Prize money of R75 000 – and the ten-year anniversary of the Andries van der Walt medal – were some of the highlights at the award ceremony of the Computer Science Division on 19 March 2019.

Every year the Computer Science Division relies on its industry partners, many of them alumni from the department, to help reward the top students in computer science for their hard work and commitment. Prof Bernd Fischer, Head of the Division, said the award function is one of the highlights of the year and thanked the industry representatives for their support for the division and its students.

Ms Andria Lubbe, VP Software Engineer from ACI and sponsor of the prize for the best second year student, said SU graduates are sought after internationally, while Wouter du Preez, Chief Operating Officer from Epi-Use Labs and sponsor of the prize for the best BSc Honours project, said there is a lot of talent in South Africa.

The top students in Computer Science from 2018 are:

• Best first-year student: Caleb Zeeman (prize sponsored by Techairos)
• Best second-year student:  Conrad Strydom (prize sponsored by ACI)
• Best third-year student and recipient of the Andries van der Walt medal: Johannes Coetzee (prize sponsored by Praelexis)
• Best Honours student in Computer Science: shared by Steyn van Litsenborgh and Lisa van Staden (prize sponsored by Cortex Logic, Entersekt and Impact Radius)
• Best Honours student in Data Science: Lood van Niekerk (prize sponsored by Alphawave)
• Best BSc Honours project: shared by Steyn van Litsenbourgh and Matthew Venter (prize sponsored by Cortex Logic and Epi-Use Labs)
• Best student in Machine Learning: shared by Carel Burger and Zhunaid Mohamed (prize sponsored by 4CGroup)

To celebrate the ten-year anniversary of the Andreis van der Walt medal, the Computer Science Division handed Mrs. Nettie van der Walt, widow of the late Prof Andries van der Walt, a copy of the Faculty of Science's centenary book, A Particular Frame of Mind. In the early 2000s Prof Van der Walt was the head of Computer Science at Stellenbosch University. Under his leadership, the division became one of the top theoretical Computer Science research environments in the country. 

​

We are nearing the end of African Vaccination Week and we, at Campus Health Services, are so impressed with staff that have stepped up and had their flu vaccinations!

Last week, Campus Health Services went to the Rector's Offices, Facilities Management offices and the Business School at the Belville Campus. Facilities Management even went as far as paying for the influenza vaccine for their entire department!

But most importantly, influenza season is here! The seasons have started to change and therefore everybody is at risk for getting the flu. Protect yourself and your family against the flu by getting a flu vaccine.

It is recommended that everyone should be vaccinated for flu. There are vulnerable populations and some people are more at risk than others. These individuals are urged to get a flu vaccination – these include pregnant women; people over the age of 65; people with a weakened immune system; people with chronic illnesses like Asthma, heart disease, Diabetes and kidney disease, and people who are overweight.

We urge all department heads to encourage and motivate all personnel and students to visit Campus Health Services for a flu vaccination.

Remember that you may still be infected with flu depending on the viruses circulating in the community. The flu vaccination will reduce your chances of being infected.

But the flu vaccine is not the only vaccine we should be concerned about. The MMR vaccine is a vaccine against: Measles, Mumps and Rubella. Generally, the MMR vaccine is given to babies, but it is important to check as an adult that you are still immune. Being at a university campus with lots of students and having a reduced immunity can put you at risk.

Chickenpox is a very contagious disease caused by the varicella-zoster virus (VZV). The varicella vaccine is given to children when they are between 12 and 15 months of age, and again between the ages of 4 and 6 years old. Adults who have never had the vaccine or are at risk for whatever reason (carers, students and staff living in a residence, university students, international travellers, amongst others) should receive two doses of the vaccine at least 28 days apart.

For more information, have a read of this link.

If you are unsure about your immunity against any of the above, or wish to find out more about vaccines for yourself or a group (department or company), please contact Campus Health Services here.

GET YOUR VACCINATIONS NOW. IT IS THE RIGHT THING TO DO! TAKE YOUR HEALTH IN YOUR OWN HANDS! #VACCINESWORK

As South Africa celebrates 25 years of democracy and with citizens heading to the polls in 12 days time (May 8), a book launched at the University of Pretoria (Tuks) this week could not be more apt and well timed.

Part of the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC) series named State of the Nation, it is titled Poverty & Inequality: Diagnosis, Prognosis, Responses and is edited by Crain Soudien, Vasu Reddy and Ingrid Woolard, with contributions from a range of other academics and experts in the field aimed at “provoking thought and constructive political thought criticism".

In his introduction, Reddy, the dean of the Faculty of Humanities at Tuks, says the book explores important and complex questions about poverty and inequality.

Certainly it does not mince its words, and in the introduction asks whether South Africa will learn from experience and pursue a process of nation building around “a more humane and egalitarian society", or whether it will continue to “stumble and perpetuate the division so redolent of our history".

