BSc alumnus Eugene Pretorius is in a sought-after position at an international biopharmaceutical services company whose services include performing clinical trials for various pharmaceutical and medical device companies.

He has recently completed his training and is now a certified clinical research associate (CRA) at Quintiles, a Fortune 500 company with over 36 000 employees in more than 100 countries.

Although he dreamed of becoming a doctor, he started his successful career by obtaining a BSc degree instead: "I want to advise students not to start a BSc degree without a definite career plan. Do your research about career options and look at the jobs available in that field of study".

He agreed to answer a few questions about his studies and subsequent career path.

Where did you grow up?

I grew up in a small town in the Eastern Cape – Middelburg. We were about 200 learners from Grade 8 to 12 in the school.

Why did you decide to study BSc at Stellenbosch University?

My grandfather and uncles all went to Stellenbosch – so it was always a dream to follow in their footsteps. As I excelled academically and was good at numbers, I initially wanted to study chemical engineering or actuarial science.

In 2007 however, my mother suddenly became ill and passed away. I made a promise that I will spend the rest of my life saving lives. Because of this promise I dropped computer studies and switched to biology in matric.

I applied for medicine everywhere, but without a Grade 11 biology mark, I couldn't get in. Finally I decided to study BSc, determined to work hard and then get in after my first year. I was so focussed on medicine that a second career option never existed. Although I worked hard and applied every year, the reality was that I never got into medicine – the most disappointing time in my life.

After my second year, I qualified to take Anatomy as major for BSc Human Life Sciences.

After graduating from SU, I did my BMedSc Honors in Clinical Anatomy and Cell Morphology at the University of the Free State. It was closer to home and more affordable. That was followed by a MMedSc in Anatomy.

Soon after starting my master's, the reality of limited funding and study debt hit me.  I got an internship with Quintiles in the data management department whilst lecturing to first-year students on a part-time basis and doing my master's, working 16 to 20 hours a day.

How did you land up at your current employer?

While working as an intern in the data management department, I applied for a CRA trainee job as part of the company's global development programme.

I completed my training and am now an independent and certified Clinical Research Associate. The next step will be to gain enough experience so that I can become a senior CRA and then I want to go into clinical project management.

What is a typical working day like for you?

Let's say a new chemotherapy for lung cancer needs to be tested, I will work with oncologists all over South Africa. I make sure the sites recruit subjects (usually patients) to participate in the study and then I "audit" (monitor) the doctor and the subjects on the trial to ensure all is done with subject safety first and according to good clinical practice.

I also travel a lot. I have just returned from London regarding a new paediatric gastroenteritis study. I work 40 - 50 hours per week and earn a competitive salary.

What advice would you like to give to students about study and career options?

I have made the decision not to let the fact that I did not get into medicine affect me for the rest of my life. We all have regrets and reminisce about how different things could have been – but then you get up and do what you have to do.

Today I am part of a very big machine that ensures new drugs get approved to save someone's life or at the very least increase their quality of life.

Maybe if my mother didn't pass away I would not be where I am now.

I want to advise students not to start a BSc-degree without a definite career plan. Do your research about career options and look at the jobs available in that field of study.

It is an easy trap to fall into: 'I did not get into medicine so I will study BSc and then try again'. Life doesn't work that way. Have a second, a third and even a fourth alternative for when things don't go as planned.

Your plans for the future?

I recently got engaged so for now its wedding bells ringing! Next will be an MBA. I want to end up on the business side of this industry, making decisions.

How did you manage to pay off your study loans?

I am still paying back and will be for the next four years! But if I had not taken out a loan, in fact more than one, I would never have been able to study in the first place and the career I have now would never have been an option.

Anything else you would like to mention?

Prof. Faadiel Essop, then head of the Department of Physiological Sciences at SU. I will never forget sitting in his office, desperate about my future. He inspired me to finish my degree, to work hard for what I want and to never back down after disappointments. To this day he remains a reference on my CV.

If you need more information about a career as clinical research associate, visit http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3275991/ 

Dr Mari van de Vyver has been elected to serve on the executive committee of the Society for Endocrinology, Metabolism and Diabetes of South Africa (SEMDSA*). The committee consists of five members, all established scientists or clinicians, who strive to develop and support scientific research and clinical practice in all fields of endocrinology, metabolism and diabetes.

Van de Vyver is a researcher in the Stephen Hough Research Laboratories, situated in the Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences at Stellenbosch University.

Her research focus falls on stem cell therapy for the treatment of non-healing wounds in type 2 diabetes. "We recently showed that stem cell impairment is a major complication of type 2 diabetes and that this severely affects the success of stem cell therapy for the treatment of diabetic foot ulcers," she said.

Her long term vision is to become a leader in the field of regenerative medicine, specifically mesenchymal stem cell therapy for the treatment of diabetic wounds. She is currently investigating the potential mechanisms by which the pathogenesis of type 2 diabetes leads to intracellular and extracellular changes that ultimately result in stem cell failure. Through her research, she also aims to identify potential measures to either counteract stem cell impairment or prevent it from occurring.

Although Van de Vyver would like to further expand her research profile and establish herself as a researcher, she also enjoys being involved in the educational side of academia as supervisor to postgraduate students. "As scientists, our responsibilities stretch far beyond just generating new knowledge, it is essential that we mentor and teach students in such a way that they are not only inspired but also able to think critically and independently."

*SEMDSA is the umbrella society for all South African endocrine, diabetes and metabolic disease-related professions. It includes all of the academic units for diabetes in South Africa and oversees the training and registration of endocrinologists, in conjunction with the College of Medicine of South Africa, as well as the Health Professions Council. It is the official diabetes society in South Africa and affiliated to the International Federation.

​Ahmed Kathrada, anti-apartheid activist and ex-political prisoner on Robben Island, visited Stellenbosch Museum yesterday (22 August), the day after his 87^th birthday on Sunday. More than a 100 guests attended the screening of the documentary film Ahmed Kathrada: A man for all seasons, produced by Anant Singh.

Ahmed Kathrada. Photographer: TC Kieck

The film explores and pays tribute to Kathrada's life, from his days as an activist to being charged at the Rivonia trial and his incarceration on Robben Island for 26 years. His political mentors and fellow Rivonia trialists, including Nelson Mandela, Walter Sisulu, Denis Goldberg and Sbu Ndebele, provide exclusive interviews in the film.

