Prof Reinette (Oonsie) Biggs, incumbent of the DST/NRF Research Chair in Social-Ecological Systems and Resilience, delivered her inaugural lecture with the title Resilience: An approach to navigating towards more sustainable futures in the Anthropocene, on 5 August 2019.

An NRF P-rated scientist, Prof Biggs is based at the Centre for Complex Systems in Transition at Stellenbosch University. She is also affiliated with the Stockholm Resilience Centre in Sweden.

Prof Biggs has summarised her lecture as follows:

We live in the Anthropocene, a new geological era where the increasing scale, speed and connectivity of human activities are profoundly changing the functioning of the Earth.

The economic, political and cultural processes underlying these changes are also leading to growing social inequalities and the breakdown of traditional relations that can provide support and meaning in people's lives. At the same time, they are also creating a variety of social innovations and technological developments, which are opening up exciting opportunities for addressing these challenges.

Resilience is a key concept that has emerged for navigating the novel and turbulent conditions of the Anthropocene and fostering transformations toward more sustainable and just development pathways. Resilience refers to the capacity to navigate change and uncertainty through investing in systemic features such as diversity, connectivity and learning.

One innovative example of the application of a resilience approach is the Seeds of Good Anthropocenes project (https://goodanthropocenes.net). Through a series of transdisciplinary workshops and an online campaign, a wide variety of 'seeds' are being catalogued – real initiatives that demonstrate elements of a positive future. Using these seeds, a suite of provocative alternative visions for 'good Anthropocenes' have been developed through a novel participatory visioning approach.

This presentation briefly introduces the concept of the Anthropocene and resilience as a strategy for building systemic capacity to navigate change and uncertainty. It then illustrates how the resilience approach is being applied in the Seeds of Good Anthropocenes project to identify actions that have the potential to leverage deep systemic change towards more positive futures.

• For more information, and to watch a video of the inaugural lecture, click here.
• Photo by Anton Jordaan: F.l.t.r. are Prof Eugene Cloete, Vice-Rector: Research, Innovation and Postgraduate Studies; Prof Reinette (Oonsie) Biggs; and Prof Ingrid Woolard, Dean of the Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences.
  
  

​​​Helping the public find answers to their questions related to Stellenbosch University (SU), or solutions to their problems, is a task that has been entrusted to a team of highly-trained consultants at the University's Contact and Client Services Centre. 

From guiding students through their online application process to sharing information on registration or fees, life as a consultant is demanding and fast-paced. But the team, who is celebrating their 10^th year in operation, is flying the SU flag high and delivering a unique and transformative client service experience.

As part of SU's Women's Month celebrations, the women who form part of this dynamic team shared some insight into life at the Contact and Client Services Centre.

What makes your department dynamic?

Our department is made up of a group of young and dynamic individuals who are always going that extra mile to assist the public. We also come from different cultural backgrounds and this helps us to understand the diverse student population as well as other members of the public that we work with on a daily basis.

The Contact and Client Services Centre is also a safe and nurturing space, and as colleagues we take care of and support one another.

Contact and Client Services Centres at any organisation are often the first point of contact for the public. As a result, consultants play an important role, not only in providing information or assistance, but they are seen as brand ambassadors. How do you see your role as an SU brand ambassador?

Cecile Theys: As an SU brand ambassador my role is to ensure that everyone has a positive experience with SU. I want people who contact the University to find a solution to their problem, and to have peace of mind.

Sheena Overmeyer: I have always been an ambassador of the University – in my personal capacity as a student, and now I'm excited that I can do it in a professional capacity. I want people to be excited about SU, and this is the spirit I infuse when assisting the public.

Estie Munro: I see my role as an SU brand ambassador as very important – every time I answer the telephone or respond to an email, I represent the University. That is why I strive to help people quickly and in a friendly manner.

Sindiswa Jamba: I enjoy my role because I am the first person most people come into contact when dealing with SU. People want to be listened to, and this is what I do best.  

What message of encouragement do you have for women in South Africa?

Cecile Theys: No matter where you find yourself in life, there is always an opportunity to grow and improve.

Estie Munroe: Work hard and stay focused.

Sheena Overmeyer: Education is very important and will only benefit you in the future. Work hard!

Sindiswa Jamba: Always keep believing because you are worth it!

• The Contact and Client Services Centres can help you telephonically in English, Afrikaans, isiXhosa and isiZulu. If you want to touch base via email, web chat or social media, responses will be in English and Afrikaans.
  
  

• Monday to Friday
  Time: 08:00 to 16:30
  Tel: +27 21 808 9111
  E-mail: info@sun.ac.za
  

The Winter School of the Faculty of Theology, Stellenbosch University, was recently presented for the eighth time. The Winter School is an initiative of the faculty, Communitas, Ekklesia and the Beyers Naudé Centre for Public Theology, which aims to create a dialogue on contemporary issues affecting communities and congregations. It also provides an opportunity for additional theological training of spiritual leaders, and empowering members of the congregation.

Prof Anita Cloete, coordinator of the Winter School, says: “This year we reflected on 25 years of democracy in conversation with religion. The keynote speakers highlighted the theme from different perspectives and emphasized the public role that the church plays. On the first day, Prof Nadine Bowers-du Toit focused on identity politics and how, on the one hand, it promotes polarization and, on the other hand, is often intertwined with religion. Former Statistics General Dr Pali Lehohla outlined the story of democracy on day two using statistics about South Africa. Prof Allan Boesak concluded the Winter School with an emphasis on the important contribution of religion in the fight against apartheid, also outlining the role for religion in South Africa’s future democracy. " Follow the link for a copy of his address. Prof Allan Boesak.pdf

“The parallel sessions that took place in the morning and afternoon followed the main themes of the day. The Winter School was very well attended with more than 200 participants. One of the highlights of the Winter School is that it brings people together from different denominations, cultures and generations. This diversity also adds depth to our shared sense of community and conversations because it allows us to learn more about each other, crossing boundaries. Each day began with participants joining together in a moment of stillness to read the Word. In the feedback after the course, many participants described it as one of the most valuable moments of the Winter School. "

“We hope this initiative will continue as a way of communicating hope to congregations and communities. "

The dates of the 2020 Winter School will be announced soon.

​When Niel Botha says he did not expect being named the 2019 CGW Schumann Medal winner for the best postgraduate student in Stellenbosch University’s (SU)  Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences (EMS), you believe him.

