​Four Maties athletes were crowned SA student champions at the USSA Athletics Championships (SA Student Champs) hosted at Greenpoint Athletics Stadium this past weekend.

Juan de Swardt (pole vault); Justine Palframan (200m); Jean-Maré Senekal (400m hurdles) and Nienka du Toit (heptathlon) all won gold in their respective items, as did Maties' 4x400m men's relay team with Shaun de Jager, Gardeo Isaacs, Jaden Flagg and Wynand du Toit.

Palframan came second in the 400m event behind the SA champion Caster Semenya while the 4x100m and 4x400m women's relay teams both won silver too.

Bronze medals went to Hennie Beukes (pole vault) and Jodie Sedras (pole vault).

The following athletes came fourth in their respective events: Wynand du Toit (200m); Jaden Flagg (400m); Cameron Donkin (discus); Janke van Wyk (100m hurdles); Rozelle Meier (pole vault); Samantha Pretorius (long jump) and Sunette Luther (discus). 

Stellenbosch University is very proud of its recycling statistics. At present, over 80% of all general waste from the Stellenbosch, Tygerberg and Bellville Park campuses is diverted for recycling and 70% is actually recycled. This means that less waste is ending up in landfills, helping to make the university more environmentally friendly and sustainable.

How do we do it? A large part of SU's recycling success is attributable to the three-stream system on campus, which divides all waste into the following categories:

• Recyclable waste (plastic, paper, cardboard, glass, tins, etc.)
• Food/compost
• Non-recyclable waste   

Recyclable waste

All the residences on our Stellenbosch and Tygerberg campuses have one bin for recyclables per student, as well as a three-bin system in shared areas for recyclables/food/non-recyclables. Recyclables are collected from residences, placed in clear bags and delivered to the Kraaifontein Integrated Waste Management Facility for sorting and recycling.

Food/compost

This includes fruit and vegetable peels, tea bags, coffee grounds, bread and other food scraps. All waste of this nature is collected from the University's kitchens and cafeterias. It is then treated with Bokashi powder, fermented and disposed of at a compost plant where it is made into compost, which is used in the University's gardens.

Non-recyclable waste

Items such as tissues, cling wrap, foil-lined chip packets and packaging that is contaminated with food is non-recyclable and is therefore sent to landfill sites. Facilities Management is making an appeal to all staff and students to attempt to minimise this type of waste by buying wisely. For smart shopping tips, please click here.

​It's now even easier to keep your ears to the ground for interesting news about Facilities Management. Listen to MFM (92.6 FM) every Wednesday afternoon at 14:15 for information about what the division does to make Stellenbosch University's campuses the very best campuses for study and work.

"We started with the series of interviews at the beginning of April and have already highlighted  important aspects, such as security on our campuses, the necessity of water saving and also what we do to ensure that the physical design of all our buildings and facilities comply to the needs of all our students and staff," says Nicolette van den Eijkel, chief director of Facilities Management.

"It is important to communicate and engage with students and staff about what we do, since the physical environment affects your daily activities and wellbeing on campus. It is not only about their own comfort, but also about the physical and sustainable environment in which they function."

Don't worry if can't tune in on Wednesday afternoons. Facilities Management also posts links to the radio interviews on their web page, in case people miss the live interviews. To listen to the interviews already conducted, please click here.

​Is global health about the universal right to health, or is it about maintaining international security and containing the spread of diseases?

This very pertinent question was the focus of the first lecture in the new Distinguished Leader lecture series which kicked off at the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences in April 2017. Dr Nils Daulaire, Senior Fellow at the Harvard Global Institute and Distinguished Visiting Scholar at the Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health, gave the first lecture.

During the fascinating, hour-long talk, Daulaire explained how, over centuries, the world faced a constant push and pull of motivations in terms of whether the privileged, affluent members of society should care about the poor and their right to healthcare. Over time, these motivations shaped global health as we know it today.

Daulaire distinguished five eras of global health:

• Quarantine and exclusion
• Colonialism and imperialism
• Evangelism
• Ideological competition
• Globalisation 

He went on to explain how the privileged influenced the health of the underprivileged over several centuries.

During the Middle Ages, quarantine and exclusion were used to control infectious diseases such as the Black Death. Those in power closed the gates of fortresses to lock the infected out, while primitive applications of biological warfare (e.g. throwing diseased bodies over fortress walls to keep enemies out) came into practice.

The era of colonialism and imperialism, on the other hand, saw native populations enslaved or eradicated to make room for settlers and farmers. Those who survived were impoverished and had limited access to healthcare. However, as the natives started playing an important role in the manufacturing of goods, their oppressors tried to keep them reasonably healthy in order to work.

During the third era of global health, evangelism and "winning souls" required a slightly different approach. A trend in missionary medicine grew through a mission to be of service to God. "This was closely linked to the idea of fundamental human rights," Daulaire said. "But it was a complex relationship."

Ideological competition followed during the era of the Cold War, when development became a central organising principle and the concept of international health first came into being. 

The establishment of the United Nations and the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights created an international dialogue around the concept of universal human rights and a right to health. A focus on child and maternal health "played a role in the great war of winning hearts and minds," Daulaire said. And, in the 1970s, intense cooperation between the USA and the Soviet Union led to the eradication of smallpox.

During the fifth era, globalisation, the speed of communication and the rapid exchange of money and goods drove the international health agenda.

"The first time I heard the term 'global health' was in the mid-1990s," said Daulaire, who served as the President and CEO of the Global Health Council for longer than a decade. "It differed from 'international health' in that it emphasised the independent nature of health." It also created a different mind-set in terms of how health was approached across the world, with two themes emerging – the right to health and health as a fundamental aspect of security.

"The right to health drove remarkable successes in children's health and women's health," Daulaire continued. "It also shifted our attention to the HIV pandemic, malaria, TB and the neglected diseases of the poor." On the other hand, severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), avian flu and ebola demonstrated to the world's powerful that the neglect of health in the world's poorest countries could affect the world's wealthiest.

In a time of terrorism and relative ease in developing and deploying agents of biological terror, biological warfare also became a global concern once more. "This got the national security communities very highly engaged and interested," Daulaire said. "And it's now being recognised that you can't respond differently to intentional and natural outbreaks. In both instances, it's a question of identification, rapid response and counter measures."

