established to commercialise the technology. The main shareholders of SWET are InnovUS and the Technology Innovation Agency (TIA).

On the left-hand photograph is one of the two wind generators being tested at Mariendahl. The other photograph shows Prof Maarten Kamper and Johannes Potgieter with the novel wind generator, each proudly displaying their certificate of recognition for their winning article.

​​Dr Mary-Ann Plaatjies van Huffel of the Faculty of Theology at Stellenbosch University (SU) was elected as one of the eight presidents of the World Council of Churches (WCC) recently.

The election took place at the 10th general meeting of the WCC held in South Korea from 30 October to 8 November.

She was chosen unanimously as Africa's representative and will serve in this capacity until 2020.

"This is a wonderful opportunity to serve the body of Christ in such a way," she said.​

"The WCC promotes Christian unity in faith, testimony and service and works towards justice and peace in the world. It was founded in 1948 and brings together churches, denominations and church fellowships in more than 110 countries and territories, representing over 500 million Christians and including most of the world's Orthodox churches, scores of Anglican, Baptist, Lutheran, Methodist and Reformed churches, as well as many United and Independent churches. At the end of 2012, there were 345 member churches.

"It is regarded worldwide as a important voice, especially with regards to addressing social injustice," Dr Plaatjies van Huffel added.

"It is a remarkable honour and responsibility to represent Africa and to strengthen ecumenical relationships in the different contexts of the WCC, but Dr Plaatjies van Huffel is extremely well equipped for this task," said her colleague in the discipline group Sistematic Theology and Eccle​siology prof Robert Vosloo.

She made history in 2012 when she was elected as moderator of the Uniting Reformed Church in Southern Africa (URCSA). She is the first women to hold such a position in of the large Southern African churches.

Plaatjies van Huffel currently teaches Church History and Church Law at the Faculty, and is also a co-minister at the URC church in Scottsdene, Kraaifontein. 

In November 1992, she was the first woman to be ordained as a minister in the Dutch Reformed Church family. Prior to her election as moderator, Plaatjies van Huffel acted as actuarius (church law expert) of the Cape Regional Synod and as vice-moderator of the General Synod of the URCSA.​

Stellenbosch University (SU) launched the Mandy Rossouw Scholarship – in honour of the respected international correspondent of Media 24 and political reporter for the City Press and Eyewitness News – on Thursday 24 October.

The event was held at the Da Vinci Hotel in Sandton.

Rossouw, an alumna of Stellenbosch University, passed away at the tender age of 33 earlier this year. The scholarship will be awarded in collaboration with Mandy's family and SU's Department of Journalism to a female student who has been selected for the one year postgraduate BPhil degree at SU. The scholarship will cover the tuition fees of the degree.

"The scholarship provided us with an opportunity to partner with other esteemed alumni in the media and will ensure that together we are able to sustain Mandy's memory by actively supporting a journalism student in this way," says Ms Bev Witten, Alumni Relations Senior Director at SU.

The scholarship is supported by among others leading editors, journalists and former colleagues of Mandy. The event was supported Mandy's family, friends and colleagues including Ferial Haffejee, editor; City Press Newspaper, Adriaan Basson, editor; Beeld Newspaper and Waldimar Pelser, editor; Rapport Newspaper who made tributes at the event along with Mandy's sister Megan Rossouw.

An innovative part of the scholarship is that various giving levels have been established according to Rossouw's favourite champagnes and Méthode Cap Classique sparkling wines. These include:

Krone donor:                                         Up to R499
Kaapse Vonkel donor:                           R500 - R999
Moët & Chandon donor:                      R1000 - R4999
Veuve Clicquot donor:                         R5000 plus

• Liaise with Ms Bev Witten at bevwitten@sun.ac.za or click here for more information on how to contribute towards the scholarship. 

​Prof Joe Muller (former Deputy Dean: Humanities (Research) at University of Cape Town) presented a seminar for Stellenbosch University researchers on the recognition of book publications by the Department of Higher Education & Training (DHET) recently. 

Prof Muller has been on the board of evaluators of the DHET that reviews all books submitted for subsidy by higher education institutions for the last couple of years. During his presentation, he emphasized the importance of sound scientific research (scholarliness), sufficient proof of peer review as well as the fact that submissions should be new original research that add to the existing body of knowledge in the field.  