You see, the down-to-earth postgraduate student is not the kind to blow his own trumpet. He lets his actions speak for him – from his exploits on the sports field to his academic achievements to his work in the community. Others observe, admire and sing his praises.

Like the Department of Statistics and Actuarial Science who nominated him for the medal and the EMS Faculty Committee who considered him the most worthy candidate.

Botha (23) was awarded the medal, named after the Faculty’s first dean and awarded annually since 1986, at an official hand-over ceremony at Stellenbosch on Friday, 26 July.

The award is the highest student accolade in the Faculty. 

Botha had the following to say about being awarded the medal: “It was something I did not expect at all; it was a huge surprise! I received the e-mail confirming me as the recipient of the medal two months ago. I did not even know that I was nominated. It is a massive honour and a privilege.”

According to Prof Ingrid Woolard, Dean of the Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences, Botha – who received both his BCom (Actuarial Science) and his BComHons (Actuarial Science) cum laude – is a deserving winner.

“Not only does he have an extraordinary academic record, but he also continued participating in sport at a very high level, and in social impact activities. He is a great inspiration to us and to his fellow students,” said Woolard.

During his years at SU (2014-2018), Botha played cricket for Maties and Boland as a bowling all-rounder and participated in community programmes where he tutored children in disadvantaged schools and assisted in coaching clinics organised by Maties Cricket.

“I have always been very competitive, especially in sport. But ultimately the big driver for me is to make a difference. It keeps you grounded and honest and makes you better as a person,” Botha said.

The Stellenbosch resident, who hopes to pursue a career in finance, will depart for the UK in September where he will study for his Master’s in Finance at Cambridge University.

“I initially applied for a Rhodes Scholarship to study at Oxford University but that fell through. Somebody pointed me to Cambridge and as I liked the MPhil course they offer, I decided to apply and was accepted.

“The big thing was getting the money to cover my tuition and living expenses for the duration of the one-year course. Luckily I managed to secure a scholarship from the Skye Foundation, an initiative established by the Zylstra family and awarded annually to postgraduate students who are nominated by the deans of their faculties.”

Ironically, Botha almost took a completely different path when he started his studies at SU in 2014.

“I was registered to study Accounting but changed my mind at the last minute. I was probably influenced by my brother and a family member who were both studying Actuarial Science at the time. I am very glad I made the switch as I was able to utilise my mathematics abilities better.”

The former Paul Roos Gymnasium learner matriculated in 2013, and is the youngest of a family with strong roots in Stellenbosch. His mother, Wouri, and father, Dewald, a former Matie and well-known golfer, are both dentists. His middle brother, Dewald, also studied Actuarial Science at SU and captained both Maties and Boland in cricket. His eldest brother, Ian, currently working in Johannesburg, studied Engineering at SU. His grandfather, Felix Botha, was a professor in Psychology at SU.

The young Botha, it seems, is destined to follow in their footsteps.

• Photo by Anton Jordaan: Niel Botha, winner of the 2019 CGW Schumann Medal for the best postgraduate student in the Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences at Stellenbosch University, with his parents, Stellenbosch dentists Mr Dewald and Mrs Wouri Botha. 

After 25 years of democracy, only a limited number of women serve as directors of locally listed companies. Through her research, Dr Nadia Mans-Kemp from the Department of Business Management highlights the need for enhanced board gender diversity and the value of board development initiatives to expand the talent pool.

As part of South Africa's Women's Month celebrations, she tells us more about how her work is making a difference in the lives of women.

Can you tell us more about your research?

My research centres on corporate governance-related topics. As the governing body is the focal point of corporate governance, the roles, composition and effectiveness of directors attract considerable attention. Together with my colleague Prof Suzette Viviers, I have investigated the business and social cases for board gender diversity in South Africa, particularly as it pertains to listed companies. Given that eligible, diverse directors often serve on multiple boards, we have also accounted for the positive and negative effects of multi-boardedness.

Why or how did you become interested in this specific area of research?

As I believe that sound governance is essential for prosperity in South Africa, I investigated the business case for corporate governance among listed companies for my PhD. Thereafter, I focused on board-related topics, given that challenging decisions are made at the highest echelons which affect several stakeholders. Improved monitoring and fresh perspectives on complex topics could considerably enhance the functioning of governing bodies.

Why do you think this is such an important area of research for South African women?

There is growing pressure to diversify boards. We have moved beyond “why" boards should be diversified to “how" it could be done. The King IV Report on corporate governance encourages listed companies to set board gender and race diversity targets. More research is required to offer guidance on setting and reaching realistic targets.

What would you consider the greatest impact of your research on women in the country?

Our research shows that women make a significant positive contribution to local boards. They enhance sustainable value creation. More women should empower themselves and take the leap to apply for senior positions in their companies. Director training, development and mentoring play an essential role to grow the local talent pool.

Do you have any message for the next generation of women researchers?

Believe in yourself: You can make an invaluable impact. Although it might take longer than expected, if you invest enough time and energy, you can achieve what you set out to do.

There are a number of learning design and support mechanisms available for the development of hybrid mode offerings (i.e. academic modules or programmes which include fully online learning 'blocks') and online short programmes at SU.

It is advisable that the module/course coordinator contact a relevant CLT advisor (see details below) as early on in the planning stages as possible.

Depending on the scope of each project (which can range from developing a single learning resource such as a video, to the hands-on development  of a full hybrid academic programme), the CLT advisor can share examples of past projects, and make recommendations on the possible next steps in the development process. Examples of relevant support services offered by the CLT include:

The design of a course 'storyboard' (i.e. an outline of recommended SUNOnline/SUNLearn-based learning activities)

• The conversion of face to face learning material to interactive online resources
• Graphic design of icons, logos  or other visual elements
• Video recording and editing
• The set-up and support for live webinars
• Bespoke practical training for course presenters, administrators and/or online tutors to navigate and effectively use online teaching tools
• Project-specific mini-workshops for academic teams, including both technical skills training and sharing of sound online pedagogical approaches

Some of these services, especially bespoke graphic design and video production for short programmes, have cost implications. In order to enable all SU staff that are exploring online/hybrid teaching approaches, the CLT can also offer suggestions on lower-cost options and training for staff that are interested in generating online resources themselves.

