Prof Nando Ferreira's passion for limb reconstruction finds expression in all facets of his work. 

Ferreira (40) has been working in the Division of Orthopaedic Surgery of the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences at Stellenbosch University (SU) since last year. As Head of the newly established Clinical Unit: Tumour, Sepsis and Reconstruction, he is planning a number of exciting projects, such as the year long training programme that he has already established for qualified orthopaedists who wish to gain more experience in limb reconstruction.

His main research interest is limb reconstruction, and more specifically the treatment of muscoskeletal infections, deformity correction and post-traumatic limb reconstruction, among others where nonunion of fractures and bone loss have occurred.

“It is a relatively new field in orthopaedics and new techniques are established all the time," he says. “Furthermore, South Africa has very specific challenges regarding pathology and infrastructure, which often means that problems are tackled differently than in First World countries. This leads to unique approaches to complex problems which First World countries may not often encounter."

Ferreira is currently President of the South African Limb Lengthening and Reconstruction Society, of which he was a founding member in 2013. He was promoted to associate professor in August this year and is a popular speaker in South Africa and abroad.

He was born and bred in KwaZulu-Natal and speaks Afrikaans, English and Zulu. At school – first in Pietermaritzburg and later in Durban – he not only excelled academically, but was also awarded colours in swimming, rugby and athletics.

After matric he obtained a BSc degree at SU, majoring in human physiology and genetics, and then studied medicine, also at SU. According to him it was an easy choice to return to  KwaZulu-Natal for his internship and community service year.

Orthopaedics interested him from the outset and he commenced his formal orthopaedics training in 2006 at the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN).

When limb reconstruction crossed his training path, he immediately realised this was what he wanted to do. After having completed all available courses in this field in South Africa, he went to Russia in 2011 for further training in specific techniques. Afterwards he was appointed to a consultant position at the UKZN where he – in his own words – had the privilege to learn a lot about muscoskeletal infection treatment under the competent leadership of Dr Len Marais, Head of the Department of Orthopaedics.

His love of research led to several publications on limb reconstruction, as well as the development of specific approaches to problems that crossed their path. For instance, Ferreira and Marais were the first surgeons who described bone transport through an induced membrane.

In 2015 he was awarded his doctorate with a dissertation titled “The Outcome of Tibial Non-Union Treatment Using a Revised Definition, Classification System and Management Strategy". In March the following year he left Grey Hospitaal in Pietermaritzburg, where he worked as a medical specialist, and joined SU.

Ferreira is married to Yvette, a radiographer, and they have three children.

His main interest outside work is “anything with two wheels". He is the proud owner of a 2010 Harley Davidson and a 1984 Vespa, and is restoring a 1942 Harley Davidson WLC from the Second World War. Before he exchanged Pietermaritzburg for the Western Cape, he became interested in mountain bike riding and regards himself as fortunate to have moved to a place with so many excellent mountain bike routes.

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

In developing countries – and particularly in sub-Saharan Africa – most primary care services are offered by nurses, not doctors as is the case in developed countries. In addition most of the doctors have no specific training in family medicine or primary care.

South Africa is no exception. But the country has been experimenting with a different approach. Over the past few decades, family physicians (specialists in family medicine) have been sent to work in the district health system. The result is that many community health centres and district hospitals now have family physicians. The numbers are still small with on average two family physicians per health district. The country has 52 health districts.

We set out to evaluate how family physicians are contributing to South Africa's district health system. As part of our study, we looked at the impact of family physicians in district hospitals and community health centres across seven provinces.

While South Africa has better human resources for health than most other African countries, it is still less than comparable to middle income countries such as Brazil. South Africa has about 77 doctors per 100,000 people compared to 206 for every 100,000 people in Brazil. And of the available doctors, only about 41% work in the public sector that looks after 80% of the population. Doctors are concentrated in urban areas and coverage varies between provinces. Currently there is about one for every 100,000 people in the country in total. In the public sector, this translates into 0.3 for every 100,000 people. By comparison, Brazil has twice as many family physicians.

South Africa's health needs are considerable because it faces a quadruple burden of disease in the form of HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis; maternal and child health problems; non-communicable diseases; as well as trauma and violence-related injuries.

We found that South Africa's family physicians are making a significant contribution to health care. They are improving access to quality care and reduce the need to refer patients elsewhere. This is because they are bringing a more comprehensive set of clinical competencies closer to the community and strengthening the whole health care team.

They also improve the organisation of care for patients and the quality of care for conditions such as HIV, TB, mental health, non-communicable diseases, maternal, child and emergency care. As a result, the health and well-being of millions of people who can't afford medical insurance are being improved. This was confirmed by district hospital managers as well as their co-workers.

And in the context of improving health care in South Africa, our study has underpinned the need for more family physicians to be employed in the public health systems, particularly in isolated areas.

What are family physicians?

Most regions of the world, apart from Africa, have well established postgraduate training programmes in family medicine for their doctors. In some countries, such as the UK, it is now compulsory for general practitioners to have such training. These countries recognise the complexity of assessing and managing undifferentiated health problems in primary care.

In the African context additional competencies are required to work in district hospitals. Unlike general practitioners and medical officers, family physicians complete four years of additional training after their basic degree.

In South Africa, family physicians are a relatively new innovation in the health system. They were only formally recognised in 2007 as specialists in family medicine.

A two-year diploma in family medicine has also recently been created to meet the learning needs of doctors working in the district health system that do not want to specialise.