Take note of the following important issues that were raised during the seminar:

• Proof of peer review should include as much detail as possible regarding the process that had been followed prior to publication. Correspondence merely stating that peer review had taken place is insufficient and prof Muller urged authors to negotiate with publishers and editors beforehand to provide them with the necessary information if they wish to submit their publications for subsidy.
• Independence of peer review is important, hence the questionability of peer review by an editor alone;
• Peer review by the editor also raises the issue of scholarliness, since it will only be in exceptional cases that an editor will be an expert on all the issues addressed in a publication;
• The issue of rejectability plays an important role and, if possible, information regarding the rejection rate should be included in the peer review process statement;
• Scholarliness of a publication will not overrule lack of peer review on the basis of fairness and consistency in judging submissions;
• The target audience should be experts in the field and not a broad audience.
• In-house publications are to be discouraged – in this case, if 50% or more of a publication is from authors of the same institution, it is regarded as an in-house publication.
• Introductions and conclusions will only qualify for subsidy if it contains original research and not merely a summary of the contributions in the publication.

For further information please contact Daléne Pieterse (mver@sun.ac.za) or Felicia Mc Donald (fmcdonald@sun.ac.za) ​

​"Close on 20 years after South Africa's transition from apartheid to democracy through a negotiated political settlement, our country finds itself at a crossroads again," SU Rector and Vice-Chancellor Prof Russel Botman writes in his blog.

​​​Adv Thuli Madonsela, the Public Protector, is among the speakers at a conference on implementing the National Development Plan (NDP) and other government plans – presented by the School of Public Leadership (SPL) at Stellenbosch University (SU).

The conference, themed Making National Development work – from design to delivery, will be held at SU's Bellville Park Campus from 21-23 November with Adv Madonsela addressing delegates at 08:30 on Friday 22 November.

"The National Development Plan has been largely acknowledged as the main policy platform for South Africa's growth path between now and 2030. But, for the plan and the vision it enshrines to succeed a lot will depend on how it is implemented," says Prof Erwin Schwella of the SPL and organiser of the conference.

"The conference will be a step in the process of moving from ideas through institutionalisation to implementation. It will also provide a platform for various role-players to discuss and develop future strategies, partnerships and ways of implementation to realise Vision 2030 for South Africa through the successful implementation of the NDP," he adds.

Some thirty projects demonstrating the implementation of policies or strategies and the resultant benefits will be showcased to delegates while SU's varied research, education and service programmes that can provide a leadership and innovative knowledge base for national planning will also be deliberated.

Other speakers include Prof Mohammed Karaan, Member of the National Planning Commission; Dr Ivan Meyer, Minister of Sport and Cultural Affairs of the Western Cape; Mr Christo van der Rheede, Chief Executive Officer, Afrikaanse Handelsinstituut; Mr Graham Power, Executive Chairman, Power Group; Mr Thabo Manyoni, President of the South African Local Government Association (SALGA) and Prof Mark Swilling, Director of the Sustainability Institute.

The conference will consist of three parts – plenary sessions, breakaway sessions for delegates to see projects that are examples of successful implementation, and an Academic Research Colloquium on the final day.

Projects on show will include:

1.  The National Treasury Technical Assistance Unit: Building capacity in organizational culture transformation: a case study in the Eastern Cape Provincial Government.

2. Sosebenza is a project aimed at empowering prospective entrepreneurs in Masiphumelele township with the skills and access to resources to establish small to medium enterprises.

3.  Inyanda Youth Network is a European Union sponsored programme that uses the medium of arts, culture and sport to enhance youth employability across townships in the Western Cape.

4. Stellenbosch University will showcase some of its HOPE Project initiatives. These initiatives cover various fields such as health, food production, sustainability, education and science.

Contact Prof Erwin Schwella at tel 021 918 4124 or via e-mail at Erwin.Schwella@spl.sun.ac.za for more information.

"Engineering teaches you a lot of cool stuff." This is what Rensu Theart, an engineering student, told Grade 11 learners of the Cape Peninsula and the Boland at the Faculty of Engineering's function for top learners.

At this annual event top achievers in Mathematics and Physical Sciences find out more about engineering and are encouraged to consider it as a career option. The Dean, Prof Hansie Knoetze, therefore spoke about the degree programmes, engineering as a career and the dire need for engineers in the country.

The main speaker was Pieter Uys, an alumnus of the Faculty. He is a former CEO of Vodacom and joined Remgro's management team earlier this year after 20 years' service at Vodacom. The audience was fascinated by the story of his life and were held spellbound by his interesting presentation on the rapid development of technology.

Two enthusiastic students, Rensu Theart (a final-year) and Sepati Nkahle (a first-year), talked about their experience as engineering students and praised the Faculty and University for their support.

This year a record number of 400 learners and parents attended the occasion in the Faculty's newly renovated Reitz Hall.