After the screening, Kathrada engaged with audience members on issues such as racism in South Africa today and the transition from apartheid to democracy.

"Freedom was fought for, sacrificed for, many people were imprisoned and killed," Kathrada said. "Our wish is to convey to young people that with freedom comes responsibility: towards themselves, their parents, to their country. Bear in mind that young people form the majority of the population in South Africa and that you have responsibility. The doors of learning are open, you must continue to learn, so we can reach a stage where we don't have to import skills."

Neeshan Balton, Executive Director of the Ahmed Kathrada Foundation, with Ahmed Kathrada. Photographer: TC Kieck

"You can't live a life of bitterness, revenge or hatred. As difficult as it may be, you have to forgive. Let us work towards a united South Africa. That was the policy of the South African post-apartheid government," he continued, in response to a student who discussed the difficulty of forgiveness in the wake of apartheid and colonialism. "I can't claim we have reached everything we set out for. There has to be patience, you can't achieve everything overnight."

"I think in the 20 years of our democracy, we have made substantial progress. Twenty years may be long in the life of an individual - in the life of a nation, it is nothing," he concluded. "Unfortunately, it will take time. But I think, while I can't say I'm satisfied, I understand that slow progress is being made. I'm quite confident we're on the right path."

The film screening was organised by the Ahmed Kathrada Foundation and Stellenbosch University Museum. Llewellyn MacMaster, Manager of Civil Society Relations in the Division for Social Impact at SU, and Executive Director of the Ahmed Kathrada Foundation, Neeshan Balton, helped facilitate the event.  

"We would like the University Museum to become a space for dialogue. As South Africans we do not have spaces to talk and listen to each other," said Bongani Mgijima, Director of the SU Museum. "The event went very well and it was good to see a very diverse audience.  The discussions that followed the film were very constructive. It is clear that we need more intergenerational conversations."

Dr. Ben Spong, a Forest Engineering/Forest Operations Faculty member from West Virginia University in the United States has arrived for an extended research visit to Stellenbosch University’s Department of Forest and Wood Science. 

During his sabbatical from the USA, he would like to collaborate with faculty, students, and industrial partners working in the area of forest operations – specifically on logging capacity and productivity topics.  While he has a good introduction to Southern African forests from previous short visits, he is excited to have the opportunity to better understand details of the systems, industry culture, and broader social and economic context of South Africa's forest industry.

Dr. Spong has worked in and with the logging industry since 1993 in the Pacific Northwest of the United States, in west and eastern Africa, and in the Mid-Atlantic United States.  Through his current work as the Forest Operations Extension Specialist with the Appalachian Hardwood Center at West Virginia University, he has supplied trainings and outreach education programs to loggers, foresters, and many other players in the Eastern United States timber industry.

Dr. Spong's specific programming and research has focused on forest roads, logging best management practices, harvesting systems, logging safety, and logging business management.   Dr. Spong participates on many regional committees engaged in improving logging activities, including the West Virginia Forestry Association's Safety Committee, the Mountain Loggers' Safety Initiative, the WV Division of Forestry's Best Management Practices Committee, and the Sustainable Forestry Initiative State Implementation Committee. 

His work with these and other networking provides access to small logging contractors, large industrial forestry companies, and state and regional agencies and organizations to help develop and deliver educational and development programming to benefit the wide range of players in the forest products industry.  Since joining West Virginia University, Dr. Spong has helped secured close to $1.2 million in external funds to support his research and outreach programs. 

Stellenbosch University's Department of Sport Science is not only the oldest such department in the country, but it also published the first scholarly journal in the field. 

In the thirties and forties it was called Physical Education. Later it was called Vigor. The latter came to an end in 1961.

When Dr Gert Scholtz (of the Potchefstroom University for CHE) returned from America, he filled the void left by the absence of Vigor with the South African Journal for Research in Sport, Physical Education and Recreation in 1978. Since 1986 the magazine is the responsibility of the Department of Sport Science at SU. Professor Floris van der Merwe was the first editor. Since 2010, the journal is the hands of Prof Kallie van Deventer.

Contributions for the journal come from all around the world, including Korea, Iran, the USA, Spain and Portugal, said Prof Van Deventer.

"We have two issues every year, but we receive so many useful contributions that it has become necessary to bring out more issues each year. We started with seven articles per issue. Now there are 12 to 15 articles per issue. In the last issue of the year we will use 20."

Articles for publication is sent directly to Prof Van Deventer and he will read the article first. 

"I look at language and technical editing. I make sure the author guidelines are adhered to. If I am satisfied, I asked an expert in the field to act as Subject Review Editor. It is the responsibility of the Subject Review Editor to get two referees to write reports on the article. The Subject Review Editor will have the final say on whether the article will be published or not."

It is important that the article is scientific and contributes to the field. "We have a high standard that we want to maintain to make sure we do not lose our ISI rating."

Another factor pointing to the success and high standard of the journal is the impact rate – it refers to how often journal articles are referred to and used for research. In 2011, the impact number was 0.167 and the most recent figure is 0.244.

Lifestyle changes could help boost male fertility by decreasing the amount of free radicals  ̶  molecules that can damage healthy cells  ̶  in semen.

This was one of the viewpoints of Professor Stefan du Plessis of the Division of Medical Physiology at Stellenbosch University (SU) in his inaugural lecture on Tuesday (23 August 2016).

Du Plessis said although male infertility can be due to a variety of conditions, free radicals in semen may be a major cause.  He added that high levels of these molecules could also explain a large proportion of unexplained male infertility cases.

Citing previous studies, Du Plessis said high levels of free radicals are present "in the semen of 25-40% of infertile men whereas fertile men do not have a detectable level of free radicals in their semen. These infertile patients also display low levels of antioxidants in their seminal plasma."

He pointed out that free radicals found in semen originate from, among others, white blood cells, immature spermatozoa, the enlargement of veins in the scrotum, excessive smoking, alcohol consumption, and exposure to toxins in the environment.

Du Plessis said lifestyle changes could be one of the ways to reduce the level of free radicals in semen.

"Detrimental behaviour leading to increased production of free radicals should be addressed through lifestyle changes such as a balanced diet, regular exercise, losing weight, cessation of substance abuse (smoking, drugs and alcohol) as well as minimising exposure to pollution, toxins and heavy metals."

"Furthermore, it is also vital to prevent activities that may cause elevation of scrotal temperature e.g. hot baths, extended periods of driving or sedentary office hours."

