This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article.​

Rare disorders are very challenging to diagnose. With about 7000 diagnosed disorders across the world, doctors are often unfamiliar with all the distinguishing features of a particular condition or confuse the condition with similar genetic or acquired disorders.

As a result, for most patients diagnosis is lengthy and costly. It involves a myriad of consultations with medical specialists and many laboratory tests or invasive interventions. And, in the end, there may be no definitive answers.

Up to 50% of people suffering from a rare genetic disease never receive a diagnosis. In a middle income country like South Africa, this likelihood is increased by the relatively limited suite of highly specialised tests.

Developments in genomics have helped. Technologies such as whole exome sequencing – where only the small coding part of the genome is analysed – have transformed diagnostic testing for genetic diseases by simplifying and speeding up the process.

The challenge, however, is that this technology is only relied on as the fourth – and in many cases the final tier – of tests after a battery of others have been unable to produce a diagnosis.

Our study shows that whole exome sequencing can also be used as a first resort to produce a diagnosis in developing countries. It short circuits the process and is less invasive. We were able to identify the first cases in South Africa of a rare genetic condition known as trichohepatoenteric syndrome (THES).

Our research highlights why whole exome sequencing should become a first tier diagnostic test for patients with suspected rare diseases, even in developing countries. This is becoming increasingly feasible as costs continue to fall.

Understanding whole exome sequencing

The complement of DNA in the cell is known as the genome. This is made up of exons and introns. Exons are the part of the DNA in a cell that plans how the proteins are created. Exons only make up about 1.2% of the genome, yet most of the mutations that cause rare genetic conditions are found here.

Introns (DNA sequences between exons) and intragenic regions (DNA sequences between genes) make up the rest of the genome. For a long time it was known as junk DNA, but we know now that it contains regulatory sequences that dictate when, where and how much of a gene will be switched on.

Before whole exome sequencing was developed, geneticists had to rely on linkage analysis, a method which identifies regions of DNA that are common to people in a family who have the disease. This is followed by the sequencing of candidate genes to find the disease-causing mutations. But this method was very time consuming. It could take decades to locate the mutation. In contrast, whole exome sequencing sequences all exons in the genome (known as the exome) within a few days at a fraction of the cost.

Exome sequencing cuts out the need to identify candidate genes for analyses as well as the need to rely on DNA samples from other family members to make a diagnosis.

To date, the use of this technology has resulted in about 40% of the previously unexplained cases being diagnosed.

Since 2014 we have been using whole exome sequencing to provide genetic diagnoses for patients with primary immunodeficiency disorders who are at the end of their diagnostic odysseys. Primary immunodeficiency disorders are genetic disorders individuals are born with that make them more susceptible to fungal, viral and bacterial infections.

Primary immunodeficiency disorders are difficult to diagnose because their symptoms can vary widely. In many cases, patients will not present with all the symptoms of a particular syndrome.

A rare case

We were able to provide a detailed case study using this technique in the case of a Somalian baby boy.

He was born weighing less than two kilograms and spent his first three weeks in hospital for jaundice and poor weight gain. He was re-admitted to hospital for pneumonia when he was three months old.

At the time he had patchy areas of darker skin and somewhat unusual facial features. He also had mild diarrhoea. After three weeks of intensive care treatment, he died of pneumonia. At the time, doctors suspected he suffered from combined immunodeficiency.

With the use of exome sequencing, however, we found that one of his genes had a mutation which he inherited from both his mother and father. Mutations in this gene have been shown to cause an extremely rare genetic condition known as THES.

This syndrome affects about one in every 500,000 live births. Since its first description in 1982, less than 70 cases have been reported worldwide. Before the case we studied, none had been diagnosed in South Africa.

Babies who have the condition have explosive and ongoing diarrhoea, skin abnormalities, growth retardation both in-utero and after birth, liver disease, immunodeficiency and woolly hair. Although some survive, most die in infancy.

The challenge with the Somalian boy's case was that the diagnosis of THES was not considered, because he lacked two classical features: he did not have significant diarrhoea, and his hair could not be assessed because it had been shaven.

It was only when we found the same mutation in DNA extracted from a well-preserved tissue sample of his deceased sibling – who, in addition to having similar complications to him, also had severe diarrhoea and hair which his parents described as "sticking out" – that we were able to diagnose this syndrome.

Using the technology more regularly

Without whole exome sequencing we would not have been able to diagnose THES in the Somali boy. The case highlights the potential impact of whole exome sequencing on patient care and why it should be used more systematically as a first tier test.

While whole exome sequencing is a great advance, it's not yet a panacea for rare disease identification. There are still practical and ethical challenges that come with generating vast quantities of genetic information. These include the need to ensure the confidentiality of large quantities of data that are stored and regularly reviewed.

About the authors

Craig Kinnear - Specialist Scientist, Tuberculosis Host Genetics, Division of Molecular Biology and Human Genetics, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Stellenbosch University

Brigitte Glanzmann - Postdoctoral fellow in the Division of Molecular Biology and Human Genetics, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Stellenbosch University

Eileen Hoal - Professor in the Division of Molecular Biology and Human Genetics in Department of Biomedical Sciences, Stellenbosch University

Marlo Möller - Researcher in the Division of Molecular Biology and Human Genetics, Stellenbosch University

Michael Urban - Head of the Clinical Unit of Medical Genetics and Genetic Counselling, Stellenbosch University

Monika Esser - Specialist Rheumatologist, Senior Lecturer in Paediatrics and Child Health, Stellenbosch University

Nikola Schlechter - Post-doctoral research fellow in the division of Molecular Biology and Human Genetics, Stellenbosch University

Stellenbosch University (SU) is taking a leading role in addressing the research needs of the African continent. The university is one of sixteen African universities that will participate in activities of the newly launched African Research Universities Alliance (ARUA). The alliance includes top research universities from South Africa,  Nigeria, Ghana, Tanzania, Kenya, Rwanda, Senegal, Uganda and Ethiopia, who will work together to promote and strengthen research on the continent. Representing South Africa, SU will be joined by the University of Cape Town, University of the Witwatersrand, University of Pretoria, University of Kwa-Zulu Natal and Rhodes University.

Visiting Stellenbosch University on 16 May, Prof Ernest Aryeety, General Secretary of ARUA, said the alliance is about mutual beneficial networks and said other universities could benefit from SU. "Stellenbosch University is well ahead of the curve and working together to uplift those that are struggling, we can uplift ourselves as globally competitive universities. Prof Ernest Aryeety, a former Vice –Chancellor of the University of Ghana, addressed SU researchers who will work across disciplines on thirteen ARUA identified research areas. A total of 35 SU researchers will work in areas like Climate Change, Food Security, Non-Communicable Diseases, Materials Development and Nanotechnology, Water Conservation, Energy, and Humanities and Science fields such as Mobility and Migration, Poverty and Inequality, Unemployment and Skills Development, Notions of Identity, Good Governance, Post-Conflict Societies and Urbanisation and Habitable Cities.