The additional training makes family physicians expert medical generalists who are not only competent clinicians, but also consultants, capacity builders, leaders of quality improvement and champions of community-oriented primary care.

In the public sector, family physicians are employed in district hospitals, often in rural areas where there are no other specialists and significant skills gaps in current service provision. They are also trained to work in primary health care. There they support the multidisciplinary team of medical officers, nurses, community health workers and other allied health workers.

Next steps

For family physicians to really make a difference in the public sector, there should be at least one placed at every district hospital and community health centre in the country. This means that there should initially be 700 family physicians employed in the public sector. Currently there are just over 1,000 family physicians registered in South Africa – but less than a third work in the public sector.

The placement of family physicians in the public sector isn't always ideal. This is because there is still confusion in national policy and different interpretations on how best to employ family physicians. Provinces are employing them in different ways – sometimes using them as members of district clinical specialist teams or to fill gaps in the system when they lack clinical managers or other specialists.

But South Africa can't afford to duck the problem. One of its commitments in the UN's sustainable development goals is to improve universal health coverage in the country. If this is to become a reality, employing more well-trained family physicians in the country's district health system is an important step.

Caption: Dr Klaus von Pressentin and Prof Bob Mash.

Thanks to funding provided by Stellenbosch University's (SU) Fund for Innovation and Research into Learning and Teaching (FIRLT), video-conferencing facilities and off-site neurology training can now be implemented at three clinical learning centres across the Western Cape.

The aim of this project is to facilitate online tutorials, collaboration and research between the University's Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences and the clinical platform, with the ultimate goal of improving patient care.

The SUNStream-integrated setup – which makes use of a smart television, the Adobe Connect app, a webcam, as well as a wireless keyboard and mouse – will be installed at Khayelitsha Hospital, Worcester Hospital and Ceres Hospital – three hospitals where Stellenbosch University medical students currently train. The research arm of the project will be centred around the students' learning experiences and whether they find the video-conferencing facilities useful, or not.

“The project originates from the fact that we give tutorials to final-year medical students, and that students on clinical rotations at Khayelitsha Hospital need to return to Tygerberg Hospital for these tutorials," explains Prof Jonathan Carr, Head of the Division of Neurology at the Department of Medicine at SU's Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences (FMHS), and principal investigator on the project. This project would make it unnecessary for students to return to Tygerberg, since they could participate in the tutorials while training remotely.

The hospitals that form part of the project were selected on a historical basis. “The Division of Neurology has a long history of performing outreach to Worcester Hospital, and carrying out video tutorials has long been an ambition of mine," says Carr. “Part of our teaching platform consists of giving bedside tutorials in basic neurological assessment to final-year medical students. It seems utterly appropriate that we should endeavour to do the same for students who can't come to Tygerberg Hospital."

Students are sent to Khayelitsha and other community hospitals and clinics as part of the FMHS's community-based training initiative that enables students to receive training in the environments where they will work one day. “They're part of the final-year student intern group," Carr continues. “As do many students, they view neurology with some apprehension and are therefore keen to get as much teaching as possible."

In time, the project will save time and costs. “We should be able to cut down on the waste of time that's inherent to transport back and forth to Khayelitsha Hospital. We should also be able to demonstrate that it's possible to give what's effectively a bedside tutorial by long-distance video communication to students at Worcester," says Carr.

The project team has recently been joined by Dr Francois Coetzee, programme coordinator for SU's Rural Clinical School in Worcester. At his suggestion, the team is planning to also extend the video links to Ceres Hospital.

“A benefit of using the SUNStream platform is that video streaming can be done with very low bandwidth. The technology can also be used on different devices, including computers, cellphones and smart TVs," adds Coetzee. “The hope is that the neurology training will eventually lead to fewer and more appropriate referrals to secondary and tertiary-care facilities."

Caption: Prof Jonathan Carr, Head of the Division of Neurology at the Department of Medicine at SU's Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences (FMHS).

Photo: Damien Schumann

The Dean of the Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences at Stellenbosch University, Prof Ingrid Woolard, and economics Professor Ada Jansen of the same faculty, have been appointed as members of the panel that will review the current list of value-added tax (VAT) zero-rated items.

The following article was generated by African News Agency, and published in Creamer Media's Engineering News on 25 April 2018 (click here):

Finance Minister Nhlanhla Nene announced that Stellenbosch University's Professor Ingrid Woolard will chair the nine-member independent panel of experts that will review the current list of Value-Added Tax (VAT) zero-rated items.

Woolard is currently dean of Economic and Management Sciences at Stellenbosch University. The other members are: Ayabonga Cawe, Professor Ada Jansen, Dr Thabi Leoka, Dr Neva Makgetla, Lynn Moeng, Cecil Morden, Prenesh Ramphal and Professor Imraan Valodia. 

Last month, Nene made a commitment to appoint an independent panel of experts, under the Davis Tax Committee, and publish terms of reference to review the current list of VAT zero-rated items. The increase in the VAT rate from 14 to 15 percent took effect on 1 April.

National Treasury said that the panel's mandate is to review the current list of VAT-zero rated items and consider the most effective way to mitigate the impact of the increase in the VAT rate on poor and low-income households.

The panel will take public comments, convene hearings, and will engage with different stakeholders from civil society organisations, organised labour and business, and deliver an initial report with recommendations to the Davis Tax Committee and the minister by 30 June 2018.