But, thanks to globalisation, we now have a range of resources we never had before. We've also shifted to a place where we no longer build walls to keep threats out. Instead, countries now work together to minimise the risks. "It has become important to detect and respond to diseases before they spread nationally and internationally. This has reinforced the right to health, and has provided opportunities to work together collaboratively."

Returning to the question he asked at the start of his presentation (Is global health about the universal right to health or is it about international security?), Daulaire answered "yes". You simply can't address the one without the other.

These public lectures will serve as a forum for eminent leaders from across the spectrum of public, private and plural sectors, to share their personal vision and talk about their involvement in addressing some of society's most pressing issues.

Caption: Dr Nils Daulaire and Prof Jimmy Volmink, Dean: Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences.

​Clinical competence and physiological knowledge alone do not make good doctors. Two postdoctoral staff members at the Centre for Health Professions Education (CHPE) at Stellenbosch University's Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences will be sharing their research on this issue on an international platform.

Drs Lakshini McNamee and Elize Archer are both involved in researching Health Professions Education and have been selected as two of only 14 doctoral graduates to present their work at the prestigious Association for Medical Education in Europe (AMEE) Conference in Helsinki in August. AMEE is an annual event that brings together delegates from some 90 countries around various topics in this field.

Archer's research focusses on patient-centeredness and provides insight into the teaching and learning of this skill.

"Communication skills, often called 'soft skills', need to be relooked and perhaps renamed 'hard skills', since it's essential for both patient satisfaction and the healthcare practitioner's wellbeing and job satisfaction," she explains.

"Evidence suggests that with the development of science and treatment options, doctors tend to become fixated on the biomedical aspects of disease and often neglect the patient as a human being. Studies also report that students become less patient-centered between entering and finishing medical school." Archer says this is reason for concern when considering the undergraduate medical curriculum as well as services rendered to patients.

Her goal is to be involved in curriculum and Faculty development initiatives around communication skills. "I'd appreciate the opportunity to be able to work with lecturers to utilise 'role modelling' as a deliberate teaching strategy, while at the same time encouraging students to adopt a reflective approach when deciding which role model behaviours are worthy of imitating."

McNamee also has a keen personal interest in developing "good" doctors. She will be presenting her study about medical internship experiences of newly qualified doctors (NQDs) in South Africa at the conference, focussing on how novice practitioners negotiate their learning and identities as practitioners.

"Healthcare systems depend on NQDs to provide a service, especially in the public sector, but little is theorised about their lived experience," she explains.

Her study explores the networks of relationships, both interpersonal and with various organisations, which play a key role in shaping how medical interns learn and self-identify.

By presenting her work at AMEE and disseminating her study findings, she hopes to enable a better approach towards the organisation of medical internship. "Mutual recognition is needed between NQDs and managers of health care systems in order to achieve this goal."

McNamee and Archer are both excited to attend the AMEE conference. "It's a tremendous opportunity to meet educators and researchers with similar interests, particularly those who recognise the value of using research methods from human and social sciences in medical education," says McNamee.

Archer agrees. "Because the competition is so strong, I have only been able to present posters in the past. To have an opportunity to present a PhD report orally is a huge privilege. I hope to establish more contacts and perhaps identify individuals with whom I can collaborate in future."

Caption: The CHPE's Drs Lakshini McNamee and Elize Archer will present their doctoral research at the Association for Medical Education in Europe (AMEE) Conference in Helsinki in August.

​The New Generation of Academics Programme (nGAP), is one of the programmes within the "Staffing South Africa's Universities' Framework" (SSAUF), that has been approved by the minister of Higher Education and Training in January 2015. 

The implementation, of the transformative nGap programme, contains the recruitment of young academics as part of a six year programme which supports universities in their staffing and development strategies. Lecturers participating in this programme, are expected to undertake research, teaching and any other relevant opportunities needed for development as well-rounded academics. 

In Phase 1, five positions were awarded to Stellenbosch University US within the following departments: Anatomy and Histology, Economics, Mathematical Sciences, Mechanical and Mechatronic Engineering, and Social Work.  During Phase 2, four positions were awarded to the following departments: Curriculum Studies, Food Science, Industrial Engineering and Radiobiology. 

Recently, the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) announced the implementation of Phase 3 of the nGAP Programme and two positions (out of 53 positions nationally) were awarded to Stellenbosch University. These two positions were awarded to Agricultural Economics and Applied Mathematics.

This brings the total nGAP positions at Stellenbosch University to 11.

For more information on the advertised positions, and/or about the "New Generation of Academics Programme" (nGAP) and/or the "Staffing South Africa's Universities' Framework" (SSAUF), please follow the following links:

http://www.sun.ac.za/english/careers;

www.dhet.gov.za

The following article by Wang Mingjie in Pretoria was written for China Daily Africa and published on 28 April 2017:

Zhang Qiaowen says she fell in love with South Africa when she spent three years at Stellenbosch University, studying for a doctorate in financial management. She is now a lecturer on the subject at Zhejiang Normal University in China and retains her admiration for the country that was her former home.

Zhang says: "I went to South Africa three years ago, curious about the country. I left three years later an admirer of this great nation."

The 29-year-old says she was attracted by South Africa's diverse culture, food and beautiful scenery, but was really won over by th epeople she met while studying.

Zhang was supervised by Professor Pierre Erasmus, who would do anything and everything to assist her research.

"He gave me his research funding to attend international conferences in the UK and, no matter how busy he was, he still insisted on discussing my research work with me at least once a week," Zhang says.

"He reviewed my PhD thesis before he had recovered from surgery," Zhang says.

Zhang says that Erasmus freed her from prejudice about South Africa as well as helping her research.

The kindness she received from South Africans was not limited to Erasmus, she says. People like her PhD colleagues and programme manager were also extremely helpful.

"Those encounters may not be earth-shattering events, but after three years, we have become important parts of each other's lives," she says.

Zhang felt it was important to respond to the kindness she encountered by helping to support four South African school children through their studies with the help of the Imibala Trust, a nonprofit organization that works to improve the lives of children from poor communities.