​Dr Pamhidzai Bamu, a post-doctoral research fellow in the Department of Mercantile Law, whose work has been described as "potentially path-breaking" recently delivered a full paper at the Stanford and Harvard Law Schools' 2013 International Junior Faculty Forum - a tremendous honour, both for her and the Law Faculty of Stellenbosch University.

Dr Bamu's paper was titled 'I cross the border for a living: An analysis of Zimbabwe's informal international trade and its regulation'. The paper considers the experiences and challenges faced by informal cross-border traders and informal cross-border couriers, whose activities have become more prevalent in the context of Zimbabwe's economic downturn. The paper also looks at the informal rules that have been developed to regulate these activities. The role and impact of formal government policies and legislation in encouraging or hampering these informal activities are also evaluated.

Stanford Law School and Harvard Law School established an International Junior Faculty Forum in 2008. Its purpose is to stimulate the exchange of ideas and research among younger scholars in the academy from all parts of the world. It is open to junior faculty members who are non-US citizens and are based in academic institutions outside of the US. The Sixth International Junior Faculty Forum was held in October this year at Harvard Law School in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Bamu, who grew up in Harare, fulfilled her teenage dream of studying law and after completing her LLB, LLM and PhD at UCT her PhD supervisor suggested she do a postdoc at SU's Centre for International and Comparative Labour and Social Security.

She says: "Being invited to Harvard Law School was really a dream come true and I had to pinch myself several times to make sure it was really happening! It certainly is a really nice feather in my cap to have been invited and to have participated in such a prestigious Forum.

"I met and interacted with junior and senior scholars from all over the world: Turkey, China, Slovakia, Israel, Canada, Taiwan and India, to name a few. They were experts in all areas of law and brought a range of perspectives on the issues that we were debating. I really appreciated the intimate atmosphere - there were a total of about 30 of us so we got to connect and build what I hope will be lasting relationships."

Prof Ockert Dupper, Bamu's host at SU, says he was delighted but not totally surprised to hear that she was selected one of only a handful of scholars worldwide to present a paper at the prestigious forum. "Pamhi is one of the most talented young legal scholars that I have ever had the pleasure to work with. Her work on the informal economy is potentially path-breaking, and I have no doubt that she will go on to achieve even greater recognition in her career. In the very short time that Pamhi has been a member of the Mercantile Law department she has done much to enhance the international and national profile of the department."

Bamu says she has always been fascinated by the informal economy in developing countries as it plays an important role in many economies by contributing to GDP, household income, and because people in the informal economy provide a range of goods and services that many people need.

"I specifically chose to look at cross-border aspects of the informal economy in light of the fact that a lot of women have sustained their families and sent children to school on cross-border trade. The malayishas (cross-border couriers) that I examine in my second case study have not been very well researched so I thought my research could make a meaningful contribution to scholarship on migration, remittances and cross-border courier services."

Her visit to the USA was not all work however, says Bamu who spent a few days in Boston and got to see Harvard's beautiful campus, "especially in the fall". "I was also fortunate enough to spend two weeks with my parents in Maryland before I left to come back to South Africa. It was good to see them and to spend time with my brother and nieces and to see family friends."

Bamu, who will finish her fellowship at SU in January next year, will relocate to the United States indefinitely. "I hope to find work in an organisation that focuses on developmental issues in Africa. I would love to maintain strong ties with educational institutions in Africa through teaching and collaborative research." 

• Junior faculty members undergo a two-stage selection process to participate in the Forum. The first involves the submission of a four-page abstract, outlining the objectives of the paper, the methodology to be adopted, key arguments made, and the paper's potential contribution to scholarship. Applicants whose abstracts are chosen are then invited to submit a 15 000 word paper, and each paper is reviewed by two scholars. An international committee of legal scholars then makes the final selection of the papers to be presented at the actual Forum at Harvard Law School.
  

Photo: Hennie Rudman

​Universities have an important role to play to secure accessibility to information and with the Library and Information Service's launch of SUNDigital Collections Stellenbosch University (SU) now offers digital access to rare collections.

After sharing this sentiment during his speech Prof Russel Botman, Rector and Vice-chancellor of SU, pressed the 'launch' button on behalf of "the many people who will be grateful many years from now" and in doing this, he ensured that the digital collections platform went live.

The launch of this newly developed platform took place at the JS Gericke Library on 13 November. SUNDigital Collections make material from unique collections of the Library digitally accessible for research and ensures the long term digital preservation of these collections.