Du Plessis said free radicals are not exclusively beneficial or exclusively detrimental to sperm function and male fertility.

"Rather, they need to be maintained at appropriate levels to ensure physiological function while preventing pathological damage."

According to Du Plessis, free radicals become a problem when they outnumber antioxidants in the body. When not maintained at physiologically appropriate levels, free radicals can damage healthy cells.

He said an accurate assessment of the level of free radicals in semen should become an integral part of the medical examination of patients with unexplained and unknown infertility in order to assist clinicians in elucidating the underlying reasons, thereby providing an optimal treatment regime for these patients.

Du Plessis emphasised the need for more research on the involvement of free radicals in the regulation of male fertility.

• Photo 1: Pixabay
  
• Photo 2: Proff Jimmy Volmink, Dean of the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stefan du Plessis and Wim de Villiers, SU Rector and Vice-Chancellor, at the inaugural lecture.
  

You could be a 'precious problem solver' if you become an engineer. That was the main theme conveyed by speakers at the Women in Engineering afternoon hosted by the Faculty of Engineering, Stellenbosch University, in August.

Approximately 250 Grade 10 to 12 girls from the Cape Peninsula, Boland and West Coast attended this annual event aimed at promoting Engineering as an excellent career choice for women.

Taskeen Ebrahim, a first-year Matie Engineering student, told the audience that she chose Engineering as a field of study, because "it increases your intellectual abilities, your practical knowledge and expands your skills accordingly. You become a problem solver. The main reason why I chose this career, is that it equips me to make a difference. Engineers can change the world. Every innovation that you are part of as an engineer, can make life easier for another person, another animal, or even the environment itself."

This idea was also stressed by Dr Margreth Tadi, a lecturer in the Department of Process Engineering. "Gold changes world economies; Engineers change people's lives for the better. You are living gold and should persevere to make an impact in society and the world around you."

To study Engineering requires hard work, perseverance and dedication. However, this does not mean you cannot have a social life during your study career, according to Maretha Bester, a final-year Engineering student. She also stressed the importance of maintaining a good balance between work and play: "As long as you are not too fond of sleep, don't believe that Engineering means you can't make crazy memories at Stellenbosch!"

Main photo:

Dr Margreth Tadi, Taskeen Ebrahim and Maretha Bester.

Scientists who share their research with the public will not only connect to new audiences but will also see how their work makes a difference to real people, writes Marina Joubert of the Centre for Research on Evaluation, Science and Technology in an article published on The Conversation website on Wednesday (23 August 2016).

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

Academic life is a juggling act. It involves research, teaching, applying for grants, writing scientific articles and peer reviewing others' work. There's also student supervision and administration. These days, academics face an extra demand: to make their work more visible and accessible to the public and policymakers. But what's in it for these time-stressed, busy scientists?

"Science can be very lonely," admits distinguished Swedish astrophysicist Professor Bengt Gustafsson (http://www.assaf.org.za/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=220:prof-bengt-gustafsson&catid=60&Itemid=117). We were chatting after he'd delivered a talk at Stellenbosch University and I asked what motivated him to make time for public engagement. He replied: "Occasions like these where I can share my work with people, especially children, keep me going. It gives meaning to my work and even sparks new ideas for my research."

Gustafsson's attitude is echoed in a [report] (http://www.rcuk.ac.uk/documents/scisoc/rcukbenefitsofpe-pdf/) from the UK titled "What's in it for me? The benefits of public engagement for researchers." It emphasises how public engagement can open up fresh perspectives on research and encourage more people to embark on scientific careers.

Many scientists share a passion for making science visible and accessible. "It is imperative to correct the imbalance in the science workforce in South Africa by attracting more black people and women to careers in science," says Prof Anusuya Chinsamy-Turan, an A-rated scientists and leading expert on the microscopic structure of dinosaur bones at the University of Cape Town. "This can only be achieved if scientists share the responsibility to inspire and motivate the youth." Stellenbosch University plant scientist, Prof Nox Makunga, agrees. "It is really important to communicate science, otherwise it remains locked up in journals and never comes alive," she says.

But these intrinsic rewards aren't enough to convince all researchers that public engagement is worth their while. Luckily the evidence is mounting to show them how it can be done and why it's time very well spent.

Professional rewards

Scientific articles in accredited journals, book chapters, whole books and monographs all add to a research's professional reputation. These achievements count towards promotions. In South Africa, they also bring significant financial reward (http://www.universityworldnews.com/article.php?story=20130712145949477) from the Department of Higher Education and Training.

But where are the rewards for writing a popular article, doing a radio interview, speaking at a [science café] (http://www.sciencecafes.org/) or tweeting about your research findings?

Science communicator Matt Shipman has offered [some answers] (http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/guest-blog/why-scientists-should-publicize-their-findings-for-purely-selfish-reasons/) to this question. He argues that public communication helps scientists to attract top students, impress their funders, network with other researchers, form new collaborations and draw interest from industry and government.

His stance is bolstered by peer-reviewed evidence. A group of US social scientists has [demonstrated] (http://jmq.sagepub.com/content/early/2014/09/12/1077699014550092) a link between "h-index" -- a measure of the quality and influence of a researcher's work -- and whether the researchers in question interacted with journalists and were mentioned on Twitter.

"Doing both -- traditional media and social media -- is more powerful in boosting citations than doing just one of the two," [Dominique Brossard] (http://lsc.wisc.edu/faculty/dominique-brossard/), University of Wisconsin-Madison Professor of Life Sciences Communication, told me. She took part in the research project. "Instead of thinking of time spent on social media as a distraction, researchers should see it as a way of making their work more accessible to broad audiences."

Professor Conrad Matthee, an evolutionary genetics researcher at Stellenbosch University, has seen for himself how media visibility can boost reach within the scientific community.

He was the corresponding author of a recent research paper (http://www.int-res.com/abstracts/meps/v552/p241-253/) that estimated white shark numbers along the South African coast based on dorsal fin photos and genetic data. The research was featured on global media channels, including CNN (http://edition.cnn.com/2016/07/21/africa/great-white-sharks-south-africa/index.html) and the BBC (http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-36850591) -- and the number of downloads of the original paper skyrocketed. "This proves that getting media exposure for research is a sure-fire way of getting other scientists to take note of your work," he said during an interview with me.