Please contact the Center for Learning Technologies (CLT)'s Learning Design Team for more information:

Miné de Klerk (Advisor: Online and Hybrid Learning)

mine@sun.ac.za 

Nompilo Tshuma Advisor: Higher Education)

ntshuma@sun.ac.za​

​​Stakeholders are invited to give input on Stellenbosch University's (SU) draft Visual Redress Policy before it is finalised to follow the internal approval process for institutional policies.

The internal campus consultation process with faculty boards has already started, and the public participation processes will run from 2 August until 2 September 2019.

The aim of the Visual Redress Policy is to give particular expression to the SU Vision 2040, with the focus on positioning SU as a university that expresses its visual embeddedness as part of an ongoing process of redress in relation to its local and global context.

The draft policy has the following primary outcomes:

• To bring together the visual redress and naming/renaming processes under one policy;
• To enhance and advance visual redress (including naming/renaming processes at SU);
• To stimulate critical dialogue (including teaching and learning and research) at the University;
• To ensure that visual redress is transparent; and
• To guide SU environments around processes of visual redress and naming/renaming.

Several years ago SU implemented the process of visual redress, which is guided by the SU Transformation Plan and implemented by the Division of Social Impact and Transformation. Much progress has been made to create student- and staff-friendly living and work spaces that conform to the needs of a diverse group of students, staff and other stakeholders.

“At the same time, the University has made a concerted effort to create spaces for dialogue about public symbols and historical figures. In addition to that, specific committees have been put in place to facilitate university-wide discourse about and approach to public symbols and the naming of buildings," explains Dr Leslie van Rooi, Senior Director: Social Impact and Transformation.

Through the visual redress project, several buildings have been named and renamed, art installations have been erected and a permanent statement composed reminding the University where it was and where it is heading.

Welcome messages in 15 languages have been carved onto benches in public areas on campus, including braille, Sign Language and San. A map of Die Vlakte was installed at the entrance of the Arts and Social Sciences building, which is built on the land from where families were evicted under the Group Areas Act in the 1960s.  

Van Rooi says the policy will thus bring together and formalises two ongoing processes at SU – the naming and renaming of buildings, venues and other facilities and premises, as governed by the Committee for the Naming of Buildings, Venues and other Facilities and Premises, and the activities of the ad hoc Visual Redress Committee.

Moreover, the policy imbeds the naming processes at SU within the framework of visual redress, thus supplementing and enhancing the possibilities and impact of naming and renaming of buildings, venues and other facilities and premises on all SU campuses. It is foreseen that both committees will remain operative, but with a deliberate and direct form of interaction between them, which may include shared membership.

All written comments, formal submissions and enquiries should be sent to visualredress@sun.ac.za before 16:00 on Monday 2 September 2019. All input will be considered, and further drafts will be tabled at the various statutory bodies between August and November. The final draft Visual Redress Policy will be tabled for approval at the last Council meeting on 2 December 2019.

• Click here for the draft Visual Redress Policy.
  
• Read more about Transformation as Stellenbosch University. ​
  
• Click here to read more about the visual redress projects underway.​

Students from the SU Faculty of Economic and Management Science's Department of Statistics and Actuarial Science came out tops in the data science challenge section of SU's second Hackathon which took place over the weekend.

The annual event, which ran from 2-4 August at SU's Engineering Main Building, was organised by Innovus and sponsored by Entersekt, Capitec and Explore.

The Hackathon aims to increase an entrepreneurial and innovation culture across the SU campus by getting talented student programmers, designers, builders, statisticians, scientists and engineers to come together to learn, build and share their creative ideas, while solving industry-relevant problems in an innovative fashion.

This year was the first time that students could participate in one of two challenges: a data science challenge or a financial technology (fintech) coding challenge.

The fintech challenge was sponsored and set up by Capitec and Entersekt, with help from the Departments of Electrical and Electronic Engineering and the Department of Mathematical Sciences.

The data science challenge was sponsored and set up by Capitec and Explore with help from the Department of Statistics and Actuarial Science.

The theme of both challenges was to design useful and affordable products and services for consumers that are under-served and financially excluded.

The data science challenge required teams to use insights obtained from client transactional data, and to suggest the next best action or tip based on what the team had learnt from the data science or machine learning process.

The team consisting of David Rodwell, Christiaan le Roux and Robert Cronjé – all Financial Risk Management (FRM) Master's students in the Department of Statistics and Actuarial Science – came out tops. They were the most successful in using their creative problem solving, data cleaning, manipulation and visualisation skills, as well as their experience in statistical analysis.

Mr Carel van der Merwe, senior lecturer in FRM at the Department of Statistics and Actuarial Science, was ecstatic about the team's success.

“There were various teams from our department that took part, with the overall quality of the presentations very good. I am looking forward for our department to have an on-going presence and involvement in the competition," he said.

The students walked away with a sum of R15 000 for winning the challenge.

• Photo: The Hedge Back team consisting of (f.l.t.r.) Christiaan le Roux, David Rodwell and Robert Cronjé who won the data science challenge. With them is Mr August Carstens (far right), Data Science Manager at Capitec, one of the sponsors.
  
  

The Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences' world-beating golfer Prof Garrett Slattery once again exhibited his prowess by leading a rest-of-the-world team in a record-breaking victory over a very good North-American outfit in the fourth ISPS Handa Vision Cup.

The Vision Cup, which took place in June at the Portmarnock Links in Dublin, Ireland, is a biennial Ryder Cup-style tournament which pits the top 12 blind golfers from North America against the top 12 from the rest of the world.

The tournament started in 2013 as the Resmeyer Cup, but was subsequently renamed as the ISPS Handa Vision Cup. The first edition was held at the Green Island Golf Club in Columbus, Georgia, USA in 2013.

Slattery, a professor in Actuarial Science, not only captained the rest-of-the-world team, but he also won all three of his matches.

But it doesn't stop there. Slattery's team also managed to beat the North Americans by a whopping 15.5-8.5 – the largest winning margin in the history of the competition.

“On behalf of all of us, well done Garrett, and also to the rest of the team!" said Prof Paul Mostert, Chair: Department of Statistics and Actuarial Science.

This wasn't Slattery's first success on the international stage. In 2014, he won the B2 world title at the world championships of the International Blind Golf Association in Sydney, Australia.

The B2 sight category is for players who see less at 2 m than a fully-sighted person sees at 60 m.