She says: "Every time we met and talked, I could feel their strong desire to continue their education and change their lives. This made me think how to empower them when they grow up."

Zhang and her friends initiated an ecommerce program, The China-Africa Bridge, to build a platform for young African entrepreneurs to do business with their Chinese counterparts.

Zhang was chosen to represent China and speak at the recent China-South Africa People to People Exchange Mechanismin Pretoria.

Speaking at the first meeting of the People-to-People Exchange Mechanism on April 24, Vice-Premier Liu Yandong said: "The international landscape and the situation in China and Africa may keep on changing, but the importance and necessity of continuously building and improving the China-Africa community of shared future will never change."

Inspired by their time-tested friendship, China and South Africa have been committed to developing a special relationship as between comrades and brothers, Liu said.

Zhang's story is not unique. There are about 2,000 Chinese students studying in South Africa and about 2,300 South African students who have studied in China in recent years.

• Photo on the right: Zhang Qiaowen with fellow students in South Africa.
  

Steinhoff Maties Rugby player Ernst van Rhyn has been named captain of the South African U20 team to play at the World Rugby U20 Championship in Tbilisi, Georgia in June.

Van Rhyn is joined by fellow Matie Wikus Groenewald in the squad of 28, while the team will be coached by former Maties coach and current Junior Springbok coach Chean Roux.

Van Rhyn was the SA U20 vice-captain last season and the SA Schools captain in 2015. "In this rugby crazy country that we live in I believe many boys grow up with the dream to play for their country. So for us to get this opportunity is an amazing privilege and we will give our all to make our country proud," said Van Rhyn.

Commenting on the selection of the captain, Roux spoke highly of Van Rhyn and said: "Ernst is a hard worker on the field and has proved his worth as a leader in the last few seasons at the SA Schools team and the SA U20s last year. A captain has to lead by example and ensure that there is cohesion in the team at all times, and these qualities will be vital in guiding us through the competition."

The Junior Springboks will face France, Georgia and Argentina in the pool stages of the international spectacle in Tbilisi, which runs from 31 May to 18 June. The team will depart for Georgia on Thursday, 25 May.   

​​In South Africa we largely overlook the potential of wordless picturebooks to help promote a culture of reading and to improve literacy, especially among parents and their pre-school children in poor communities.

"This is despite international studies which have shown that wordless picturebooks are an ideal tool to nurture a fondness for reading in adults and children and to promote literacy development at an early age," says Dr Adrie le Roux an illustrator from Pretoria.

Le Roux recently obtained her doctorate in Visual Arts at Stellenbosch University focusing on the production of culturally relevant, economically viable wordless picturebooks to encourage a love of reading in the home, regardless of literacy levels of the parent.

She says her research highlighted the potential of wordless picturebooks to improve the reading relationship between parents and children in poor communities and to help children read and  understand what they read.

As part of her study, Le Roux ran a four to six weeks reading and book creation project for 42 parents/primary caregivers and their children (3-6 years) at three crèches in Mamelodi, Shoshanguve and the Melutsi Township in Gauteng. Many people in these areas don't have money to buy books and many children are not exposed to books before they go to school.

Prior to the project, Le Roux held a workshop at the first two crèches where she and two facilitators from Nali'Bali, a national reading-for-enjoyment campaign, collected the stories participants told about their everyday lives. At these crèches, she used existing wordless picturebooks for reading.

She says participants were asked to document their stories through drawing and writing.

"While the children were busy creating illustrations, their parents or primary caregivers would ask them questions and document these stories. The parents would then elaborate on what their child was saying and sometimes also added to the drawings to help describe the story."

Le Roux, the parents and their children, as wells as five illustrators co-authored 18 prototype wordless picturebooks at the two workshops and parents could take copies home to read with their children. She mentions that these books were pilot tested at the third crèche to see how they would work in a different setting. Here Le Roux used these books for reading and not existing wordless picturebooks as was the case at the first two crèches.

By allowing them to take the books home, Le Roux says she was able to determine the perceptions of the parents or primary caregivers and children regarding the value of using these books.

Le Roux says that because of the visual nature of wordless picture books there was a transformation in the reading relationship between parents and children and in the way parents viewed reading with their child.

"Parents who participated in the study consistently reported that they read more with their children than was the case prior to the project because it was easier for them to use wordless picturebooks at home."

"In some instances reading increased from three times a week to as much as three times a day over a five-week period. In some cases, reading became a family activity, with the older children in the family joining participants for storytelling."

"Many parents reported that after they had read the book to their child once or twice that their child would start reading to them. Both parent and child became active participants in the reading process."

Le Roux adds that parents highlighted the education value of the books and felt their children were developing skills – including vocabulary and visual literacy skills – or simply increasing their knowledge.

"They also noticed that their children concentrated better when using the wordless picturebooks as opposed to reading the Bible, magazines, schoolbooks or, in some cases, other picturebooks that contained text."

"With wordless picturebooks the children understood the book and story better and thus actively engaged in the 'reading', making the activity more meaningful."

Parents/primary caregivers also mentioned that they felt the books increased their own knowledge and confidence in reading, says Le Roux.

She says her research corroborates other studies which have shown that the absence of printed text means a story can be created by 'reading' the illustrations, using a language of the reader's choice. Also, the text does not become a barrier to reading for individuals who have not yet mastered reading texts.

Le Roux adds that wordless picturebooks can be enjoyed by readers from all backgrounds regardless of their literacy levels.  

• Photo 1: Pixabay
• Photo 2: Dr Adrie le Roux

FOR MEDIA ENQUIRIES ONLY

Dr Adrie le Roux

Self-employed

Cell: 082 496 6122

E-mail: adrie.leroux@gmail.com

Website: www.adrieleroux.com

​Specialising in medicine is hard work. But doing so in a language you hardly know, far from everything that is familiar, is beyond challenging. Yet Dr Raymond Dusabe (40) tackled this challenge head-on as a foreign post-graduate student at Stellenbosch University (SU). Now he is ready to start his career as Rwanda's first-ever gynaecological oncologist.