When scientists tell me they can't afford the time to work on their communication skills, I tell them "they cannot afford not to" wrote Nancy Baron, director of science outreach at COMPASS (http://www.compassonline.org/) in Nature (http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v468/n7327/full/4681032a.html). "Being a good communicator is not a trade-off. It makes you a better scientist."

Baron advocates for the importance of public communication for scientists who wish to become thought leaders and policy influencers in their fields. "It's no coincidence that environmental scientists who lead the pack, both within academia and beyond, are good communicators," she writes. "These scientists know how to articulate a vision, focus a debate and cut to the essence of an argument. They can make a point compelling, even to those who disagree. They talk about their science in ways that make people sit up, take notice and care."

Universities also crave publicity for their academics' work. "Our research needs to be visible. This is absolutely critical for ensuring sponsorship and sustaining support from government and industry partners," says Dr Therina Theron, research director at Stellenbosch University.

If professional rewards aren't enough to convince researchers about public engagement, there are other factors to consider.

What about the moral imperative?

Researchers have privileged access to new evidence that can underpin informed decision-making. It is often argued that scientists have a duty (http://www.scidev.net/global/communication/editorials/communication-a-responsibility-of-all-scientists.html) and even a moral obligation (https://the-macroscope.org/science-communication-as-a-moral-imperative-14188eb7d797#.2lrqzzx3q) to be heard in public debates and to influence public policy. If scientists keep quiet, these public debates may be dominated by people with questionable credibility and doubtful agendas.

Andrew Wright, an environmental scientist at George Mason University, has [called](http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s13412-015-0227-y) advocacy "an almost inescapable part of modern science". He argues that scientists have a societal obligation to deliver credible information to those who can use it. Failing to do so, he suggests, leaves scientists at risk of becoming irrelevant.

Accountability is another principle reason for researchers to share their work with the public. After all, the bulk of research in public universities and science councils is funded by taxpayers. Scientists have a responsibility to tell the public what they are doing with its money.

Dr David Eagleman, the director of Texas' Baylor College of Medicine's Initiative on Neuroscience and Law, has written a [manifesto] (http://www.jneurosci.org/content/33/30/12147.full) called "Why Public Dissemination of Science Matters". In it, he stresses scientists' responsibility to inspire critical thinking. He also says that although most scientists may not be specifically trained to communicate to the public, they have what it takes.

"You have been trained to think with rigor, to integrate large bodies of data, to weigh evidence, to value intellectual humility, to retain nuance when speaking about complex issues, and to write precisely what you mean to say. So speak up. The future needs your voice."

Getting started

Scientists who are up for the challenge to escape from the ivory tower and become active in public science engagement, have a considerable menu of communication tools, tactics and platforms at their disposal. For example, if you master the strategic use of social media, it is possible to engage large global audiences without ever speaking in public or going in front of a camera. "Let's play to people's strengths", says Dr Gillian Arendse, head of the Centre for Mentor, Tutor and Leadership Development at Stellenbosch University. "Some scientists are better at public speaking, others prefer writing or online engagements."

Some more ideas:

• Researchers can use social media throughout the research cycle to bolster collaboration and make new findings available to broad audiences, including science journalists – see: "How to use social media for science" (https://www.elsevier.com/connect/how-to-use-social-media-for-science); "The role of Twitter in the life cycle of a scientific publication" (http://ojs.library.queensu.ca/index.php/IEE/article/view/4625);  "Seven reasons why blogging can make you a better academic writer" (https://www.timeshighereducation.com/blog/seven-reasons-why-blogging-can-make-you-better-academic-writer) and "How to use Instagram for research communication" (http://www.researchtoaction.org/2013/10/using-instagram-for-research-communication/)
• Videos drive traffic and shares on social media, and therefore platforms such as YouTube and Vimeo cannot be ignored – see, for example "How YouTube is popularising science" (https://www.theguardian.com/science/blog/2011/may/17/youtube-popularising-science)
• Platforms such as "The Conversation" (https://theconversation.com/africa) and "Kudos" (https://www.growkudos.com/) offer tailor-made solutions and help for scientists to share their research and track their engagement.

Planning communication into your research, and making it part of your research identity, will not (necessarily) deliver overnight fame and fortune – but it has the potential to connect you to new audiences and add value, meaning, reach and impact to your work. It is a way to see how your science makes a difference to real people.

Photo: Credit: Lise Mertens

Stellenbosch University (SU) has made several senior appointments this year. Besides two new vice-rectors, four appointments have been made in key positions.

Prof Hester Klopper has been appointed Vice-Rector: Strategic Initiatives and Internationalisation. She was an extraordinary professor at the North-West University and the University of the Western Cape, where she was the Dean of the Faculty of Community and Health Sciences.

Prof Nico Koopman, who started his career at SU in 2001 as Senior Lecturer and had been Dean of the Faculty of Theology since 2010, is currently the Vice-Rector: Social Impact, Transformation and Personnel. He had been acting in this position since June 2015.

Read more here about Profs Klopper and Koopman's appointments.

Prof Pumla Gobodo-Madikizela, known internationally for her work in the field of trauma and reconciliation, has held the position of research professor in transformation as of 1 February.

She obtained a BA degree in social work from the University of Fort Hare, after which she focused on psychology and obtained her doctorate in 2000 from the University of Cape Town. Her most recent position was that of senior research professor in Trauma, Forgiveness and Reconciliation Studies at the University of the Free State.

Gobodo-Madikizela was a member of the former Truth and Reconciliation Committee, after which she conducted research particularly on the elements that lead to healing when victims and transgressors enter into dialogue after mass trauma and violence. Thereafter, while she was a fellow at Harvard University, she wrote the award-winning book A human being died that night: A South African story of forgiveness.

Dr Phumzile Mmope is currently the new Senior Director: Corporate Communication. She  has gained extensive knowledge and experience over a period of 20 years in the printed media and corporate communication. She studied journalism at the Tshwane University of Technology and obtained her master's degree in communication studies (cum laude) in 2010 from North-West University. 

Mmope – who speaks four languages, English, isiZulu, Northern Sotho and Afrikaans – has worked in the higher education environment since 2000 and has years of executive management experience.

After a period at Unisa, she joined North-West University in Potchefstroom in 2008, initially as Executive Director: Corporate Affairs and since 2012 as Executive Director: Institutional Advancement.