The digital collection communities include archives, history, images, literature, music and research – among others the Afrikaans anti-apartheid newspaper Vrye Weekblad; the 19th century Dutch newspaper De Zuid-Afrikaan; Stellenbosch University and Victoria College Historical Photographs; the unique Hugh Solomon collection of historical African maps dating before 1860 and the collection of the celebrated South African composer, Stefans Grové.​

"It is becoming more important for libraries to take collections to where the users are," said Ms Ellen Tise, Senior Director: Library and Information Service.

She used the example of a dissertation that had only been checked out four times in 15 years but since it became available in digital form two years ago, it has been viewed 222 times.

"Millions of people can now access unique collections that are only available here and this makes both the library and Stellenbosch University more visible. SUNDigital Collections specifically focus on heritage collections - collections that make us unique," she added.

Prof Botman expanded on the subject of accessibility during his speech.

"When our Library and Information Service hosted the Berlin10 Open Access conference (in 2012), I quoted the American futurist John Naisbitt who said: 'The new source of power is not money in the hands of a few but information in the hands of many'."

He emphasised that knowledge is the most important resource of the 21st century and that information should be open and accessible to all.

Alderman Conrad Sidego, mayor of Stellenbosch, also emphasised the importance of access and added that the availability of information helps people to remember the history, and learn from it.

According to Ms Mimi Seyffert, Manager: Digitisation and Digital Services at Stellenbosch University (SU), all the information on the platform is openly accessible to any person with access to the internet. 

The creation of the platform was kick-started by a grant from the Carnegie Corporation of New York which enabled the Library and Information Service to fund the digitisation of a number of collections. Since then, the digital content on the platform has expanded and the Library is developing and augmenting the platform on an on-going basis.

Photo: Attending the launch of SUNDigital Collections were Prof Russel Botman, Rector and Vice-chancellor of SU, Prof Eugene Cloete, Vice-rector: Research and Innovation, Alderman Conrad Sidego, Ms Ellen Tise, Senior Director: Library and Information Service and Prof Sampie Terreblanche.

Photographer: Anton Jordaan

Academic libraries are facing several challenges in this modern-day era and should adapt in order to offer unique value to their users and to stay relevant.

This was the message at Stellenbosch University's 13th Annual Library Symposium that kicked off on Thursday (14 November). The two-day symposium, titled X-plore • X-pand • X-ceed: ensuring dynamic academic libraries for the future, brings together thought leaders to look for solutions to advance institutional objectives and augment the future of academic libraries. 

Some of the challenges that libraries have to contend with are smaller monetary investment from university management which means shrinking budgets; a decrease in newly-trained librarians, which inevitably leads to an ageing workforce; changing technologies and a growing amount of data that is also multilingual, said Mr Carl Grant, Associate Dean for Knowledge Services and Chief Technology Officer, University of Oklahoma Libraries, USA, who delivered the keynote address. 

Mr Grant talked about these challenges, the various new library service platforms and how the challenges could be addressed through technology. "Everything we do, we have to scale up massively. Libraries should go from being reactive and generic service organisations to proactive and highly-personalised service organisations," he said. 

​In his opening address Prof Julian Smith, Vice-Rector: Community Interaction and Personnel, touched on the importance of synergy in seeking solutions. He said  university libraries exist and play a central role in accomplishing the mission of a university.

"You have a key role to play in contributing to the success of the mission being attained. It is of great importance for libraries to transform in tandem with the institution and the solution libraries seek should be shaped by the institution's vision for academic success for students and staff. We should be looking for synergy between libraries and other institutional units as well as institutional objectives. Transformation to open access, transformation to online learning, high productivity and user-experience driven higher education - these are some of the challenges you face," Prof Smith told delegates.

"I'm sure you will make the most of the benefit of collective thinking," Prof Smith added. "Don't be afraid to challenge or to expand the barriers. We need the library sector to be successful."

During the symposium several local and international speakers presented papers on a range of topics, with many focusing on e-books and new technologies employed in libraries.

Mr Gavin R Davis of the Department of Library and Information Science at the University of the Western Cape argued that despite new technologies of systematisation of information, libraries are still essential if a new set of skills for librarians is in place.

​Repositories for digital collections focusing on heritage collections came under the spotlight in a presentation by two SU staff members, Ms Mimi Seyffert, Manager: Digitisation and Digital Services at the Library and Information Services, and Mr Wouter Klapwijk, Deputy Director: Information Technology. They spoke about the recently launched SUNDigital Collections, which makes material from unique collections of the Library accessible for research and to ensure the long-term preservation of these collections.

SU student Mr Johannes Jonker, in his final-year of a BA (Socio-Informatics) degree, shared how students use technologies to enhance their learning, specifically tablet devices. He also addressed how the 21st-century library can cater for students’ changing needs.