"It's not about vice-chancellors. It depends on individuals like you who work with others in Africa," he told the assembled researchers. Prof Aryeety also met with Prof Hester Klopper, Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Strategic Initiatives and Internationalisation and paid visits to the Faculty of Engineering, Stellenbosch University Telematics Services and Stellenbosch Institute for Advanced Studies (STIAS).

It is envisaged that the initial activities of ARUA will include – collaborative research projects for staff, a doctoral research symposium for students as a platform for showcasing and engaging on their research and a capacity building program, to enhance the capacities of research managers and their respective offices.  Prof Aryeety, who is visiting participating universities until August, will also set up discussions about ARUA Centres of Excellence that will be hosted by the different universities. SU has expressed interest in a Centre of Excellence in Nanotechnology.

The ARUA programme at Stellenbosch will be coordinated by Prof Hester Klopper, Mr Robert Kotze, Senior Director: Stellenbosch University International; Mr Nico Elema, Manager: Centre for Collaboration in Africa (hosted within Stellenbosch University International); Dr Therina Theron, Senior Director: Division Research Development and Ms Norma Derby, Coordinator: Centre for Collaboration in Africa. 

Picture: From left: Prof Hester Klopper, Prof Ernest Aryeety and Mr Nico Elema

​On 18 May, the Stellenbosch University Language Centre Intensive English Programme (IEP) international students, celebrated Cultural Day in a unique and exciting way.

The United Nations declared 21 May of each year World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development, a day aimed at providing us with an opportunity to deepen our understanding of the value of cultural diversity and to learn how to live together in harmony. IEP students embraced the opportunity to embody this day at the University, a few days before the official date.

The event took place at the Khaya (Kruiskerk), the corner of Victoria and Ryneveld Street, where groups of IEP students explored the broader concepts of their beliefs, values and culture. The countries that were represented were Libya, China, Saudi Arabia, Mozambique, Iran, Switzerland, South Korea, Congo, Cameroon and Gabon.

On display were numerous stalls portraying the culture of the various ethnic groups, highlighting their customs, traditions and food. In addition, each group presented how they identified with their culture. 

According to the organisers, the event was well-received.

"We welcomed support from the Grade 10 Rhenish Girls' High School students. The girls were extremely enthusiastic and seemed to thoroughly enjoy interacting with the IEP students," said Deena Raghavjee, programme coordinator of the Intensive English Programme.

"We all enjoyed walking around among the different stalls which each country had set up and where we could sample traditional foods and ask questions. What impressed us most about these (IEP) students was their ability to present so clearly and with such confidence in front of a large audience of around 50 people. This is something I greatly admired about every single one of them; I can only imagine what a challenge it must have been," said Chiara de Franchi, a Grade 10 pupil at Rhenish Girl's High School.

Caleigh Plaatjes wrote: "It (Cultural Day) was an amazing way to learn about  different countries, cultures, and traditions and to eat the local food (which was our favourite part!) It was an eye-opening experience and we were so lucky to have attended such a brilliant event."

"We (the Grade Tens) extremely enjoyed tasting the food from different countries such as Acorn Jelly from South Korea, Chinese noodles and Swiss cheese fondue… We had a fantastic time, excelling in quizzes, dances and general knowledge," said Micaela Budge.

"The Cultural Day event was a product of many hours invested by both students and mentor teachers, achieved through meticulous planning, rehearsals and cross-culture teamwork. As a result, the outcome was truly remarkable, with prizes being awarded to the top three groups based on a specific criteria. The presentations were a wonderful opportunity for the students to share with the audience, their understanding about culture and indeed, themselves, and in doing so further enhance their English Language skills," Raghavjee concluded.

On Wednesday (31 May 2017), Parliament expressed its sympathy on the death of a Matie student, Ms Hannah Cornelius, who was murdered this past weekend. Mr Cheslin Marsh, a fellow student who was hijacked along with Hannah in Bird Street, Stellenbosch, was also wished a speedy recovery.

These messages were conveyed by Ms Connie September, the new chair of Parliament's Portfolio Committee on Higher Education and Training. Stellenbosch University (SU) on Wednesday attended a follow-up meeting with the committee after their previous meetings in March 2016 and September 2015.

Prof Wim de Villiers, Rector and Vice-Chancellor, said the incident shocked SU, and the University was doing everything in its power to render assistance.

Safety and security was among the issues on which SU had been requested to report. Click here for SU's full presentation.

"To us, the safety of our students and staff is paramount," said Ms Nicolette van den Eijkel, Chief Director: Facilities Management.

"The fact that we have an open campus in Stellenbosch poses a challenge. It exposes us to ever-changing external safety conditions. That is why we are collaborating closely with the police, the municipality and crime prevention forums in the community."

According to Van den Eijkel, a strategic partnership with these parties constitutes one of the pillars of SU's safety strategy. Another one is to ensure a well-informed, active and vigilant campus community.

"We have a range of student safety committees, and they are functioning well."

In her presentation, Mx Lynshay Julies of the Students' Representative Council (SRC) said students were increasingly utilising social media to stay in touch with one another as well as Campus Security.

She called for a safety colloquium between various stakeholders in the battle against crime.

• The SRC has arranged a vigil in memory of students who have lost their lives. It will take place at 20:00 on Thursday 1 June in the Wimbledon square behind Irene residence. Students and staff are encouraged to attend.
  

​Nduduzo Makhathini, a Master's student at Stellenbosch University (SU), has won 'best jazz album' at the South African Music Awards (Sama) that took place on Saturday (27 May) at Sun City. He received the award for his latest work, Inner Dimensions.

Watch a video of Nduduzo performing here:

Filmed by: Aryan Kaganof 

Makhatini, who is juggling his studies as well as his duties as Head of the University of Fort Hare's music department, was in 2015 crowned the Standard Bank Young Artist Award winner for jazz. He received Sama nominations in 2015 and 2016 for Mother Tongue and Listening to the Ground, respectively.

"I am very grateful and thankful for this award, I always felt with the kind of work I do it is important that it finds a way of reaching out to more people as I believe that I am doing cultural work rather than entertaining. So I feel the award in many ways will open a bigger reach for this record and most importantly the message that it carries," Makhathini commented.

"The album is based on an idea that for us to contribute positively to the greater consciousness, one has to first work on themselves as individuals," he said of Inner Dimensions.

The artist is working on his new record iKhambi, and says he is "very excited about this record". He's also completing his master's thesis on the topic 'A critical and musical response to the life and music of Bheki Mseleku' through Africa Open, an interdisciplinary institute for music research and innovation located at Stellenbosch University.

"Makhathini is a musical powerhouse. His work is ground-breaking and experimental in nature. His artistry is changing jazz piano and composition in South Africa. He is also a sympathetic teacher and has a great influence on young musicians in his position as lecturer at Fort Hare," said Stephanus Muller, Director of Africa Open.