Overcoming adversity is a familiar theme for this French-speaking doctor who grew up as a Rwandan refugee in Burundi. While living in Burundi kept him safe during the Rwandan genocide of 1994, many of his family members in Rwanda didn't survive. And when he returned home in 1998 after completing his high school education in Burundi, his family had to start anew in a broken country.

However, in the following years Dusabe was fortunate enough to study medicine at the National University of Rwanda. He decided to pursue his dream of specialising in gynaecology and in 2010 managed to obtain funding from the Rwandan government. Thanks to fellow countryman Dr Eugene Ngoga, who studied at SU a couple of years earlier, a relationship between this university and the Rwandan government already existed.

But obtaining funding for his Master of Medicine degree (MMed) at SU was only the first step; many other challenges awaited. "I was scared when I first arrived at the Tygerberg campus and didn't know if I would make it. Everything was new and I was struggling with English. I just wanted to run away." When he passed his first examination in his second year, Dusabe knew the worst was over. "I could see that things would go well from then on."

After completing his MMed in 2014, another fantastic opportunity beckoned: Tygerberg's Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology selected and financed him to subspecialise in gynaecology oncology. Obtaining this MPhil degree was the first step towards addressing a major clinical gap in his home country. "We don't have any gynaecological oncologists back home and, for most women in Rwanda, a cancer diagnosis is a death sentence. I realised there was a way of preventing much of this suffering."

Dusabe completed his clinical rotation at the end of February 2017, but has one final exam to complete. In the meantime he has returned home, where he is the only gynaecological oncologist in his country. And, thanks to the training he received at Tygerberg, he has taken valuable skills back home – not only to successfully treat female cancer patients, but also to pass on skills and knowledge to other doctors in the region.

"At first, I wasn't sure I would return to my fatherland. But Prof Hennie Botha (Executive Head of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology) encouraged me to do so. Now I can also set up effective screening programmes. Effective primary interventions are available in Rwanda, but screening programmes and protocols for gynaecological cancers are not well established."

Having personally experienced the impact of cancer in a country that lacks the relevant medical expertise, Dusabe is excited to make a difference back home. "My sister-in-law was diagnosed with cervical cancer during her pregnancy in 2015. No specialists were available, but I was able to give her advice. Prof Botha also examined her and, after performing the appropriate surgery, she is now completely cured."

Although Dusabe has not been appointed yet, he is hoping to start working in the public sector in the next few months. "That is where people are in need of the most help."

Just before returning home to Kigali, he was looking forward to speaking his home language again, seeing his parents and sleeping in his own bed. But he has also left a part of himself behind in the Mother City. "I will miss the beaches, the mountains and the Waterfront. But, most of all, I will miss the Department. It has become my second home."

​MFM radio station was crowned "Campus Station" of the year and "Best Campus Breakfast Show" at the Liberty radio awards which recently took place in Johannesburg.

"MFM is the best campus radio station in South Africa - that has been the case for years now, and it's fantastic that finally we have been recognized by the Liberty Radio Awards. We work very hard on a daily basis to give our Stellenbosch audience a compelling listening experience coupled with unparalleled professionalism. I am super proud to be part of a talented team of broadcasters & staff" says Kabelo Mekoa, Program Manager of MFM 92.6.

Station Manager, Veronique Smal, added the she was very proud of this achievement and of all the staff that spend endless hours at the station. She says that this is only the beginning of big things for MFM. She added that she was very excited for the future of MFM after winning this award and that she is very lucky to be working with the greatest team in the world.

About MFM 92.6

Broadcasting to a potential audience of 39 000 in the greater Stellenbosch community for the past twenty two years, MFM 92.6 is a youth radio station broadcasting 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.

For more information about MFM 92.6 and to audio stream, please visit www.mfm.co.za. Twitter: @MFM926. Facebook: www.facebook.com/MFM926.

The Security Institute for Governance and Leadership in Africa (SIGLA) at Stellenbosch University (SU in partnership with the U.S. Embassy's Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) and Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) presented the First International Workshop on Combating Maritime Threats off Africa in a planned biennial series on addressing transnational security issues in Stellenbosch last week.

The deterioration of order at sea, transnational organised crime, narcotics and illicit trafficking, terrorism and moving weapons of mass destruction, were some of the topics discussed. The main aim of the workshop was to emphasise and strengthen collaborative initiatives to mitigate maritime threats through policy making, law enforcement and capacity building.   

Delegates from the African Union, Cameroon, Denmark, Ivory Coast, Morocco, Namibia, Ghana, Kenya, Namibia, Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa, the UN, US, and UK attended the 3 day event.

The Charge d'Affairs from the U.S. Embassy in Pretoria, Ms Jessye Lapenn, and SU's Vice Rector: Strategic Initiatives and Internationalisation, Prof Hester Klopper, opened the workshop on Wednesday 3 May. Lapenn said: "Keeping ports safe, combatting illicit trafficking, and ensuring shipping lanes remain open, creates a solid foundation for cooperation across a range of sectors that require us to move people, products, and equipment between our countries. The importance of the 'Blue Economy' for Africa cannot be understated – it provides food, livelihood, and significant means of transport in Africa's global trade effort. 

"The United States Government stands with our maritime partners in Africa. And we are dedicated to strengthening our relationships with those committed to maritime security in Africa so that we can achieve greater security and prosperity across the Continent."

Prof Klopper in turn emphasized the importance of Higher Education institutions in collaborating with governments and civil society partners to find solutions to challenges such as maritime crime. "Meetings such as these lay the foundation for engagement where universities and other partners can collaborate and work towards a better future."

In his keynote address Alan Cole Head of the Global Maritime Crime Programme, UNODC, gave an overview of four main maritime crimes that are plaguing the African seas: Drug smuggling, particularly heroin into East Africa; human trafficking and smuggling; illegal fishing and piracy in the Gulf of Guinea.

According to Cole increased law enforcement on land and low numbers successful prosecutions of perpetrators contributes to the smuggling of drugs at sea. "For the most part drugs that are found aboard vessels are merely dumped at sea, but this does not disrupt the trade, we need to find ways to confiscate the vessels and prosecute the people behind the smuggling."

On the topic of human trafficking and the smuggling of migrants, Cole said the condition of the vessels in which people are transported are often very bad and that many die making the trip. "In 2016 a total of 181 000 people were trafficked across the Mediterranean Sea at a cost of $1000 per capita.