The introduction points to the failure of the government to build the developmental state envisaged in the liberation Struggle, and growing inequality. It also offers a warning that the state does not provide the nurturing capacity required to deal with the challenge.

Soudien, who is the chief executive of the HSRC, outlined the organisation's history, noting the irony of its origin as the National Bureau of Educational and Social Research in 1929, with a focus on poverty from the start.

That focus was on poor whites in rural areas and now, 90 years later, the focus returns to the question of poverty and inequality at a time when South Africa is considered the most unequal country in the world.

Woolard, the dean of the Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences at Stellenbosch University, said poverty and inequality were real and tangible experiences for many South Africans, but warned that while the two co- existed and were intertwined, they were not the same thing.

Poverty signalled social exclusion and deprivation, and inequality related to the uneven distribution of resources and opportunities, she said.

While poverty and inequality existed worldwide, and were one of the greatest global challenges, the authors pointed to distinctive forces in South Africa that produced conditions of poverty and inequality.

Woolard outlined the motivation behind the book as an effort to tackle a complex problem in a fresh and provocative way by offering a diversity of perspectives. Hence, the “diagnosis" identifies the nature and circumstances of the problem; the “prognosis" gives opinions and forecasts related to its symptoms, while “responses" offers new ways of thinking about the issue and directions to take to reduce poverty and inequality.

• Photograph by Val Boje, Pretoria News:

  The editors of Poverty & Inequality, part of the Human Sciences Research Council State of the Nation series, Professor Vasu Reddy from Pretoria University, left, Professor Ingrid Woolard, Stellenbosch University, and Professor Crain Soudien, HSRC.

Prof Thuli Madonsela, the Law Faculty Trust Chair in Social Justice in the Faculty of Law at Stellenbosch University (SU), has receive yet another accolade for her work in the pursuit of social justice.

Prof Madonsela was honoured with the Leadership for Justice Award from Shared Interest, a major impact investing group founded in New York by anti-apartheid campaigner Donna Katzin. She received the award on 25 April at Shared Interest's 25th Anniversary Gala in New York, in celebration of 25 years of South Africa's democracy and investing in Southern Africa's future​.

Shared Interest is a non-profit investment fund that was founded to enhance access to commercial credit for low-income black borrowers. It provides collateral using loan guarantees to move local banks to lend to financially excluded communities to build capacity for smallholder farmers and emerging entrepreneurs. To date, Shared Interest has placed $28 million of guarantees, unlocking $121 million in loans benefiting 2.3 million people in Southern Africa. Building on its successful model it has expanded to Malawi, Mozambique, Swaziland, and is now preparing programmes in Zambia and soon to be Tanzania. 

An Advocate of the High Court of South Africa, Prof Madonsela has been a lifelong activist on social justice, constitutionalism, human rights, good governance and the rule of law. Named one of TIME100's most influential people in the world in 2014 and Forbes Africa Person of the Year 2016, she is one of the drafters of South Africa's Constitution and co- architect of several laws that have sought to anchor South Africa's democracy. During her seven-year term as SA's Public Protector, she fearlessly investigated maladministration, corruption, executive ethics violations, and related improprieties in state affairs, culminating in her report on state capture. Her work since then at SU has focused on promoting good governance, justice, and accountability in public life, in addition to teaching constitutional and administrative law.

"I am humbled and honoured to receive this Leadership for Justice Award and will continue to play my part in accelerating the pace of achieving the constitutional promise of an inclusive society based in social justice, shared prosperity, friendship and peace," Prof Madonsela said.

“As long as there's injustice somewhere, there can't be sustainable peace anywhere. We need all hands on deck – historical advantage, no historical advantage, men, women, children, the old. United, we're going to rise; divided, we're going to fall," she added. 

The following article Why South Africa should seriously consider taxing its wealthy citizens was published in The Conversation of 29 April 2019.

This is an edited extract from a chapter written by Samson Mbewe, Ingrid Woolard and Dennis Davis in the recently published The state of the nation: poverty & inequality: diagnosis, prognosis and responses, a publication edited by Professors Crain Soudien, Vasu Reddy and Ingrid Woolard, and published by the HSRC.

It's well-established that South Africa has one of the most unequal income distributions in the world. Despite significant efforts by the State to stimulate inclusive growth, the income gap between the rich and the poor has continued to widen in post-apartheid South Africa.

A less explored topic is that of wealth inequality and, relatedly, the potential use of wealth taxation to reduce wealth inequality while also further diversifying the sources of much-needed government revenue.

An important consequence of a highly unequal distribution of wealth in society is the undermining of social, political and economic norms. For instance, high wealth inequality creates an imbalance of political power between citizens as the wealthy can potentially influence the political process unfairly. This can, in turn, reduce the optimum workings of a democracy.

At the same time, the concentration of a society's wealth in the hands of a few reduces the mobility of wealth. This, in turn, limits its productive use in society.

