​​Every year in January, the Client Service Centre at Stellenbosch University is inundated with calls from anxious parents and students. They want to know whether they can still apply, when must the first-years arrive on campus, when do classes start, how can they register, etc.

Here are the answers to some of the Frequently Asked Questions

1. MBChB – If you were not selected based on your Grade 11 results, you can submit a request for reconsideration to the waiting list based on your Matric results. This needs to be done in writing within 5 days of the results being made available to info@sun.ac.za.

2. If you were not selected for an intensive selection programme such as Law, Engineering, Education, Art, Music or Sports Science on your Grade 11 results, you unfortunately cannot ask for a reconsideration (even if your Gr 12 marks are much better), as these programmes are full. All other programmes: If you were declined on your Grade 11 results but now meet the programme requirements based on your Grade 12 results, you may ask for a reconsideration of admission. However, the decision will only be made at the end of the registration process and is determined by the availability if space. All requests must be submitted in writing to info@sun.ac.za.

3. General Programmes – Only if you were accepted and your matric results meet the requirements can you apply in writing to be considered for the Extended Degree Programme to info@sun.ac.za.

4. First-year students in residences need to arrive on Thursday 23 January. All private students also need to be on campus on Thursday 23 January as the welcoming programme commences for all students at 14:00. The official welcoming of new students and their parents will take place at the Danie Craven Stadium at 18:00 on Thursday 23 January. 

5. Seniors in residence return on 2 February (at the latest – residences have own arrangements with seniors) and classes begin on 3 February.

6. Only SA citizens can register via the e-registration system.

7. Post grad students (all) registering for the first time at Stellenbosch need to register manually.

8. There are NO late applications.

9. There are NO new bursary applications.

10. Student cards and diaries are only given out from the start of manual registrations in the Neelsie: a. Student must take proof of registration with them; b. Student must take proof of payment of registration; Bursary students take along proof of bursary.

11. The timetable is only available online and there is no printed one available.

12. Academic calendars are available online here and students should rather print them from there and not come and ask for a book in Admin A.

13. Text books – students will be told in their first two weeks what text books they need – there is no list available for them. They should budget R3000 – R5000 for textbooks.

14. If you want to change programmes (not all faculties allow this), you must register manually and request the change. You will be told whether this is possible at the end of the registration process.

15. If you want to take extra subjects, you must register manually and request the changes at registration.

16. Corrections to registration happen on the Friday after manual registration.

17. Senior students who need to apply for readmission, can send an e-mail to readmit@sun.ac.za / hertoel@sun.ac.za. Complete the forms sent to you – the results of the readmission request will be given to you within the first week of February.

​

Essential upgrades to the SU network were done over the past weekend and the largest part of the system is currently stable and in working order. 

However, one core system experienced a hardware problem which caused it not to be functional when the network was switched on. The suppliers of the hardware is currently working on the problem, but the following systems will be temporarily not available: 

• Exam timetables, as well as exam venue information (Please click below for exam timetables for the rest of the week. Exam information is also available on notice boards outside Fharga in the Neelsie.)
  
• Exam results (currently available by calling 083 123 7777)
  
• Campus SMS communication system
  
• Mobile portal, amongst others m.sun.ac.za
  
• External lookup in Administrative Information Systems (via TeraTerm) & due to thus the Administrative Information System services aren't functioning normally. 

IT and their suppliers are currently giving their full attention to restoring these necessary services and will attempt to normalise the system as soon as possible.

An educational play about the importance of Aids testing that was created by Stellenbosch University's (SU) Africa Centre for HIV and Aids Management will be performed in America next year.

The Aids Centre applied and then received an invitation to perform its educational play Lucky, the Hero! at the annual festival of the American Association of Community Theatre (AACT).

ACCTWorldFest 2014 will be held from 16 to 21 June next year at the Venice Theatre in this city in the state of Florida. Community theatres from across the world will perform their theatre pieces at the festival.

Launched in 2003 at SU, the Aids Centre presents postgraduate programmes in HIV and Aids management, with more than 1 500 students from 45 countries having completed their courses. Besides this, the Aids Centre also does several awareness campaigns.

The Aids Centre's community mobilisation programme is led by the well-known singer Prof Jimmy Earl Perry (photo, back left), UNAIDS' first national goodwill ambassador in South Africa. Through educational theatre, this programme aims to create awareness of HIV and Aids.

More than 200 000 people over the past five years have seen the production Lucky, the Hero!. Of the 200 000 more than 70% now know their HIV status after taking tests after the performances. This was initially aimed at farmworkers in the Western Cape, but the focus has since been expanded to include the private and public sector in South Africa and Namibia.

According to Perry, a former colleague informed him that the ACCT festival was looking for a play from Africa, as the continent has not yet been represented at the festival.

"We received the invitation in July and all who are involved with Lucky, the Hero! agreed that we should participate. It was requested that we include Afrikaans, and the dialogue will therefore be in both English and Afrikaans," says Perry.

He added that their participation at the AACT festival gives them the opportunity to showcase their work to a wider audience.

"It has been a great desire as an American myself to showcase our work in the USA in order to show how South Africa and the Africa Centre is making a difference in the eradication of new HIV infections. Lucky the Hero! is a strong production which motivates audiences to realise their responsibility to the pandemic and encourage them to know their status.