In April, Dr Ethel Phiri and Dr Natasha Mothapo visited the University of Lagos (UniLag), Nigeria, to facilitate new collaborations with African universities in order to strengthen the African research domain. Both Drs Phiri and Mothapo are National Research Foundation Innovation Postdoctoral Research Fellows at Stellenbosch University (SU). Dr Phiri is based at the Institute for Plant Biotechnology (IPB), while Dr Mothapo is affiliated to the Department of Botany and Zoology. Their visit was sponsored by the Research, Innovation and Postgraduate Studies office at SU, the Africa Collaboration Grant (SU International's Centre for Collaboration in Africa), Whitehead Scientific, and the International Foundation for Science.

Their hosts at UniLag, specifically Dr Agboola and Prof Umebese, are based in the Faculty of Science, Department of Botany and Microbiology. Numerous discussions with several role-players at UniLag were all aimed at promoting the establishment and growing of a network of African universities in order to strengthen the African research agenda. As Dr Phiri said, "There is an actual hunger for knowledge from people coming from African institutions to learn." Both Drs Phiri and Mothapo gave a heart-warming account of their vision regarding African research networks in an SU Africa Day video (25 May 2016).

In addition, Ethel and Natasha presented seminars at the Faculty of Science. In particular, Dr Phiri gave an overview of SU, her academic profile and current research, the importance of African orphan crops, the African Doctoral Academy as well as the African research agenda and collaborative research. Dr Phiri's lecture was titled African orphan crops: Africa's food security in a changing environment. Her current research interest at the IPB is focused on the transcriptomics of indigenous orphan crops. She also has vested interests in promoting Africa as a research-forward continent. "We are the generation of researchers that should be focusing on Africa's research problems," Dr Phiri said. As a highlight of this, Ethel and Natasha recently made a contribution to The Conversation Africa on the impact of biotic and abiotic stresses on orphan crops and the impending food security threat thereof. The article can be read here.

In early January 2017, academic staff and postgraduate students from Stellenbosch University's Institute for Plant Biotechnology (IPB) attended the 43rd annual conference of the South African Association of Botanists (SAAB) at the Lagoon Beach Hotel, which is situated in Milnerton along the Cape West Coast. The conference brought together scientists from across South Africa as well as several international colleagues interested in plant-based research. Topics such as plant systematics, ecology, plant development, photochemistry, plant physiology, invasion biology and biotechnology were covered in the course of the event. 

The SAAB conference is considered an ideal forum for postgraduate students to practise their presentation skills, compare their work with that of their peers at other South African universities, and familiarise themselves with current trends in scientific experimental methodology. Six IPB postgraduate students ranging from honours to PhD level presented their experimental work conducted during the past year or two of their academic degrees. The presentations mostly pertained to plant biotechnology and entailed a poster presentation by Pedri Claassens and oral presentations by Ingrid Jacobs, Hanno Loubser, Malira Masoabi, JJ Fernout and Dominic Vogel. A seventh IPB member, postdoctoral fellow Dr Bianke Loedolff, also delivered a talk entitled "Towards improving nutritional food security through phytochemical enhancement in micro-greens".

In addition, the IPB's Dr Paul Hills was handed the reins as the new SAAB president during the final gala function. He will serve a two-year term as the association's president until January 2019. Dr Hills, who at the conference spoke on the effect of lumichrome on plants, is a plant molecular physiologist whose work centres on plants' response to environmental cues and how these regulate their growth and development on a molecular level. Prior to his current position, Dr Hills served as treasurer on the SAAB council for five years. We congratulate him on his appointment and wish him all the best with this new commitment.  

On Wednesday (31 May 2017), Stellenbosch University (SU) again met with Parliament's Portfolio Committee on Higher Education and Training – following the University's visit to Parliament in September 2015 and the committee's visit to SU in March 2016.

This time, SU was requested to report on transformation, the composition of its staff corps, the new Language Policy, student accommodation as well as campus security. (Click here to view SU's full presentation.)

"The meeting went well. The committee commended SU for the progress made, but also raised critical questions, as it indeed should. Parliament plays a vital oversight role in South Africa's constitutional democracy. SU is a proud public university and is therefore happy to report to the nation via the portfolio committee," SU Rector and Vice-Chancellor Prof Wim de Villiers said.

He told the committee that although SU still had some way to go, it would continue the journey along with its stakeholders. "This is in the interest of not only our staff and students, but also society at large."

Senate approved SU's Transformation Plan in March this year. Related policies approved since September 2016 include the new Language Policy, the Admissions Policy, the Employment Equity Policy, the Student Disciplinary Code, and the Policy on Unfair Discrimination and Harassment.

• Click here to download SU's full presentation.
• The SU delegation (pictured above) consisted of (from left) Messrs Wayde Davidse, Maxwell Mlangeni, Sello Molapo and Victor Mothobi, Ms Nicolette van den Eijkel, Prof Wim de Villiers, Mx Liana Letabo Maheso, Mx Lynshay Julies, Prof Arnold Schoonwinkel, Dr Adelbert Scholtz, Prof PW van der Walt, Dr Jerome Slamat and Prof Nico Koopman. PICTURE: Desmond Thompson

The Iimbovane Outreach Project has received a generous donation of books, which will be used to help in the teaching of biodiversity science to the high school learners. 

The donation of 50 copies of the first ever guide to ants of southern Africa, was made possible by the Mapula Trust and the author, Peter Slingsby. While Peter is well renowned for his maps, he is also an avid ant enthusiast and author of several books on rock art of the southern Cape and Cederberg.

His new book, Ants of Southern Africa: a Friendly Guide was published in March 2017.

The donation was handed over during a presentation by Peter where he explained how his lifelong passion for ants translated into a brilliant new field guide. His passion started from a young age, sparked by a book written by the eminent South African entomologist, Sydney Harold Skaife, and continued throughout his adult life.

What struck Peter was the lack of knowledge on ants freely available to the public. He decided to solve this by writing the book which contains high quality photographs of live ants.

"Botanists use dried plants in herbaria, which the public will get bored of, as the need to see the live plants to gain interest; similarly, scientists need pinned ants in a reference collection for studies, the public however, need to see live ants" explains Peter.

With inputs and guidance from some of the world's leading experts, Peter has filled 256 full-colour pages with descriptions of some 250 species, with mentions of 400 more. The book is filled with fabulous drawings by Peter, photographs by Philip Herbst, and the best of fifty images from iSpot contributors. iSpot is an online community wherein anyone can post and contribute to identification of photographs of any living organism.

Over the years, Peter has worked with several environmental education organisations, teaching children about ants and myrmechochory (seed dispersal by ants). Upon hearing about the work that Iimbovane does, Peter, with the financial support from the Mapula Trust, donated 50 copies of the guide book to the Iimbovane ant project.

Iimbovane is a science outreach project, based at the Stellenbosch University, which uses ants as a model species to teach learners about biodiversity and science. 

"This is a very welcome addition to the resources of the Iimbovane project. We will use the donated books during our workshops and field excursions to introduce learners to the full diversity of the species. The brilliant photographs and ants facts will be used to enrich our classroom lessons on ant biology, their social behaviour and biological classification. These books are instrumental in our efforts to educate the youth about biodiversity" says Dorette du Plessis, from the Iimbovane ant project.