"These migrants are often then taken as far as Lybia where their families are phoned and extorted for even more money in exchange for completing the journey. Many are killed if they cannot pay more money."

According to Professor Francois Vrëy, Professor of Military Strategy in the SU Faculty of Military Sciences, the workshop aims to "update delegates from various African countries on the diversity of maritime crime off Africa, expose them to the interface between cooperation, awareness, early warning and good governance, and have them participate in a take-away activity framing their most important learning experiences," he said.

"Ultimately we want to contribute to building a common and cooperative African body of institutions and officials that understand and are able to play lead roles in the mitigation of criminal threats at and from the sea."

According to Vrëy, the importance of the Blue Economy – an alternative economic model for sustainable development that puts the oceans at its centre – faces a rapid rise in organised crime activities perpetrated by dangerous international criminal organisations often working hand-in-glove with political and other non-state actors.

"Current threats in African waters reside alongside practices tied into terrorism, smuggling of goods and generally a deterioration of order at sea through criminal expansions. Africa stands at the cross-roads of exploiting what its blue economy offers and beating back maritime crime and the beneficiaries of threats that feed off radicalisation and governmental weaknesses."

Caption: Prof Francois Vrëy, Professor of Military Strategy in the SU Faculty of Military Sciences; Alan Cole Head of the Global Maritime Crime Programme, UNODC; Commadore George Tsogkas from NMIOTC and Capt Francois Blaine from SIGLA. Photo: Anton Jordaan

​The discipline group Practical Theology and Missiology, Faculty of Theology, will present the Annual Youth Day Lecture on Friday 12 May 2017 on the theme: The Youth and Higher Education.

Prof Yusef Waghid, distinguished professor at the Faculty of Education, Stellenbosch University, is the keynote speaker. A panel of students from the Faculty of Theology will take part in the discussions.

For the full programme, click here: Annual youth day lecture - 2017.pdf 

Reserve your seat with Helette, hvdwest@sun.ac.za or 021 808 9560.

The annual Winter School presented by the Faculty of Theology, Stellenbosch University, is scheduled from Tuesday 13 June to Thursday 15 June this year and will focus on the theme Reforming the Church, Society and Ourselves.

In the light of the 500 -year celebration of the Reformation the Winter School of 2017 will engage with the need for an ongoing reformation of the church, society, and people. The focus will be on what we can learn from the Reformation, but also on discussing ways in which we need to go further and seek new modes of being church in a rapidly changing society.

The keynote speakers are Dr Ishmael Noko, President of the Inter-faith Action for Peace in Africa, Judge Steven Majiedt, judge of the Supreme Court of Appeal, and Dr Margaret Blackie, lecturer at the Department of Chemistry and Polymer Science, Stellenbosch University. The plenary sessions will be supplemented with a wide range of related parallel sessions. Please take note that, due to the ecumenical nature of the conference, English will be the main language of instruction.

The Winter School will be held at the Faculty of Theology, 171 Dorp Street, Stellenbosch. The cost is R350 for the full course. The closing date for registration is Friday 2 June 2017. Please refer to the programme and registration form. WinterSchool 2017Winterskool.pdfWinterSchoolRegistrationForm2017.doc

Enquiries:

Helette van der Westhuizen, tel: 021 808 9560; e-mail: hvdwest@sun.ac.za;

Divine Robertson, tel: 021 808 2827; e-mail: dr@sun.ac.za;

Wilma le Roux, tel: 021 808 3624; e-mail: wler@sun.ac.za;

Marita Snyman, tel: 021 808 2538; e-mail: maritasnyman@sun.ac.za

The Security Institute for Governance and Leadership in Africa (SIGLA) at Stellenbosch University (SU in partnership with the U.S. Embassy's Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) and Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) presented the First International Workshop on Combating Maritime Threats off Africa in a planned biennial series on addressing transnational security issues in Stellenbosch last week.

The deterioration of order at sea, transnational organised crime, narcotics and illicit trafficking, terrorism and moving weapons of mass destruction, were some of the topics discussed. The main aim of the workshop was to emphasise and strengthen collaborative initiatives to mitigate maritime threats through policy making, law enforcement and capacity building.   

Delegates from the African Union, Cameroon, Denmark, Ivory Coast, Morocco, Namibia, Ghana, Kenya, Namibia, Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa, the UN, US, and UK attended the 3 day event.

The Charge d'Affairs from the U.S. Embassy in Pretoria, Ms Jessye Lapenn, and SU's Vice Rector: Strategic Initiatives and Internationalisation, Prof Hester Klopper, opened the workshop on Wednesday 3 May. Lapenn said: "Keeping ports safe, combatting illicit trafficking, and ensuring shipping lanes remain open, creates a solid foundation for cooperation across a range of sectors that require us to move people, products, and equipment between our countries. The importance of the 'Blue Economy' for Africa cannot be understated – it provides food, livelihood, and significant means of transport in Africa's global trade effort. 

"The United States Government stands with our maritime partners in Africa. And we are dedicated to strengthening our relationships with those committed to maritime security in Africa so that we can achieve greater security and prosperity across the Continent."

Prof Klopper in turn emphasized the importance of Higher Education institutions in collaborating with governments and civil society partners to find solutions to challenges such as maritime crime. "Meetings such as these lay the foundation for engagement where universities and other partners can collaborate and work towards a better future."

In his keynote address Alan Cole Head of the Global Maritime Crime Programme, UNODC, gave an overview of four main maritime crimes that are plaguing the African seas: Drug smuggling, particularly heroin into East Africa; human trafficking and smuggling; illegal fishing and piracy in the Gulf of Guinea.

According to Cole increased law enforcement on land and the low number of successful prosecutions of perpetrators contributes to the smuggling of drugs at sea. "For the most part drugs that are found aboard vessels are merely dumped at sea, but this does not disrupt the trade, we need to find ways to confiscate the vessels and prosecute the people behind the smuggling."

On the topic of human trafficking and the smuggling of migrants, Cole said the condition of the vessels in which people are transported are often very bad and that many die making the trip. "In 2016 a total of 181 000 people were trafficked across the Mediterranean Sea at a cost of $1000 per capita.