"Also, it strengthens the image of the Africa Centre, SU and South Africa, and is something the local actors of this production, as well as the entire staff, can take great pride in," says Perry.

The AACT presents networking opportunities, resources and support to the community theatre industry. More than 7 000 American theatres belong to the AACT.

The week-long festival gives community theatres in the ten districts of the AACT the opportunity to enter their productions for judging. The festival's aim, according to the website, is to celebrate theatre and give participants a learning experience.

In 2014, the AACTWorldFest will be present at the Venice Theatre for the second time consecutively. This theatre was established in the 1950s after the first official meeting of the Venice Little Theatre Guild.

• The Africa Centre is currently raising funds for flights and other needs for this tour. Anyone who is willing to assist can phone 021 808 3006 or send an email to jep@sun.ac.za.

​​

The Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences recently conferred 26 PhD degrees at the December graduation ceremony held specifically for doctoral graduates in the Endler Hall of the Conservatorium. This is the first year that Stellenbosch University (SU) has organised separate graduation ceremonies for PhD graduates.

"I am very proud of each PhD student that has graduated today, and would like to congratulate them on this achievement following all the hard work they have put in over the past years. I also would like to congratulate and thank all of the supervisors and co-supervisors for all the effort they have put in to repeat this extraordinary achievement," Prof Johan Hattingh, Dean of the Faculty said after the event.

"With a proven track record, and based on the dedication and expertise of a number of dynamic research groups within the Faculty, it is not an exaggeration to claim that the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences of Stellenbosch University has now taken up the leading position on the continent of Africa in successfully producing PhD graduates. The importance, however, does not lie in in the number of PhD graduates, but in the difference this growing number of graduates will make to society by providing high level expertise in the humaniora and social sciences – which is essential for the development and democratisation of Africa, where human dignity, justice, and social security should feature as core values."

This is the second year in a row that the Faculty has delivered so many doctorates. While the final figure for the 2013 academic year will only be available early in 2014, the Faculty delivered 56 degrees during the 2012 academic year. Of those 56 graduates, 19 were registered in 2010 and 2011 for doctoral studies via the Graduate School and four of those graduates completed their degrees over a period of two years. The four returned to SU this year to focus on converting their research into journal articles for publication.

The Graduate School allocates scholarships to students to the value of R400 000 over three years in addition to offering research and mobility support. Seed funding for the establishment of the initiative came from the HOPE Project, however, over the years additional financing for scholarships and the day-to-day operations of the Graduate School are covered by the Faculty. Donors such as the Carnegie Corporation of New York have also provided scholarships specifically for candidates from Ghana and Makerere universities, while partner universities provide support for candidates taking up study opportunities.

Partner universities are all part of the African network, the Partnership for Africa's Next Generation of Academics (PANGEA), which was officially established in November 2010 with the signing of a multilateral memorandum of understanding between the founding universities. They are SU, the University of Botswana, Makerere University in Uganda, the University of Malawi, the University of Dar es Salaam in Tanzania and the University of Nairobi in Kenya. The University of Ghana joined the network at a later stage.

At the beginning of 2013, the Graduate School had registered 88 PhD candidates from 14 African countries (Angola, Botswana, Congo, Gabon, Ghana, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Malawi, Nigeria, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda and Zimbabwe) and of those, a third are females. The students are enrolled across 16 of the 18 departments in the Faculty as well as the research unit, the Centre for Research on Evaluation, Science and Technology (CREST).

The School focuses on four major objectives: 

• strengthening and advancing world-class doctoral training and scholarship on the African continent by offering a partially-structured, full-time, residential doctoral scholarship programme over three years,
• within an interactive learning environment,
• by concentrating on multi-disciplinary research themes which address problems relevant to Africa's development and with a specific focus on the international development goals,
• while enhancing academic collaboration and mobility in partnership with leading African universities who are part of the PANGEA network.

​The programme is also the first of its kind in Africa in the humanities, arts and social sciences. 

According to Dr Cindy Steenekamp, the newly appointed Director of the Graduate School from 2014 onwards, an interactive learning environment is created by "providing broad-based research and scholarship support through weekly seminars and training programmes offered by the School; encouraging participation in regular scholarly activities such as guided postgraduate, departmental or theme-orientated seminars, reading groups, conferences or specific training modules offered at SU; regular meetings between students and supervisors; and the submission of regular student progress reports to the Graduate School office".

PhD candidates choose dissertation topics that fall under the eight research themes – Democratisation, poverty and conflict; Land, environment and society in Africa; Transitions and translations: Africa in local and global imaginaries; The arts as knowledge; Science, technology and society; Consolidated geographical information technology application; Language, culture and communication; and Public mental health – within the Graduate School and which are all related to the international development goals.

MORE INFORMATION:

​For more information about the Graduate School and PANGeA visit  www.sun.ac.za/graduateschool. Information on the HOPE Project, can be found at  www.thehopeproject.co.za.

​​​​Insta-Moment: Colour your world is the theme for MAD² 2014 and that is exactly what MAD² wants to achieve.

For too long we had to look at the person next to us and say we are or look the same. With the 2014 theme we can celebrate and acknowledge that we are diverse and unique and we can be proud of this diversity. But the theme is even broader than that. Students and spectators are encouraged to make every moment a photo-moment. We are surrounded with the beauty of nature, diverse people, great opportunities, and we sometimes forget to just stop for a moment and take it all in. The only requirement of the theme is: to take every opportunity and make it a beautiful memory. 