Given that there are direct benefits from the holding of wealth (over and above the income streams which it generates which are already taxed via the income tax system), we argue that wealth is a legitimate tax base in its own right.

Why a wealth tax

Wealth inequality in South Africa is not only intolerably high, with Gini coefficients of 0.93 in 2010/11 and 0.94 in 2014/15, it is also not reducing. Wealth inequality is much higher than income inequality (which has a Gini coefficient of about 0.67) and significantly higher than global wealth inequality.

In 2015, the wealthiest 10% of South Africa's population owned more than 90% of the total wealth in the country while 80% owned almost no wealth. These findings resonate with more recent findings documented in reports produced by Oxfam (2018) and the World Bank (2018).

There's a clear racial dimension to this inequality with an average African household holding less than 4% of the wealth held by an average White household.

It's a challenge to economic development when the bottom 80% of the population own no wealth, especially when a vibrant middle-class is a key ingredient in economic progression, as evidenced in advanced economies.

Thomas Piketty in his book Capital in the 21st Century indicates that much of the economic success experienced in advanced economies in the 20th century has been as a result of increased ownership of assets among the middle-class. This is certainly not the case in South Africa.

Piketty also stresses that wealth inequality is by no means an accident but a product of patrimonial capitalism.

The case of South Africa is unique. In addition to patrimonial capitalism, the prevailing extreme levels of wealth inequality and low inter-generational mobility of wealth are also a result of the structural inequities created by apartheid. These disparities being passed down from generation to generation.

Evidently, effective measures of redress would strongly warrant the intervention of the state.

We therefore propose that the South African government should consider creating an annual net wealth tax with three objectives. The first would be to collect reliable wealth data. This will reveal what people own and enhance the integrity of the income tax system by allowing SARS to compare people's income and wealth. The second would be to contribute towards curbing wealth inequality, albeit imperfectly. The third would be to generate government revenue, though we stress that international evidence suggests this is generally low.

The how

The process of creating a net wealth tax in South Africa should ideally begin with a simple form of an annual net wealth tax. We would suggest that the net wealth tax rate should initially be at a low rate (possibly even zero).

This will allow an assessment of who owns what by making wealth disclosure mandatory for all citizens. This will create an environment of transparency and over time will provide a much clearer picture of the net wealth tax base in South Africa. It would also allow further analysis to help set an effective wealth tax rate that does not promote tax migration and capital flight.

If a non-zero wealth tax rate were to be applied, it should be progressive in nature, for example, by providing a high threshold below which no tax is payable. In turn, this data would provide the South African Revenue Service with improved data to test whether high net worth individuals are being taxed correctly within the income tax system.

The valuation of assets has often ranked high among the list of challenges when creating an effective net wealth tax that keeps costs low. In fact, net wealth taxes have been ineffective in many countries. This has been due to poor or complex methods of valuation, or simply the high costs of administration.

Assets which lend themselves to easy valuation and which could be taxed under a net wealth tax include fixed property. This is already taxed at local government level but could attract an additional national tax. The OECD also supports the idea of taxing property because taxing property has less distortionary effects when compared to other wealth taxes.

Municipal valuations (albeit of varying quality) already exist to provide a good starting point for a national property tax. A national property tax would require a concerted effort to improve the quality of valuation rolls across all municipalities and district councils to avoid the horizontal equity legal challenges seen in other countries (as was the case in Germany).

Cash and some financial assets such as defined contribution retirement funds are easy to value and are thus an easy target for a wealth tax. We would suggest, however, that in an initial net wealth tax, retirement funds should be excluded because of possible distortionary pressures on savings. Currently the retirement of many South Africans is severely underfunded. In addition, it would be inequitable to tax defined-contribution pension funds but not defined-benefit funds (such as the government employees pension fund).

We would also suggest that personal assets such as luxury vehicles, works of art and jewellery be excluded because of valuation difficulties. Worldwide, such assets are under-reported, undervalued and/or hidden.

Conclusion

It's evident that economic inequality is rife in South Africa. Income and consumption inequalities are high and wealth inequality is even higher – much higher than global wealth inequality. Persistent high wealth inequality has the potential to undermine social, economic and democratic values.

A net wealth tax imposed in a society with notorious levels of inequality and a pattern of class overlaid with race, may not be a panacea for the need to generate sufficient revenue to reduce the deficit before borrowing. However, apart from the revenue collected, it would add considerable legitimacy to the overall tax system. Such a tax policy should accommodate a revenue-neutral shift from taxes on employment to taxes on capital and investment income.

It is not our argument that tax is the only available instrument to address the inequities of income and wealth. Other methods of redress include land reform, the provision of infrastructure and increased access to quality health and education.

Final year occupational therapy student Ayabonga Zantsi who was recently crowned Miss Varsity Cup 2019, plans to use her platform to pursue the community projects she is already involved in.