In 2011 she published the book Engaging the workforce: The role of senior managers in internal communication and employee engagement. 

Mr Victor Mothobi is the new Senior Director: Human Resources. He has extensive experience in the field of higher education and speaks six languages, including Afrikaans and isiXhosa.

In 2007 he was appointed as the Executive Director: Human Development at North-West University. Among his responsibilities was diversity management, including the development of programmes for employment equity.

Before he joined North-West University in 2005, he worked in the personnel division of the former Rand Afrikaans University (RAU) (currently the University of Johannesburg). Since 1999 Mothobi has specialised in labour relations.

He obtained a diploma in personnel practice and a certificate in labour relations from Unisa, a BA degree in the humanities from RAU and an MBA from North-West University in 2014.

Dr Birgit Schreiber succeeded Dr Ludolph Botha as Senior Director: Student Affairs. She has a strong interest in student development and the creation of learning environments that promote student involvement.

From 1999 to 2007, she was involved with student-consultation services at the University of Cape Town. Since 2008 she was Director of the Centre for Student Support Services at the University of the Western Cape, where multi-disciplinary support is offered.

Schreiber obtained a BA degree majoring in Psychology and German from Rhodes University. Her postgraduate education culminated in 2012 in a doctorate from the University of the Western Cape titled An investigation into the scope, role and function of student development and support in higher education in South Africa.

Schreiber has been involved with various community development projects over the years, has published widely and has delivered numerous papers at national and international conferences.

An integral part of the B.Eng Civil degree at Stellenbosch University, is the vacation training that the undergraduate students have to undertake over the course of their studies. To this end, the UCM announced a call for applications earlier this year for vacation training amongst the Civil undergraduate students, for the 2016 winter recess, to be conducted in the Structural Laboratory at Stellenbosch University. After an overwhelming number of applications, the following 6 students were selected (from left to right): Seung Cho (3^rd year), Veronica Mwamfupe (3^rd), Michael Colclough (2^nd), Hanro Muller (2^nd), Louis Botha (4^th) and Gerard Maleke (2^nd).

Following a safety induction, the students spent four weeks in the laboratory, under the supervision of the UCM staff, expanding their skill set in design, construction and experimentation. The tasks included:

• designing and constructing backdrops for experimental setups, to improve the quality of the photographing and documenting of common experiments
• determining the precision of the "strain gun" instrument and also writing a best practice document for the use of it
• setting up the laboratory to do drying shrinkage tests on cement-based masonry units
• conducting tensile tests and cracking tests on plastic concrete
• researching the composition of sunlight, as well as the use of bacteria to heal cracks in hardened concrete

The students were not only exposed to the practicalities of working in an active laboratory, but the tasks they completed also made a meaningful contribution to the laboratory and current UCM research projects. Hopefully the students were also inspired to consider postgraduate studies in their future!  

The fifth JENGA project meeting was recently hosted by the Unit for Construction Materials (UCM), in the Civil Engineering Department of Stellenbosch University. JENGA (Joint development of courses for ENerGy-efficient and sustainable housing in Africa) is a university cooperation project funded by the European Commission and implemented by the ACP Secretariat within the ACP-EU cooperation programme EDULINK II. SU's partners in this project are the UN Habitat Energy Unit, Augsburg University of Applied Science (AUAS), University of Rwanda (RU), Uganda Martyrs University (UMU), Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Techhnology (JKUAT) and The American University in Cairo (AUC).

UCM staff have been involved in this project since its start in October 2013, contributing in the knowledge areas of sustainable building materials and construction methods, assessing the JKUAT, RU and UMU materials laboratories to improve the contribution these facilities can make in design-build teaching, as well as performing environmental impact life cycle analyses on the proto-type buildings constructed by the East-African partners.

The project's final event is the Sustainable Futures Conference – Architecture and Construction in the Global South, to be held at the UN Headquarters in Nairobi, Kenya, from 30 August to 2 September, 2016. The work of the JENGA partnership will also be published in the form of a teaching manual for design-build, applied to energy efficient and sustainable housing.

Featured meeting participants are (from left to right): Ahmed Abouzeid (AUC), Astrid Weisel (AUAS), Prof Susanne Gampher (AUAS), Peter Mbewe (SU), Dr Mark Olweny (UMU) and Dr Stephen Diang'a (JKUAT). Also present at the meeting were Wibke de Villiers (SU), Michelle Stadelmann (RU), Stefan Unge (AUAS), Michael Sedlemeier (AUAS), Achilles Ahimbisibwe (UMU) and Martin Mbidhi (JKUAT).

From setting up recycling in residences at Stellenbosch University (SU) to being chief executive officer of an award-winning waste recycling company - meet SU alumnus, Matthew Haden, who is hard at work tackling waste management challenges in Tanzania.

Haden's company, The Recycler, was recently awarded the prestigious Sankalp Africa Award, beating out over 250 other African enterprises. These awards recognise the most sustainable and scalable social enterprises that are doing business. Sankalp is Asia's largest social enterprise forum designed to support the growth of social enterprises and catalyse impact investments.

The Recycler was started in 2014 and offers professional waste management and recycling solutions for waste streams in Tanzania. It specialises in separating all kinds of recyclable waste in order to process and trade to domestic and international markets. The company has also set up recycling collection points throughout Dar es Salaamand   is developing projects in large-scale bio-gas, waste to energy, insect-derived protein and informal collection networks. According to Haden, they have over 20 staff members and 40 clients.

"It is nice to be recognised, not just as a social impact venture, but also as a business that people would like to invest in," he says.

Haden is originally from Kansas in the United States but called Stellenbosch home for over four years. He obtained a Bachelor of Arts in International Relations in 2011 and went on to do his Masters' Degree in Development Studies at the University of Cambridge.

"I came to South Africa for the first time in 2004 when I was 19, but just to travel and work with street children. However, I came back in 2008 to start my studies," he says.

So why did he choose Stellenbosch University? "I choose to become a Matie because I wanted to study in an emerging economy and Stellenbosch had a great course for international relations. It is also incredibly beautiful."

Haden remembers his time in Stellenbosch fondly and says he is grateful for his experiences and the path it ultimately took him on. "I lived in Kayamandi for two years working with the community. I was also elected to the Student Representative Council (SRC) where I was in charge of the Societies Council and Environmental Affairs. I helped set up the first large-scale recycling system in the residences whilst a SRC member and learned about waste management and recycling as a business," he says.