MAD² 2014 would like to send out a new image of what the body is and does. The main purpose is to raise funds for the One Stop Service, a body established and maintained by Matie Community Service (MCS). This service then uses 60% of this profit to support student-driven projects and 40% to cover general administrative expenditures of MCS. 

While raising funds for MCS, MAD² also uses the opportunity to introduce first-year students to University and to give them the opportunity to dream big, get involved and kick their University career off on a high note. It is therefore very important that the MAD² activities have a meaning and portrays an important message. 

It was found that in previous MAD² attempts there is room for improving this with regard to some of the events. The MAD² 2014 programme includes:

Dream Launch – 23 January 2014

This is the big kick off of the programme and takes place just before the first-year students and their parents are welcomed by the Rector. At this event, each first-year student will receive a balloon on which they can write their dreams. All the different houses will then gather at the Coetzenburg Field where about 5000 balloons will be released into the air. The balloons are made from a special latex material that is 100% organic and bio-degradable.

MAD2 attach great importance to the way in which a student's University career start. In a sense it creates the foundation for the way you go through your time on campus. For many first-year students the gap between school and university is very big and can be overwhelming and intimidating and therefore a strong and meaningful starting point is very important for MAD².

The purpose of the event is to communicate a message of being able to do what you dream and that the sky is the limit. It also gives first year students the opportunity to really think about their dreams and set goals for themselves. Apart from personal enrichment, the community will also be able to see that Stellenbosch University students are back for another year. The colours of the balloons will be in the Matie colours (maroon, gold and silver).

Bondelsport – 25 January 2014

This event gives the different houses on campus the opportunity to bou gees  - get pride for their house. The format of this event will be different from Bondelsport in the past. To ensure a more intimate event with your house, houses will be divided into groups and these groups will rotate between three events: Bondelsport, Societies Fair and Pool Party.

We invite all first-year students to join in the fun! Be sure to visit the Danie Craven sport grounds at Coetzenburg between 14:00 and 20:00 to support your house and participate in a variety of fun sport activities.

Community Interaction morning – 30 January 2014

Matie Community Service is the main beneficiary of MAD² and receives all the funds raised by MAD². Each house use this morning to introduce their annual community project to their first-years and seniors. By taking part in this morning the first year students already get involved in the community and their house.

Vensters Street Theatre - 31 January 2014

Vensters are one of the most colourful evenings you will ever experience on the Stellenbosch campus and attracts more and more spectators each year. Different house pairs face the challenge of entertaining and impressing spectators and judges with interesting story lines and dance moves - all within 10 minutes! The productions are repeated all night so that the public can have the privilege to see the performances of all the house pairs. The shows run from 18:00 to 23:00 and you can buy a very reasonable entrance band at a donation of R20 a week before Vensters in the Neelsie or on the night of Vensters at the different production venues. Your wristband is your ticket for all 21 productions!

Colour Together - 1 February 2014

After a busy week, on Saturday 1 February it is time to start downsizing and get ready for class that starts on 3 February. MAD² therefore wants to give first years a less-active, but meaningful conclusion to the week's events.

First-year students are invited to attend a mass skakeling in Victoria Street between 14:00 and 16:00. On this occasion the students get the opportunity to make new friends and to share experiences and memories with each other.
This, however, is not just a boring skakeling, but also a colour festival! Each house will receive different colour powder paint (environmentally friendly of course) and then come together in Victoria Street where everyone can socialise. The powder is then thrown during the course of the event to portray a symbol of diversity. By the end of the day, the first years will be full of different colours that depict that no matter who you are or what your personality is like, here's a place for you at Stellenbosch University. Regardless of how much or what paint colour you've got on you, it's all good, you're here because you have to be here and that you fit in here. It will also portray the University's message of diversity in a visual way and promote it.
The purpose of the event is to reassure the first years that they fit into this mass of people and to give them a visual sketch showing that they are one, but still 5000.

Community Festival - 1 March 2014
Everyone over the age of 18 are welcome at our annual community festival where big names of the music industry will entertain spectators for the whole day. We kick off the day with a fun walk/-run to get the energy levels high. More information will be announced closer to the time.

Boekhoek (second hand books) - Open 3 February​ 2014
Boekhoek is a second-hand bookshop with a difference. Here you can get rid of your old textbooks while other students can buy it at reasonable prices. Books that do not sell or aren't claimed within the designated time, will be donated to various prisons in the Western Cape.

The Boekhoek is open weekdays from 3 February to 3 March between 12:00 and 14:00 on the third floor of the Neelsie (next to the SRc Boardroom).

Big Bleed 3 to 7 February 2014
Be a Hero and donate blood! Hurry to the Big Bleed stand! By earning valuable SMOEG points your Residence/PSO could be elected as the 2014 MAD² winner. The Big Bleed Dracula's await you from 3-7 February in the Khaya at the Kruiskerk on the corner of Victoria and Ryneveld Street. Choose to make a difference and save a life from 09:00 to 15:30 by donating blood.