For more information about the book, contact Peter at slingsby@icon.co.za

The book can be ordered from www.slingsbymaps.com

On the photo, Dorette du Plessis from the Iimbivane-ant project with the writer, Peter Slingsby

​To broaden their professional horizons, a gynaecologist in training from the University of Amsterdam recently swapped places with a registrar in obstetrics and gynaecology at Tygerberg Hospital. And, since South African academic hospitals differ greatly from those in developed countries, the two students had much to learn from each other's environments.

From 1 February to 30 April 2017, Drs Marloes Derks from the University of Amsterdam and Kevin Abraham from Stellenbosch University took over each other's shifts and responsibilities as part of a well-established annual exchange programme between the two universities. They even lived in each other's homes.

Like other exchange students who previously participated in the programme, they both enjoyed the adventure of living in another country, while gaining valuable professional and life skills in the process.

While some of what Derks experienced as a gynaecologist in training at Tygerberg Hospital echoed her experiences back home, there were significant differences, she says.

In the Netherlands, for example, a doctor in training as a specialist will only handle caesarean sections and ectopic pregnancies in consultation with a medical team. However, at Tygerberg, she had to handle these challenging procedures on her own, learning to act independently. "Fortunately, both the patients and I survived!"

Also, women with cervical cancer in the Netherlands mainly present with early-stage disease, Derks says. "At Tygerberg, most patients already have advanced stages of the disease at the first presentation."

Abraham, in turn, had to take a step back from the fully integrated role he was used to playing at Tygerberg Hospital, to a more observational role in Amsterdam – a challenge in its own sense. "In Amsterdam, patient care is never handled alone, but as a team," he says. "I was basically an extra and, as such, had to step into a learning role."

The organisational structure and the huge healthcare budget in the Netherlands ensure that patient care is optimised, says Abraham. "I learnt a lot about the organisational structure of a developed medical system. Evidence-based treatment is a priority and very modern treatment options are available."

Swapping homes was a necessary part of the exchange process, since the rental cost of a home in Amsterdam is prohibitively high for South Africans.

Staying in Derks' apartment – in a beautiful part of the city – meant that Abraham's wife and two-year-old toddler could accompany him on the adventure. "My wife and I have always wanted to travel to Europe, and this opportunity was ideal."

Derks also settled into Abraham's home and even used his car to travel to and from campus. Her thoughts on Cape Town? "I love this city!" Afterwards, she enjoyed a well-deserved holiday in South Africa.

Caption: Drs Marloes Derks from the University of Amsterdam and Kevin Abraham from Stellenbosch University recently swapped "lives" as part of an exchange programme.

CPUT, SU researchers combine forces to delve into snoek's nutrient value

To fish lovers, wintertime in the Cape equals freshly caught snoek. Now is therefore a good time to consider the nutritional value of eating this relatively low-cost medium-sized type of marine fish. According to a new study published in the South African Journal of Science, a snoek's meat is quite high in protein and important omega-3 fatty acids, but low in fat.

The findings from the study is part of ongoing research into the quality and value of snoek and other South African marine fish species. It was conducted by Ms Suné Henning, a lecturer in food science and technology at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT), and meat scientist Prof Louw Hoffman, holder of the South African Research Chair in Meat Science: Genomics to Nutriomics based at Stellenbosch University.

Only a handful of studies have been done on the nutritional contents of South African marine fish species, while even fewer older ones have specifically looked at raw and cooked Cape snoek.

In the current study, Henning and Hoffman established that Cape snoek is a low-fat fish that has a fat content of less than 4%. This is in line with the fat contents of pink salmon (Oncorhynchus gorbusha) fillets.

Snoek is among others high in the "good" fatty acid eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and the omega 3 fatty acid docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). The EPA content of the fat of raw snoek is 9,11%, and for the fat of cooked snoek it is 10,13%. The DHA content of the fat of raw snoek is 19,7%, and 20.28% for the fat of cooked snoek.

In all it has a high protein content of 24,5%, which is higher than that of other marine fish species such as European hake (Merluccius merluccius), seabass (Dicentrarchus labrax) and cod (Gadus morhua callarias), or freshwater fish species, such as rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) and catfish (Clarias gariepinus).

"Cape snoek is often seen as a low-value fish, but it is in fact a healthy, relatively cheap high-protein, low fat food source that is high in 'good' omega-3 fatty acids," Henning summarises the findings.

"Snoek is therefore an important and healthy source of protein," adds Hoffman.

They further established that cooking reduces the amount of moisture available in the flesh, but increases the protein content.

For the purposes of the current study, the research team focused on establishing the proximate analysis parameters of raw and cooked snoek. Proximate analysis is often used by food scientists to determine the major nutrients or components in a food source. They do so by assessing the moisture, ash, crude protein, crude fat and carbohydrate contents of a product – be it raw or processed.

"Proximate analysis also helps food scientists to understand the quality aspects and sensory evaluations of raw materials, as well as aspects such as the perception of consumers and the product's eventual shelf life," explains Henning.

There are many methods by which snoek or any other piece of fish can be prepared – be it microwave cooking, steaming, "braaing" or oven baking. "It is therefore important to know what the specific proximate analysis parameters are of snoek, because these ultimately have an influence on the nutrient value of the fish that will be eaten," says Henning, who is also studying the effect that different cooking techniques have on the proximate and fatty acid profiles of snoek.

"The aim of this study was to determine the proximate and fatty acid compositions of raw and cooked Cape snoek. We wanted to quantify its nutritional value and make the information available to consumers and processors, so that it can be used as part of the nutritional tables of South African foodstuffs and in academic databases," Prof Hoffman explains.

The research team analysed the flesh samples of ten flecked Cape snoek (Thyrsites atun) at the laboratory of the Department of Animal Sciences at Stellenbosch University.

As part of ongoing postgraduate research collaboration and support between CPUT and SU, Henning and Hoffman have combined their efforts over the past seven years to study aspects of snoek and other types of fish as a food source. In this regard MTech students from CPUT who are investigating aspects of fish meat regularly make use of the research facilities available at Stellenbosch University's Department of Animal Sciences, home of SARChI Research Chair.

Reference: Henning, S.S. & Hoffman, L.C. (2017). Proximate and fatty acid composition of cooked South African Cape snoek (Thyrsites atun), South African Journal of Science, May 2017

Maties Swimming's Emma Chelius was only eight months old when she attended her first water safety lesson.

Approximately 20 years later this third-year BCom Management Accounting student at Stellenbosch has been selected for the SA team heading to Budapest, Hungary, for the 17th FINA World Championships taking place from 23-30 July.

"It (the selection) has come as a bit of a surprise but I think it's going to be an incredible opportunity and a great learning experience to race against some of the greatest swimmers in the world! It's always an honour swimming for South Africa so I'm really looking forward to it," said Emma, who has represented South Africa at Junior World Championship level.