After graduating from Stellenbosch, he went to work with a recycling company in Cape Town, the same company that was collecting the recyclables from the system that was set up for the residences.  "I did that for nine months, learning the business and then went on to do my Masters at Cambridge. When I graduated from Cambridge I went to work with the United Nations in Tanzania. After about a year, I saw the huge potential for a recycling company in Tanzania and decided to give it a go."

So what is next for this successful businessman? "The Recycler is currently breeding thousands of maggots using organic waste in order to make chicken feed and is expanding into large-scale bio-gas and waste to energy. We are also setting up a buy-back centre for the city's poorest to sell recyclable waste to us per kilogramme."

• For more on The Recycler go to http://www.recycler.co.tz/our-team/
  

​

Contribution for Geobulletin from Stellenbosch Earth Sciences

For this issue, we have many interesting and significant things to report.

Staffing Matters

After two years, the Faculty of Science finally caught up with Professor Alex Kisters and, on August 2^nd, he delivered a typically lucid and fascinating inaugural lecture in front of an audience of friends, staff, students, former colleagues and government and industry associates. Alex's talk was entitled "What Lies Beneath Table Mountain or All Models are Wrong, but Some are Useful". Alex reviewed the various models for the development of the Malmesbury Group, concluding that it contains no really exotic terranes but instead represents an accretionary wedge, deformed initially in oblique, southeast-directed subduction. Alex reminded us that models are critical for understanding the geological development of a region but that we must always bear in mind the limitations of the models that we present. We all congratulate Alex on his full professorial appointment and wish him every success for his future at Stellenbosch. The photo below shows Alex (right) with Prof. Eugene Cloete (Vice Rector for Research, Innovation and Postgraduate Studies) and Prof. Louise Warnich (Dean of the Faculty of Science).

Science Highlights

1. THE VREDEFORT PSEUDOTACHYLYTES: A CENTENNIAL REAPPRAISAL

Almost precisely a century ago, venerable Stellenbosch University Professor S. J. Shand applied the term 'pseudotachylyte' to widespread, highly irregular, commonly clast-loaded, dark, flinty veins in granites and gneisses (Fig. 1A & C) within the Vredefort dome of South Africa (Shand, 1916). Following in his footsteps, Dr Martin B. Klausen (from the same Earth Science Department) has, together with a colleague from the Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland (Garde and Klausen, 2016), introduced seismic shaking as a key process in the formation of its enigmatically voluminous pseudotachylytes within what is now known to be a circa 2.023 Ga meteorite impact structure.

The process of seismic shaking is well known from meteoritic impacts on the Moon (e.g. Fig. 1B) and asteroids, from terrestrial earthquakes and rock slides, as well as from nuclear tests, but has been largely overlooked in terrestrial cratering, except in the theoretical concept of acoustic fluidisation (Melosh, 1979). Previous struggles to convincingly explain Vredefort's large pseudotachylyte volumes through frictional, or instantaneous 'shock', melting/cataclasis, are now elegantly resolved by repeated comminution of blocks, initially loosened within a dendritic fracture system that was generated during the early, high-amplitude stage of seismic shaking (Fig. 1A). Continued high-frequency oscillations of these loosened blocks led to size reduction, rounding and further comminution (Fig. 1C), and eventually even frictional melting of K-feldspar and biotite in the comminuted mass. Most pseudotachylyte was thus not injected from elsewhere but produced in situ. Furthermore, microstructural analysis shows that most of the pseudotachylyte is actually finely comminuted material rather than former melt.

Figure 1: (A) Thin pseudotachylyte veins within a dendritic fracture system, generated by the initial shock waves from the c. 2.023 Ga Vredefort meteorite impact, as well as along a more regular, and presumed pre-existing, fracture/fault that cuts diagonally across the photo. (B) An approximately 90 min. three-component seismographic record of a Lunar meteorite impact (13 May 1972; modified from Nakamura et al., 1982) illustrating the amount of seismic shaking following initial impact. (C) A thicker, more voluminous, pseudotachylyte with characteristic rounded clasts, typically formed in situ through prolonged seismic shaking of loosened block corners (i.e. at intersections between fracture sets in A) and repeated comminution of dismembered clasts. Both field photos are from the Esperanza quarry and show approximately the same field of view, with a R5 coin for scale in (A).

Garde, A.A. and Klausen, M.B. 2016. A centennial reappraisal of the Vredefort pseudotachylytes: shaken, not stirred by meteorite impact. Journal of the Geological Society (London) in press. doi: 10.1144/jgs2015-147.

Melosh, H.J. 1979. Acoustic fluidization: a new geologic process? Journal of Geophysical Research 84: 7513-7520.

Nakamura, Y., Latham, G.V. and Dorman, J. 1982. Apollo lunar seismic experiments – final summary. Journal of Geophysical Research 87, A117-A123.

Shand, S.J. 1916. The pseudotachylyte of Parijs (Orange Free State) and its relation to 'trap-shotten gneiss' and 'flinty crush rock'. Quarterly Journal of the Geological Society of London 72: 198-217.

2. CONCENTRATION AND DISSOLUTION OF TRACE METALS FROM KNOWN DUST SOURCES IN NAMIBIA (HOW NAMIBIAN DESERTS FERTILIZE THE OCEAN FROM ABOVE)

Our Environmental Geochemistry Masters student, Ismael Kangueehi took part in a Summer-school program hosted at the University of Namibia's Sam Nujoma Campus and Marine Research Centre in Henties Bay, from the 2nd of May to 3rd of June 2016. The Regional Graduate Network in Oceanography (RGNO) for Southern Africa (in Namibia) offers research-driven and practical learning opportunities for researchers in oceanography and integrated disciplines. Sailing on the Mirabilis Research Vessel for two weeks with RGNO, participants carry out research in the Namibian Ocean by collecting sediment cores and water samples. This course provided Ismael with an excellent opportunity to study the North-South flowing Benguela Current, which creates cells along the coast where cold, nutrient- and CO₂-rich upwelling water leads to one of the world's most productive marine ecosystems.