South Africa's VAT system includes 19 basic food items that are zero-rated, including dried beans, samp, maize meal, mealie rice, vegetables, fruits, milk and rice. 

Treasury said the review will consider expanding the list of basic items that are VAT zero-rated, and consider how specific expenditure programmes can be improved to better target poor and low-income households.

My name is Willem Burmeister and I'm part of the Tygerberg Campus Security team. Any feedback or suggestions for us? Find us on the basement level of the Clinical Building, call 021 938 9507 or send a Whatsapp to 082 808 2333.

​Years on the job: October it will be 18 years.

Describe yourself in one sentence: Friendly, willing to assist, neat and loyal.

Nickname? Burrie. It's short for my surname.

What do you enjoy most about your job? To be able to help other people and then to see the appreciation on their faces.

What other passions do you have? I love gardening and outdoor activities such as hiking and mountain climbing.

Do you have a funny student story to tell? When first-year male students had to run stark naked from Hippokrates to Huis Francie... Among them was a guy on a bike without a saddle!

Favourite movie? Back Draft. I like drama with action.

Favourite music? Country, because it has deep stories. I also enjoy Afrikaans music.

Hidden talents? I draw quite well and like working with my hands.

Message to students? Always be considerate and report all criminal activities to Campus Security first. And if you party, do so responsibly. Your safety should always come first.

​
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​The Abe Bailey Trust again offers a travel bursary for a suitable student or junior lecturer attached to South African universities for an educational visit to the United Kingdom for the period 26 November 2018 to 22 December 2018.

CONDITIONS

1. Bursaries are awarded to persons who are academically strong (being on track to complete their current degree programme in the minimum required years) and who show exceptional leadership qualities and service, not only in student affairs, but also within a wider social context and who are able to function as part of a select and highly skilled group. Students should have completed their second year of university.
   
   
2. Applicants should be SA citizens, who hold valid passports and should not be older than 25 years when the tour starts on 26 November 2018.  This age restriction can be departed from, at the discretion of the Trustees, in the case of outstanding applicants.  It is desirable that applicants are sufficiently proficient in the English language so as to adapt to the other members of the tour party and to cope with those whom they will meet in the course of the Tour overseas.  They should also be physically fit in order to undertake the walking tours and cope with the intensive programme of activities.
   
   
3. All Bursars are expected to participate in the Tour for its full duration and to take part in all the programmed activities.  No bursar will be allowed to join the Tour later than 26 November 2018 or to interrupt the Tour. The tour ends officially on the 22 December 2018 in London. (Applicants who intend to apply for the Rhodes scholarship are strongly advised not apply for this bursary if it appears that the selection interview dates will clash with the Tour dates.)
   
   
4. Married persons will not be allowed to be accompanied by his or her spouse.

APPLICATIONS

1. There is no application form. Applications should be in English and should contain the following information: (Only complete submissions will be considered.)
   
   

• A personal letter of motivation as to why you are applying
• A current CV (including name and address, date of birth and nationality, schools attended)
• Three letters of reference (not older than 2 years)
• Copies of ID, matric certificate and university academic record
• Copies of school & university merit/achievement certificates (maximum 5 items)
• Details of leadership roles and social and community service, at school and at university
• Details of extra-curricular activities at school and university
• A brief statement of the dates and purpose of any previous visits undertaken to the United Kingdom
• Confirmation of a valid South African passport
  
  

PROCEDURE

1. Applications should be submitted to Robert Kotzé rk@sun.ac.za who will prepare them for a selection panel in collaboration with the Frederik van Zyl Slabbert Institute for  Student Leadership Development. Candidates will be shortlisted for interviews by a panel consisting of ex-Abe Bailey bursars and representatives from the SU International and Student Affairs.
   
   
2. After the interviews the names of the candidates with recommendations are submitted to the Rector for nomination. Only then will three candidates be nominated to the Trustees of the Abe Bailey Trust (closing date: 8th June 2018).
   
   
3. All applicants will be kept informed by e-mail about the progress of the selection process:
   
   

• Closing date: 16 May 2016
• Shortlisting: Week of 21 May 2018
• Interviews: Week of 28 May 2018
• Nomination by the Rector: Week of 4 June 2018
  
  

Robert Kotzé
SU International
rk@sun.ac.za

Heidi October
Frederik van Zyl Slabbert Institute for Student Leadership Development
heidioctober@sun.ac.za

Complete applications should be submitted electronically to Robert Kotzé at rk@sun.ac.za

CLOSING DATE:  16 May 2018

3 May 2018

Thank you to everyone who is contributing to make Stellenbosch University's Centenary special. This year, however, we are not only looking back on our journey thus far, but we are also looking ahead – to the road we still need to travel.

Our current roadmap, the University's Institutional Intent and Strategy 2013–2018 (IIS), including SU's Vision 2030, was drafted five years ago and expires this year. For this reason, we are hard at work on a new guiding document for the future.

Our Vision 2030 was to become increasingly “inclusive, innovative and future-focused: a place of discovery and excellence where both staff and students are thought leaders in advancing knowledge in the service of all stakeholders". And I believe we have done well in achieving that. We have broadened access to the University, built on our excellence and enhanced our societal impact.

Circumstances have changed since the IIS was drafted. We have seen important developments in our sector and the country as a whole, as well as on our continent and elsewhere. We are living in a rapidly changing world and must continue to change – not only to keep up, but to set the pace.