SMS Fundraising - 25 September 2013 - 2 March 2014

A caring SMS line is open to anyone in South Africa. All it involves is at R2 an SMS by sending a SMS to 34877. The word "MAD" and your residence / PSO's name should appear in this text. The funds go directly to MCS. If you do not want to support a specific residence/PSO just sent "mad" to this line.

* For more information, visit www.sun.ac.za/madsqaure

* Or contact us at mad@sun.ac.za / 021 808 36 32

​​First-year students can look forward to an exciting welcoming programme at Stellenbosch University in 2014. More information is available at www.sun.ac.za/welcome.

Some of the most important dates and arrangements are (click here to find the full programme):

THURSDAY 23 JANUARY

08:30 – 12:30: First-year students arrive at their respective residences or PSO wards.

Parent meetings with deans (different times):

Before the official welcoming ceremony parents will have the opportunity to meet the dean of the faculty where their child will study. Click here for a link to the welcoming programme with information about when and where these meetings will take place. 

08:30 – 10:00: Parents and first-year students on the Tygerberg Campus meet the Dean, Prof Jimmy Volmink, in the Tygerberg Sports Hall. A programme will follow, ending at 15:00.

14:30: Meet the Dean of the Faculty of AgriSciences

15:30: Meet the Deans of the Faculties of Economic and Management Sciences, Engineering, Arts and Social Sciences, Law, Theology, Science and Education.

15:30: Students in the programmes B of Speech-Language and Hearing Therapy and B of Occupational Therapy will meet with the Executive Head: Interdisciplinary Health Sciences in the Sports Science building at Coetzenburg. 

Official welcoming (18:00, Danie Craven stadium)

SU Rector, Prof Russel Botman, will greet new students at the official welcoming ceremony (compulsory for all first-year students). The informal welcoming programme will kick off at 17:30. Parents are also invited to attend the event and are advised to take their seats as soon as possible after their meetings with the Deans. 

FRIDAY 24 JANUARY

09:00 - 12:00. Compulsory language placement tests for students in die Faculties of Engineering, AgriSciences, Science, Theology, Education, Law, Arts and Social Sciences and Economic and Management Sciences as well as Occupation Therapy and Speech-Language and Hearing Theray students.

13:30 - 17:00: Faculty meetings for new students (see programme).

SATURDAY 25 JANUARY

08:00 – 12:00: Students meet in their clusters.

14:00 – 20:00: ​Bondelsport (read more about the MAD2 programme for 2014 here), Societies Fair and Pool Party.

This event gives the different houses on campus the opportunity to bou gees  - develop pride for their house. The format of this event will be different from Bondelsport in the past. To ensure a more intimate event with your house, houses will be divided into groups and these groups will rotate between three events: Bondelsport, Societies Fair and Pool Party.​

MONDAY 27 JANUARY

08:00 – 17:00: Academic registration, computer user area registration and faculty meetings.

TUESDAY 28 JANUARY

08:00 – 17:00: Academic registration, computer user area registration and faculty meetings.

WEDNESDAY 29 JANUARY

08:00 – 13:00: Academic registration, computer user area registration and faculty meetings.

16:00 – 17:30: Sport club meetings. Click here for a link to the welcoming programme to find information about when and where these meetings take place. 

THURSDAY 30 JANUARY

08:00 – 12:00: Community Interaction morning. Each house use this morning to introduce their annual community project to their first-years and seniors.

FRIDAY 31 JANUARY ​

18:00 – 23:00: Vensters Street Theatre

MONDAY 3 FEBRUARY

Classes start for everyone

SENIORS

Seniors who were registered at SU in 2013 can e-register from 13-30 January.

Seniors in residences return on 2 February (at the latest – residences have own arrangements with seniors) and classes start on 3 February.

VARSITY CUP

Maties' first Varsity Cup match takes place on 3 February against NMMU in Port Elizabeth. The first home game in the Danie Craven stadium will be played against UCT on 10 February. 

Click here for a list of home fixtures.

Contact 021 808 9111 or send an e-mail to info@sun.ac.za for more information.

The Rector and Management of Stellenbosch University wish all Christian staff and students a blessed Christmas with family and friends in celebration of the birth of Christ on 25 December.

"I would like to thank all staff, students, alumni, partners and friends who have supported the University during 2013. My Management Team and I wish you all a well-deserved break and pleasant festive season," says prof Russel Botman, Rector and Vice-Chancellor. "May 2014 bring you joy, prosperity and interesting new challenges, and may you tackle the new year refreshed and invigorated."

​The University's administrative offices close on 24 December 2013 at 12:00 and re-open on 2 January 2014 at 08:00. The welcoming programme for first-year students who have been admitted for 2014, starts on 23 January 2014. More information is available at www.sun.ac.za/welcome. 

​Over the past decade Stellenbosch University (SU) has worked hard to ensure that its graduates perform well in and out of class by creating an environment where the class and out-of class experiences are more and more integrated.

This work is driven by a philosophy imbedded in SU's graduate attributes - by promoting these attributes SU wants to ensure that each graduate is equipped with a set of skills to apply theoretical knowledge in such a way that it has a positive influence on the values and wellness of society. Students are expected to work purposefully to ensure that they are successful at university.

One option is to declare yourself available to be elected into a leadership position. SU has approximately 2000 student leaders who are annually elected to fulfil leadership roles within the campus community.