"These migrants are often then taken as far as Lybia where their families are phoned and extorted for even more money in exchange for completing the journey. Many are killed if they cannot pay more money."

According to Professor Francois Vrëy, Professor of Military Strategy in the SU Faculty of Military Sciences, the workshop aims to "update delegates from various African countries on the diversity of maritime crime off Africa, expose them to the interface between cooperation, awareness, early warning and good governance, and have them participate in a take-away activity framing their most important learning experiences," he said.

"Ultimately we want to contribute to building a common and cooperative African body of institutions and officials that understand and are able to play lead roles in the mitigation of criminal threats at and from the sea."

According to Vrëy, the importance of the Blue Economy – an alternative economic model for sustainable development that puts the oceans at its centre – faces a rapid rise in organised crime activities perpetrated by dangerous international criminal organisations often working hand-in-glove with political and other non-state actors.

"Current threats in African waters reside alongside practices tied into terrorism, smuggling of goods and generally a deterioration of order at sea through criminal expansions. Africa stands at the cross-roads of exploiting what its blue economy offers and beating back maritime crime and the beneficiaries of threats that feed off radicalisation and governmental weaknesses."

Caption: Prof Francois Vrëy, Professor of Military Strategy in the SU Faculty of Military Sciences; Alan Cole Head of the Global Maritime Crime Programme, UNODC; Commadore George Tsogkas from NMIOTC and Capt Francois Blaine from SIGLA. Photo: Anton Jordaan

​Immune Dysfunction Syndrome Day is marked on 12 May. Learn more about a rare form of this disease:

Every year a number of babies are born in South Africa with genetic defects that prevent their immune systems from developing, and in the most severe cases leaving them totally defenceless against infection.

Protected in the womb, they grow into healthy new-born babies until they are exposed to the outside world, where they are powerless against the onslaught of viruses and bacteria that "normal" babies can cope with. Even the vaccines they receive at birth may turn against them and spread throughout their bodies – causing illness, rather than preventing it.

Severe Combined Immunodeficiency (SCID), the most severe form of primary immunodeficiency (PID), is a medical emergency. "These children have a severely impaired immune system from birth and usually die before their first birthday," says paediatric immunology specialist, Prof Monika Esser, Head of the National Health Laboratory Unit at Tygerberg Hospital. She also works with the Department of Paediatrics and Child Health at Stellenbosch University's Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences (FMHS). "Unless you put them in a sterile bubble, they just can't survive."

David Vetter

This was actually the case with David Vetter, a boy who was born in 1971 with this severe form of PID. Immediately after his birth at Texas Children's Hospital he was placed in a germ-free plastic chamber, or "bubble". He spent most of his life in similar sterile environments and his case attracted the attention of the media, who dubbed him "Bubble Boy". David died at the age of 12 from Burkitt's lymphoma caused by a dormant virus, Epstein-Barr, which he acquired from a bone-marrow transplant.

PID and its genetic causes were only discovered relatively recently. Before the advent of antibiotics in the early 1900s people, and children in particular, used to die rapidly from infections. Only after the introduction of antibiotics it became apparent that some people were more susceptible to infections than others.

PID covers a wide spectrum of disorders in which a part of the body's immune system is lacking or functioning improperly, or in rarer cases not functioning at all. Most cases of PID develop early in life – generally within the first few months or years of life, but in severe cases it will manifest within a few weeks after birth.

The first sign of PID is an unusual susceptibility to infection. "Severe, persistent, unusual, recurrent infections or unusual features of autoimmunity occur from early in life," Esser explains.

There are many common health issues in South Africa that make children more susceptible to infection and which have to be ruled out before PID can be diagnosed. "We have to screen very carefully for underlying or precipitating causes. If there are other causes for being immune impaired, like HIV, severe malnourishment, premature birth or other risk factors such as anatomic malformations, then obviously you are also going to have an excess of infections."

Genetic screening for severe PID at birth is becoming routine in many developed countries, but this is not envisaged to become a priority in South Africa with its shortages of financial and human resources in the healthcare system for more common diseases. This means that most cases of SCID in South Africa are diagnosed late or not at all, unless there is a family history of infant death due to severe infections.

Stem cell transplant

The only treatment option for severe cases of PID is a stem cell transplant. For it to succeed, it should be performed at the youngest possible age and before the child acquires any infections or is given live vaccines at birth. However, the diagnosis is usually made once the child already starts showing susceptibility to infection – frequently only after multiple infections – unless the doctors are made aware of a family history or a previous genetic diagnosis of the disease.

This was the case with Vetter's parents, who previously lost a son to severe PID and were warned by physicians that any future male child they conceive would have a 50% chance of also inheriting the disease. So when David was born, doctors were ready to place him in a sterile environment. Sadly for him the knowledge about transplantation and rejection of donor tissue was just in its infancy then.

Tygerberg success

A similar story played out in January 2016 when a woman from Cape Town arrived at Tygerberg Hospital (the academic hospital linked to the FMHS) to deliver her baby. On admission to the maternity ward, she presented a doctor's letter stating that she had previously lost a baby to severe PID and that any future children are at risk of the condition.

"Immediately after birth this infant had to be isolated to minimise exposure to germs in the environment, but that's no easy task. Ideally you need special rooms with sophisticated ventilation, specialised cleaning et cetera, but we don't have all of this at Tygerberg Hospital. The infection control team, with the help of the ward staff, isolated the child in a single room with restricted access to necessary staff only, provided special nursing services that required wearing gloves and masks at all times, and gave special cleaning instructions for anything the child received. Importantly, the new-born received no live vaccines at birth. Also the mom was kept with the child at all times to cocoon and breastfeed, which provided the child with antibodies against infection which he could not produce on his own," Esser recounts.

Blood tests confirmed that the child had severe PID and the Bone Marrow Registry and the transplant team at Groote Schuur Hospital were contacted for tissue typing and donor search for a transplant. The isolation continued while waiting for these results and the baby was given bacterial, fungal and viral prophylaxis, as well as immunoglobulin replacement infusions, to ward off infection until a more permanent solution could be found.