One such community project – which she and others from the Varsity Cup contest – are already involved in, is the Steadfast safe house for women and children who are victims of domestic abuse.

“I believe that, as Miss Varsity Cup, I am in a much stronger position to help find sponsors, raise funds and get others involved in benefiting the people in the safe house and in the wider community," Zantsi said in an interview.

The safe house, which is in an unpublicized location in Stellenbosch, put women and children up for three months, during which they are cared for and offered activities which enable them to build their practical skills. The project started about two years ago and continued by previous Maties Varsity Cup groups.

“I want to build on this by offering more workshops and adding on to the list of practical skills being taught.

“We try to build them up as much as possible so they can translate their skills and do something productive when they leave the safe house," Zantsi added. “We help them prepare CVs and teach self-defence and try to give them the skills to be the best they can be in the circumstances."

Zantsi (21) was recently crowned Miss Varsity Cup during half time during the rugby match between Maties and University of the Western Cape.

“I was surprised to win the title, but extremely happy and proud," she said.

Zantsi, who hails from King Williams Town in the Eastern Cape, moved to Stellenbosch University four years ago for her studies.

She loves the outdoors and believes in exercising and keeping fit. She is happiest when hiking, camping or trail-running. “The Cape is the perfect place to indulge in all that nature offers. I also love the culture, art and fashion I've been exposed to here. I love fashion, make up and thrift shopping."

Zantsi said she chose a career in occupational therapy because of her long-held interest in health and medicine and in working with people.

“Many of the people we work with have physical and psychiatric health issues. We work a lot in hospitals, schools and community centres, usually with people from poorer backgrounds. I love the fact, that, through our work, we give people hope. It's so rewarding."

While looking forward to a long career in occupational therapy, Zantsi also hopes to stay involved in research work and intends to attend – and address – conferences around the world with a view to promoting global health.

​Dr Heike Geduld is a pioneer of emergency medicine. She was part of the very first class of emergency physicians that graduated in Africa 12 years ago, and has since made great strides as a leader, educator and advocate in this important field in medicine. 

As newly appointed associate professor and head of the Division of Emergency Medicine at Stellenbosch University, Geduld hopes to increase the emergency care footprint in Africa by enticing even more doctors to specialise in emergency medicine. 

“My primary interest is the education and integration of emergency medicine into the curriculum, particularly around the approach to emergency and skills training. In the next five years, there will be a big focus on how we train emergency medicine in both undergraduate and postgraduate programmes. I would also like to establish relationships with all the other medical specialities. Emergency medicine is one of the few cross-platform specialities and there are many opportunities for research collaboration, developing clinical protocols together, and having an integrative approach across the healthcare system." 

Geduld brings a wealth of knowledge and experience. After graduating as emergency physician at Emergency Medicine Cape Town (EMCT), a joint specialist training programme of the universities of Stellenbosch and Cape Town, and the first in Africa, she was appointed as head of Education and Training at EMCT.

“I have been directing the education and training of emergency medicine specialists across both universities since 2012. However, now that emergency medicine training is becoming more established in South Africa, we have decided to split the original joint training programme in Cape Town, so that each university can have its own head of emergency medicine, and drive emergency medicine as a speciality within its own medical faculty. As a result, I have been appointed as associate professor and head of the Division of Emergency Medicine at Stellenbosch University." 

Emergency Medicine is a relatively new specialisation in South Africa that focuses on the essential knowledge and skills needed to rapidly diagnose and treat a patient who is experiencing an emergency due to acute illness or injury. 

“An emergency physician is required to make very quick decisions on the best course of action to save a patient's life," Geduld explains. “There has always been this assumption among lay people that any healthcare provider will know what to do in an emergency, however, that is not necessarily true. The typical healthcare training of the past was more focused on disease and diagnosis, and did not include a structured way of thinking about emergency cases. We are working hard to address this knowledge gap by providing basic short courses and including emergency medicine in both undergraduate and postgraduate training, with emergency physician training at the pinnacle." 

Geduld is a self-confessed workaholic who loves what she does. Besides her role as educator and trainer, she also serves as president of the College of Emergency Medicine of South Africa, director of the Colleges of Medicine of South Africa, and, until November last year, as president of the African Federation for Emergency Medicine.​

​​

Alison Barr, Hlanzeka Mpanza and Anja Lategan will forever go down in the annals of Stellenbosch University (SU) as trailblazers. They are the first three students to graduate with an MSc degree in Food and Nutrition Security from the institution, after the programme was first launched in 2017.

Mpanza is a nutritionist, while Barr and Lategan are food scientists. They received their degrees during the University's April 2019 graduation ceremonies.

The programme provided them with a broad, comprehensive take on health matters and the role that adequate nutrition plays therein. It was conceptualised to help policy makers and practitioners in different sectors make better decisions about issues related to food provision and food security.