The theoretical part of the program involved lecture sessions by various guest speakers and course instructors, on subjects ranging from physical and chemical oceanography, sedimentary organic and inorganic geochemistry to molecular biology and environmental geobiochemical modelling. Stellenbosch Earth Science department senior lecturer Dr Susanne Fietz was one of the guest lecturers, addressing the group on Fe fertilization and the use of the software package Ocean Data View (https://odv.awi.de/) in marine research and exploration. As a collaboration program with scientists from ETH Zurich, the University of Minnesota, the AGOURON Institute, the University of Namibia, the Scientific Committee of Oceanic Research (SCOR) and the Leibniz Institute for Baltic Sea Research, this course attracted students from across the globe.

Ismael's practical work on board the R/V Mirabilis included sampling of sediment cores along the Namibian coastline, and mapping and investigating the rock outcrops around Henties Bay. The practical work carried out during the RGNO course will form part of Ismael's thesis which focuses on the dissolution of dust particles that originate from Southern African sources.

Ismael Kangueehi handling a sediment core, with the assistance of (Daniel Montluçon, ETH Zurich) while Stephen Broccardo (North West University, South Africa) looks on.

Some of the RGNO workshop participants after the two-week cruise along the Namibian coastline on the Research Vessel Mirabilis. From left: Daniel Montluçon (ETH Zurich, Switzerland), Ismael Kangueehi (University of Stellenbosch, South Africa), Phillip Eickenbusch (ETH Zurich, Switzerland), Blanca Ausin (ETH Zurich, Switzerland), Kurt Hanselmann (Course coordinator; ETH Zurich, Switzerland), Thomas Andreas (driver), Said Mohamed Hashim (University of Nairobi, Kenya), Zimkhita Gebe (University of Cape Town, South Africa), Leanne Grace Hancock (University of California, Riverside, USA) and Beth Wangui Waweru (Kenya Marine and Fisheries Research Institute).

More Doings of Environmental Geochemistry Students

Four of our department's students attended the South African National Antarctic Programme (SANAP) meeting in Pretoria in July – Jean Loock (MSc; see below), Ryan Cloete (MSc), Ismael Kangueehi (MSc; see above) and Johan Viljoen (BSc Hons). The MSc students gave oral presentations, and the Honours student a poster.

Top National Awards for Stellenbosch Postgraduate Students

We are particularly pleased to report that two of our students received national awards, from the Geological Society of South Africa, for the best theses in Earth Sciences in 2015. These are:

Mr Jean Loock – Best Fourth-year Student Award

Jean's thesis examined climate change by studying bio-active trace metal concentrations in the Southern Ocean and defining the growth stress induced by low concentrations on marine phytoplankton. He graduated cum laude and is now working on his MSc at Stellenbosch, under the supervision of Prof. Alakendra Roychoudhury. He presented results from his thesis at a symposium of the South African National Antarctic Program (SANAP) at the end of July and again at the International Ocean Science Conference of the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR), in Malaysia, in August.

Mr Matthew Mayne – The John Handley Award for the best MSc thesis in Geology

As part of his thesis, Matt created a software tool, called Rcrust, which enables a new concept in modelling known as 'path dependence'. This allows researchers to investigate multi-step processes that are crucial to the formation of metamorphic rocks. Matt also graduated cum laude and is also registered at Stellenbosch and now working on his PhD, under the supervision of Prof. Gary Stevens. Based on his MSc work, he recently published an article in the Journal of Metamorphic Geology. In July he presented at the Workshop on the Origin and Evolution of Plate Tectonics in Locarno, Switzerland, and will also present in August at the International Geological Congress in Cape Town.

Prof. J. D. Clemens

(Departmental Communications Coordinator)

Staff from the Faculty of Science were treated to free neck and shoulder massages, free yoga and Pilates sessions, health screening, information sessions and a fun walk during the annual Wellness event on Thursday 18 August 2016.

Presented by SU's Wellness Programme and Discovery Health in conjunction with Maties Gym, this fun event was aimed at getting people out of their offices and moving around, explains human resources practitioner Ms Marzelle Benade.

Staff from the Department of Chemistry and Polymer earned boasting rights for best participation by a department, while both the current Dean of Science, Prof. Louise Warnich, and the former acting Dean of Science, Prof. Doug Rawlings, completed the 4-kilometre fun walk.

Winners of the lucky draw afterwards – Prof. Emile van Zyl, Dr Bali Sishi and Dr Carla Pretorius – walked away with free membership of Maties Gym for one, two and three months respectively. Other fun walk participants won cash vouchers from Food Lovers Market (Ms Welma Maart and Ms Grazelda Simon) as well as lucky packets packed with a variety of healthy goodies (Ms Lynne du Toit, Ms Crystal Hendrickse and Dr Sonia Fidder-Woudberg).

At the back, from Maties Gymnasium, Mr Conrad Human (sales manager), Ms Gretchen Bickerstaff (sales consultant), Ms Annelize Adams (gymnasium manager) and Mr Francois Kotzé (head: fitness and wellness). In front, from the Faculty of Science, Dr Sonia Fidder-Woudberg, Prof. Louise Warnich, Ms Marzelle Benade, Ms Lynne du Toit and Ms Welma Maart. Foto: Wiida Fourie-Basson

​With university education becoming more expensive, we should start looking at online courses to lower fees, writes Dr Hannes Smit of the Department of Philosophy in an opinion piece published in Business Day on Wednesday (24 August 2016).

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

Tertiary Education For All?

Studying full-time at a residential university (including accommodation and basic maintenance) costs roughly R300 000 per degree. Funding an additional one hundred students will cost 30 million rand, funding an additional one thousand students will cost 300 million rand, and so on. The numbers spiral out of control in a hurry; university education is expensive and the majority of South Africans are poor.

We live in an age where information is practically free. Can we do better?

A few years ago there was a lot of enthusiasm for massive open online courses (MOOCs), but such enthusiasm has faded due to the relative lack of interested students. MOOCs typically force students to finish a course within a set time frame and typically do not allow someone to pursue an already existing degree. Consider, however, what can be done if we combine the content delivery system of a MOOC with the certification process of a traditional university.

Recording lectures and placing them online is not difficult. Class notes can be made available for free and we can use free, open source textbooks. Student can access these resources from home on their smartphones. We can schedule extra exam opportunities during student holidays and, for a nominal fee, students can take the exam and earn the exact same credits as earned by residential students. A hundred rand per exam should cover the costs involved (assuming that R20 000 can pay for grading and the administrative overhead associated with an exam written by 200 people).

If all courses are available in this format a degree can cost less than R5 000, i.e. less than 2% of the current cost. Occasionally, of course, the use of copyrighted material and proprietary software will be unavoidable. Even where such costs are incurred, the cost of a degree will still be lower by an order of magnitude.