Brian van Vuuren is one of these students. He is currently serving as primarius of Simonsberg Men's Residence and has already served two terms as member of the house committee (HK). But Brian is more than just an excellent student leader - he has received several accolades over the years.

In 2012 he was named the best third-year student in the Mechatronic Engineering class and in 2013 he was acknowledged as the student with the best final-year thesis presentation in the Department of Mechanical and Mechatronic Engineering. It was therefore no surprise when he was awarded SU's sought-after HB Thom Bursary for Postgraduate Study earlier this year. He will commence with his Master's degree in 2014 en looks forward to successfully completing his degree and leading his residence with pride.

Photo: Here is Brian with the head of Simonsberg Residence, Dr Leslie van Rooi, at his graduation ceremony on Friday 13 December 2013. Photographer: Anton Jordaan

The Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences recently conferred 26 PhD degrees at the December graduation ceremony held specifically for doctoral graduates in the Endler Hall of the Conservatorium. This is the first year that Stellenbosch University (SU) has organised separate graduation ceremonies for PhD graduates.  

"I am very proud of each PhD student that has graduated today, and would like to congratulate them on this achievement following all the hard work they have put in over the past years. I also would like to congratulate and thank all of the supervisors and co-supervisors for all the effort they have put in to repeat this extraordinary achievement," Prof Johan Hattingh, Dean of the Faculty said after the event.

"With a proven track record, and based on the dedication and expertise of a number of dynamic research groups within the Faculty, it is not an exaggeration to claim that the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences of Stellenbosch University has now taken up the leading position on the continent of Africa in successfully producing PhD graduates. The importance, however, does not lie in in the number of PhD graduates, but in the difference this growing number of graduates will make to society by providing high level expertise in the humaniora and social sciences – which is essential for the development and democratisation of Africa, where human dignity, justice, and social security should feature as core values."  

This is the second year in a row that the Faculty has delivered so many doctorates. While the final figure for the 2013 academic year will only be available early in 2014, it is expected that the figure will be on par or higher than 2012. The Faculty delivered 56 degrees during the 2012 academic year. Of those 56 graduates, 19 were registered in 2010 and 2011 for doctoral studies via the Graduate School and four of those graduates completed their degrees over a period of two years. The four returned to SU this year to focus on converting their research into journal articles for publication. 

The Graduate School allocates scholarships to students to the value of R400 000 over three years in addition to offering research and mobility support. Seed funding for the establishment of the initiative came from the HOPE Project, however, over the years additional financing for scholarships and the day-to-day operations of the Graduate School are covered by the Faculty. Donors such as the Carnegie Corporation of New York have also provided scholarships specifically for candidates from Ghana and Makerere universities, while partner universities provide support for candidates taking up study opportunities. 

Partner universities are all part of the African network, the Partnership for Africa's Next Generation of Academics (PANGEA), which was officially established in November 2010 with the signing of a multilateral memorandum of understanding between the founding universities. They are SU, the University of Botswana, Makerere University in Uganda, the University of Malawi, the University of Dar es Salaam in Tanzania and the University of Nairobi in Kenya. The University of Ghana joined the network at a later stage.  

At the beginning of 2013, the Graduate School had registered 88 PhD candidates from 14 African countries (Angola, Botswana, Congo, Gabon, Ghana, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Malawi, Nigeria, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda and Zimbabwe) and of those, a third are females. The students are enrolled across 16 of the 18 departments in the Faculty as well as the research unit, the Centre for Research on Evaluation, Science and Technology (CREST). 

The School focuses on four major objectives:  

• strengthening and advancing world-class doctoral training and scholarship on the African continent by offering a partially-structured, full-time, residential doctoral scholarship programme over three years,
• within an interactive learning environment,
• by concentrating on multi-disciplinary research themes which address problems relevant to Africa's development and with a specific focus on the international development goals,
• while enhancing academic collaboration and mobility in partnership with leading African universities who are part of the PANGEA network.

The programme is also the first of its kind in Africa in the humanities, arts and social sciences. 

According to Dr Cindy Steenekamp, the newly appointed Director of the Graduate School from 2014 onwards, an interactive learning environment is created by "providing broad-based research and scholarship support through weekly seminars and training programmes offered by the School; encouraging participation in regular scholarly activities such as guided postgraduate, departmental or theme-orientated seminars, reading groups, conferences or specific training modules offered at SU; regular meetings between students and supervisors; and the submission of regular student progress reports to the Graduate School office".

PhD candidates choose dissertation topics that fall under the eight research themes – Democratisation, poverty and conflict; Land, environment and society in Africa; Transitions and translations: Africa in local and global imaginaries; The arts as knowledge; Science, technology and society; Consolidated geographical information technology application; Language, culture and communication; and Public mental health – within the Graduate School and which are all related to the international development goals. 

MORE INFORMATION:

For more information about the Graduate School and PANGeA visit  www.sun.ac.za/graduateschool. Information on the HOPE Project, can be found at www.thehopeproject.co.za.

Photo: Here are the Faculty's 26 PhD graduates who received their degrees at the December graduation. (Hennie Rudman, SSFD)

The African Doctoral Academy’s Summer School in Research Methods in January 2013, marked the establishment of the African Institute for ATLAS.ti (AIA). The AIA is a collaborative project between the ATLAS.ti and the ADA, which was initiated by Ms Lauren Wildschut, the ADA’s ATLAS.ti trainer.