• Photo 1: The captain of the the rest-of-the-world team, Prof Garrett Slattery, with the North American team captain, Ms Linda Port, and the captain of the R&A*, Chris Hilton.
• Photo 2: Prof Garrett Slattery and his guide, Mr Erich Kliem, holding the Vision Cup. (Both photos supplied.)
  *R&A (Royal & Ancient) is the international golf body who engages in and supports activities undertaken for the benefit of the sport of golf.
  
  

Prof Ingrid Woolard, Dean of the Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences and professor in the Department of Economics, delivered her inaugural lecture with the title Mind the gap: Income inequality in post-apartheid South Africa, on 7 August 2019.

Prof Woolard's areas of research interest include the measurement of poverty and inequality, unemployment, social protection and fiscal policy. She is a research affiliate at the United Nations University World Institute for Development Economics Research, the Institute for the Study of Labour and the Commitment to Equity Institute, and an honorary professor at the University of Cape Town.

From 2008 to 2014, she served on the Employment Conditions Commission, which advises the South African Minister of Labour on making sectoral determinations concerning working conditions and minimum wages in sectors where collective bargaining is weak. From 2013 to 2018 she served on the Davis Tax Committee.

Prof Woolard has summarised her lecture as follows:

All post-apartheid South Africa's major social reform initiatives – from the Reconstruction and Development Programme in 1994 to the most recent National Development Plan – have proceeded from the premise of the unacceptability of the high levels of poverty and inequality and the urgency of setting South Africa on a path of inclusive development. Yet, despite all this policy attention, income inequality has not declined (and may even have risen slightly) since the dawn of democracy. This paper traces the changing pattern of income inequality over the past 25 years and describes the key drivers of this inequality. The paper documents both successes, such as the equalising role played by the cash transfer system, and failures, such as the sharp increases in both unemployment and earnings inequality.

• For more information, and to watch a video of the inaugural lecture, click here.

• Photo by Anton Jordaan: F.l.t.r. are Prof Nico Koopman, Vice-Rector: Social Impact, Transformation and Personnel; Prof Ingrid Woolard, Dean of the Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences; and Prof Stan du Plessis, Chief Operating Officer.
  
  

World Hepatitis Day is marked on 28 July. It is one of only four days dedicated to a specific infectious disease by the World Health Organisation (WHO).

Of the five types of viral hepatitis (named alphabetically: hepatitis A, B, C, D and E), hepatitis B in particular is a serious public health problem in sub-Saharan Africa.

What makes hepatitis B different is that we can prevent it with a safe and effective vaccine. Combatting viral hepatitis is one of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. WHO has a widely accepted plan to eliminate viral hepatitis as an important public health threat by 2030. This will require governments, public health officials, funders and civil society to prioritise this disease.

Worldwide 257 million people have chronic hepatitis B infection. The disease is responsible for 880 000 deaths each year, an impact greater than that of tuberculosis, malaria or HIV. Sub-Saharan Africa and Asia carry the highest burden of disease. Although it rarely kills children, infection early in life tends to become chronic, causing problems such as liver cancer later in life. Mortality is seen in young men and women, the parents of young children and the breadwinners for young families, at the most economically active time of their lives. 

Most chronic hepatitis B infections occur because of infection at birth – through mother-to-child transmission – or in early childhood. The vast majority of infections can be prevented by vaccinating infants within 24 hours of delivery (HepB-BD vaccine), followed by further doses of vaccine over the next months. Even though HepB-BD vaccine is highly cost-effective, the reality is that we have failed to make this vaccine available to the infants who need it – only 11 (20%) of 54 African countries offer the HepB-BD vaccine, and only 10% of African babies receive the vaccine within 24 hours of birth.  

From April 2019, HepB-BD vaccination was implemented in South Africa and we should celebrate this. Modelling studies suggest that this will reduce perinatal HBV infections by 60%, at a cost of less than R11 per infant vaccinated. 

Today, while we celebrate this success, we should be cognisant of the impact that this highly prevalent disease continues to have on our continent. We need to continue to encourage the changes in policy needed to make HepB-BD vaccine a reality in all of Africa, and to ensure the elimination of mother-to-child transmission of hepatitis B.

Two FMHS researchers – both with the faculty's Department of Global Health – made the department proud when they were recently featured in the Mail & Guardian's “200 young South Africans".

They are Dr Xanthe Hunt (27), a researcher at the Institute for Life Course Health Research and Dr Lieketseng Ned (30), a lecturer at the Centre for Rehabilitation Studies.

Hunt, who is also affiliated with California University and is studying with Harvard University, has two areas of research: she focuses on improving maternal and child health, particularly among young children affected by HIV and their caregivers in Kenya, Mozambique, Malawi, Zambia and Tanzania. She is particularly interested in what makes public health programmes for mothers and children work – and how they can be made to work better. She also does research on sexual and reproductive health among people with disabilities and how mainstream health care services can be made more accessible to people with disabilities.

She is currently working on a book about disabled people's experiences of accessing sexual and reproductive health services.

Hailing from the Easter Cape, Ned convenes the postgraduate diploma programme in the centre. Her research is aimed at “contributing to the development of a situated disability and rehabilitation scholarship which centres the African experience. “More specifically, I am passionate about the following niche areas; critical disability and rehabilitation studies, community development practice, indigenous knowledges and methodologies, transformation in higher education and decoloniality," she said. Her work is published in various accredited journals and books.

Hunt, who hails from KZN and published more than 30 academic papers, has been described as "an academic phenomenon", and was a recipient of last year's prestigious Chancellor's Medal at Stellenbosch University. She is also the first psychology department student to have her master's degree converted to a PhD, and passed with no changes needed.

Yet, in an interview about the achievement, Hunt said she felt “very flattered". “By being named, I think you begin to feel you should work harder to earn the place.“

Asked what drives her in her work, Hunt said: “Coming from a privileged middle-class background in KZN, I started doing volunteer work in the public health system as soon as I got to university. It cemented my understanding that it was a complete accident that I ended up having access to good services while others did not. That accident is a result of inequalities with historical roots. For me healthcare services and systems can make a big difference in quality of life. I want to figure out how to make those services more equitable as it's unfair that they are not."

Ned, who is a board member for the South African Christian Leadership Association and Western Cape Rehabilitation Centre, said her doctorate, entitled 'Reconnecting with indigenous knowledge in education: exploring possibilities for health and well-being in Xhora, South Africa' has really assisted her to have a much more nuanced understand of disability and rehabilitation studies. She is now focused on raising funds to continue her engagements with AmaBomvane for further dissemination of this research using participatory visual methodologies. She also has a research collaboration with the University of Helsinki to focus of disability research in the Global South.