Only fifteen students are selected each year. The programme comprises twelve modules and a research assignment, and students do not have to be based on campus full time. Coursework is presented jointly by the SU Faculty of AgriSciences' Departments of Food Science and of Agricultural Economics, along with the SU Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences' Department of Interdisciplinary Health Sciences (Human Nutrition Division).

According to programme leaders Prof Xikombiso Mbhenyane of the SU Division of Human Nutrition and Prof Gunnar Sigge of the SU Department of Food Science, issues around food and nutrition are complex and multidisciplinary by nature, because human livelihoods are at the heart of it.

“The MSc in Food and Nutrition Security programme aims to equip students to view the holistic nature of food and nutrition security, to take all factors into account and to propose solutions to specific problems in the food system while keeping the bigger picture in mind," explains Prof Gunnar Sigge of the SU Department of Food Science. “The programme aims to bring together the natural, social and nutrition sciences to address these issues."

Capetonian Alison Barr worked in the field of food quality and food safety before embarking on her MSc studies. She is serious about food equality in terms of rights and access to food, ways to support industries and optimise value chains so that sustainable food systems can be created.

“The range of modules that make up the course gave me well-rounded exposure to all aspects impacting food and nutrition security," she explains.

In her research project, Barr investigated the competitiveness of the local wine sector, and learnt about aspects of agricultural economics. Anja Lategan's research project was about the nutritional value of insects, and whether food products made from insects containing iron, zinc, vitamin A, folic acid and iodine could solve people's nutritional needs.

“The skills that I obtained through my studies, such as critical and analytical thinking, report writing and how to collaborate with people, are of great value in my career," states Lategan, who lives in Kuils River and recently started a new job in Bellville.

Nutritionist Hlanzeka Mpanza works for a multinational food company in Durban. She decided to follow the programme to gain more insights into the broader decisions made about food that also influence sustainable change.

More information about the MSc programme in Food and Nutrition Security:

• Online applications for the 2020-intake closes on 31 August 2019 (for international candidates) and 30 September 2019 (for South African candidates). To apply, visit Stellenbosch University's Prospective Postgraduate Student website (www.sun.ac.za/pgstudies).
• To qualify for selection, you need a relevant BSc degree in the Science (3 years) and an Honours degree, OR a BSc Agriculture degree OR a four year degree in Health Sciences with a minimum pass mark of 60%, OR a Bachelors or Honours degree that has been approved by the Senate on level 8 of the National Qualifications Framework (NQF), with the same pass mark as mentioned above.
• For more information, view this brochure.
• For more information about the programme content, contact Prof Gunnar Sigge (gos@sun.ac.za) or Prof Xikombiso Mbhenyane at (xgm@sun.ac.za). For general inquiries, contact Julia Harper (jrs@sun.ac.za).

In the photo from left: Anja Lategan, Hlanzeka Mpanza and Alison Barr. 

​

​

Week 2 of our Gender Health Campaign focuses on Women's Health. Screenings are an important part of maintaining women's health. They can detect disease when it's most treatable and prevent serious problems.

To get the right screenings, talk to your doctor, who will take into consideration your age, overall health, family history and current health concerns. But also remember that knowledge is power and can change the lives of women drastically, especially if they are aware of early warning signs and symptoms of female cancers.

Women need to be pro-active about their health and should recognise warning signs. We encourage monthly breast self-examinations, annual medical check-ups and cancer screening for early detection, as symptoms don't always present until cancer has spread. Women also need to lead a healthy, balanced lifestyle, cutting out lifestyle factors that increase their cancer risk.

One of the main screening tests to take note of is the different breast examinations that can be done.

1. Breast Self-Examinations
   
   While not all breast lumps indicate cancer, they should be investigated, especially if accompanied by other changes in breasts or the under arm area, such as lumps, texture changes, thickening, dimpling, changes in shape or size of nipples or breasts, tenderness, discharge, rash or swelling, or one breast suddenly being slightly larger than the other.
   
   Research has shown that a regular Breast Self-Examination (BSE), plays an important role in discovering breast cancer, compared to finding a breast lump by chance.
   
   A BSE should be done once a month, preferably at the same time of day, following a woman's menstrual cycle.
2. Clinical Breast Examinations
   
   A Clinical Breast Examination (CBE) is a visual and manual examination of the entire breast, from the collarbone to the bra line, and from the armpit to the breast bone. It is advisable to have a CBE as part of your annual medical check-up.
3. Mammograms

Mammograms (a special x-ray to detect lumps in the breast), do not prevent breast cancer, but they can save lives by finding breast cancer as early as possible. Finding breast cancers early with mammography has also meant that many more women being treated for breast cancer are able to keep their breasts. When caught early, localised cancers can be removed without resorting to breast removal (mastectomy).