The AIA aims to support and focus on the developing context of African academics and researchers. The intention is to dove-tail with current ATLAS.ti offerings and to build a cadre of qualitative researchers who produce rigorous quality research utilising ATLAS.ti. Support for African qualitative researchers and doctoral students will be provided by both AIA and the courses currently offered by the ADA.

Ms Wildschut has been accredited as an ATLAS.ti master trainer, the first on the African continent. This accreditation will enable her to receive technical support from the ATLAS.ti Training Center and to participate as an instructor in the training opportunities the Training Center makes available to current and potential users worldwide. She was also invited by the ATLAS.ti Institute in the USA to present a webinar series in 2013.

“The AIA represents my vision to build capacity in qualitative researchers in data analysis on the African continent.  The AIA will also be a vehicle through which we can assist those doctoral students who are faced with the daunting task of literature reviews,” Ms Wildschut remarked.

Fltr: Ms. Lauren Wildschut (ADA), Dr. Susanne Friese (ATLAS.ti Institute in Berlin) and Prof. Johann Mouton (ADA).

The African Doctoral Academy (ADA) hosted the first advanced ATLAS.ti training course in Africa from 25 to 29 June 2012. The course presenter was Dr Susanne Friese of Qualitative Research and Consulting (QUARC) in Wedemark, Germany. Friese specialises in qualitative data analysis, focusing on computer-aided data analysis software and is the author of the textbook Qualitative Data Analysis with ATLAS.ti.

Ms Lauren Wildschut, ADA’s ATLAS.ti trainer, initiated Friese’s visit in an effort to establish the African Institute for ATLAS.ti. This institute’s aim will be to establish a network of ATLAS.ti trainers in Africa.

ATLAS.ti is a powerful qualitative data analysis software package. It enables users to process vast amounts of data, to code original data sources, to keep track of interrelations and to visualise their importance.

This course formed part of theADA’s biannual schools in research methods.“The ADA is pivotal in building research capacity in Africa and this initiative is an embodiment of our vision to enhance the visibility of doctoral study and research at the University,” Prof Johann Mouton, director of the ADA, remarked.

​

​​​​One of the Botanical Garden's favourite plants with visitors, the "sheep eater" Puya berteroniana, is curently coming into flower in the Botanical Garden.

Puya berteroniana is sometimes referred to as the “sheep eater” because of the fact that sheep regularly gets entangled in the fishhook-shaped spines of the leaves where it grows in the Andes Mountains of South America. 

The plant is part of the Bromeliaceae or pineapple family. Other common names include “chagual”, “cardon” and “montera”.  Its unusual bluish-green colour flowers produce an abundance of nectar and attract numerous birds and insects. 

The mature leaves are used traditionally for fiber and the young offshoots are used in speciality salads.

The Rector and Management of Stellenbosch University wish all Christian staff and students a blessed Christmas with family and friends in celebration of the birth of Christ on 25 December.

"I would like to thank all staff, students, alumni, partners and friends who have supported the University during 2013. My Management Team and I wish you all a well-deserved break and pleasant festive season," says prof Russel Botman, Rector and Vice-Chancellor. "May 2014 bring you joy, prosperity and interesting new challenges, and may you tackle the new year refreshed and invigorated."

​The University's administrative offices close on 24 December 2013 at 12:00 and re-open on 2 January 2014 at 08:00. The welcoming programme for first-year students who have been admitted for 2014, starts on 23 January 2014. More information is available at www.sun.ac.za/welcome. 

Stellenbosch University (SU) plays host to a week of football excellence from 6 – 11 January 2014 with a series of international and local games as well as a football coaching course that will benefit 25 local football coaches. All of these events take place at the Coetzenburg stadium in Stellenbosch.

The Dutch football team PEC Zwolle, currently playing in the Netherland’s highest level of professional club football, and Stuttgart VfB of the German Bundesliga, will play against local teams Ajax Cape Town and Vasco da Gama Cape Town before tackling each other in the final match on Saturday 11 January.

The coaching training course is presented by the Royal Netherlands Football Association (KNVB) as part of their international WorldCoaches programme. This training course further entrenches the relationship between the University, through Innovus, its university-industry interaction and innovation company, and the Local Football Association (LFA). Coaches from clubs forming part of the LFA will attend the training course.

This week of football forms part of a Football Development Programme, led by SU, which aims to invest in the promotion and advancement of football in the Stellenbosch region and the creation of an expert football environment. “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,” says Ms Anita Nel, Senior Director: Innovation and Business Development at Stellenbosch University (SU) and CEO of Innovus.

“We are proud to welcome these international and local teams to Stellenbosch. Their participation, including that of KNVB, is proof of the collaborative role football can play. We are not only bringing together the local football playing communities, but also that of the country and even the world,” says Ms Nel.

The programme for the week is as follows:

• 6 – 10 January: KNVB coaching course takes place
• 7 January: PEC Zwolle v Ajax Cape Town, Kick-off at 20h00 at Coetzenburg Stadium
• 9 January:  VfB Stuttgart v Vasco Da Gama, Kick-off at 20h00 at Coetzenburg Stadium
• 11 January: PEC Zwolle v VfB Stuttgart, Kick-off @ 17h00 at Coetzenburg Stadium

​

​​The death of an exceptional alumnus and honorary doctorate of Stellenbosch University (SU), former judge Jan Hendrik Steyn, who fought tirelessly for social justice and development, has saddened the university community.