Mr Ralph Pina, Director: IT (Development) at SU, also touched on the use of devices and e-textbooks, and how student use these. International speakers focused primarily on the worldwide trends in library systems and purchasing models of e-books.

The symposium comes to an end on Friday, 15 November.

Photograph: Ms Ellen Tise, Senior Director Library and Information Service (SU) with Daniel Forsman, Library Director, Chalmers University of Technology, Gothenburg, Sweden, Prof Julian Smith, SU's Vice-Rector: Community Interaction & Personnel and Mr Carl Grant, Associate Dean for Knowledge Services and Chief Technology Officer, University of Oklahoma Libraries, USA. (Photographer: Anton Jordaan)​

Stellenbosch University food science student Claire Kirkby scooped top honours in the food science and technology section of the Institute of Packaging South Africa's annual Student Gold Pack competition. For her efforts in designing the packaging for rose and honey scented Labneh (a type of cheese made from yoghurt), she won the Nampak Gold Trophy.

The silver award went to Matie student Jessica Kemp for her packaging of falafel styled bean bites party snacks, while Zaharan Hussein, also of Stellenbosch University, took bronze for the fresh pomegranate arils packaging.

The annual competition provides students with an opportunity to demonstrate their excellence and creativity in developing packaging solutions and concepts. The competition is open to students of tertiary education institutions in South Africa who study in the disciplines of packaging technology, graphic design, or food science and technology.

The awards were made at a function at the Wanderers Club in Johannesburg.

Photo: Food Science student Clair Kirby received the Nampak Gold Trophy from Kirsten Tyler en Johan Visser van Nampak.

​Stellenbosch University (SU) hosted its 3rd Annual Donor Recognition Awards event on Thursday (14 November) as a token of appreciation for the continued support of its alumni and friends. 

Attendees were thanked for their commitment to the SU Bursary Fund which is helping to ensure that deserving students are given the opportunity to study at this world-class institution.

Prof Russel Botman, SU Rector and Vice-Chancellor, said: "The unique and enriching experience of becoming a Matie is not accessible to all. Not everyone can afford university studies, especially in a country such as ours with high levels of poverty and inequality. That is why we thank everyone who donated towards bursaries.

"Nearly half of all our students are reliant on bursaries or other forms of financial support. Without donor support, they would not have been able to further their studies with a view of becoming productive members of society. We currently have 1831 alumni donors, which we want to increase further. It is therefore good news that 322 of our alumni donors are new donors that started giving this year."

He highlighted two initiatives: the SU Bursary Fund and Finalejaars 1 2 Give programme.

The SU Bursary Fund is an annual giving programme geared at fostering a philanthropic community in support of student success. This forms part of the enduring vision of research, teaching and learning, and community interaction of Stellenbosch University. 

"Our alumni and friends are essential to supporting the university's mission and can help us make a difference in education - the future of our country. By supporting your alma mater you are investing in the continued excellence of Stellenbosch University as a leading institution of higher learning," said Ms Bev Witten, Senior Director: Alumni Relations.

The Finalejaars 1 2 Give programme is a student-driven fundraising initiative supporting the SU Bursary Fund. The volunteer programme is aimed at fostering a culture of giving amongst final-year students and encouring them to leave a legacy for the next generation of students.

Two bursary recipients - Llewellyn Stevens, a first-year BComm Law student and Thala Msutu, a second year BComm Law student - shared their gratitude with donors at the Kleine Zalze Function venue.

Stevens is a category winner of the 2012 Matriculant of the year competition and former head boy at Vredendal High School. He spoke proudly of being not only a first-year Matie but also a first-generation student. 

"This has been a dream not only for me and my family but also for the 500 residents of Lepelsfontein where the norm would be to finish high school and then wait for a community project to come to town to generate employment for residents. I have defied the norm."  

He identified Emerging Maties, a course presented by the Frederik van Zyl Slabbert Institute for Student Leadership Development, as a highlight of his year. An opportunity made possible by donors who contributed towards his bursary.

Thala Msutu said in his opening remarks: "Thank you in every imaginable way for granting me the opportunity to come to this world-class institution." He describes the opportunity to experience residence and education facilities at SU as something some only saw in the movies. Msutu said that to ensure donors' investment in him bore dividends, he made a choice to become a top student - passing his first year with distinction, serving as a mentor in his "koshuis", being selected into the Juridicial Society, acting in the Maties Drama Club and supporting each and every Maties Varsity Cup game.

For more information about how you can support a deserving student, contact Bev Witten at 021 808 9351 or email bevwitten@sun.ac.za

Caption: Llewellyn Stevens, Mrs Beryl Botman, Prof Russel Botman and Thala Msutu.