Women from the age of 40 should go for an annual mammogram, for purposes of non-symptomatic breast screening. Women 55 years and older, should have a mammogram every two years – or if they choose, continue with an annual mammogram. Women, who have other risk factors such as mutated BRCA1 /2 gene, should be referred for an annual mammogram.

It's also important to get screened for sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). They may not cause symptoms, meaning you can pass them to your partner or, if pregnant, to an unborn child.

The screening tests a woman needs

Here is a checklist for the other common, and preventable, conditions:

A balanced lifestyle will reduce your risk for developing non-communicable diseases and cancer, and includes making smart food and drink choices; being physically active on a regular basis; maintaining a healthy weight; and avoiding known cancer-causing agents (carcinogens) such as tobacco and alcohol.

If you would like to chat to one of the Nurses or Doctors at Campus Health Services, please contact us and book an appointment here.

​​30 April 2019

Dear Colleagues and Students

SU apologises unconditionally for trauma caused by research article 

Stellenbosch University acknowledges the severe trauma and anger among members of the general public, Stellenbosch communities, University stakeholders and our campus community caused by the publication of an article 'Age- and education-related effects on cognitive functioning in Coloured South African women.' This article was published in an international scientific journal on normal and dysfunctional development, Aging, Neuropsychology, and Cognition.

We apologise unconditionally for the pain and the anguish which resulted from this article. We also have empathy towards current and past staff members, our students and our alumni who have had to endure criticism for their association with our institution.

The Rectorate has therefore decided to request a thorough investigation into all aspects of this study, guided by the SU Policy for Responsible Research Conduct, as well as the SU procedure for the investigation of allegations of breach of research norms and standards.  Based on the outcome of this investigation we will take corrective action, as required.

In our Centenary year (2018) Stellenbosch University adopted a restitution statement acknowledging its inextricable connection with generations past, present and future, as well as its contribution towards the injustices of the past. I quote: “For this we have deep regret. We apologise unreservedly to the communities and individuals who were excluded from the historical privileges that SU enjoyed and we honour the critical Matie voices of that time who would not be silenced. In responsibility towards the present and future generations, SU commits itself unconditionally to the ideal of an inclusive world class university in and for Africa."

As part of its Vision 2040, SU has developed five values that inform our ethics code, i.e.: accountability; respect; equity; compassion and excellence. We are committed to live by these values.

We thank all members of the campus community who have participated in various discussions related to the article, and for the various submissions and suggestions provided. We will proceed with the process outlined above with urgency and share the outcomes with you all.

Sincerely

Prof Eugene Cloete

Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Research, Innovation and Postgraduate Studies

​The in-house Scholarship of Teaching and Learning Conference for Stellenbosch University is taking place between 28 and 30 October 2019 at the Lord Charles Hotel, Somerset West. The conference is over two days on 29 and 30 October, and the pre-conference workshops on 28 October.

The confirmed keynotes for the conference are Dr Joy Mighty (Carleton University in Ottawa) and Prof Geo Quinot (Stellenbosch University). (Your) Teaching matters @ SU is the overarching theme for this year's conference.

The abstract submission process for the conference is now open! Please go to web address www.sun.ac.za/sotl to find all the information on registration and submitting an abstract.

For any enquiries contact sotl@sun.ac.za.

​​​​Youth should be placed at the centre of Africa's development. This was the key message as Stellenbosch University (SU) celebrated African University Day 2018. Every year, higher education institutions on the continent mark this day on 12 November, which coincides with the birth of the Association of African Universities in 1967. The theme for this year's celebration was “Achieving the Africa we want: The role of young people". At SU, the two-day celebrations included a seminar, film night and gala dinner.

“Africa has the largest youth population in the world. If we want a sustainable and prosperous Africa, we need to ensure that the youth are involved in that prosperity," said Farai Mubaiwa, co-founder of the youth-led organisation Africa Matters and one of three panellists at the African University Day seminar on 15 November. Speaker after speaker echoed her message, arguing that youth involvement can help address social issues such as inequality and unemployment.

Paying particular attention to the challenge of unemployment, Dr Nyambura Mwagiru, International Affairs Coordinator: Academic Customised Programmes at the University of Stellenbosch Business School, told the audience: “We have come to a point where we absolutely have to include the young people in Africa. More than telling young people they can do it and they are the future, we have an opportunity now to actually let them do it."

Panellist Eduard Beukman, Students' Representative Council (SRC) member and chair of SU's Academic Affairs Council, expressed the need for an Africa where “development is people-driven, relying on the potential offered by people, especially women and youth". In this regard, Beukman asked: “Are our teaching and learning systems creating and developing individuals with the competencies to address the complex problems of the 21^st century? Modern-day challenges require transdisciplinary and participative education."

Following the seminar, students were treated to an African film night. They enthusiastically filled up the Pulp cinema to watch the movies Five fingers for Marseilles and Half of a Yellow Sun.