For the past two years already, we have been intensively working on a new framework for the future. This work is led by Prof Hester Klopper, Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Strategy and Internationalisation, and consists of three stages.

Stage 1 entails the drafting of the new vision, along with the strategic framework that defines the key strategic themes and the institutional objectives for each. As part of the drafting process, five task teams explored a range of aspects, and various levels of management provided input on several occasions. Staff and students were consulted on the University's values for the future. And Council also provided input, including on elements of a new vision, mission and the values of the University.

We are now in the home stretch of stage 1. The new strategic framework will be submitted to institutional structures, such as the Executive Committee of Senate, the Institutional Forum as well as Senate, before being tabled at Council for approval.  

Stage 2 will follow once Council has approved the new Vision 2040 and Strategic Framework 2019-2024. At that stage, the key strategic themes and objectives will be practically applied by setting context-specific objectives. This implies interaction with faculties and other environments to ensure alignment between the strategic framework and environment plans.

This will go hand in hand with stage 3 – namely bridging the gap between strategy planning and formulation on the one hand and strategy implementation on the other by way of appropriate structures and processes. This amounts to a new approach to integrated planning and implementation.

Thank you for all the contributions thus far. I encourage everyone to take part in the implementation discussions in their respective environments in the second semester. In this way, we will conclude SU's Centenary year on a high and enter our second century as a leading, research-intensive university in and for Africa with purpose.

Prof Wim de Villiers
Rector and Vice-Chancellor

Stellenbosch University (SU) joins Universities South Africa (USAf) and all other higher education institutions (HEIs) in the outrage at the general and gender violence in our country, communities and on our campuses.  USAf has issued a statement condemning the murder of a female student in what appears to have been gender-based violence at one of its member institutions this week.

Our higher education spaces are a microcosm of our broader society, with the brutality and violence that are part of social relationships, spilling over into student communities. SU is deeply aware of our role to equip our students to recognise and act against gender violence.

Our student support and development initiatives are geared towards making our students agents of change – not only so that we equip students to recognise abuse of power, gender violence and manifestations of rape culture, but also so that they can act on the structures and systems in our society that keep these ​entrenched.

SU's strategic positioning is anchored in creating and sustaining an environment of inclusivity, transformation, innovation and diversity, and maintaining excellence with a focus on the future. One of the challenges is to remove inequalities and discrimination from our higher education system and to strengthen human rights and democracy on our campuses. Please familiarise yourself with the Policy on Unfair Discrimination and Harassment. 

We are rolling out an ambitious training and awareness programme that will equip all students and staff with competencies to act on and change the practices, attitudes and beliefs on Rape Culture and gender violence embedded in our society.

We join Mangosuthu University of Technology in their grief around this incident and join hands with all HEIs in South Africa in making a difference.
 
Kind regards
Prof Arnold Schoonwinkel
Vice-Rector: Learning and Teaching

​​On face value, they are polar opposites: a professional soldier and a distinguished academic; the general and the professor. But in reality, both men are employees of the government and have a similar goal: to ensure students at the Military Academy in Saldanha are trained properly.

Their challenging task is to continue the Academy’s success story of the past 60 years, which started with a Memorandum of Agreement between the Department of Defence and the Faculty of Military Science at Stellenbosch University.

The newly appointed commandant of the Academy, Brig-Gen Gerald Pharo, took over the reins from Maj-Gen Lawrence Mbatha on 24 January 2018. Pharo’s office is next to that of Prof Samuel Tshehla, Dean of the Faculty of Military Science. The commandant of the Academy has the task to manage all military regimental aspects and overall functioning of the Academy, while supporting the academic function of the unit. The Dean’s obligations are to manage the academic affairs and ensure academic quality within the Faculty of Military Science.

“There is a good working relationship​ between the Military Academy and SU. What most people should remember is that SU and the Academy are by nature government organisations and both of us are government employees, but in different environments. The good relationship between the Department of Defence and SU is the mutual understanding and the fact that we share a vision that all officers of the future should be properly trained and well equipped for the challenges of the future. We share the same sentiments, vision and responsibilities,” says Pharo.

He is excited to have been appointed the commandant of the Military Academy. “The Academy is one of the flagship units and is intended to train young officers for future utilisation in the Department of Defence. The training ensures that they are properly educated, empowered and equipped to solve problems in future,” Pharo adds.

Then he shares his message for students: “I would like to remind them that they are serving members of the Department of Defence. As part of their service, they have been afforded an opportunity to study at the Military Academy. They should make the most of this, because it is an opportunity that only comes once in a lifetime, and there are hundreds of other members that would appreciate getting the same opportunity.”

Tshehla agrees, and says that students should grab this opportunity with both hands. “The State has sent them, paid for them and they are studying and earning a salary. It is also important to convey to other school-leavers that they could consider the Defence Force as a career. There are so many opportunities and choices of fields.”

Tshehla and Pharo are well aware of the high demands set on students at the Academy, especially in their first year, both from the academic and military sides. “We have fulltime students, both men and women in uniform. The military side requires them to be fit, while the academic side requires them to attend classes. There is a lot of pressure on the students and they need to balance their activities,” said Tshehla.

Should the Office of the Commandant and the Office of the Dean ever be at loggerheads, they find a way to ensure a balance between academic classes and military training.

Pharo shares his vision: “We need to build the Academy into a flagship that will be a competitive Military Academy, not only in Africa but internationally.”