Ned said she feels “grateful and humbled" about being featured on the Mail & Guardian's 200 List. “It is a recognition of work that is mostly located in the margins. Most importantly, I am filled with joy and gratitude towards AmaBomvane in the Eastern Cape as it is through their knowledges that I am this recognised scholar today." She also voiced gratitude to friends, colleagues and the judges.

“The recognition is a form of affirmation as an emerging researcher and a future leader. It's a great privilege to be counted among the best minds and influencers in the country. I hope others are affirmed too that it's possible to re-imagine the present and actually re-create a better future" Ned said.

Acting head of the Department of Global Health, Professor Taryn Young said: “We are proud of Drs Hunt and Ned in being amongst the Mail & Guardian's '200 Young South Africans'. We celebrate their commitment and passion for their work, and value the contributions they are making to society."

Caption: Drs Lieketseng Ned and Xanthe Hunt.

Photo credit: Wilma Stassen

Two FMHS researchers – both with the faculty's Department of Global Health – made the department proud when they were recently featured in the Mail & Guardian's “200 young South Africans".

They are Dr Xanthe Hunt (27), a researcher at the Institute for Life Course Health Research and Dr Lieketseng Ned (30), a lecturer at the Centre for Rehabilitation Studies.

Hunt, who is also affiliated with California University and is studying with Harvard University, has two areas of research: she focuses on improving maternal and child health, particularly among young children affected by HIV and their caregivers in Kenya, Mozambique, Malawi, Zambia and Tanzania. She is particularly interested in what makes public health programmes for mothers and children work – and how they can be made to work better. She also does research on sexual and reproductive health among people with disabilities and how mainstream health care services can be made more accessible to people with disabilities.

She is currently working on a book about disabled people's experiences of accessing sexual and reproductive health services.

Hailing from the Easter Cape, Ned convenes the postgraduate diploma programme in the centre. Her research is aimed at “contributing to the development of a situated disability and rehabilitation scholarship which centres the African experience. “More specifically, I am passionate about the following niche areas; critical disability and rehabilitation studies, community development practice, indigenous knowledges and methodologies, transformation in higher education and decoloniality," she said. Her work is published in various accredited journals and books.

Hunt, who hails from KZN and published more than 30 academic papers, has been described as "an academic phenomenon", and was a recipient of last year's prestigious Chancellor's Medal at Stellenbosch University. She is also the first psychology department student to have her master's degree converted to a PhD, and passed with no changes needed.

Yet, in an interview about the achievement, Hunt said she felt “very flattered". “By being named, I think you begin to feel you should work harder to earn the place.“

Asked what drives her in her work, Hunt said: “Coming from a privileged middle-class background in KZN, I started doing volunteer work in the public health system as soon as I got to university. It cemented my understanding that it was a complete accident that I ended up having access to good services while others did not. That accident is a result of inequalities with historical roots. For me healthcare services and systems can make a big difference in quality of life. I want to figure out how to make those services more equitable as it's unfair that they are not."

Ned, who is a board member for the South African Christian Leadership Association and Western Cape Rehabilitation Centre, said her doctorate, entitled 'Reconnecting with indigenous knowledge in education: exploring possibilities for health and well-being in Xhora, South Africa' has really assisted her to have a much more nuanced understand of disability and rehabilitation studies. She is now focused on raising funds to continue her engagements with AmaBomvane for further dissemination of this research using participatory visual methodologies. She also has a research collaboration with the University of Helsinki to focus of disability research in the Global South.

Ned said she feels “grateful and humbled" about being featured on the Mail & Guardian's 200 List. “It is a recognition of work that is mostly located in the margins. Most importantly, I am filled with joy and gratitude towards AmaBomvane in the Eastern Cape as it is through their knowledges that I am this recognised scholar today." She also voiced gratitude to friends, colleagues and the judges.

“The recognition is a form of affirmation as an emerging researcher and a future leader. It's a great privilege to be counted among the best minds and influencers in the country. I hope others are affirmed too that it's possible to re-imagine the present and actually re-create a better future" Ned said.

Acting head of the Department of Global Health, Professor Taryn Young said: “We are proud of Drs Hunt and Ned in being amongst the Mail & Guardian's '200 Young South Africans'. We celebrate their commitment and passion for their work, and value the contributions they are making to society."

Caption: Drs Lieketsent Ned and Xanthe Hunt.

Photo credit: Wilma Stassen

Prof Monika Esser, a Paediatric Rheumatology and Immunology Specialist and Head of the Immunology Unit of the National Health Laboratory Services (NHLS) at Tygerberg Hospital and Stellenbosch University's Faculty of Health Sciences, retired in July.

Her retirement might mean she has more time on her hands, but Esser said she would be keeping busy with numerous medical commitments, including research, freelance work and supporting a range of not-for-profit organisations.

“I feel very excited about my retirement from the NHLS because it means I will have more time to work flexibly on various things that really interest me," Esser said in an interview.

“It's a shift in direction, and will involve a far less formalized work schedule. I don't have to stick to certain hours, but will remain working in the paediatric rheumatology and immunology clinics of the Department of Paediatrics and Child Care in an honorary capacity, until we have enough trained people in those fields."

Esser took up the joint position of Head of the Immunology Unit within Medical Microbiology in the NHLS Tygerberg in March 2005.

“It's been such an interesting part of my life. I am actually a paediatric rheumatologist, but was asked to take over as head of the immunology unit, which is part of the medical microbiology department of the Department of Pathology at the hospital.

“I was asked to come on board as a scientist, even though I am not a trained scientist. I did some laboratory-related training in infectious diseases in the 80s in the US, but other than that my training was clinical. It took about three years for me to re-define the position as a clinician with an interest in Immunology but not as a scientist. It was a big challenge but definitely a worthwhile one.

Esser said her position enabled her and colleagues to develop some of the translational research, including looking at HIV-exposed but uninfected infants.

“It had become obvious in the clinics that these children were more at risk of serious infections in the first year of life. This led to collaborative research and resulted in a different way of looking at these children as being at risk and not as immune-competent as HIV- unexposed children.

“This research is ongoing – and it is very exciting work."