She caught the eye of selectors at the South African Senior National Swimming Championships in April where she swam qualifying times for the Summer Universiade (World Student Games) in both the 50m and 100m freestyle events on her way to two silver medals. She was also a silver medallist in the 50m butterfly event.

The 29th Summer Universiade takes place in Taipei, Taiwan, in August. The team must still be announced.

As a full-time student it isn't always easy to balance sport and academic demands, but Emma has found that she works best under pressure and is most efficient when she has little time.

"Maties Swimming is really accommodating with regards to lecture times and tests or exams, which helps a lot. It's also been a real blessing having friends who support and help me catch up when I am away competing and miss class. Although I hate missing out on social events, I have learnt to prioritise my work and my training.

"I think being a successful student-athlete is about realising that you have to sacrifice some of the fun things for your sport, but in return you may be rewarded with the results you have worked for."

Emma trains around 14 hours in the pool and two hours in the gym per week.

She is working towards becoming a qualified Chartered Management Accountant, and registering with the Chartered Institute of Management Accounting (CIMA). She would also love to start her own business one day.

For her, the best part about swimming is racing at galas and making new friends with people from all backgrounds.

And the worst part? "Jumping into a pool in winter!"

Maties Swimming is a High Performance club that caters for serious swimmers and elite performers as well as swimmers who just want to keep fit. It is an open club with approximately 160 members, of which 40 are students. The club is very proud of Emma.

"Your passion and dedication is an inspiration to all of us at Maties Swimming," they said.

• Maties swimmers and Rhenish learners Kiara Noades and Inge Weidemann have been selected to represent South Africa at the 6th FINA Junior World Champs, to be held in the USA from 23-28 August.
  
  

The Rector's Management Team this afternoon decided to postpone exams scheduled for Wednesday 7 June. This is also applicable to other forms of assessment. Staff members are requested to liaise with their line managers to make appropriate arrangements to work from home. All SU libraries will also be closed tomorrow, but library users can e-mail libraryhelp@sun.ac.za with urgent library enquiries.

Tygerberg Campus: All academic and clinical activities are suspendedfor Wednesday 7 June. 

Please make safety a priority:

• Report emergencies at 021 808 2333 (Stellenbosch Campus)
• Pedestrian escort service on campus: 021 808 4666 (WhatsApp 082 808 2333).
• SU Crisis Service (counselling and support): 082 557 0880

Dear Colleagues and Students

In light of the severe weather warnings issued by the South African Weather Service for Wednesday 7 June 2017, and the related safety concerns, our Stellenbosch University Management this afternoon decided to postpone all exams scheduled for Wednesday 7 June. Relevant information regarding the rescheduling of tomorrow's exams will be uploaded on the University's website (www.sun.ac.za) 

This comes after the Western Cape Government (click here for statement) earlier today announced that all schools in the province would be closed tomorrow. According to the South African Weather Service the Western Cape would experience gale force winds and heavy rains, with the related risks of flooding, over an extended period on Wednesday, starting tonight (Tuesday 6 June).  The Western Cape Government has also advised road users to rather stay indoors to ensure that emergency vehicles can reach affected areas much faster.

STAFF MEMBERS

Staff members are requested to liaise with their line managers to make appropriate arrangements to work from home. Applications for leave of absence are to be submitted (in other words, not "annual leave").

Each University division should make internal arrangements for essential services and ensure that staff members are available by telephone or email should further arrangements become necessary.

We have taken this decision in the interest of the safety of our staff and students. We trust that the situation will be back to normal by Thursday 8 June.

Kind regards

Prof Nico Koopman

Acting Rector and Vice-Chancellor

​The following article by Stellenbosch University Rector and Vice-Chancellor Prof Wim de Villiers was published by University World News recently. It is based on his input for a panel discussion on "Safe spaces – university culture wars" at the British Council's Going Global conference in London on 23 May 2017.

Read the article below, or click here to read it online on the UWN website.

******************

Building bridges between the online and offline worlds

By Wim de Villiers

To many of us in academia, social media is nothing more than a nuisance. Something we try to ignore, at best tolerate and secretly hate with a passion.

And who can blame us? With their smartphones and their hashtags our students are 'liberating' our campuses for causes of their own making. Like #FeesMustFall, #EndOutsourcing and #EndRapeCulture. Starting virtual firestorms raging through the hallowed halls of our universities. Consuming our most precious resources – time and peace of mind.

I'm being ironic, of course. Let me make that clear before somebody quotes me out of context. Probably too late already. Never mind – #TruthWillTrumpAll … yeah, right!

I'll start over. If the landscape we find ourselves in seems unfamiliar, that's because it is. The world has changed, and we had better catch up if we want the university to remain an institution for the ages.

In the beginning was Google

Consider for a moment that those knocking on the doors of higher learning today have always known the internet. In their beginning the word was Google. And Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat et al. Each a 'killer app' in more ways than one.

Especially to those of us who grew up before computers (BC), who can even recall a time before television (which was only introduced widely in South Africa in 1976).

Talk about a clash of civilisations! We live in different realities – an online one and a physical, or offline, one – where we speak different 'languages' (social conventions and codes). And it can be disorientating to navigate between the worlds.

In the offline realm, things can be controlled – well, some stuff, some of the time. That's harder online – especially if social media is thrown into the mix. Much harder.

Actually, 'social' is a bit of a misnomer if you compare it to the depth and breadth of human interaction in the offline world. There is none of the instantaneous feedback of a face-to-face conversation. The kind packed with all kinds of cues allowing participants to adapt their messages – even mid-sentence – as they deliver them.

The other thing often lacking in social media is context. It is the consumer of content who determines meaning in the main, not so much the intention of the speaker or the circumstances under which utterances are made.

And there is a degree of permanence in social media that is unparalleled in history. Every word you say, every tweet you make, the trolls will be watching you … ready to pounce.

There's lots of that in social media. Ad hominem attacks. Angry condemnation. With scant regard for the facts. No willingness to hear the other side.

There's very little open discussion in the Socratic sense of the word, an argument in which the participants search for answers together. That would be far too boring. And unsuccessful. Such an argument would reach an evolutionary dead end as a "thought germ", as the educational YouTuber CGP Grey calls it. It would not go viral.

Hence the polarisation we see online. The herding of people into us-and-them camps. The echo chambers where existing opinions are merely reinforced. The mobilisation through vilification.

Bridging the divide

So, what do we do? How do we deal with the rapid transformation that university culture is undergoing? How do we bridge the divides, heal the rifts?

First, we acknowledge that there are different realities. That the new generation experiences the world in a fundamentally different way. That they have migrated a part of their very identity to the cloud.

That is a reality that needs to be validated – as much as we need to reassert the validity of the best that higher education has to offer as an institution. As professors and administrators we need to engage with our students – build trust, cultivate the values that we cherish.

We need to lead by example. Stand up for our convictions yet remain open to persuasion. Hold others accountable, but also take responsibility for our own actions. Further human dignity through behaviour that is respectful – self-respect, respect for others and respect for the environment.