The solution had to come in the form of a stem cell transplant, but with a bone marrow donor list of only about 75 000 for the whole country, no match could be found. Since international bone marrow donor searches are very expensive and lengthy procedures, doctors were left with only one option to give this baby the best chance at life – performing a half-match stem cell transplant with cells harvested from his mother.

"If this is performed very early – preferably before two months of age or earlier – and the child is free of infection and has sustained no organ damage, a good outcome is expected even with a half-identical donor and moderate immune suppression to prevent rejection," Esser explains.

Currently there are only two facilities in the country's public sector where these transplants are performed on infants, resulting in long waiting times.

"International figures show that children who undergo transplants under the age of two months have the best survival rate, and with every day that passes the chance for a successful transplant wanes as the chance for infection increases."

Finally, just about one month after he took his first breath, the boy received a stem cell transplant. His mother's half-matched cells engrafted in his bone marrow and developed a new immune system.

"The transplant was a huge success and a normal immune system was reborn. The child has since been discharged from hospital and is thriving." He only received moderate immune suppression, which doctors believe he eventually might be able to stop altogether.

Very early diagnosis, meticulous nursing care and infection control and prompt access to transplantation saved this child's life – but sadly this is not the case for the great majority of babies with severe PID. Most are diagnosed when they are already struggling with persistent, recurring infections, fail to thrive or after early death. Low awareness of this disease, even in the medical fraternity, results in diagnoses usually being missed, despite obvious warning signs.

"We often make excuses in a country like South Africa endemic with TB, HIV, you name it, and say the child is just overexposed, especially if he or she is from a poor socioeconomic background."

Basic tests

According to Esser there is also a misunderstanding that very advanced immunology laboratories are required for a diagnosis. "The first thing the doctor should ask, is 'why are these infections happening?', 'is this unusual?', 'is there a relevant family history?' Then some first line investigations should be done. You can arrive at a provisional diagnosis with some very basic tests and confirm a definite molecular diagnosis at a later stage."

The warning signs for PID are: when an HIV-negative child disseminates with live vaccines; has persistently low lymphocyte counts; or the presence of certain organisms, especially those which would not be expected to cause illness in someone with normal immunity.

A South African registry was established in 2008 to create a database of all types of PID patients in order to record and profile these hereditary conditions and with increasing awareness help facilitate early diagnosis to ensure the best possible outcomes for PID patients, especially babies born with this condition. Less severe forms of PID can be treated or improved with immune replacement therapy, but best outcome and prevention of organ damage also depend on the earliest diagnosis.

According to Esser SCID causes terrible suffering for both parents and children. "The related morbidity and mortality are inevitable in these children if they are not diagnosed and treated early. And it can all be avoided and cured by means of early diagnosis and a successful transplant."

Caption: Prof Monica Esser

Photo by Luigi Bennett

Update: 10 May 2017

Stellenbosch University (SU) has so far identified three individuals linked to the planning of the "Anglo-Afrikaner Student" event at Stellenbosch University and the related posters that surfaced on the Stellenbosch campus on Tuesday 9 May 2017. SU's Equality Unit (EU), supported by staff of the Student Discipline division, is leading the investigation.

The EU has received multiple complaints and subsequently launched an investigation in accordance with the principles set out in the SU Policy on Unfair Discrimination. The identified individuals are being interviewed. Based on the investigation and statements by the students the EU will make recommendations on further steps to be taken.

"The posters and advertised event promoting racial polarisation/superiority combined with highly offensive references to Nazi propaganda and Neo-Nazism are totally unacceptable. Given the values of SU and the South African Constitution we cannot condone views, events, publicity campaigns or innuendo that undermine our innate equality as human beings," says Mr Jaco Greeff Brink, Head of the EU.  

The SU Management called on the campus community to let the investigation and subsequent processes run their course. Our staff members in the relevant units are giving priority attention to the matter. The findings and further steps will be communicated to the campus community.

SU reiterated that it condemns racism, racial superiority and any attempts to polarise the campus community in the strongest possible terms and that it will not allow any event promoting racial superiority to take place on campus. Posters, which were put up without the consent of the University and which advertised a meeting venue that had not been booked, were removed yesterday.

The University confirmed on Tuesday that only a query had been received on the availability of the venue and that no official booking was made at the time the posters were displayed. No further information about the event had been supplied at that point.  

Yesterday, Prof Wim de Villiers, Rector and Vice-Chancellor, said: "Not only is the message of the posters totally unacceptable; it is also contrary to our institution's values. There seems to be deliberate mischief-making involved, and if that should be the case, disciplinary steps will be taken." 

9 May 2017: SU condemns poster inciting racial polarisation

Stellenbosch University (SU), its Library and Information Service and its Student Representative Council condemns racism, racial superiority and any attempts to polarise our campus community in the strongest possible terms and will not allow any event promoting racial superiority to take place on campus. 

This is in the light of SU being informed late yesterday morning (9 May) about posters on campus advertising an event about the “Anglo-Afrikaner Student” scheduled to take place at the JS Gericke Library Auditorium on Thursday (11 May). The posters were put up on campus without the knowledge or consent of the University, the Library or the SRC.

An investigation is currently underway while the posters were also reported at the University’s Equality Unity.

The University would like to stress that only an query was received on the availability of the venue and that no official booking was made at the time the posters were displayed. Information about the event was not provided. At this stage the origin of the posters are still unknown, but the University is currently following up on information received about the organisers.

Prof Wim de Villiers, Rector and Vice-Chancellor, said that not only is the message of the posters totally unacceptable; it is also contrary to our institution’s values. There seems to be deliberate mischief-making involved, and if that should be the case, disciplinary steps will be taken.”

• Any student or staff member with more information is requested to immediately contact the Client Service Centre at tel 021 808 9111 or to send an a-mail to info@sun.ac.za. 

Prof Wim de Villiers, Rector and Vice-Chancellor at SU, has made the deicision to suspend the three students involved in the poster controversy this week, while disciplinary proceedings are ongoing. Read the Rector's full statement on the matter below.

Nazi-like posters advertising a planned event on campus shocked our University community this week. It made headlines locally and internationally, portraying SU in a negative light.

The matter was investigated by our Equality Unit, which has made recommendations to SU's Central Disciplinary Committee (CDC) and Management. The case is now a disciplinary matter.