Esser said another highlight of her years in this position include that she managed to develop the immune-deficiency clinic further through facilitating research linking immune deficiencies to genetics. For this research, a group, PIDDGEN, was established in 2013.

“This is also ongoing a very exciting part of my work which I hope to continue to support through helping to find genetic reasons for commoner and also rarer immune-deficiencies," she said.

“Our predominant scope of interest in this area is among children and adolescents with recurrent and unusual forms of tuberculosis. The link with existing research structures for more common diseases in our country means that our work in this field has very good prospects for becoming a long-term project, with growth of scientists as well as fellowships and it has great translational potential.

A founder member in 2008 and past chairperson of the board of the African Society for Immunodeficiencies (ASID), she said she will continue to do work for the society in an honorary position as well as with the International Patient Organisation for Immunodeficiencies. “On top of this I will also carry on with our work towards a national registry for immunodeficiency which we have been running for the past fifteen years," she said.

“I will also be involved in African workshops to develop awareness and train doctors to identify immuno-deficiencies so that they can be treated."

One of the NPOs she supports – and will continue to work with – is Hope Cape Town – an HIV outreach and education project whose board Esser chairs.

“In terms of research, I am excited to look at the link between the laboratory and the clinical applications of immunology and translate some of the findings we've come up with into further research projects and into algorithms of better care in the clinic," she said.

“So I will definitely not stop working!"

Her retirement means she will also have time for fun, Esser said. “I have a very active husband, who still works as a cardiac surgeon, but we will make time for our hobbies, mountain biking, kayaking and exploring the wild. We intend doing much more of that together – as well as spending time with our three daughters and two grandchildren on wonderful holidays."

After having matriculated with good grades from the Montebello High School in Durban, applying for medical school seemed like a no-brainer to Dr Sengeziwe Sibeko. All her school friends with good grades opted for life sciences.

But the 18-year old who grew up in the Umlazi township and had boarded at Montebello High, could never have imagined that by age 44 she would be an obstetrician and gynaecologist, an epidemiologist and a mucosal immunologist, with a PhD to boot. All this was achieved in her quest to help find a way to prevent HIV transmission to women.

“Back then, I had no vision of my own. I never dreamed that I could end up in the field of medicine, let alone become a scientist!"

After having specialised in obstetrics and gynaecology at the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN), Sibeko successfully completed the Fogarty Global Health Training Programme at the National Institutes of Health in Washington DC in 2007. She went on to pursue even loftier goals, and in 2009 she was awarded another fellowship to complete an MSc in epidemiology at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health in New York. In 2011 she was awarded the prestigious Oxford Nuffield Medical Fellowship to study towards her PhD at Oxford University, from which she graduated in 2017.

However, these are only a few of the highlights that illuminate Sibeko's career path.

Throughout her research career of 12 years she has immersed herself in various projects, all with a common theme: HIV-1 prevention in women. This interest was sparked during her registrar training under UKZN's Prof Jack Moodley, when she became involved in community health rotations and discussions about maternal morbidity and mortality.

“I became aware of the extent to which HIV/Aids was changing how it presented itself clinically and in altered disease manifestations, and the natural progression of the disease," she recalls. This was the catalyst that sparked her interest in research after five year of specialisation. She joined the Centre for the Aids Programme of Research in South Africa (CAPRISA) at UKZN as a research gynaecologist, where she worked until moving to the United Kingdom for her PhD. Upon her return she was scooped up by the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at Stellenbosch University's Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, where she currently works as a senior researcher.

She says sub-Saharan Africa is a region where women uniquely bear the brunt of the HIV epidemic. “My research interests are thus aimed towards improving women's health, with a particular focus on the HIV/Aids epidemic."

To this end she has been involved in HIV-1 prevention and pathogenesis research programmes, looking at the female genital tract (FGT) from all angles: clinically, epidemiologically and in laboratory sciences. “Following my involvement in the multi-award-winning CAPRISA 004 tenofovir gel clinical trial, I wanted to conduct research aimed at understanding biological mechanisms responsible for increased HIV acquisition risk in women."

The CAPRISA 004 trial was the first trial undertaken at an international level to demonstrate that tenofovir gel, a microbicide applied intra-vaginally, reduces HIV risk by 39%. “However, it also showed that this reduction in HIV risk was much smaller in women with evidence of pre-existing or underlying inflammation and immune activation in the FGT." This was the motivation for her current research, aiming to provide more insight into mucosal immunity and the correlates of protection or vulnerability to HIV. The ultimate purpose is to develop an effective HIV preventative strategy for women in the form of either a microbicide or a vaccine, says Sibeko.

“My specialty within mucosal immunology is at the interface between the epithelium (the inner lining of the womb) and the virus, focussing on the cervix (mouth of the womb)." She explains that studies on monkeys provided most of the insight into the transmission of HIV-1. “My research is with human models, looking at early transmission events, and hence bridging the gap between humans and monkeys."

Sibeko's passion for public health has not come without a personal cost. She says her worst trait is living to work, resulting in an unbalanced life. “But I am working towards finding more balance by pushing myself to do other things."

If she could leave behind a legacy, she would like it to be as someone who was part of finding a solution for this century's women's health problems.

IT'S NOT ALWAYS EASY…

Dr Sibeko encourages staff and students to persevere and take advantage of every opportunity to improve themselves, even if it proves difficult.

The greatest challenges in her career arose due to a lack of support, often with no one to cheer her on. But she is proud of having achieved what she has in the face of adversity.

“For instance, when I went to Columbia University, I had no laptop. While everyone in the class took notes and did their assignments on their laptops, I had to learn how to use the computers in the computer lab, while also typing out assignments on statistics. It meant having to be in the lab seven days a week, often only going home at three in the morning.

“In the end I got really good grades and even received an award for one of my classes."

During her PhD studies at Oxford she also experienced a scarcity of support and mentorship. “Somebody told me that they wait for you to drown and pack your bags to go home. Every moment was difficult. There were things that took me months to figure out. With enough guidance, it could have taken a few weeks."

She decided to stick to her mantra: “If somebody else can do it, so can I". And, against the odds, she completed  her PhD, sustaining herself with sourced funding and sheer determination.

“When I'm 60 years old, I would like to look back and  say I have fought the good fight, finished the race, and have no regrets."

Caption: Dr Sengeziwe Sibeko.