Steyn, who died last week at the age of 85, served as judgte in die Cape High Court, was president of the Court of Appeal in Lesotho and was involved at the courts of appeal of both Botswana and Swaziland. He was also head of the ​Independent Development Trust (IDT) and served on various commissions. 

(Complete English version will follow soon.)

Prof Gerhard Lubbe, professor in Privaatreg en voormalige dekaan van die Fakulteit Regsgeleerdheid aan die US, sê: "Wyle regter Steyn se verbintenis tot sosiale geregtigheid was beslis 'n rigtingwyser vir die ontwikkeling van 'n menseregtebedeling in Suid-Afrika. Sy nagedagtenis is 'n blywende voorbeeld en inspirasie."

Oud-regter Steyn is op 4 Maart 1928 in Kaapstad gebore. Nadat hy aan die Hoërskool Jan van Riebeeck in Kaapstad gematrikuleer het, het hy 'n regsgraad aan die US behaal.  In 1950 begin hy by die Kaapse Balie praktiseer en doseer ook later deeltyds aan sowel die US as die Universiteit van Kaapstad. Op 36 word hy die jongste regter nóg om aangestel te word in die Kaapse Balie.

Dr Leslie van Rooi, Hoof van die Frederik van Zyl Slabbert Instituut vir Leierskapsontwikkeling by die US, skryf in 'n huldeblyk oor regter Steyn: "Ek het Steyn oor die afgelope paar jaar ook leer ken as iemand wat met moeite en mening wil belê in die moontlikhede van goeie leiers en veral iemand wat belanggestel het in die ontwikkeling van 'n nuwe generasie leiers. Dit val my by dat Steyn persoonlik op die dag van die bekendstellng van die FVZS Instituut my kantoor geskakel het om te bevestig dat hy so gou doenlik met my wil ontmoet om saam te soek na moontlikhede vir die FVZS Instituut. Dit wou hy om twee redes doen: hy wou sien dat die nalatenskap van Van Zyl Slabbert voort bly leef en hy wou verseker dat die impak van hierdie ryke nalatenskap ander inspireer om ook hul rol te speel in ons samelewing. En juis dit het hy oor die afgelope paar jaar gedoen.

"Die FVZS Instituut groet Jan Steyn dus as 'n vriend, as iemand wat geglo het in die moontlikhede van jongmense en as iemand wat ons steeds bly help om die pad wat ons moet stap nog duideliker te sien. Mag sy voetspore regoor ons land en ons streek nooit verdoof nie."

Op sy beurt skryf adv Jeremy Gauntlet: "…Steyn het belange en belangstellings bo en behalwe die reg gehad. Om te ontwikkel tot 'n vry samelewing gegrond op regsoewereiniteit en die beskerming van fundamentele regte, die bou van 'n moderne ekonomie en bowenal, stedelike opheffing, was waarvoor hy hom beywer het." 

Albei Steyn se ouers, Hendrik en Zerilda Steyn, is met eredoktorsgrade van die US vereer vir hul werk in onderskeidelik die teologie en maatskaplike ontwikkeling in Suid-Afrika.

​​​​Every year in January, the Client Service Centre at Stellenbosch University is inundated with calls from anxious parents and students. They want to know whether they can still apply, when must the first-years arrive on campus, when do classes start, how can they register, etc.

Here are the answers to some of the Frequently Asked Questions

1. If you were not selected for an intensive selection programme such as Law, Engineering, Education, Art, Music or Sports Science on your Grade 11 results, you unfortunately cannot ask for a reconsideration (even if your Gr 12 marks are much better), as these programmes are full. All other programmes: If you were declined on your Grade 11 results but now meet the programme requirements based on your Grade 12 results, you may ask for a reconsideration of admission. However, the decision will only be made at the end of the registration process and is determined by the availability if space. All requests must be submitted in writing to info@sun.ac.za.

2. General Programmes – Only if you were accepted and your matric results meet the requirements can you apply in writing to be considered for the Extended Degree Programme to info@sun.ac.za.

3. First-year students in residences need to arrive on Thursday 23 January. All private students also need to be on campus on Thursday 23 January as the welcoming programme commences for all students at 14:00. The official welcoming of new students and their parents will take place at the Danie Craven Stadium at 18:00 on Thursday 23 January. 

4. Seniors in residence return on 2 February (at the latest – residences have own arrangements with seniors) and classes begin on 3 February.

5. Only SA citizens can register via the e-registration system.

6. Post grad students (all) registering for the first time at Stellenbosch need to register manually.

7. There are NO late applications.

8. There are NO new bursary applications.

9. Student cards and diaries are only given out from the start of manual registrations in the Neelsie: a. Student must take proof of registration with them; b. Student must take proof of payment of registration; Bursary students take along proof of bursary.

10. The timetable is only available online and there is no printed one available.

11. Academic calendars are available online here and students should rather print them from there and not come and ask for a book in Admin A.

12. Text books – students will be told in their first two weeks what text books they need – there is no list available for them. They should budget R3000 – R5000 for textbooks.

13. If you want to change programmes (not all faculties allow this), you must register manually and request the change. You will be told whether this is possible at the end of the registration process.