​​The booklets for the 2014 Welcoming Programme for first-year students are available on the Stellenbosch University website at www.sun.ac.za/welcome. 

There is a link to this page from the SU landing page after you have made your language selection. Separate English and Afrikaans versions are provided. The printed booklets are mailed to prospective students in the language of their choice. The packaging of the booklets and inserts is close to being completed. 

By the week of 19 November 2013 the Welcoming booklets will be in the mail, and prospective students will be alerted to expect the booklets by SMS. 

The electronic version of the detailed Welcoming Programme that is distributed to first-year students on their arrival on campus in January 2014 will also be available on this webpage by the end of December 2013.  

​Conversations between older and younger generations will play an important role in South Africa's moral regeneration.

This was the view of Prof Russel Botman, Rector and Vice-Chancellor of Stellenbosch University (SU), on Friday (15 November).

He participated in a panel discussion on old-fashioned values in modern times on RSG's popular Praat Saam programme broadcast live from the Neelsie Student Centre at SU.

This was the fourth broadcast in Praat Saam and Stellenbosch University's joint series of thought leadership programs about current issues. During the first two broadcasts on 2 August and 4 September, the South African Identity was discussed, while the third broadcast on 17 October focused on food security. 

This ties into the series of thought leadership programs that the Rector has convened in the second part of the year.

Botman said young people are just as serious about values as older people are. "Whereas older people are more conservative when talking about values, young people want to think about values in a new way."

According to Botman, both groups should emphasise dignity in their conversations on values given the fact that "our constitution does not start with values, but with the concept of dignity."

"Old values are open to criticism," said Ms Nadia Marias of the Department of Systematic Theology and Ecclesiology in SU's Faculty of Theology.

She added that although young and old should be consistent in how they live out their values, there are instances where this does not happen.

Values may not be static, but respect, unbuntu and tolerance still remain important for young and old people, said Advocate Sipho Mantula of Human Rights Institute of South Africa (HURISA).

"We should ignite the values in our constitution because the soul of the nation is at stake."

Prof Farid Esack of the Department of Religion Studies at the University of Johannesburg cautioned against the idea of old-fashioned values, and said we should rather talk about human values.

He urged listeners to focus on how people live out their values are in society.

"We can't deal with conversations on values on an individual level because the values of your neighbour have an impact on you and vice versa," Esack said.

• Click here for a link to an article on spiritual and moral regeneration by Prof Russel Botman.

• Click here for the Rector's full blog.

Photo: Participants in the RSG discussion

Photographer: Justin Alberts

​​The Faculty of Engineering recently hosted a reunion for alumni who graduated between 1990 and 1999. 

The venue at Durbanville Hills Wine Estate provided a spectacular view of Table Mountain and Cape Town while festive fireworks could be seen in the distance.

The purpose of the evening was to inform alumni about the state of affairs at their Faculty, and to provide the opportunity for alumni to reconnect with their class mates and strengthen ties with business networks. Lastly, the Dean of the Faculty, Prof Hansie Knoetze, appealed to alumni to support the Dean's Fund, especially with respect to bursaries and renovation of facilities.

Approximately 80 alumni attended this sociable evening.

The guest speaker was Dr Elroy Goliath, Executive: Strategic Services, Pioneer Foods. Dr Goliath, who also falls in that specific decade group, talked about why he studied engineering, what the Faculty means to him and the challenges facing the profession. 

"I studied engineering, because I have always felt driven to determine the cause of problems. Studying engineering is the most challenging thing I have ever done. We shared good times: wine tastings, and drinking coffee in Firga until sunrise. Stellenbosch is where we developed to become well-rounded people. But now the focus has shifted away from us. We have been moulded as people and our knowledge has been shaped. We are in the process of ploughing back into the communities where we live and work, but we also have to give back to our Faculty. We have to assist prof Hansie and his team in improving the Faculty and its outputs. I think everyone should consider how he/she could plough back and make a positive contribution."

Prof Knoetze concluded with these words: "Thank you for keeping up the good name of the Faculty of Engineering. You are our best advertisement. By being here tonight, you acknowledge where your roots are."

​Stellenbosch University (SU) recently launched the African Cancer Institute (ACI) which aims to conduct high-level cancer research and contribute to improving the prevention, diagnosis and management of cancer in Africa.

"Most cancers are treatable and many are curable. Yet many people in Africa do not have access to basic diagnostic and treatment facilities," Prof Jimmy Volmink, Dean of SU's Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences (FMHS).