The following night's gala dinner was a colourful affair with students from various nationalities gathering in the VV Hall in the Neelsie Student Centre. Hosted by SU International and the African Students' Board, the event showcased Africa at its finest – from arts and poetry, to fashion and music.

The gala concluded with a recognition ceremony where SU International awarded African leadership scholarships to Josephine Chileshe and Pamela Ncube, both members of the research group on host-pathogen mycobactomics in the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences. The scholarship is awarded to African students who have shown dedication and leadership, not only in their academic work, but also in the co-curricular field. Josephine was instrumental in creating the international student representative portfolio on the Tygerberg Postgraduate Student Council, and served as the first ever incumbent of this portfolio. Pamela, in turn, served as the sponsorship and events manager for the SRC arts and culture portfolio in 2015/16, is a member of the TH Children's Foundation, and tutors at a school in Kayamandi.

Watch a videoclip of the African University Day seminar here

​The following article by Francois Williams was published on 2 May 2019 in Die Burger (p 13):

• To read the original article, click here.
  

​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: 22 May 2016
• Shortlisting: Week of 22 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:  22 May 2018

Physician and rheumatologist Dr Riëtte du Toit has recently been appointed as senior lecturer and new head of the Division of Rheumatology at Stellenbosch University's Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences.

Du Toit, who has been involved with the division as rheumatology consultant since 2007, is excited about her new leading role and what she would like to achieve: “While on the one hand I will continue with my clinical responsibilities, the key difference is taking the lead in the administrative aspects of the unit. The Division of Rheumatology has always been strong in terms of the quality of care that we have given to our patients. In a few years' time, I would like to look back at our research output and the quality of our teaching of under- and postgraduate students, and say that what we have accomplished has benefited the patients and the community we serve, as broad as we are able to touch and influence others."

According to du Toit, she first developed an interest in rheumatology (the study of rheumatic, auto-immune and inflammatory diseases that affect the joints and connective tissues, such as rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, lupus, gout and fibromyalgia) when she worked as a medical registrar in training: “I have always wanted to be a physician. I really enjoy the diagnostic and therapeutic challenges this specialisation entails. While working in rheumatology as a medical registrar in training, I was fascinated by the disease processes and, since we deal with multi-system diseases, the field continues to challenge everything about being a physician. I also became aware of the significant need for doctors working in the field, with a notable deficit still in many South African communities."

Asked what inspires her most about her work, Du Toit says: “I remain inspired by the patients we treat – making any kind of difference in the life of someone, even if it is not possible to cure them. Sometimes a willing ear cures more! Rheumatology has evolved in the past decade with new, targeted therapies and a much better understanding of the diseases we treat, making it a very exciting and continuously changing field to work in. I'm also inspired by the hunger of an enthusiastic student – keen to learn and understand, irrespective of the challenges they might face. Our work, in particular in Tygerberg Hospital, shows us so many faces of the country I love. It keeps me humble and grateful." 

Du Toit is currently furthering her research in the form of a PhD by looking at diagnostic characteristics of myocardial dysfunction in patients with lupus. “In short, I'm investigating how heart disease can be diagnosed more accurately and earlier in lupus patients. This was again triggered by our own patients and the lack of accurate information on the condition in the international literature. I'm hoping to improve the outcome of this complication in our patients through a more accurate diagnosis with a practical approach, applicable also in resource-limited settings."

When she's not at work, Du Toit devotes her free time to her family. “I am a mother of two teenage sons, and wife to an amazing husband. They are part of my journey. I try to spend as much time possible next to a cricket or rugby field, listening to guitar or trumpet practice, and figuring out how to manage screen time! We love travelling, showing our boys our country and spending time together outside."

When Jody Lee Bell was a young learner at the Carel du Toit Centre for children with hearing impairments, her mother, Dr Diane Bell, went to listen to a talk by an alumnus of the school which is on the grounds of Tygerberg Hospital.

“This alumnus had two cochlear implants and played the piano and spoke about how she can do anything she wants. This made my mother – a high school teacher at the time – understand that I too could do anything. My mother enrolled me in mainstream schools and set the bar that 'I can do anything and more'. Because of that standard and expectation, I learnt to believe in myself and it has carried me through my life."

Her mother's philosophy has clearly paid off. Jody Bell recently graduated from Stellenbosch University with a Master's degree in Pathology.

"If you know the limits on what you are not able to do, then you realize that everything else is limitless. That's my message to fellow hearing impaired students," Bell said.

Dr Diane Bell, believes her 26-year-old daughter – who was second princess in the 2017 Miss Deaf SA pageant – is the first hearing impaired person in South Africa, “if not on the continent", to graduate with a Masters in Pathology.

A delighted Bell said she felt very accomplished to achieve her degree. “I knew I could do it if I worked hard and persevered," she said in an interview.

“I can't do cellphones and calls, but I can study anything I put my mind to – and so can anyone else with a disability."