We need to be present, where students are in the offline reality and engage with them in situations where meaningful discussion is possible. We need to demonstrate deep listening – including using social media to help us in doing this – in order to promote the listening culture that we would like to see. We need to build consensus around common values.

These are some of the insights of experienced staff members at my university working in student affairs and in corporate communication. That's important – to approach social media in higher education in a professional way, to keep on learning as we go along.

We are in this together, students and staff, across the generations. Advancing social justice should be our joint concern. It is our job as educators to enable our students to become constructive agents of change – to gain useful knowledge and to use it for social transformation.

Behind the hashtag FeesMustFall is the important issue of making higher education more widely accessible, clearing financial obstacles out of the way. That's a goal we can all agree on

Similarly, the campaign around outsourcing shone a much needed spotlight on the importance of respecting the human dignity of all workers on our campuses, ensuring that everyone earns at least a living wage. And the mobilisation against rape culture highlighted ongoing problems with sexual assault and gender-based violence at our universities.

These are issues that deserve attention in any reality, whether online or offline.

The Iimbovane Outreach Project has received a generous donation of books, which will be used to help in the teaching of biodiversity science to the high school learners. 

The donation of 50 copies of the first ever guide to ants of southern Africa, was made possible by the Mapula Trust and the author, Peter Slingsby. While Peter is well renowned for his maps, he is also an avid ant enthusiast and author of several books on rock art of the southern Cape and Cederberg.

His new book, Ants of Southern Africa: a Friendly Guide was published in March 2017.

The donation was handed over during a presentation by Peter where he explained how his lifelong passion for ants translated into a brilliant new field guide. His passion started from a young age, sparked by a book written by the eminent South African entomologist, Sydney Harold Skaife, and continued throughout his adult life.

What struck Peter was the lack of knowledge on ants freely available to the public. He decided to solve this by writing the book which contains high quality photographs of live ants.

"Botanists use dried plants in herbaria, which the public will get bored of, as the need to see the live plants to gain interest; similarly, scientists need pinned ants in a reference collection for studies, the public however, need to see live ants" explains Peter.

With inputs and guidance from some of the world's leading experts, Peter has filled 256 full-colour pages with descriptions of some 250 species, with mentions of 400 more. The book is filled with fabulous drawings by Peter, photographs by Philip Herbst, and the best of fifty images from iSpot contributors. iSpot is an online community wherein anyone can post and contribute to identification of photographs of any living organism.

Over the years, Peter has worked with several environmental education organisations, teaching children about ants and myrmechochory (seed dispersal by ants). Upon hearing about the work that Iimbovane does, Peter, with the financial support from the Mapula Trust, donated 50 copies of the guide book to the Iimbovane ant project.

Iimbovane is a science outreach project, based at the Stellenbosch University, which uses ants as a model species to teach learners about biodiversity and science. 

"This is a very welcome addition to the resources of the Iimbovane project. We will use the donated books during our workshops and field excursions to introduce learners to the full diversity of the species. The brilliant photographs and ants facts will be used to enrich our classroom lessons on ant biology, their social behaviour and biological classification. These books are instrumental in our efforts to educate the youth about biodiversity" says Dorette du Plessis, from the Iimbovane ant project.

For more information about the book, contact Peter at slingsby@icon.co.za

The book can be ordered from www.slingsbymaps.com 

On the photo, Dorette du Plessis from the Iimbivane-ant project with the writer, Peter Slingsby

​A researcher at Stellenbosch University (SU) has developed a set of evidence-based guidelines that will improve the treatment of chronic musculoskeletal pain (CMSP), specifically in the South African context.

CMSP has a negative impact on health and influences physical abilities, psychological health as well as the ability to perform everyday tasks.

"CMSP is a global healthcare concern and affects people of different ages, genders and cultural groups. It is a key cause of disability and affects the health and quality of life of the individual," explains Dr Dawn Ernstzen of the Division of Physiotherapy in SU's Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences.

Ernstzen recently obtained her doctorate in physiotherapy from SU, researching the manner in which CMSP is currently being treated in South Africa, as well as facilitators of and barriers to such treatment.

CMSP refers to pain associated with joints, muscles, tendons and nerves that persists for longer than 12 weeks, and thus beyond the expected healing time. It increases with age and can be symptomatic of various conditions, for example osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, spinal pain (e.g. lower back pain), tendon injuries and headaches. In some cases, the patient experiences the pain for years.

Having worked with many patients with chronic pain, Ernstzen says she wanted to contribute to easier access for healthcare workers and patients to treatment options for musculoskeletal care. She also wished to tell patients' stories about how this pain influences them.

As part of her study, Ernstzen designed a clinical guideline framework to treat CMSP in South Africa, where a substantial proportion of people who seek primary healthcare do so because of musculoskeletal concerns.

Part of her research conducted amongst 20 patients (aged 30-70 years) and 21 clinicians (aged 23-63 years) at three different healthcare centres in the Western Cape, indicated that CMSP influences people's ability to move their joints and perform everyday activities. It also influenced their general well-being and impacted their ability to participate in leisure activities and work.

Ernstzen used the information about practice patterns, barriers and facilitators to inform the guideline framework and render it specific to the South African context. The information was also used to develop a "model" clinical pathway for the treatment of patients who have been diagnosed with CMSP.

Her clinical guidelines contain statements about various interventions or strategies that can be used to treat CMSP. Some statements contain additional information that might influence decision-making about a particular intervention in the South African context.

"The guidelines highlight that CMSP should not be treated with medication alone, and that rehabilitation in the form of physical activity (exercise), psychological support and patient empowerment plays an important role in the management offered to the patient.

"The guidelines advocate a patient-centred approach, which may lead to a focus on patient-specific needs and enhanced patient satisfaction. Patient empowerment and education are some of the key recommendations, in order to empower patients with knowledge about their condition and ways to maintain their own wellness while living with this pain."

According to Ernstzen, the guideline framework can provide quick solutions to clinicians about CMSP treatment options, as well as the evidence base for each treatment option.

"It provides a quick guide regarding recognised strategies to treat CMSP and easy access to up-to-date relevant information, which can save time and improve efficacy."

The guidelines furthermore suggest a "model" pathway for patient care in the healthcare system, outlining the various healthcare practitioners that could be involved in treatment, such as nurses, doctors, physiotherapists, occupational therapists and mental health practitioners. This pathway for referring the patient from one practitioner to another can enhance efficacy and patient outcomes.

According to Ernstzen the clinical guidelines could potentially improve patient and also healthcare system outcomes, such as efficiency, cost and resources. But for this to happen, the guidelines should be implemented.

"Such implementation needs to be supported by policy and health systems and health policies should recognise CMSP as a chronic condition.

"Once implemented, the guideline recommendations could improve patients' knowledge and understanding of the condition, enhance coping skills, strength and flexibility and improve functional abilities."

Since more work needs to be done to finalise the guidelines, Ernstzen has set her sights on a pilot implementation within the next four years.

Caption: Chronic musculoskeletal pain has a negative impact on health and influences physical abilities, psychological health as well as the ability to perform everyday tasks.