There is a critical need for interventions that will help prevent cancer and improve access to treatment and care of patients with cancer on the African continent. "Cancer is a neglected disease in Africa. We are sleepwalking into a tsunami of cancer which is going to be quite devastating," said Volmink.

SU is well-positioned to help address these challenges. The ACI will be situated at the FMHS, although cancer research at the university is not limited to this faculty and several other divisions and units at seven other faculties also conduct cancer-related research.

"By consolidating our efforts under a single umbrella, we are taking our efforts to a new level. This makes SU the leading entity in South Africa in terms of cancer research," said Prof Eugene Cloete, Vice-Rector: Research of SU.

Prof Vikash Sewram, the newly appointed Director of the ACI, said cancer is a significant contributor to non-communicable disease morbidity and mortality in Africa. "In South Africa, cancer is already the sixth leading cause of mortality and a public health problem of considerable magnitude," he said.

Sewram further elaborated that the aim of the ACI was to become an internationally recognised comprehensive cancer research centre conducting and coordinating multidisciplinary research relevant to Africa. "The ACI will also provide a strong platform for scholarly growth and knowledge production in pursuit of high-quality evidence-based cancer care. Research at the ACI will cut across the cancer continuum – spanning prevention, screening, early detection, diagnosis, treatment or palliative care," he said.

Volmink emphasised the importance of collaboration, saying the ACI aims to be a champion for combating cancer on the African continent. "We can do this even better if we partner effectively with other institutions in South Africa, Africa and globally who share our vision," he said.

Ms Sue Janse van Rensburg, CEO of the Cancer Association of South Africa (CANSA) added: "The establishment of the African Cancer Institute will not only facilitate a more extensive platform for cancer and cancer related research in South Africa and the African continent, but will further provide opportunities to address the concerning limitations in resource development and community services.

"As a leader non-profit organisation in cancer control and research, CANSA is very grateful for the opportunity to partake in this very exciting initiative created by Stellenbosch University that will surely have a positive impact on the increasing cancer burden in Africa and South Africa in particular."

It was announced that the ACI had already signed a memorandum of understanding with the prestigious University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. This MOU will facilitate collaboration in developing training programmes, faculty exchanges, specific oncology courses and collaborative research projects to advance the understanding of cancer and improving cancer care.

"MD Anderson is proud to partner with the African Cancer Institute on our shared mission of eradicating cancer, and looks forward to working together on joint initiatives to build capacity for advanced cancer care in Africa," said Dr Oliver Bogler, Senior Vice President Academic Affairs at the MD Anderson Cancer Center.

"Cancer shows vast diversity across the geographic, ethnic, racial and cultural spectrum around the world. We are excited about the new opportunities to advance our understanding of cancer with the launch of the African Cancer Institute at Stellenbosch University," said Dr Shubhra Ghosh, Project Director of Global Academic Programs at the MD Anderson Cancer Center.

For downloadable photographs and more information go to www.sun.ac.za/acilaunch.

​Prof Nick Vink of the Department of Agricultural Economics is South Africa's Agriculturist of the Year. He received this award at a function near Pretoria on Friday. The award has been presented since 1977 by Agricultural Writers South Africa, an association that promotes agricultural journalism and communication in South Africa.

Six agriculturalists from around South Africa were nominated for the award. Earlier this month, Prof Vink was named as the Western Cape's top agriculturalist by the southern section of Agricultural Writers South Africa.

Prof Vink is one of the few agricultural economists in South Africa to give equal attention to the problems and opportunities of farm workers as well as those of small-scale and commercial farmers. He also goes to great lengths to share his insights with the agricultural sector, and is a regular speaker at forums for producers and workers alike.

Prof Vink has been chair of the SU Department of Agricultural Economics since 1996. He does research on a range of topics, among which is land reform, employment within the agricultural sector, the impact of deregulation, the history of the South African agricultural sector, and agricultural and rural reform in Africa. In the process he has produced more than 140 publications, which includes 11 books as co-editor and 88 papers in scientific journals.

He started his career in 1979, and has worked for the Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA) among others. Prof Vink played a leading role in the establishment of the Bureau for Food and Agricultural Policy that forecasts trends in the local wheat, barley, wine and fruit industries.

In 1992 he was appointed as a member of the well-known Kassier Commission that advised that the South African agricultural sector be deregulated. In 1997 he served as deputy chairperson of this committee when the deregulation of the wine industry was also suggested. Prof Vink also served as a member of the Commission of Inquiry into the Provision of Rural Financial Services (the Strauss Commission), as well as a subcommittee on land tax of the Katz Commission.

Since 2003 he has been a member of the Methyl bromide Technical Options Committee (MBTOC), a result of the Montreal Protocol to protect the ozone layer. It makes recommendations on the phasing out of harmful methyl bromide.