Bell was born with a profound hearing loss which was discovered when she was one-year old. She received cochlear implants – at age 16 in the left ear and at age 18 in the right – which helped her greatly and increased her mark average at school. She uses spoken language acquired through the use of this technology, as well as the Carel du Toit auditory/verbal methodology for deaf children to acquire language.

Being hearing impaired came with many academic and social challenges for Bell. She took extra lessons both at school and at university but said that being a hearing impaired student was “really tough" at an under-graduate level and during honours.

"I mostly struggled during lectures and seminars as it is difficult to hear in some lecture halls. I am a visual learning student, not auditory."

This struggle was not so bad during her research-only masters, so the only challenge she had was her writing skills.

"As a hearing impaired person, our grammatical correctness is often a challenge. Some countries provide concessions for this so we are not penalised on language errors when our thesis/work is marked. In South Africa, it is not yet done – hopefully we will get there as a country."

However, according to Bell, Stellenbosch University's Disability Unit did its utmost best to provide her with the support she needed and the Molecular Genetics Department and the NHLS/SU Biobank at Tygerberg Hospital.

Bell said the highlights of her journey towards getting her masters were learning a work ethic and "striving for something bigger than myself, and for myself instead of what the world expected of me."

Bell is currently in Melbourne Australia taking a break “to breathe" and is enjoying her passions of cooking, baking and crocheting.

She hopes to start working soon – preferably in a research project management position – and plans to further her studies with either another masters or a PhD."

​​The African Doctoral Academy (ADA) continues to lead efforts to strengthen excellence in doctoral education on the African continent. Celebrating a decade of doctoral training, the ADA welcomed more than 200 prospective, current and postdoctoral candidates to Stellenbosch University (SU) for the ADA Summer School from 3 to 18 January 2019. Delegates from 17 African countries attended the two-week programme.

The ADA, housed within the Africa Centre for Scholarship at Stellenbosch University International, serves to coordinate and strengthen excellence in doctoral education at SU and across the African continent. Since its inception in 2009, leading scholars have presented courses to doctoral candidates on topics ranging from PhD preparation, key concepts in methodology and academic writing skills to the use of qualitative and quantitative tools (SPSS and ATLAS.ti). Doctoral candidates get the opportunity to meet and network with peers at two doctoral schools hosted during the first and second semester. The Schools are open to PhD candidates, their supervisors and researchers. The main aim of the doctoral schools is to support knowledge production in Africa by increasing the number and the quality of doctoral graduates in South Africa and elsewhere on the continent.

For its 10^th doctoral school the ADA awarded a number of scholarships to participants from universities in Uganda, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Zambia, Senegal, Botswana and South Africa to attend this semester. The successful candidates represent partner universities within the African Research Universities Alliance network of which SU is a member. Delegates hailed from disciplines as diverse as Urban Forestry, Chemical Engineering, and Nursing and Midwifery.

Travelling from Nigeria to attend the summer school, Deborah Oluwafunminiola Adeojo registered for the Productive PhD course presented by Prof Sebastian Kernbach from the University of St Gallen in Switzerland. In her second week, she attended the Mixed methods in research design workshop presented by Prof Tim Guetterman from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, in the United States.

Deborah, who is studying for a PhD in Gender studies at Ibadan University Nigeria, said the ADA Summer School broadened her perspective on research and equipped her with the necessary skills to complete her doctoral studies.

Peji Lunyili, a linguistics lecturer at the University of Dar es Salaam in Tanzania, said all her expectations were met and that ADA courses expanded her skills set. “I gained new knowledge and skills on how to go about producing a successful dissertation and how to develop my career as a researcher."

​In addition to academic workshops, delegates also had the opportunity to attend a range of extra-curricular workshops. These included an excursion to the V&A Waterfront in Cape Town and a braai at Middelvlei Wine Estate to conclude the Summer School. 

​Towards a connected Africa

​The Abe Bailey Trust again offers a travel bursary for a suitable student or junior lecturerattached to South African universities for an educational visit to England for the period 24 November 2019 to 21 December 2019.

CONDITIONS

1. Bursaries are awarded to persons who are academically strong (being on track to complete the 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 yearof university.
   
2. Applicants should be SA citizens, who hold valid passports and should not be older than 25 years when the tour starts on 24 November 2019.  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 24 November 2019 or to interrupt the Tour. The tour ends officially on the 21 December 2019 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 Englishand 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
  
• Two letters of reference that address the suitability of the candidate to meet the objectives of this travel bursary
  
• Copies of ID and university academic record
  
• Copies university merit/achievement certificates (maximum 5 items)
  
• Details of leadership roles and social and community service at 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​​
  
2. T​​​he​​ letters of reference should be from three current referees reporting on the character, leadership and personality of the nominee. The referees may send the letters directly to Robert Kotzé, rk@sun.ac.za