An initial problem is that students typically cannot afford to watch hundreds of hours' worth of lectures online. Fortunately a university's entire offering can fit on a modern hard drive. These can distributed to every library in the region, where they can be copied by the student.

Students need not conform to a particular timetable. Students can study when time allows and register for the exam when they feel ready to take it. There is similarly no need to require that students have university exemption or even matric. If the student can pass the exam there is no reason to deny them the credits, no matter their educational background. (Of course, the number of students without proper credentials can be greatly decreased by making high school lessons available in a similar format. Then students with mediocre teachers can access the lectures of the top teachers in the country.)

Students studying in this way lose out on student-lecturer interaction. For most students, however, the gain from interaction comes from hearing the questions asked by all the other students. Students watching recordings of actual lectures will see such interactions anyway.

One fear would be that such students will gain second rate degrees. We must ensure that evaluation is of the exact same standard as for residential degrees and the exact same degree certificate must be issued. One option to ensure proper standards of evaluation would be to set two exams for each course and then a random process decides which question paper is used at which exam opportunity.

Some courses, of course, do require students to be present in order to do laboratory work, etc. Note that a lot of degrees have few such constraints; there is little in most undergraduate degrees in humanities, economics, law or accounting that require the student to be present for class. Sometimes, however, this problem will be insurmountable. But even then it may be feasible to let the student learn all the theory online and then organise a repeat of the residence-required component of the course.

Obviously the "student experience", networking benefits and the learning experience of living far from home goes missing. What the student would get, however, is a quality education and a recognised degree in a way that minimally disrupts their lives. And at a tiny fraction of the cost.

Photo: Pixabay

Dr Willie Visser, a dermatologist at Stellenbosch University (SU), has been awarded the L'Oréal African Hair & Skin research grant for research on acne keloidalis nuchae (AKN). 

"African skin and hair diseases have been neglected for years and it is wonderful to have a special award in Africa to do research on this scarring disease that has a severe impact on the quality of life of people suffering from it," said Visser, who is the Head of the Division of Dermatology at SU's Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences (FMHS).

AKN is a skin and hair condition that predominantly affects males with afro-textured hair and patients of African or mixed descent. It affects the nape of the neck and produces pustules and results in permanent hair loss and large areas of scarring. It may also affect areas beyond the nape of the neck.

Dr Altaaf Parker, a registrar at the FMHS and Tygerberg Hospital, is conducting the research project as part of his studies towards his MMed degree and Visser is his supervisor. They are investigating the earliest manifestations of the spread of this disease. The descriptive study's objective is to describe the dermatoscopic and histopathological features of sub-clinical or early AKN. 

"The award empowers us to purchase the necessary equipment to complete the study and publish it in a peer reviewed journal," Visser said.

For patients or men in the community who are concerned about this disorder, the study aims to empower dermatologists to identify early markers of disease. For patients who are already diagnosed with AKN and are in the care of a dermatologist, this study will aim to provide clinical tools to assess further spread of the disease. According to Visser treatment may be initiated sooner and the distress associated with this disorder may be significantly lessened if this disease is diagnosed early on. 

The grant supports a one-year research project in Sub-Saharan Africa and the winner receives an amount of 10 000 euros. The grant aims to promote clinical and basic research on ethnic skin and hair physiology conducted by African scientists in Africa.

Photo: Dr Willie Visser, the Head of Dermatology at Stellenbosch University, receives the cheque form Dr Michele Verschoore, the Medical Director, L'Oreal Research & Innovation and Prof Ncoza Dlova, from the University of Kwa-Zulu Natal.

S'coolBeans, a nutritious chocolate spread containing sweet potato and sugar beans, came second in the international Food Science Students Fighting Hunger product development competition. The low-cost spread is the brain child of a group of food science students from Stellenbosch University (SU). They travelled to Dublin in Ireland to compete against nine other teams from Costa Rica, Singapore, Indonesia and South Africa.

The competition was held at the 18^th World Congress of Food Science and Technology of the International Union of Food Science and Technology (IUFOST). It encourages undergraduate students to use their knowledge and skills to develop innovative food products to fight hunger.

According to Cenette Bezuidenhout, S'coolBeans is much more than just a way of stealthily incorporating vegetables into a tasty sandwich spread for children. It is high in protein and contains the necessary vitamins and minerals needed to ensure the development and growth of children, especially those from low-income environments. She therefore believes it could be well suited to use in for instance school feeding schemes.

S'coolBeans is a low cost chocolate and hazelnut flavoured spread made from fermented red speckled beans (also known as sugar beans) and sweet potato. It's potentially provides a good way by which parents can sneak more vegetables into their children's meals.

S'coolBeans was developed in 2014 by Cenette Bezuidenhout, Carin-Marie Engelbrecht, Nicholas Grobbelaar, Taryn Harding, Shannon Howell and Megan Kleyn, as part of product development, a final year BSc Food Science module. Cenette, Shannon and Megan are furthering their studies this year as masters degree students at Stellenbosch University, while Carin-Marie, Nicholas and Taryn have started working in the industry.

According to Cenette Bezuidenhout, S'coolBeans is much more than just a way of stealthily incorporating vegetables into a tasty sandwich spread for children. It is high in protein and contains the necessary vitamins and minerals needed to ensure the development and growth of children, especially those from low-income environments. She therefore believes it could be well suited to use in for instance school feeding schemes.

The whole team travelled to Dublin to present their product to the panel of judges and attendees of the conference. "People the world over were very excited about S'coolBeans, and just wanted to know when it will be made available on the market," says Bezuidenhout.

The team is now working together with Innovus, the technology transfer company of Stellenbosch University, to develop it further and to attract a potential manufacturer that can take it further.

• The competition was won by a team from Costa Rica, for a nutritious tortilla mixture targeted at pregnant women. A team from the University of Pretoria received the prize for the best presentation.

Photo caption:

The proud S'coolBeans team from Stellenbosch University, after they earned a second place in the international product development competition for students, are (from left) Carin-Marie Engelbrecht, Shannon Howell, Megan Kleyn, Cenette Bezuidenhout, Taryn Harding and Nicholas Grobbelaar. Prof Gunnar Sigge (back row), chair of the SU Department of Food Science, travelled with them to Dublin. Photo: Supplied.