Prof Vink is a fellow of the International Association of Agricultural Economists, as well as an honorary fellow of the African Association of Agricultural Economists.

Photo:
SA Agriculturalist Prof Nick Vink (right) of Stellenbosch University at the award function with André Cloete, who won the award for the best newcomer to commercial agriculture, and SA Farmer of the Year Rossouw Cillié of Ceres. Photo: Helenus Kruger

​​The advancement of speech technology, especially speech recognition systems, can help to promote multilingualism in South Africa.

This was one of the viewpoints of Prof Thomas Niesler of the Department of Electrical and ​Electronic Engineering at Stellenbosch University (SU) in his inaugural lecture on Tuesday (12 November).

Niesler said it is important to advance speech technology, and to develop multilingual and multi-accent speech recognition systems because “such systems are able to automatically process speech in a variety of input languages and accents”.

“Multi-accent speech recognition and the related problem of multilingual speech recognition are especially relevant and necessary for a multilingual society."

Speech recognition is the process whereby someone “speaks” to a computer or a smartphone which then translates these words into text. It is used, among others, in live subtitling on television, in the medical and legal professions, the military, and computer gaming.

Niesler said that even though speech recognition is now accessible to anyone with a smartphone and an internet connection, shortcomings still exist.

Deviations from the intended language and accent as well as the complexity of human verbal communication regularly lead current systems to fail, he added.

He said a particular challenge at the moment is the recognition of speech that includes code switching, since this necessitates the speech recogniser to alternate between languages within the same utterance.

Code-switching is when more than one language occurs within the same dialogue.

According to Niesler, this is common among black South Africans, who often alternate between their mother tongue and English.

“Our research has shown that the accent of the English used by these speakers varies depending on whether it is part of a mixed code or not.”

Niesler highlighted the role the engineering sciences can play in addressing the limited reach of current systems by making them practical for a wider group of users.

A partnership between Stellenbosch University (SU) and the Stellenbosch Local Football Association (LFA) will officially be announced at the Sasol Art Museum at 15:00 on Friday 22 November 2013. 

The partnership will further entrench the University as a key player in football in the Stellenbosch region. SU recently embarked on a Football Development Programme which aims to increase the University's football presence in the communities surrounding Stellenbosch. The programme aims to establish the building blocks of football development in the region and to nurture and develop talented players.

"Maties have a proud sporting heritage and we are turning our attention to football in a focused way. The SU Football Programme aims to elevate the skills, expertise and prestige of the Maties Football Club and, simultaneously, to invest in the development of football skills at grassroots level in the communities in and around Stellenbosch," says SU Rector and Vice-Chancellor, Prof Russel Botman. ​

"Our world-class facilities, expertise in the field of sport science and our geographical location all mean that we are ideally positioned to build the SU Football Programme into the leading football development programme in South Africa," adds Ms Anita Nel, Senior Director: Innovation and Business Development at SU.

The partnership will allow the LFA to benefit from the coaching and administrative expertise that the University is able to provide. The new relationship will provide LFA administrative and coaching staff, as well as LFA members, with guidelines in terms of the best practices to equip their coaches and administrators and to develop their organisation as a whole. To this end, SU will host a football administrator's course in early 2014. This follows a training course for Stellenbosch community coaches held at Idas Valley Sport Complex in July this year. The course was facilitated by the Royal Netherlands Football Association (KNVB), as part of their WorldCoaches programme

"The LFA-SU partnership is significant in many ways. The majority of the historically disadvantaged communities within the Greater Stellenbosch Municipal District actively participate in and support football, the most popular sporting code in the world. This partnership creates a foundation for discovering and developing football talent, as well as sport leadership capacity within the Greater Stellenbosch area. It also creates pathways for educational and vocational enrichment of our people. This will surely contribute to improving the quality of life of future generations and create a sense of hope for the future of all our people," says Stellenbosch LFA Chairman Mr Joseph Jacobs.

"Our collective aim will be to focus on holistic, inclusive sport and development of human potential, which will include the development of players, match officials, coaches and sport administrators," adds Jacobs.

The partnership will also focus on stimulating youth football via healthy inter-club competition and the hosting of opening and closing competitions, as well as youth football festivals. One such event, the inaugural under-15 Kappa Cup, will take place on the 23^rd and 30^th of November this year. It will serve as an important building block for the development of youth football and will involve a number of clubs from the LFA.

SU has also helped to develop a website and are in the process of assisting in developing a new logo for the LFA. The website will play an important role in making information regarding club football more accessible to the local community.​