Photo credit: Stefan Els

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The late former South African president, Nelson Mandela, once said, “The youth of today are the leaders of tomorrow." For Stellenbosch University (SU) student, Emily O'Ryan, this statement strongly rings true.

O'Ryan, who is an Honours student in Political Science, believes that in order for the youth of today to be leaders in the future, they should be given more opportunities to become involved in politics and even have their own platform in the form of a youth parliament.

She recently pushed this idea in a column writing competition for the online news platform Netwerk24, and won first prize for her opinion article, “Give us a youth parliament".

The competition was part of a collaboration between SU's Transformation Office and Netwerk24 as part of a Youth Month initiative for students in South Africa.

O'Ryan visited the Western Cape Provincial Parliament in June this year with a group of 56 high school learners who were part of the Rotary Adventures into Citizenship Programme*. The group's host and Deputy Speaker of the Western Cape Parliament, Beverley Schaefer, promised them that her office would be bringing the youths' dream of a youth parliament to fruition.

This promise struck a nerve with O'Ryan and she believes that Schaefer's office should be held accountable to this.

“The call for a youth parliament was to affirm the contribution that young people can make to help change the country. I've watched many young people get tired. I don't think enough independence is given to our young people. There is a lot of decisions made where we as young people are at the receiving end of it. If you give us more to do, those in power would see that we're actually capable of doing it," says O'Ryan.

O'Ryan also believes that being aware of your environment, taking on opportunities to change the status quo and making a difference should become part of student life across the country, instead of following the same traditional pattern to just get a piece of paper saying that you are now qualified and have graduated.

She says that how young people are raised and how the schooling system teaches our youth to just absorb and accept what is around them as the truth is problematic in the long term.

“Most students come to Stellenbosch University to collect a piece of paper, attend classes, write tests, sit in these four walls and then they leave with a piece of paper saying that they have graduated. Trying to tackle the big issues in South Africa is not always the only way to make a difference. If more students start at their institutions and communities where they are at, they are taking small steps in helping to eventually change the larger issues affecting youth."

O'Ryan grew up in Crawford, Cape Town, with two siblings almost 14-years older than her who she says always engaged with her as if she was at their peer level. This constant engagement with her brothers also influenced and shaped her passion for politics and her interest in social causes from a young age.

“I think many young people feel that they are inherently undermined when they approach others about the issues that they are going through and I think that's why a youth parliament is so important."

O'Ryan says she didn't initially think she would win the Netwerk24 competition, because most of the articles that she writes for her Honours course and other SU and external media outlets, tend to be very serious and argumentative.

She always had a sense for seeking justice and helping others, while in high school. However, she never thought she would be studying Political Science and always thought she would do something in Business or Public Relations instead.

O'Ryan's unconscious passion for justice and politics led her to SU instead of studying Business at the University of Cape Town, where she was also accepted.  

“Being in Stellenbosch you aren't just learning about justice and politics in a lecture hall, you are living it. We don't necessarily learn about what we experience every day in Stellenbosch and I think what got me into politics evolved over time from my experience in Stellenbosch." 

She recently came back from an academic trip to Bangkok, Thailand, which her mother had to take out a loan for to help fund her trip. O'Ryan says winning the competition could not have come at a better time, as she plans to use some of the prize money to pay back her mother's loan.

Her plans after completing her Honours studies include travelling more and working in governance in the Western Cape.

“Our education system and unemployment rate is in a crisis. There is so much opportunity to make a difference in South Africa, and I hope to be part of that."

Read O'Ryan's winning article here:

https://www.netwerk24.com/Stemme/Die-Student/give-us-a-youth-parliament-20190711

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More on the Rotary Adventures into Citizenship Programme:

*Rotary International is an international service organisation whose stated purpose is to bring together business and professional leaders in order to provide humanitarian service and to advance goodwill and peace around the world. As part of their work, they initiated the Rotary Adventures into Citizenship Programme aimed at Grade 11 and 12 learners who have shown great leadership potential in their respective Interact Clubs and schools. The programme promotes the avenues of citizenship that leaders may pursue after school. During the first week of the winter school holidays, about 50 learners from across the country are hosted in Cape Town to share in a week of fellowship and development. The group of learners also tour Cape Town's major establishments that are vital to the success of cities and towns. The group visits Parliament, the High Court and the Civic Centre where they learn how laws are made and upheld, and how a town functions to deliver multiple services to a diverse and wide spread community.

​Communication and PR Officer at the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, Lynne Rippenaar-Moses is driving women's empowerment in the higher education sector.

Rippenaar-Moses was recently elected as the new Chair of HERS-SA, a self-sustaining non-profit organisation dedicated to the advancement and leadership development of women in the higher education sector. HERS-SA advocates for, and contributes to, the career and leadership development of women employed in the higher education sector via carefully crafted programmes.

Why is HERS-SA important to higher education?

South Africa's gender equality legislative policies are good, but we are failing dismally at implementing them. In 2018, Statistics South Africa found that men “were more likely to be in paid employment than women, regardless of race", hold higher paying jobs, and positions at managerial level. The higher education (HE) environment is a reflection of what is happening in South African society.

In 2013, 72 500 women were employed at the 26 public universities in our country. That's 53% of the workforce at our universities. It seems high, but 2016 HEMIS figures show that only 43% of women, both academic and support staff, are in senior management positions. Women academics make up 27.5% of the 2 218 professors employed at our institutions and 39.5% of the 2 131 associate professors at our universities. Of the 4 890 senior lecturer posts at our institutions, 45.1% are held by women. 53.3% of the 8 498 lecturer positions and 56.6% of the 1 035 junior lecturer positions are held by women.

With few women at top management level, our institutions remain patriarchal environments where the particular challenges that women face and their specific needs are ignored. Career progression for women is further delayed by factors such as enabling cultures geared towards the advancement of males, perceptions within society that men are better leaders, and the low number of women who apply for senior and top management positions because of a workplace culture that prides itself on long, intensive workdays that may impact on women's other responsibilities. Women at senior and top management level often have to deal with hostility and salary gaps between men and women for doing the same work.

HERS-SA is one of the only organisations in South Africa with a proven track record in developing women in HE at a national level and advocating for the leadership development of women. So we have an important role to play to help institutions achieve gender equality in the current climate.

What do you hope to achieve as the new Chair of HERS-SA?