Echoing Pharo’s sentiments, Tshehla says: “We want be the leader in professional military higher education and deliver thought leaders in military science. Ten years from now, before I retire as Dean, I would like the Academy to have 1 000 students.”

Here is the story of Gen Pharo and Prof Tshehla

​

The Military Academy participated in Stellenbosch University's Centenary celebrations on Saturday, March 2018. 

The day started with a commemorative march from Luckhoff, through the streets of Stellenbosch, by members of the Military Academy and residents of Stellenbosch, whilst the SA Navy band entertained the crowd.  The march was to acknowledge residents who had suffered during the forced evictions of the families living on “Die Vlakte".

Directly after the march, the Military Academy held a flag hoisting parade at Coetzenburg Stadium, where the parade was addressed by Lieutenant General Norman Yengeni (Chief Human Resources, representing the Chief of the SANDF, General Solly Shoke).  Lt Gen Yengeni highlighted that the Military Academy prides itself on being part of the university for the past 63 years - when the Military Academy moved from Pretoria to Saldanha during 1953 and when the first military students started attending classes at Stellenbosch at the beginning of 1955, when the Military Academy resorted under the trusteeship of Stellenbosch University. 

An important milestone was reached in January 1961 when the Academy became a faculty in its own right - the Faculty of Military Science of Stellenbosch University. In the same year the very first Agreement of Collaboration was signed between the Department of Defence and the Stellenbosch University. 

Prof Wim de Villiers, Rector and Vice-Chancellor of Stellenbosch University, also addressed the parade and spectators, before it concluded.  He highlighted during his speech that the university commits itself unconditionally to the ideal of being an inclusive world class university in and for Africa. He also said that the South African National Defence Force, through the Military Academy is their valued partner in this regard and that the university is the preferred provider for accredited higher education in military science for members of the SANDF.   He emphasized that the partnership between the two entities lays the strongest possible academic foundation for a professional military education.

The Stellenbosch University Museum is planning an exhibition to commemorate the centenary year of the University.

The exhibition, 100 artifacts, aims to 'narrate' the University's history by using items connected to the University.

Prof Matilde Burden, Senior Curator: Museum Research, says the items at the exhibition will each tell its own fascinating story which is directly connected to the University the past 100 years.

Prof Burden calls on the SU community to lend items from their departments or personal collection to the museum for the exhibition.

“We received a number of very interesting items, but still not close to the 100 artifacts we would like to exhibit. We are looking for any interesting items which were part of the University and helped shape the University's history. Even posters of the recent #Feesmustfall protest. These 

The exhibition will be on show for about two years.

Prof Matilde Burden, Senior Curator: Museum Research calls on the SU community to lend items from their departments or personal collection to the museum for the exhibition.

For more information, please contact Prof Burden at mb4@sun.ac.za

​

The Stellenbosch University LaunchLab has officially launched the 7th Ideas programme following 6 successful programmes to date!

LaunchLab's mission is to facilitate valuable connections for startups and corporates, as well as other relevant business partners to help those startups excel. The Ideas Programme is intended primarily to be for very early-stage businesses looking to validate their concepts or improve their technology offering to their market. 

LaunchLab provides access to our client network who are actively looking for startups to partner with, which aids in the validation process.

LaunchLab is looking for startup business ideas in multiple industries, including but not limited to:

• Education: we are pleased to be helping Stellenbosch University to identify innovative edutech solutions that can help contribute to new models of education to empower students to create jobs and add value to broader society.
• Smart Cities: the cities of the future need smart solutions and our clients want your help developing these solutions.
• Cleantech: the world is on a drive to sustainability and South Africa is no different. Submit your ideas to help South Africa harness its natural resources better and recycle what we have already used.
• Internet of Things (IoT): connected devices means more information to make our lives easier and more efficient. Help our clients with your IoT concepts that can transform their supply chains and make customers' lives better.
•  Artificial Intelligence (AI): pitch how you think AI will impact our world with your exciting concept. Calling all engineers and data scientists to wow our clients.
•  Advanced Manufacturing: this is another opportunity for engineers and data scientists to make an impact on this important sector in South Africa. Strong candidates and concepts will have access to opportunities with our corporate clients.
• Safety: help us make South Africans safer with your innovative concept.
• Blockchain: Each industry that mainly acts as a middleman between producers and customers of immaterial or digital goods and services is vulnerable to being replaced by a peer-to-peer system supported by the Blockchain. Tell us how you will do this.
• Fintech: we are looking for disruptive technologies in the financial services industry that can transform the way we interact with money.
• Insurtech: pitch your ideas of what the future of insurance will look like.
• Agritech and Food Innovations: LaunchLab has already been the birthing ground for some exciting food and agritech innovations. Will your concept be the next one?
• Social Enterprises: do you have a business idea which can have a big impact and benefit those that need it most but still be a viable business? Take advantage of this opportunity to pitch it.
  
  This programme helps new concepts and potential businesses validate their concepts with real market players and starts their journey towards the maturity required to acquire customers and obtain investment.
  
   These are the highlights of the impact of our programme is South Africa in 2017:

• 24 selected for our incubation programme
• 10 pilots being pursued with LaunchLab clients
• 4 invested in directly by LaunchLab clients
• R1.18 million in total prize money paid across all programmes
  
  “The wide range of industry focus areas this year means that you will find a place for your innovative business idea. This is a great opportunity to accelerate that business idea towards market readiness. The impact that engaging with our corporate clients offers cannot be underestimated. We find that startups that engage with our clients can accelerate their growth faster than startups following the traditional route to market because the client does not only help provide finance for the startup but access to market as well." says Philip Marais, LaunchLab CEO.
  