Thursday (8 June 2017) is World Oceans Day. In an article published on The Conversation website on Tuesday (6 June 2017), Prof Sophie von der Heyden, from the Department of Botany and Zoology, writes that we must look after our oceans because without them our chances of survival are low.

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

Time to reflect on the big blue

Sophie von der Heyden*

World Oceans Day, an international event that is commemorated on the 8th June every year, is a chance to reflect on the importance of oceans, whether you live next to the sea or many thousands of kilometres inland. Most of us do not realise the impact of the oceans on our daily lives, nor how humanity has changed vast parts of the big blue and its inhabitants. About one quarter of all species live in the sea (roughly about 2.2 million, with the current estimates of all species on earth at about 8.7 million) and their linkages with us are far-reaching and more pervasive than we can imagine.

Oceans are key to our survival

Water covers about 71% of the planet's surface, which means that it is not only home to much of life on earth, but it is also closely involved in many functions that provide a stable environment for life to thrive. For example, oceans are an integral part of our weather and climate patterns, absorbing, storing and redistributing heat through currents and they play a critical role in maintaining stable climates. They are also the largest absorbers of carbon dioxide (CO2), one of the greenhouse gasses that actively contribute to global warming.

Oceans absorb about one quarter of all CO2 produced by human activities, providing an invaluable service to life on land, especially in mitigating some of the effects of human driven climate change. In addition, microscopic plants, called phytoplankton produce between half to 70% of all oxygen. To put this into perspective, researchers have tried to calculate how much oxygen humans use just for breathing, a figure that comes to over 6 billion tonnes of oxygen per year.

The oceans also provide many other important benefits; they have been extensively used to transport goods around the globe and they are a source of renewable energy from the action of wind and waves. Marine waters are also a potential goldmine for the pharmaceutical industry with some bacteria, sponges and algae showing great promise for treatments for diseases such as cancer. It is difficult to put a price on all of this, but researchers have tried to provide a monetary estimate of all that the oceans provide for humanity and arrived at a conservative value of a about US$2.5 trillion per year. Add to that the spiritual and cultural benefits and the sheer fun of being at the beach and the list of ocean services becomes very impressive.

So why a World Oceans Day?

If it isn't a 'catch of the day', we tend to forget about the myriad of life beneath the waves. This diversity is fantastic, from tiny microscopic plants and animals to the largest mammal that has ever existed on earth, the blue whale. Ocean life has evolved to inhabit many different kinds of environments, from the ocean surface to the deepest known point at about 11,000m and a range from frozen seas to tropical coral reefs. World Oceans Day celebrates this diversity and reminds us of the importance of the big blue. It also serves to highlight the plight that the oceans are facing from continued anthropogenic pressures.

Most people are aware that many of the fish, crustacean and shellfish stocks in South Africa and beyond are overfished and that the bounty of the sea is a fraction of what it should be. With over a billion people relying on protein provided directly by the ocean, it is easy to how much pressure humans are putting on natural resources.

Climate change too has contributed towards changing the temperatures and chemistry of the oceans. As the levels of CO₂ have been increasing in the atmosphere, so has the uptake of this gas into marine waters. The next effect has been that some parts of the ocean are getting more acidic, which is a real problem for some animals and plants that rely on calcium carbonate as part of their bodies, that are literally dissolving in these new environments.

In addition, temperatures have also been changing in the oceans, which has led to large-scale shifts in marine life; for example, in their search for cooler some fish species in the North Atlantic have been documented to shift their ranges towards the North Pole or into greater depths. Pollution, as effluent, agricultural run off that includes fertilisers and pesticides and plastics are also heavily contributing towards killing marine species at unprecedented rates.

As a global collective, with many of us living far from the coastline, we need to become more aware of the far-reaching consequences of our daily activities and how these play out not only on land, but also in the sea. All of us should be contributing towards the safeguarding of the big blue, because without it the chances of our own survival are very low indeed. So let's celebrate World Oceans Day and with it our future.   

---------------------

*Sophie von der Heyden is an Associate Professor of Marine Genomics and Conservation in the Department of Botany and Zoology at Stellenbosch University. She is the author of the popular 'Southern African Seashores – a Guide for Young Explorers' (2012) published by Struik Nature. 

The following article by Stellenbosch University Rector and Vice-Chancellor Prof Wim de Villiers was published by University World News recently. It is based on his input for a panel discussion on "Safe spaces – university culture wars" at the British Council's Going Global conference in London on 23 May 2017.

Read the article below, or click here to read it online on the UWN website.

*************

Building bridges between the online and offline worlds

By Wim de Villiers

To many of us in academia, social media is nothing more than a nuisance. Something we try to ignore, at best tolerate and secretly hate with a passion.

And who can blame us? With their smartphones and their hashtags our students are 'liberating' our campuses for causes of their own making. Like #FeesMustFall, #EndOutsourcing and #EndRapeCulture. Starting virtual firestorms raging through the hallowed halls of our universities. Consuming our most precious resources – time and peace of mind.

I'm being ironic, of course. Let me make that clear before somebody quotes me out of context. Probably too late already. Never mind – #TruthWillTrumpAll … yeah, right!

I'll start over. If the landscape we find ourselves in seems unfamiliar, that's because it is. The world has changed, and we had better catch up if we want the university to remain an institution for the ages.

In their beginning was Google

Consider for a moment that those knocking on the doors of higher learning today have always known the internet. In their beginning the word was Google. And Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat et al. Each a 'killer app' in more ways than one.

Especially to those of us who grew up before computers (BC), who can even recall a time before television (which was only introduced widely in South Africa in 1976).

Talk about a clash of civilisations! We live in different realities – an online one and a physical, or offline, one – where we speak different 'languages' (social conventions and codes). And it can be disorientating to navigate between the worlds.

In the offline realm, things can be controlled – well, some stuff, some of the time. That's harder online – especially if social media is thrown into the mix. Much harder.

Actually, 'social' is a bit of a misnomer if you compare it to the depth and breadth of human interaction in the offline world.There is none of the instantaneous feedback of a face-to-face conversation. The kind packed with all kinds of cues allowing participants to adapt their messages – even mid-sentence – as they deliver them.

The other thing often lacking in social media is context. It is the consumer of content who determines meaning in the main, not so much the intention of the speaker or the circumstances under which utterances are made.

And there is a degree of permanence in social media that is unparalleled in history. Every word you say, every tweet you make, the trolls will be watching you … ready to pounce.

There's lots of that in social media. Ad hominem attacks. Angry condemnation. With scant regard for the facts. No willingness to hear the other side.

There's very little open discussion in the Socratic sense of the word, an argument in which the participants search for answers together. That would be far too boring. And unsuccessful. Such an argument would reach an evolutionary dead end as a "thought germ", as the educational YouTuber CGP Grey calls it. It would not go viral.

Hence the polarisation we see online. The herding of people into us-and-them camps. The echo chambers where existing opinions are merely reinforced. The mobilisation through vilification.