14. If you want to take extra subjects, you must register manually and request the changes at registration.

15. Corrections to registration happen on the Friday after manual registration.

16. Senior students who need to apply for readmission, can send an e-mail to readmit@sun.ac.za / hertoel@sun.ac.za. Complete the forms sent to you – the results of the readmission request will be given to you within the first week of February.

​Managing accurate plant records is essential in botanical gardens especially with regard to plants used for research and conservation. 

With nearly a hundred years worth of plant records recorded in books and field notes, the SU Botanical Garden has began the process of digitizing its records.  IrisBG, the state-of-the-art database that the Botanical Garden recently started utilising, not only maintains records but can also be used to map plants within a few square centimeters. Researchers and staff will also be able to use a mobile devices and barcode scanners to update records quickly and efficiently.

​​​​The terms of five members of the Stellenbosch University Council will expire on 1 April 2014 and the Registrar of Stellenbosch University (SU) is awaiting nominations for people to fill these positions.

Three of these council members were elected by members of the Convocation of SU (see notice) and two by donors (see notice).

The council members whose terms of office are expiring are Prof WAM Carstens, Dr GC du Toit and Adv JC Heunis (elected by members of the convocation) as well as Mnr GM Steyn and Prof PW van der Walt (elected by donors). 

Written nominations to fill the positions concerned must be handed in by 16:00 on Friday 24 January 2014.

Each nomination must be supported by at least five members of either the Convocation (click here for nomination letter) or the electoral college of donors (click here for nomination letter), accompanied by a signature and ID number. It must contain the written acceptance of the nomination by the nominee with his/her signature. An abridged CV of the nominee accompanied by a short vision statement for the University (collectively maximum 50 words), must be included. 

If more candidates than vacancies are nominated an election will be held. Candidates may not be older than 70 years on 02 April 2014.

​Interested in what's happening on postgraduate level at the Faculty of Engineering? Click HERE to view the latest edition of our Eng-Postgrad newsletter.

Botanists from all over the world were welcomed in Stellenbosch this week for the 20^th congress of the Association for the Taxonomic Study of the Flora of Tropical Africa (AETFAT), held at Stellenbosch University (SU) from 13-17 January 2014.

Prof Russel Botman, Rector and Vice-chancellor of SU, said at the opening on Monday that he found the conference theme, Biodiversity of African Plants – challenges in a changing word, very relevant.

"Since all life is interconnected, the fate of humankind is inseparably intertwined with the welfare of our whole planet. Globally the realisation is growing that we have to pollute less, consume less, do less damage to our environment. And since conservation starts with determining what there is, plant taxonomy is fundamentally important."

He added that the diversity of plant life on our continent is so immense that our knowledge thereof is far from complete.

"And so numerous are the threats faced by plant life on our continent that our task is far from complete. All of you in this field certainly have your work cut out for you! This conference provides a great opportunity for sharing knowledge and learning from each other. That's why Stellenbosch University is happy to support it."

The conference members were also welcomed by Dr Nox Makunga, President of the South African Association of Botanists (SAAB) and Prof Eugene Cloete, Vice-rector: Research and Innovation at SU.

The event is organised by a group of South African and Malagasy botanists and its purpose is to bring scientists from all over the world together to present and discuss the latest developments on African and Malagasy floras.

More than 400 people had registered to attend and five plenary speakers were scheduled to give lectures during the course of the week. They are Dr Henk Beentje, Royal Botanic Gardens Kew (UK) on "A very personal view on plant taxonomy in Africa", Prof William Bond from the University of Cape Town on "Beyond Climate: The enigmatic past, present and future of African Grasslands", Prof Ermias Dagne, University of Addis Ababa (Ethiopia) on "Unique bio-resources from Ethiopia with applications in food, medicine and cosmetics", Prof H Peter Linder, University of Zurich (Switzerland), on "The evolution of African plant diversity" and Prof Pierre Taberlet, Université Joseph Fourier, Grenoble (France) on "DNA meta-barcoding and biodiversity assessment".

According to the organisers, Stellenbosch provides an excellent venue for participants to present their research, share their experiences and make contacts in the tradition of AETFAT, which met for the first time in 1950. The town lies in the middle of the Cape Floral Region, one of the most important botanical biodiversity hotspots of the world.

Prof Dirk Bellstedt, professor at SU and a member of the organising secretariat said the AETFAT meeting serves as the most important networking event for African botanists on the continent. Botanists from French and English speaking countries meet at the conference "as plants know no political boundaries".

"It is also an important opportunity for post-graduate students to meet world leaders in their fields and establish contacts to further their studies abroad. Many botanists from the South African National Biodiversity Institute will attend as part of the conference is dedicated to the documentation of plants by traditional description but also by the recently developed DNA barcoding, and their conservation. The conference includes a symposium on fungi, including edible fungi and those that cause food decay and diseases in humans and animals."

During the week the conference members will all have the opportunity to have lunch in the Botanical Garden in Stellenbosch and excursions to Kirstenbosch Botanical Garden, Table Mountain and the Harold Porter Botanical Garden are also in the programme.

For more information, visit the website.

Photo: Dr Benny Bytebier of UKZN, Dr Henk Beetje from the Royal Botanical Garden Kew (UK) and prof Dirk Bellstedt of SU had lunch in the Stellenbosch Botanical Garden on Monday.​