  Submission requirements: Submit a 3-minute video (cell phone footage can be submitted too) of yourself explaining your business idea with your entry form which can be found on the LaunchLab website: http://www.launchlab.co.za/ideas2018
  
  Submissions opened in March, and the deadline for online submission entries is 11 May 2018. The top ten finalists will be notified by the end of May. Pitches will be shortlisted and be taken through a process to determine which 10-15 businesses we will take into our incubation programme, to develop towards engaging with our clients.

LaunchLab's terms and conditions apply, and are available to download here:  

Photo by Launchlab

The Convocation of Stellenbosch University (SU) has elected four new members to serve on the Stellenbosch University Council: Mr Charl Cillié, Adv Jean Meiring and Mr Johan Theron for the term 2 April 2018 to 1 April 2022, and Prof Joan Hambidge for the term 2 April 2018 to 1 April 2020. 

Members of the Convocation were invited to nominate candidates to fill the four vacancies on Council. As more than three candidates were nominated for the four-year term, and more than one candidate, for the two-year term, two election processes ran simultaneously for the two respective terms.  Voting closed at 12:00 on 30 April 2018. The validity of all ballots was verified.

Mr Cillié is the managing director at Infinity Web Solutions; adv Meiring is an advocate at the Johannesburg Bar (Johannesburg Society of Advocates); Mr Theron is a commercial litigant at Werksmans Attorneys and Prof Hambidge  is a professor of Afrikaans & Creative Writing at the University of Cape Town (UCT).

Both Prof Hambidge and Mr Theron have served on the SU Council before.

Stellenbosch University is currently revising its Statute, which among others, determines the composition of its statutory bodies. Stakeholders and members of the public who would like to give input on the draft Statute can proceed to the following link: www.sun.ac.za/statute. Comments can be sent to statuut@sun.ac.za. The closing date for contributions is 28 May 2018.

​Broadening student access and success, enhancing research excellence, accelerating transformation of the staff body and ensuring relevance of the curriculum.

These are the four core elements Prof Ingrid Woolard, newly appointed dean of the Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences at Stellenbosch University (SU), has identified as key to the continued success of the faculty.

Woolard, who is currently serving as Dean of the Faculty of Commerce and Professor of Economics at the University of Cape Town, will succeed Prof Stan du Plessis, who was appointed Chief Operating Officer (designate) of SU earlier this year.

She will be the first woman to lead the faculty as dean.

“I’m looking forward to the challenge of leading SU’s largest faculty. The Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences is renowned for its student-centric approach and excellent results and I’m excited to be joining such a committed team.”

The SU Rector and Vice-Chancellor, Prof Wim de Villiers, welcomed Woolard’s appointment: “We are delighted that she will be joining Stellenbosch University as Dean of the Faculty of Economics and Management Sciences, our largest faculty. She is an internationally recognised and respected academic and will bring further management experience to the University. She will add significantly to our future focus as we embark on our second century as a leading public university in South Africa,” he said.

Expanding on the four core elements Woolard identified, she said:

“We need to push harder on improving access and the provision of enhanced financial and learning support for students from poor and marginalised communities. And once a student is admitted, we have a responsibility to provide an enabling environment for student success. The university cannot be a revolving door.”

She identified an early warning system that flags students that are at risk as early as possible as a critical part of this strategy.

She would also like to foster a culture of research excellence in the Faculty

“Research ‘superstars’ need to be acknowledged and rewarded in a way which inspires other colleagues. Academic staff who have not been particularly research active in the past need to be encouraged to do so through the provision of sympathetic research mentors who can build up their confidence and help them address obstacles.

“In addition, being more strategic about post-graduate supervision, i.e. moving closer to the ‘Science model’ of having students work on a set of topics/themes that have been selected by the research group (rather than on disparate topics selected by individual students) would assist in building the reputation of the research group and reduce the supervision burden.”

Woolard’s own areas of research interests include the measurement of poverty and inequality, unemployment, social protection and tax policy.

She feels strongly about the transformation of the staff body and implemented a number of successful strategies at UCT, including organising regular meetings with black academic staff as a means of explicitly privileging the voices of this group, creating the position Deputy Dean: Transformation and announcing that all academic posts would be initially advertised using a targeted equity statement.

“We need to increase the number of black, particularly Black African South African, staff. We need to accelerate the transformation process through aggressive recruitment strategies and addressing the issues of an unwelcoming institutional culture,” she explained.

In terms of ensuring the relevance of the curriculum, Woolard believes the Faculty needs to increase the inclusion of the work of African scholars into the curriculum while ensuring that it continues to meet the demands of the professional bodies as well as the needs of the public sector.

Woolard will join SU on 1 May 2018.

During the fourth intake of the nGAP Programme in March 2018, Stellenbosch University (SU) was awarded a total of five positions in the following departments: Agronomy, Civil Engineering, Computer Science, Genetics and Medical Virology.

During the third phase of the nGAP Programme three positions were awarded to Stellenbosch University. These positions are situated in Agricultural Economics, Applied Mathematics and Private Law bringing the number of nGAP positions in these faculties to four, three and one respectively, whilst SU maintains an overall number of 17.  In addition, the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences currently retains three nGAP positions owing to the awarding of their third position to Medical Virology.  Their counterparts in the Engineering Faculty expanded to three since their latest addition.

nGAP is one of five programmes of SSAUF (Staffing South Africa's Universities Framework) approved by the minister of Higher Education and Training in January 2015. It is aimed at the expansion of the size and compilation of academic staff at South African universities – especially with regard to transformation. The focus of the programme is the appointment of Black, Coloured and Indian scholars as well as the appointment of women.