Bridging the divide

So, what do we do? How do we deal with the rapid transformation that university culture is undergoing? How do we bridge the divides, heal the rifts?

First, we acknowledge that there are different realities. That the new generation experiences the world in a fundamentally different way. That they have migrated a part of their very identity to the cloud.

That is a reality that needs to be validated – as much as we need to reassert the validity of the best that higher education has to offer as an institution. As professors and administrators we need to engage with our students – build trust, cultivate the values that we cherish.

We need to lead by example. Stand up for our convictions yet remain open to persuasion. Hold others accountable, but also take responsibility for our own actions. Further human dignity through behaviour that is respectful – self-respect, respect for others and respect for the environment.

We need to be present, where students are in the offline reality and engage with them in situations where meaningful discussion is possible. We need to demonstrate deep listening – including using social media to help us in doing this – in order to promote the listening culture that we would like to see. We need to build consensus around common values.

These are some of the insights of experienced staff members at my university working in student affairs and in corporate communication. That's important – to approach social media in higher education in a professional way, to keep on learning as we go along.

We are in this together, students and staff, across the generations. Advancing social justice should be our joint concern. It is our job as educators to enable our students to become constructive agents of change – to gain useful knowledge and to use it for social transformation.

Behind the hashtag FeesMustFall is the important issue of making higher education more widely accessible, clearing financial obstacles out of the way. That's a goal we can all agree on

Similarly, the campaign around outsourcing shone a much needed spotlight on the importance of respecting the human dignity of all workers on our campuses, ensuring that everyone earns at least a living wage. And the mobilisation against rape culture highlighted ongoing problems with sexual assault and gender-based violence at our universities.

These are issues that deserve attention in any reality, whether online or offline.

​The following article by Stellenbosch University Rector and Vice-Chancellor Prof Wim de Villiers was published by University World News recently. It is based on his input for a panel discussion on "Safe spaces – university culture wars" at the British Council's Going Global conference in London on 23 May 2017.

Read the article below, or click here to read it online on the UWN website.

******************

Building bridges between the online and offline worlds

By Wim de Villiers

To many of us in academia, social media is nothing more than a nuisance. Something we try to ignore, at best tolerate and secretly hate with a passion.

And who can blame us? With their smartphones and their hashtags our students are 'liberating' our campuses for causes of their own making. Like #FeesMustFall, #EndOutsourcing and #EndRapeCulture. Starting virtual firestorms raging through the hallowed halls of our universities. Consuming our most precious resources – time and peace of mind.

I'm being ironic, of course. Let me make that clear before somebody quotes me out of context. Probably too late already. Never mind – #TruthWillTrumpAll … yeah, right!

I'll start over. If the landscape we find ourselves in seems unfamiliar, that's because it is. The world has changed, and we had better catch up if we want the university to remain an institution for the ages.

In their beginning was Google

Consider for a moment that those knocking on the doors of higher learning today have always known the internet. In their beginning the word was Google. And Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat et al. Each a 'killer app' in more ways than one.

Especially to those of us who grew up before computers (BC), who can even recall a time before television (which was only introduced widely in South Africa in 1976).

Talk about a clash of civilisations! We live in different realities – an online one and a physical, or offline, one – where we speak different 'languages' (social conventions and codes). And it can be disorientating to navigate between the worlds.

In the offline realm, things can be controlled – well, some stuff, some of the time. That's harder online – especially if social media is thrown into the mix. Much harder.

Actually, 'social' is a bit of a misnomer if you compare it to the depth and breadth of human interaction in the offline world.There is none of the instantaneous feedback of a face-to-face conversation. The kind packed with all kinds of cues allowing participants to adapt their messages – even mid-sentence – as they deliver them.

The other thing often lacking in social media is context. It is the consumer of content who determines meaning in the main, not so much the intention of the speaker or the circumstances under which utterances are made.

And there is a degree of permanence in social media that is unparalleled in history. Every word you say, every tweet you make, the trolls will be watching you … ready to pounce.

There's lots of that in social media. Ad hominem attacks. Angry condemnation. With scant regard for the facts. No willingness to hear the other side.

There's very little open discussion in the Socratic sense of the word, an argument in which the participants search for answers together. That would be far too boring. And unsuccessful. Such an argument would reach an evolutionary dead end as a "thought germ", as the educational YouTuber CGP Grey calls it. It would not go viral.

Hence the polarisation we see online. The herding of people into us-and-them camps. The echo chambers where existing opinions are merely reinforced. The mobilisation through vilification.

Bridging the divide

So, what do we do? How do we deal with the rapid transformation that university culture is undergoing? How do we bridge the divides, heal the rifts?

First, we acknowledge that there are different realities. That the new generation experiences the world in a fundamentally different way. That they have migrated a part of their very identity to the cloud.

That is a reality that needs to be validated – as much as we need to reassert the validity of the best that higher education has to offer as an institution. As professors and administrators we need to engage with our students – build trust, cultivate the values that we cherish.

We need to lead by example. Stand up for our convictions yet remain open to persuasion. Hold others accountable, but also take responsibility for our own actions. Further human dignity through behaviour that is respectful – self-respect, respect for others and respect for the environment.

We need to be present, where students are in the offline reality and engage with them in situations where meaningful discussion is possible. We need to demonstrate deep listening – including using social media to help us in doing this – in order to promote the listening culture that we would like to see. We need to build consensus around common values.

These are some of the insights of experienced staff members at my university working in student affairs and in corporate communication. That's important – to approach social media in higher education in a professional way, to keep on learning as we go along.

We are in this together, students and staff, across the generations. Advancing social justice should be our joint concern. It is our job as educators to enable our students to become constructive agents of change – to gain useful knowledge and to use it for social transformation.

Behind the hashtag FeesMustFall is the important issue of making higher education more widely accessible, clearing financial obstacles out of the way. That's a goal we can all agree on

Similarly, the campaign around outsourcing shone a much needed spotlight on the importance of respecting the human dignity of all workers on our campuses, ensuring that everyone earns at least a living wage. And the mobilisation against rape culture highlighted ongoing problems with sexual assault and gender-based violence at our universities.

These are issues that deserve attention in any reality, whether online or offline.

Westvaal Stellenbosch has recently announced that it will be extending the sponsorhip of a Chev Utility bakkie for the botanical garden for a period of six months. Beside the use in support of gardening activities the bakkie is also used for plantcollecting and conservation work and the support of various community greening inititaives in and around Stellenbosch.

Before Westvaal sponsored the bakkie in 2016 the Botanical Garden did not have a vehicle for years. "Beside the costs the Botanical Garden saves on transport it is also a huge boost to the moral of staff. For years our staff has been using their own cars for transporting material and plants that often their own vehicles were never meant to carry", Martin Smit explained. "When only a bakkie could do a job, work often had to be delayed until one could be rented. We are very excited to have this vehicle at our disposal and the efficiency that it will bring to our work. We are very grateful that local businesses recognise and support our role as a community asset. We look forward to a long fruitful relationship with Westvaal Stellenbosch."