In terms of SU's Disciplinary Code for Students, I have decided to suspend the three students suspected of misconduct while disciplinary proceedings are ongoing. The CDC will in the course of handling this matter decide on the suspensions and further steps. The case is receiving priority attention. The disciplinary process should now be allowed to run its course.

When the matter was brought to our attention on Wednesday (10 May 2017), both Management and the SRC immediately made it clear that we strongly condemn racism and attitudes of racial supremacy (read here). Similar sentiments were expressed at a mass meeting on the Rooiplein on Thursday.

The Equality Unit reported that the posters and advertised event promoting racial polarisation/superiority – combined with highly offensive references to Nazi propaganda and Neo-Nazism – were in breach of SU's Policy on Unfair Discrimination and Harassment. It found that the behaviour and actions of the students in question had a demeaning and humiliating impact, and created an intimidating environment at SU.

Stellenbosch University is doing its utmost to be a diverse and inclusive institution. The venue booking was not approved by the University, and we did not have any information about the planned gathering before the posters were displayed – without permission. When the matter came to our attention, Campus Security was asked to remove the posters.

We will continue to take a stand against racism and unfair discrimination, and promote human rights, equality, human dignity and democracy. This we do in accordance with our own policies, as well as our commitment to the Constitution of South Africa and the Bill of Rights that it enshrines.

I would like to thank all of you who are working with us to achieve these goals. It is important that we counter efforts to polarise our campus, and I call on everyone to help us do so.

Prof Wim de Villiers
Rector and Vice Chancellor

In a press release, Universities South Africa (USAf) has stated that it is "extremely concerned about the impact that recent and on-going student protests will have on mid-year examinations. "

This comes in light of recent student protests at multiple institutions focusing on a range of issues, including demands for more student funding and the lack of accommodation.

"As Universities SA we call on all political parties, unions, students, academics, parents and others to act responsibly to ensure that our universities are not compromised in any way and that mid-year examinations continue without disruption," the statement reads.

Read the full statement here.

With rates of psychological distress amongst students on the increase at universities across the globe, Stellenbosch University (SU) and the University of Cape Town (UCT) have launched the Caring Universities project to learn more about the risk factors and trajectory of mental health disorders and document the support needs of students.

As part of this project, an online World Student Health Survey was launched on Thursday 11 May with first-year university students from SU and UCT invited to participate in the survey. 

"The information gathered in this survey will help universities in South Africa plan effective prevention programmes and implement innovative interventions," explains local researcher Dr Jason Bantjes from the Psychology Department at SU.

The rest of the research team includes Prof Christine Lochner, Mr Lian Taljaard and Ms Janine Roos of the Medical Research Council's (MRC) Unit on Risk and Resilience in Mental Disorders at SU and Prof Dan Stein of the Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health at UCT.  Others involved in the project include Dr Wylene Saal, a post-doctoral fellow appointed by SU, and Mr Franco Gericke and Ms Maria Annandale, both honours students in the Psychology Department at SU. The team will work closely with international experts from more than 10 countries to investigate the prevalence of common mental disorders among undergraduate university students around the world.

"Our aim is to quantify how many students are affected by mental health problems, but we also hope to learn more about the risk factors and trajectory of these disorders, and document the support needs of students," explains Bantjes. "Furthermore we want to understand what psychological factors contribute to academic success and university dropout."

"This information will be utilised to develop innovative, cost-effective and efficient interventions to promote resilience and reduce psychological distress on university campuses."

Considering the statistics, the research to be conducted may literally help save lives and will certainly help to improve the wellbeing of university students.

"In South Africa as many as 12% of university students suffer from symptoms of depression and 15% report clinically significant symptoms of anxiety. Studies indicate that approximately 50% of university students abuse substances, most commonly alcohol. One study found that 24.5% of South African university students reported having had thoughts of suicide in the previous two weeks. A recent survey of university students in the USA that was conducted by the American College Health Association revealed that 44% of students reported having felt "so depressed it was difficult to function" at some point in the past 12 months. These statistics paint a rather grim picture of the psychological health of university students," adds Bantjes.

"Mental health problems have a serious impact on academic attainment and lead to problems such as academic failure and university attrition." 

Some reports suggest that as many as half of students who enrol at South African universities never finish their degrees. Dropout rates are also worse among students from historically disadvantaged communities.

"The reasons for this high dropout rate are poorly understood which makes it difficult for universities to plan effective interventions. There is however little doubt that untreated and poorly managed psychological problems contribute to high dropout rates," says Bantjes.

Only 1 in 6 students with mental health problems receive minimally adequate mental health treatment. While approximately 24% of students in high income countries receive the mental health care they require, the situation is a lot more dire in most parts of the world. In developing countries, like South Africa, between 8% and 11% of students with mental health problems receive psychological treatment.

According to the researchers, it is important to focus on the mental health of university students, especially because this developmental period is associated with major psychological, social, academic and financial challenges.

"We need to remember that university students have to negotiate a number of tricky transitions, including entering young adulthood, changes in family and peer relationships, leaving home, entering a new social context, increased opportunities for substance misuse and an increase in academic pressure. The stress of dealing with these transitions may contribute to poor psychological functioning. Many university students also face financial challenges and other life stressors including exposure to trauma."

At the same time, young adulthood is also considered a peak period for the onset of several serious psychological problems, including psychotic illnesses, depression, anxiety disorders and substance use problems. Studies have shown that left untreated, these disorders can have a serious impact on students' development, motivation and attainment, leading to university dropout and academic failure.

"This research will help us to better understand the mental health needs of our country's university students, but most importantly it will also help us find innovative ways to improve our support of students and address their psychological needs."  

The first-year survey data collection for 2017 will end at the end of June, however, the team of researchers will follow up over the next four years with all the students who participate in the survey to monitor them until they complete their undergraduate degrees.

"The project will therefore run for at least another four years. In the meantime we will also start testing interventions so the project may continue long after that time."

​First-year students at SU who would like to participate in this study can obtain more information by visiting http://mentalhealthsa.org.za and by contacting Dr Wylene Saal (wylene@sun.ac.za) or Ms Janine Roos (jroos@sun.ac.za).