I represent one cog in the HERS-SA machine, which also include our Director, Brightness Mangolothi, the Deputy Chair of the Board, Shahieda Hendricks, and five board members who come from five of the 26 universities in South Africa. Together we represent a diverse group of women from different backgrounds, income levels, and experiences of the HE environment due to race, disabilities or cultural norms that spill into the workplace. I see myself as part of a partnership of women working towards implementing the HERS-SA vision, which is to contribute to the career advancement and leadership development of women in the HE sector.

What has been some of the successes of HERS-SA?

Thus far, we have trained more than 1 200 women through the HERS-SA Academy. Our next step is to investigate the possibility of implementing mentorship programmes and continuous learning opportunities, both online and at universities across South Africa, and to expose young, HE staff to HERS-SA leadership development opportunities early in their career. Mostly, I'd like to see HERS-SA strengthen women's resolve to take up their position at the table throughout their institutions. When we ask for a seat at the table it creates the impression that we never belonged there in the first place.

You are very passionate about the empowerment of women in all spheres of life. What has been driving this passion?

When you are in a position to empower someone else, you shouldn't hesitate to give them a hand up. I grew up in Idas Valley, a community with a mixture of working and middle class families. In such an environment you cannot be oblivious to unemployment, poverty, and the lack of opportunities that some South Africans have to good quality education. In South Africa, especially, empowering others as you climb the ladder becomes a moral duty. I am where I am today because I was empowered by women and male leaders. The women and men that have impacted on my life make up a diverse group, from my grandmothers (neither of whom finished school), to academics and support staff at various institutions in South Africa, to businessmen and women, as well as my parents and Eldridge. So I cannot help but be passionate about empowerment in general and the empowerment of all women.

What would your message of encouragement be to empower young women?

Seek mentorship from female and male leaders whom you admire, even if they are thousands of miles ahead of you on their career paths and make sure they'll push you. Put your hand up and get involved in projects or initiatives that require skills that far outweigh your current skill set. You may fail along the way and feel out of your depth, but you will learn, acquire new skills and more confidence in your abilities. Most importantly – and perhaps a bit clichéd – be yourself even if it means not fitting into the “norms" dictated by society. 

​Prof Ingrid Woolard, Dean of the Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences, delivered her inaugural lecture entitled Mind the gap: Income inequality in post-apartheid South Africa on 7 August 2019.

Woolard, who is also a professor in the Department of Economics, painted a picture of the changing pattern of income inequality in South Africa since the dawn of democracy, and the key drivers of this inequality.

Based on a body of work spanning the last 25 years, Woolard pointed out that although poverty has fallen since 1993, inequality has not changed very much over the same period.

“The poorest 40% of people accrue about 6% of total income, while the richest 10% of people are earning about 57% of income. This shows a very stark picture of income inequality," she said.

She highlighted the roles that fiscal policy – personal income taxes, cash transfers, education and health spending – have in reducing income inequality.

Woolard said questions remain about the roles and importance of assets and wealth in perpetuating the high levels of inequality, as well as why the South African labour market continues to display such extraordinary levels of unemployment.

“This requires a better grasp of the demand for labour, in conjunction with more sophisticated understanding of market structure and market power," she said.

According to Woolard the trends in inequality are related to deep-rooted factors that change slowly.  These deep drivers of inequality include strong path dependency, enduring social stratification that creates persistent group-based inequalities, deep-seated norms and preferences regarding redistribution, the particular role of social movements within a specific context, the strong link between economic and political inequality, and demographic dynamics with large inequality implications.

“These are topics which economists are inadequately trained to investigate, let alone address.   Making progress on inequality reduction requires much greater collaborative efforts with colleagues from other disciplines – historians, political scientists, lawyers, demographers and sociologists," she concluded.

Woolard's areas of research interest include the measurement of poverty and inequality, unemployment, social protection and fiscal policy. She is a research affiliate at the United Nations University World Institute for Development Economics Research, the Institute for the Study of Labour and the Commitment to Equity Institute, and an honorary professor at the University of Cape Town.

From 2008 to 2014, she served on the Employment Conditions Commission, which advises the South African Minister of Labour on making sectoral determinations concerning working conditions and minimum wages in sectors where collective bargaining is weak.

She served on the Davis Tax Committee from 2013 to 2018.

• To see a video of the inaugural lecture, click here​.
• Photo by Anton Jordaan: F.l.t.r. are Prof Nico Koopman, Vice-Rector: Social Impact, Transformation and Personnel; Prof Ingrid Woolard, Dean of the Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences; and Prof Stan du Plessis, Chief Operating Officer of Stellenbosch University.
  

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Nominations for a new chancellor of Stellenbosch University (SU) are to open on 14 August 2019. An electoral college, consisting of members of Council, members of the Executive Committee of Senate and the President and the Vice-President of the SU Convocation, will meet on 25 September 2019 to vote for a new incumbent.  

The second and last term of Dr Johann Rupert, SU's 14^th Chancellor, is coming to an end towards the end of 2019 and it is envisaged that the new chancellor will take office on 1 January 2020.

The Chancellor is the titular head of the University, presides at graduation ceremonies and confers all degrees, diplomas and certificates in the name of the University. The chancellor holds office for a term of five years, but may be re-elected for one further term of five years.

“Although a ceremonial role, the position of chancellor is of crucial importance to our institution. He or she should be able to identify with and promote the University's Vision 2040, its mission and its values, and take a keen interest in Stellenbosch University as academic institution," says Dr Ronel Retief, SU Registrar. “The individual should be a thought leader in his or her own right and be a role model for the University community." 

Nominations

All Members of the SU Convocation are eligible to submit nominations and have from 14 August until 4 September 2019 to hand in their nominations. Nominations must be in writing and have to be lodged with the registrar by the deadline of 4 September.

All SU graduates (including current postgraduate students who completed their undergraduate studies at SU), recipients of SU diplomas after 2010, and full-time and retired academic staff of the University are members of the Convocation.

Candidates for chancellor do not have to be members of the SU Convocation.

Each nomination must be signed by at least 20 members of the Convocation and must be accompanied by a signed declaration by the nominee in which he or she accepts the nomination. These forms will be available on the University's website (www.sun.ac.za) on 14 August.

Even if only one nomination is received, the candidate will only be elected chancellor if a majority of the members of the electoral college present, vote in his or her favour.

Liaise with Alfreda Coetzee at tel 021 808 4910 or alfreda@sun.ac.za for more information. Nomination forms will be available on the University's website (www.sun.ac.za) on 14 August.