In Phase 1, five positions were awarded to SU 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. 

The implementation of the transformative nGap programme entails 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. 

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 first data centre focused on democracy research and the development of Social Sciences in South Africa will be launched by Stellenbosch University's Transformation Research Unit in May.  The launch will take place today (08 May) at Wits University and at Stellenbosch University (SU) on 10 May. 

According to Prof Ursula van Beek, the Head of Transformation Research Unit (TRU): Democracy Globally, there is no dedicated data centre or training programme for the empirical study of democracy in South Africa. 

“In the course  of our research programme  focused on democracy and stretching back almost two decades it has become increasingly apparent that the abundance of relevant data is poorly utilised. This observation led us to the idea of creating an open access data centre in the form of an Intelligent Node. The objective of the initiative will not be to create yet another archive competing with existing data repositories, but rather to develop research capacity by helping African researchers and postgraduate students locate relevant data needed for their projects on democracy in particular - and in the Social Sciences in general,"  says Van Beek.

The centre will be headed  by a TRU member, Dr Cindy Steenekamp, a senior lecturer in the Political Science Department and the former Director of the faculty's Graduate School. 

The data centre is supported by the National Research Foundation (NRF) as its objectives tie in closely with the NRF's own goals. These goals are to remain competitive in the research arena,  internationalise research and innovation on the African continent, further improve  the country's global reputation, and gain access to global knowledge and expertise. 

According to van Beek, “utilising data is imperative to the study of the quality of democracy".

“For example, while we all know South Africa's unemployment rate is very high, we need to know what the unemployed think, what their opinions are  of the elite, what issues they are grappling with, and whether or not they think the government is fulfilling the expectations of this group. To do this, you need data or else you are sucking it out of your thumb. The more data you use to say, yes this is so, the better your findings are."

During the launches in Johannesburg and Stellenbosch  the international expert on democracy study, Prof Hans Dieter-Klingemann, current President of Berlin International: University of Applied Sciences, will discuss how to access data to support the study of democracy.  A leading expert on data archiving and management, Dr Ekkehard Mochmann, the former Director of German Social Science Infrastructure Services, will talk about the dynamics of sharing research data.

Van Beek  adds that while the data centre will help improve empirical research, access to data alone will not suffice. For this reason students and academics will be trained in how to utilise  data effectively at a summer school for Political Science TRU is currently planning. “Apart from postgraduate students we wish to train young academics, particularly those at disadvantaged universities, so that they can in turn pass on this knowledge to their own students. In this way we hope to help create  the 'agents of change' in our country".  

Photo: Dr Cindy Steenekamp (left) will head up the first data centre in South Africa focused on democracy research. With her is Prof Ursula van Beek, Head of the Head of Transformation Research Unit (TRU): Democracy Globally, in which the centre is situated.  (Lynne Rippenaar-Moses)

Tygerberg Hospital recently opened the doors to its first dedicated paediatric and neonatal operating theatre. This theatre, uniquely equipped for surgery on babies and children, was funded by Carte Blanche's Make A Difference Trust.

Previously, paediatric and neonatal surgeries had to be performed in facilities designed for adult patients.

“This wonderful new facility will help us to improve the quality of patient care for children that require surgical interventions," said Dr Paul Ciapparelli, Director of Clinical Services at Tygerberg Hospital, at the official opening of the theatre. “I want to thank Carte Blanche and other donors for their public spirit and their preparedness to get involved in is what essentially an act of nation building."

The installation is valued at around R11 million and includes instruments and equipment for regular surgery and laparoscopic surgery specifically in children and neonates. These includes two laparoscopic stacks and scopes, surgical lights with in-light cameras, an operating incubator for neonates, and an all display digital theatre – which is also a first for Tygerberg Hospital.

“It is difficult for me to explain the value of this special theatre," said Prof Daniel Sidler from the Division of Paediatric Surgery at Tygerberg Hospital and the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University. “This theatre enables us to add to the quality of life of children. With the laparoscopic equipment there will be less trauma, anxiety and suffering. This is not just an investment in the infrastructure of the hospital, but an investment into the lives of children."

Carte Blanche's Make A Difference Trust has raised over R150 million and undertaken 18 hospital projects around the country aimed at improving the lives of children.

Speaking at the launch of the theatre, Western Cape Minister of Health, Prof Nomafrench Mbombo, thanked Carte Blanche and other donors for the new facility, and noted that public-private partnerships are essential for improving the health of the nation.

Caption: Western Cape Minister of Health, Prof Nomafrench Mbombo, speaks at the launch of the new paediatric theatre at Tygerberg Hospital.

Breast surgeon Dr Karin Baatjes is a real-life Wonder Woman. This recently appointed Head of the Division of Anatomy and Histology at Stellenbosch University manages to juggle lecturing with pro-bono surgery and administrative duties, yet still finds the time to do to a PhD in surgery and participate in charity projects.

Fortunately, says Baatjes, the Division of Anatomy and Histology was already a well-run unit when she took over as Head in February 2018. This meant that she could take her time to get to know the Division, how its run, and where the potential gaps are.

On an academic level, Anatomy and Histology is involved in the training of undergraduate students in all disciplines at the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, as well as postgraduate (MMed and MChD) students. In the research field, it offers a BSc Honours, an MSc and a PhD in various disciplines.

Baatjes' vision as Head of the Division is to see if she can streamline processes even more, while adding a prominent clinical component. Currently, the staff at Anatomy and Histology are mostly scientists. In future, however, she would like to involve more medical doctors, thus adding more clinical expertise to the programmes offered.

As the Division operates across various departments, it helps that Baatjes has been with the University since 2000. “I know most of the departments and staff really well and would like to use this to the Division's advantage," she says. “At the moment, however, I'm still learning how everything fits together."

Juggling all the tasks on her daily to-do list is a challenge, but so far Baatjes has managed to maintain firm boundaries, not allowing her days as surgeon at the Breast and Endocrine Surgery Unit at Tygerberg Hospital, or her PhD research (investigating bone health in post-menopausal women being treated for breast cancer), to interfere with her new role.

“On Tuesdays, I'm in the operating theatre all day," she says. “On Thursdays, I participate in the clinical and academic activities of the Breast and Endocrine Surgery Unit, which includes tutorials, as well as clinic and academic ward rounds with undergraduate and postgraduate students. On Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, I'm exclusively at the Division of Anatomy and Histology, fulfilling my duties there."

A popular lecturer among students, Baatjes' favourite part of her day is teaching. “I enjoy working with the students. Some of them think I'm strict, but I have to be very serious when we're standing at a patient's bedside, as this is our first and most important priority," she says, adding that she also enjoys time spent in the theatre with students. “Upon completion of an operation, it's nice to spend time with the students and get to know them beyond just the academics."

To relax in between all her duties, Baatjes enjoys running. As a member of Reach for Recovery's Board of Management, she sometimes combines her love for the sport with a passion to help breast-cancer patients. In April 2016, Baatjes raised R57 000 for Reach for Recovery's Ditto Project by completing the 42km West Coast Marathon. Through this initiative, more than 50 breast-cancer patients, each of whom underwent a mastectomy, received silicone breast prostheses they otherwise wouldn't have been able to afford. 

Always looking for ways in which to help others despite her own busy schedule, Baatjes is currently also involved in Tygerberg's Pantry Project – a communal pantry on campus that helps to relieve food and hygiene-product insecurity for students.

When asked whether she'll be using her sport for another charity project in the near future, Baatjes quips: “Unfortunately not. Right now I run just to keep fit and sane, especially after challenging days."

But, with a heart that seems to be 100% in the right place, chances are that Baatjes will soon be involved in yet another charity initiative. Watch this space.

Caption: Dr Karin Baatjes is the new Head of the Division of Anatomy and Histology at the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences at Stellenbosch University.

Prof Stephan Visagie, Professor in Operations Research and departmental chair of the Department of Logistics, presented his inaugural lecture on 3 May.

He was introduced by Prof Ronel du Preez, Vice-dean: Teaching and Learning of the Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences, who listed his research interest as non-linear knapsack problems and the application of optimisation techniques such as integer programming and metaheuristics in such diverse fields as agriculture, production, logistics, scheduling and voting theory.

In his lecture entitled Optimisation in distribution centres, Prof Visagie explained the use of distribution centres in the supply chains of retailers to buffer stock and to repack the bulk stock that arrive from suppliers to smaller shipments destined for stores.

“The retailer's central planning office releases batches of stock-keeping units that differ only in size. These batches are called distributions and are continuously released to the distribution centre to pick and ship to stores. A distribution thus contains one or more stock-keeping units together with instructions about the quantity to be shipped to individual stores. Each distribution also has a deadline, by which date it should have left the distribution centre.

“The system for the repacking of stock – or order picking – consists of parallel unidirectional picking lines. Order picking occurs in waves, when a set of distributions is assigned (and physically taken) to a specific picking line. A team of pickers then pick all the stock-keeping units on this particular picking line for all the stores. Once all the stock-keeping units are picked, the picking line is populated with a new set of distributions to start a new wave of picking."

According to Prof Visagie this methodology resulted in three layers of optimisation decisions, while the objectives considered during these decisions were to minimise the following: walking distance of the pickers, the volume of stock on the picking line, the number of packages of which the volume fail to exceed roughly the size of a shoebox, and the total penalties incurred to distributions for not being assigned to a picking line before a specified date.

“All proposed solution methods were tested on real historical data received from PEP Stores Limited. The preferred combination of algorithms – genetic algorithm for first tier, user-specified in the second tier and greedy-ending heuristic in the third tier – showed an average decrease of 41% in the walking distance of all the pickers and a 34% decrease in the volume of stock on the picking line with the largest volume of stock. The percentage of small packages was maintained while on average a 20% decrease in the average number of days that distributions are assigned later than their out-of-distribution centre-date was achieved."

Prof Visagie has received numerous awards including three Rector's Awards for outstanding achievement, and several awards from the Operations Society of South Africa including one for “an outstanding contribution towards the application of Operations Research on a national level" for the work he did in cooperation with Pep Stores. The Society further honoured him by making him a fellow of the Operations Research Society of South Africa, the most prestigious of its awards.

• Photo: Prof Stephan Visagie with Prof Eugene Cloete, Vice-Rector: Research, Innovation and Postgraduate Studies and Prof Ingrid Woolard, Dean of the Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences.