​​Dr Henriette Burger from the Division of Radiation Oncology at the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences (FMHS) recently received an ASCO IDEA award from Conquer Cancer, and travelled to Chicago in June 2019 to receive it. 

The International Development and Education Award in Palliative Care (IDEA) from the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) supports the professional development of early-career oncologists in low- and middle income countries around the world. It does this by establishing mentoring relationships between these early-career oncologists, who have a specific interest in palliative medicine, with oncology leaders based in Canada and the Unites States, who are specialists in the field. 

Out of 30 applicants from low- and middle-income countries across the world, five awards were granted in 2019. 

"The award provides medical education in palliative care and includes attendance at the 2019 ASCO Annual Meeting and a post-meeting visit to the mentor's institution, with the aim of developing a long-term, knowledge-sharing relationship to improve palliative cancer care in the mentee's home country," says Burger. 

Burger's mentor is Professor Eduardo Bruera, Head of the Department of Palliative, Rehabilitation and Integrative Medicine at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Centre in Houston, Texas. 

As mentioned above, the award is given to early-career oncologists with a specific interest in palliative medicine who stand to become leaders in their field. 

"The recipients stand to benefit meaningfully from the educational and career development opportunities that the award offers," according to Burger. "The main aim of the award is to ensure wide dissemination of knowledge and skills so awardees need to commit to sharing the knowledge and training received through the program with colleagues in their home countries on their return." 

So what does this award mean to Burger on a personal level? 

"This award enables me to build a professional mentorship relationship with Prof Bruera who has a strong interest in the development of palliative care around the world and has extensive experience in palliative care research, teaching and training, publication and policy making on a local and global level. 

"It is recognition for the work I have done in the field of palliative care and motivates and inspires me to continue my work as chair of the undergraduate and postgraduate palliative care modules taught at Stellenbosch University. 

"It also strengthens the relationship that SU already has with the MD Anderson Cancer Centre through the ECHO Tele-mentoring Project in collaboration with the African Cancer Institute. 

When asked about her specific research interests, Burger said that she was currently enrolled for her Master's degree in palliative medicine at the University of Cape Town in which she will be investigating communication preferences for advance care planning in multi-cultural oncology settings. Her other interests include palliative care education and training and palliative radiotherapy. 

The Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences (FMHS) of Stellenbosch University (SU) stands in solidarity with those protesting against the epidemic of gender-based violence in South Africa. We acknowledge the distress, sadness, fear and frustration of our students and staff. We know that much work needs to be done for us to achieve healing as a nation and recognise that addressing the continued violations against women, and other vulnerable groups, is an essential part of this process.

We wish to express our support to students and staff who would like to attend the Gathering Against Gender-based Violence at Parliament on Thursday 5 September and encourage our respective environments to make provision for those wish to attend the gathering. Please note that the usual processes apply, namely that staff members should apply for annual leave and students should fill in forms for leave of absence.

As we mourn the tragic loss of the most recent victims, we also remember the thousands of women and children who are abused, attacked, raped and killed every year. Many of our colleagues, as health care practitioners, and our students are confronted with the pain of victims and their families on a daily basis. This contributes to the mental strain our colleagues and students experience. We need to continue to have open conversations regarding this issue and commit to engagement with all role-players on how we can better respond to this crisis.

Students who are in need of counselling or psychological support are encouraged to contact the Centre for Student Counselling and Development at the Tygerberg campus on (021) 938 9590 or the ER24 crisis service at (010) 205 3032. If you need assistance on our campus or would like to request an accompaniment service to your residence or vehicle after hours please contact Campus Security on (021) 938 9507. Any incidences of unfair discrimination, harassment or gender-based violence can be reported to the SU Equality Unit by sending an email to unfair@sun.ac.za.

Finally, please be advised that in light of recent events, we have decided to postpone the launch of the Faculty charter that was due to take place tomorrow, until further notice.

Prof Jimmy Volmink, on behalf of the Dean’s Management Team

​5 September 2019

Dear Colleagues and Students

PARTICIPATION IN GATHERINGS AGAINST GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE

The violent deaths of Uyinene Mrwetyana, the female student of the University of Cape Town (UCT), and Jesse Hess, a female student from the University of the Western Cape (UWC), have shocked all of us at Stellenbosch University (SU). These are examples of horrific gender-based violence that has become endemic in our country and even occur at universities. Sadly, SU has also had its share of such violence in recent years.

I want to confirm that SU has a zero-tolerance approach to gender-based violence and is committed to creating an environment free of gender-based violence and of equal rights for all our staff and students. SU has educational and safety measures to curb violence, as much as it is organisationally possible. Despite this, there are still individual perpetrators, whose attitudes, behaviours and actions continue to destroy other people's lives. At the University we have the mandate to act in accordance with the Code of Conduct for Students and the Unfair Discrimination and Harassment Policy, as well as our disciplinary processes. The South African Judicial System has the responsibility to deal with criminal procedures.

The SU management fully supports current initiatives to focus attention on the dire situation, and we encourage students and staff who are able to do so, to join the planned gathering in Cape Town today. SU management has contributed to the cost of bus transportation. Please click here for transport arrangements by the SRC to participate in the FIGHT BACK SA campaign.

On the Tygerberg campus the first bus to Cape Town departed from the student centre at 09:00. The second bus leaves at 11:30.

As there are test series at SU this week, the SU Rectorate and deans cannot impose on everyone to postpone assessments and other scheduled academic activities. For that reason there will not be a general shutdown, and we request organisers to respect individuals' rights and SU's academic commitments.

For those who cannot attend the gathering in Cape Town today, the Rectorate would like to invite all members of the SU management and staff to a silent observance (12:45 until 13:45) on the Rooiplein tomorrow (Friday 6 September) where our students will also be gathering. Let us demonstrate our solidarity with all who have been affected and our abhorrence of gender-based violence.

Kind regards

Prof Arnold Schoonwinkel

Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Learning and Teaching 

It was the late President Nelson Mandela who reminded South Africans of the important role that education played in society when he said “it is through education that the daughter of a peasant can become a doctor". Today, in Vlaeberg, Stellenbosch, alumnus Werner Cloete is opening up opportunities for boys from low income communities to access a private education at a fraction of the cost in the pursuit of Mandela's dream to improve the living conditions of disadvantaged South Africans.

On 18 September, Werner will be the guest speaker at the Alumni Relations Office's Careers Café which will be held between 13:00 and 14:00 in Room 203 of the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences building on the corner of Merriman and Ryneveld Street. The TedTalk-styled event is open to all students.

Werner completed a BSc in Chemistry and a PGCE at Stellenbosch University (SU) after being awarded a bursary by Paul Roos Gymnasium upon completion of his matric. He also holds an Honours degree in Theology from the Stellenbosch Theological Institute.

“I was a top achiever at school and as it goes, people typically expect individuals who are strong academically to pursue careers in, for example, medicine, finances, or engineering. But since matric, I knew I wanted to become a teacher and made a firm decision to do so," explains Werner.

“I sensed a strong calling and believed that teaching could make a huge impact on society. The link between my desire to make a difference in South Africa, my passion and skills, made it clear that becoming a teacher would be the right decision".

But, adds Werner, it was not an easy decision to make in a world where the contribution that teachers make to the development of society is not always fully valued.

“In a way, I had to fight against the expectation from others that I pursue a career that was held in much higher esteem and where I could earn more money. I had to decide to pursue the career I was made for."

After obtaining his degree, Werner decided to expand his horizons beyond Stellenbosch.

“I had attended school in Stellenbosch, I lived in Stellenbosch, a lot of my family members lived or studied at Stellenbosch University and I was going to start teaching in Stellenbosch soon. It was time to experience a new environment."

He moved to the United Kingdom where he first started teaching Science at Retford Oaks High School, thereafter moving to the Royal Grammar School where he taught Mathematics and then to Berkhamsted School where he worked as a Chemistry teacher. 

In July 2005, Werner packed his bags and headed back to South Africa to start working as a Physics and Chemistry teacher at Paul Roos. Later he became the head of the school's Character Development programme and of the school residence, Prima Nova Hostel. He started the “Engage" programme to promote more effective fathering in the school community and assisted multiple schools, including Maritzburg College, Rondebosch Boys' High, Paarl Gymnasium, Paarl Boys' High and Fontainebleau Primary to start similar programmes.

However, in his 11^th year at Paul Roos, the initial calling he had felt to enter teaching was pulling him in a new direction. This time to establish a private school for boys from low income families. The only problem was, he did not yet have the funding or the knowledge on how to establish a school. He also had to step away from a secure teaching position in the faith that, somehow, this dream would become a reality.

Today Werner works as the Principal of that school, Calling Academy in Vlaeberg, a private school which he co-founded  and opened in 2018. He is also the CEO of Calling Education, a NGO with the vision of developing the most relevant model of providing high quality education to low income learners for South Africa.  The learners' school fees at this private school is partially paid by their parents, government subsidies and a generous group of donors. 

In less than three weeks' time, Werner will be at SU to speak about how his calling inspired a career that took him from teaching at some of the most privileged schools in the world to starting a school for lower income boys from scratch.

The Careers Café series was launched in 2016 by the Alumni Relations Office to provide a platform for alumni to engage with the university in a different manner by offering their time and skills to help current students prepare for the careers they want.

For more information about the Careers Café, follow the Alumni Relations Facebook page at www.facebook.com/stellenboschalumni and the SU Facebook page at www.facebook.com/stellenboschuniversity. To attend, RSVP at marvin@sun.ac.za. Two students can also win a seat at the dinner table with Werner on the evening of the Careers Café by entering the Careers Café Facebook competition that will be advertised on the Stellenbosch Alumni page. 

Photo: Werner Cloete, second from the left, with some learners that attend the private school, Calling Academy, that he helped establish.

​​When final-year medical student Rosemary Pitsi was selected to attend the Global Engagement Summit in Illinois, in the United States earlier this year, she had no idea that what she learnt there would escalate her dream of starting a reading project into an exciting and way more ambitious reality.

The week-long summit – which took place in April - was a turning point for Pitsi's project, Book Buddies, which arose out of her passion for reading and her strong desire to share books with people less privileged than herself.

The Global Engagement Summit, organized and sponsored by Northwestern University, brings people together from all over the world who have a social project and exposes them to mentors and resources aimed at growing their projects.

“From my plan to simply redistribute books from more privileged to less privileged people, I redefined my goal to create a community library at the Emmanuel Centre in Khayelitsha," said Pitsi.

“I explained my goal to one of my mentors who then said 'why not start a community library?' It was a light-bulb moment! At first I was apprehensive, but then I thought, why not challenge myself. I underestimated the number of people who want to be involved. The project has grown so much in the two months since I returned. I cannot wait to see how it grows."

Pitsi, who was born in Pretoria, always loved reading. “My friends and I would exchange books which gave us great exposure to a range of books. I wanted to offer that opportunity to more people, so I started working on a project in which I redistributed literary resources to less privileged people."

She heard about the Global Engagement Summit and was accepted in December last year.

“The summit – which hosted people from all over the world, including Sudan, India and the US – was opened by Cheryl Dorsey, CEO of Echoing Green, a non-profit organization that helps grow social projects. Her inspiring speech set the tone for the whole conference. Then we were exposed to a range of phenomenal guest speakers and individuals from big companies, like Google and Facebook on how to expand our projects, pitch campaigns, create brands and formulate teams. We also learnt how to critically assess a community so as to be of best benefit for them.

“They gave us one-on-one sessions on how to improve our projects. It was sophisticated, professional and an amazing experience. The turning point for me was taking my project from being a thought process to being a proactive plan that I'm now seeing through."

Plans for her community library are coming along nicely and Pitsi is also planning reading sessions for children in the Emmanuel Centre and helping access textbooks for high-school learners.

“I was there recently with Professor Jimmy Volmink who is involved with the centre. Through his connections, Mediclinic donated a structure to the centre that they can use to do homework. I am hoping to form the literary component of the enterprise. I spent a few hours reading to the children. I remain in communication with the guardians of the centre to assess how to move the project forward.

Once she completes her medical studies, Pitsi hopes to do her internship at the Khayelitsha District Hospital – where she has done a few medical rotations. “I love the working environment and the community. I've always imagined myself serving a community in the townships. That's where I grew up in my early years. Also, an opportunity to stay in the Western Cape is always good."

Asked about her long-term goals, Pitsi said: “I will look at how to leverage my leadership skills and use them alongside my passion for medicine. I might go into medical management. Whatever I do, my heart will always be dedicated to health care."

* Anyone interested in getting involved in Pitsi's project can contact her on rosemarypitsi@gmail.com.

Photo credit: Wilma Stassen

A new state-of-the-art nuclear medicine imaging unit, which is expected to reap big benefits for research, particularly into tuberculosis (TB), is currently under development at Stellenbosch University.

The Node for Infection Imaging (NII) is being constructed on the grounds of Tygerberg Hospital. In excess of R50 million from the Department of Science and Technology, Stellenbosch University and The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, has been committed to the project, which will be managed by the Central Analytical Facilities and will work in close association with the Division of Nuclear Medicine at the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences. The NII will include a new PET-CT scanner and an expanded radiopharmacy. It will be staffed by a specialist team dedicated to supporting research using PET-CT.

Dr Alex Doruyter, director of the NII, explained that PET-CT is an imaging technique that allows for non-invasive, precision imaging of biological processes through the use of radioactive molecules of interest (radiopharmaceuticals); coupled with the anatomical detail of conventional CT scanning. “This allows researchers to visualise and quantify selected biological processes with a high degree of accuracy," he said.

Doruyter, said he was "really excited" for the big challenge that lies ahead. As a nuclear physician, he will play a dual role in the operation: both directing and administering the facility; as well as giving advice on the imaging protocols and in interpreting and analysing the scans.

According to Doruyter, although PET-CT has been available in the Western Cape for some time (there is a scanner at Tygerberg Hospital and one at Panorama Private Hospital), but that researchers have had to compete with the main mandate of these scanners, which is one of clinical service provision. For instance a patient with cancer, who needs a scan to manage their disease, would correctly take precedence over a researcher wanting to use the facility. "There has until now not been much access for researchers. That will change with the establishment of the NII, which is intended purely for research, and plans to subsidise the costs of research scans. The combination of the world's only truly digital PET-CT camera, combined with our radiopharmacy facilities and research expertise, presents researchers with a great opportunity to perform first-class research."

Doruyter also highlighted the value of a dedicated radiopharmacist on his staff. "This means we can perform better quality checks on the radiopharmaceuticals we are injecting; that we can radiolabel more compounds; and that we can work on synthesising new radiopharmaceuticals, including tracers that specifically localise to TB. We will have one of the best-equipped radiopharmacies in Africa to perform such work."

Doruyter explained that the NII is part of the Nuclear Medicine Research Initiative (NuMeRI), which falls under the South African Research Infrastructure Roadmap (SARIR). “The aim of SARIR is to establish high cost infrastructure to support research at the national (and international) level. Our mandate will be to ensure that this infrastructure is put to good use, for the benefit of researchers." The NII is scheduled to become operational in November this year.

Caption: Dr Alex Doruyter is the director of the Node for Infection Imaging.

Photo credit: Wilma Stassen

​The Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences (FMHS) at Stellenbosch University (SU) recently celebrated its 25-year partnership with the community of Bishop Lavis with a Community Partnership Day.

The event, held at the Bishop Lavis Library, showcased some of the successful and mutually beneficial initiatives the FMHS and the Bishop Lavis community have collaborated on. It also provided an opportunity for reflection on, and appreciation of these partnerships.

Dr Leslie van Rooi, Senior Director for Social Impact and Transformation at SU, said that the university has been involved on a number of levels in the Bishop Lavis community for the past 25 years. “It is clear that these partnerships have grown. The purpose of today is to gain a better understanding of the relationships – how they formed and played out – and to reflect on how we can solidify and build on these partnerships.

“We are about to enter into a new phase, and today is an opportunity to take stock and see how we can expand and improve the partnership between SU and the broader Bishop Lavis community," Van Rooi said.

“The Bishop Lavis Rehabilitation Centre was developed 25 years ago with the aim of providing comprehensive healthcare to the local community, while at the same time providing our students with an opportunity to be of service on a primary care level," said Prof Susan Hanekom, head of the FMHS Division of Physiotherapy.

“The rehab centre is a student-driven primary care facility," said Hanekom. The services offered there include health promotion, treatment of impairments, comprehensive rehabilitation, full community integration of clients with disabilities, and empowering the community.

Representatives from a number of organisation attended the event, including the City of Cape Town, city councillors, the Bishop Lavis Development Forum, the Bishop Lavis Action Committee, the local rehabilitation centre and day hospital and the University of the Western Cape.

Sue Statham and Liesbet Koornhof, with FMHS Divisions of Physiotherapy and Human Nutrition respectively, have been involved in the rehabilitation centre since the inception of the partnership, and gave an overview of how the FMHS established the primary healthcare training platform in Bishop Lavis.

“We were breaking new ground," said Statham. “The whole project depended on partnerships between the university, the community, and the Department of Health."

In his talk, Dr Martin Heine of the FMHS Division of Physiotherapy, presented an ambitious new plan to expand the university's involvement in the Bishop Lavis community. As part of the City of Cape Town's Urban Renewal Programme, which will see upgrades the centre, SU plans to enlarge the current student learning platform to involve not just interdisciplinary, but interfaculty teams of students that can apply their learning there for the betterment of the community.

SU staff and students also paid tribute to community volunteers who help out at the rehabilitation centre. These volunteers, many of whom have disabilities and were patients there once, assist at the centre without any compensation.

Other community projects, such as the Bishop Lavis Day Hospital's Community Oriented Primary Care project, and the Words Open Worlds (WOW) projects, were also presented on the day. 

Prof Wim de Villiers, Rector and Vice-Chancellor of Stellenbosch University ​

6 September 2019

Dear Colleagues and Students

Gender-based violence: Enough is indeed enough

Although I am currently travelling on university business, I have been following the current events in the higher education sector and the country very closely. Last night I had to field many related questions about the situation back home, and at Stellenbosch University (SU) at an alumni event that I hosted.

We live in a broken society. The violent attacks on university students over the last few days have highlighted this fact. Together with my fellow members of management and the rest of the Stellenbosch University (SU) community, I join many others in expressing my deepest condolences with our neighbouring universities, the University of the Western Cape and the University of Cape Town, who have been dealing with the loss of Jesse Hess and Uyinene Mrwetyana respectively.

SU understands something of this loss after having dealt with the horrific deaths of our own students Robyn Pearce and Hannah Cornelius in 2018. Our condolences too to the grieving families of students who had dreams for the future and could have made a significant difference in our society.

Let me be clear about this: Gender-based violence is a form of civil war. We are a society at war with ourselves and we are killing off and injuring our own. This must stop. I concur with our Senior Director: Student Affairs, Dr Choice Makhetha: Enough is indeed enough. She wrote to our students on Wednesday (link) and amongst others challenged men in our communities to stand up and be counted. This is a fight that has for far too long been spearheaded by primarily the women in our society.

Unfortunately the solution not only lies in better security and contingency arrangements, improved policing, a more effective judicial system or high-profile campaigns or petitions – although these are definitely part of the solution. It probably foremost lies in a change in the hearts and minds of us as ordinary citizens.

This sentiment has been echoed by Professor Ahmed Bawa, CEO of Universities South Africa, in a statement earlier this week saying that Ms Mrwetyana's murder is a symptom of the deeply sick and cruel society that ours has become. 'This murder reminds us of the importance of men in our nation taking a stand and actively contributing to the cultivation of a more caring society,' he said.

I challenge all men – but especially our SU staff and students: we should critically scrutinise our thinking and behaviour. We may not all be guilty of gender-based criminal offenses, but the change starts on a micro level, with you and me. If you verbally abuse, if you laugh at inappropriate jokes or make degrading comments, if you catcall and if your online behaviour – even what you pass on via Whatsapp – is questionable, you are part of this unacceptable culture.

Prof Bawa is correct in stating that universities need to lead South Africa towards that change. “It is not enough for our institutions of higher learning to simply recognise the prevalence of gender-based violence. They have to act to change the culture that generates such violence."

Xenophobic attacks

The societal ill of sexual violence is sharply in focus at the moment, but I need to acknowledge the heartfelt plea of international students at our institution to forefront recent xenophobic attacks. At SU we have more than 4 000 international students with more than 50% of them from other African countries. To quote one of our students: “I believe no person regardless the circumstances, need to live in the current fear prevailing within our society, and so we collectively need to make a bold and open stand for what we feel is RIGHT and wrong". We need to say no to xenophobia. I want to reassure our international students that we take their safety and well-being to heart. You contribute to the rich diversity of our campus community.

SU challenges

Like all academic institutions, and the broader society, Stellenbosch University grapples with many challenges. We can always do more and do better, but sweeping statements that SU has done nothing for those affected by gender-based violence or for the safety of our students are simply not true.

Academic institutions across the country are continuously upgrading safety and security measures at considerable costs, especially so at SU. Some postgraduate students may recall that until a few years ago, we had three exam sessions per day.  For safety reasons assessment schedules were changed to no longer schedule exams in the evening, thereby decreasing the number of assessment sessions from three to two per day. During the term tests are being scheduled at 17:30, the earliest possible time after lectures end around 17:00 to give students time to reach the test venues and to ensure that students can leave by 20:00|20:30.

Based on student needs the Equality Unit was established in 2016. The Unit promotes collective action towards social justice, discourse regarding social asymmetries, and implements a comprehensive HIV response. The Unit coordinates, educates and raises awareness around sexualities, gender non-violence, HIV/Aids and anti-discrimination. The Unit also formulates and oversees the implementation of SU's Unfair Discrimination and Harassment Policy, #EndRapeCulture 2017 Report findings and the SU HIV/Aids Policy. The Unit also serves as a centralised service for students and staff managing accounts of unfair discrimination and various forms of harassment at Huis Simon Nkoli House (at 39 Victoria Street). 

I am aware of the allegations of sexual misconduct against a SU staff member that surfaced only earlier this week. We take such allegations very seriously and the Equality Unit has launched a preliminary investigation to determine the facts. Staff members and students who are found guilty after due process has been followed, will face serious consequences. However, we cannot endorse trial by public opinion or social media. Let the institutional processes run their course.

I would like to direct a very serious appeal to our staff and our students: if you have been exposed to sexual violence, harassment, discrimination or assault, please discuss your experiences with our Equality Unit. If you have been a witness to any such incidents, or if friends have confided in you, please encourage them to contact the Equality Unit. Trained staff will assist with information about the various options. We need information or evidence to pursue allegations. 

Students who require emotional support and counselling after incidents should contact the Centre for Student Counselling and Development. Staff members can seek assistance via the Wellness Office in the Human Resources Division.

Much work on gender violence and xenophobia is also being done in academic fields, the most recent example being related discussions at the inaugural Social Justice Summit and International Conference, organised by the Law Trust Chair in Social Justice in SU's Faculty of Law, Prof Thuli Madonsela. More information.

Institutional values

In closing I would like to remind our campus community of our institutional values: excellence; compassion; equity, accountability and respect, with a focus on the last two as it relates to the current topics. We define accountability as 'accepting the highest level of responsibility for our actions'. I would like to link this to my earlier challenge to all SU men.

Respect is generally well understood, but we have taken it further to include 'civility in our mutual and public discourse, with due regard for the freedom, equality and dignity of all'. We are obligated to apply this principle to all our engagements, even when we disagree or have opposing views: in one-on-one discussions; institutional meetings; email correspondence and even social media.

We are aware that the SU management decision to not shut down the academic project for today (Friday 6 September) has not been popular among some students. Our approach has been to facilitate participation in gatherings in solidarity with national initiatives where possible, without disrupting the scheduled academic calendar. Cancelling an academic day has major practical implications and a ripple effect for students and staff alike. This should not be misinterpreted as callousness or ignoring the high prevalence of gender-based violence. Staff and students who were able to attend the gathering in Cape Town yesterday, were encouraged and even assisted to do so by providing transport. To show solidarity with national initiatives the Rectorate invited deans and other senior management members and staff to join them at a gathering on the Rooiplein over lunch time today without impacting our services to students.

We should not give up or become despondent. We owe it to current and future generations to persevere for the sake of the common good, but while the situation is not ideal in our country or in our town as yet, I urge our students and staff: please be vigilant and look out for yourselves and others, and make use of the services available on our campuses.

Warm regards

Prof Wim de Villiers

Rector and Vice-Chancellor

Political commentator Max du Preez and Judge Albie Sachs will be the keynote speakers at the first Anton Lubowski Memorial Lecture to be held at the Stellenbosch University (SU) Faculty of Law on the 30th anniversary of his death.

This memorial lecture is a first at the university to celebrate the life of the murdered anti-apartheid activist and advocate, Anton Theodor Eberhard August Lubowski (3 February 1952 – 12 September 1989).

•        The event takes place on Thursday, 12 September at 17:30 at the Old Main Building, Ryneveld Street, Stellenbosch. Light refreshments will be served. 

The lecture was initiated by Charl Adams, a varsity friend and residence roommate of Anton Lubowski, and will be presented by the Law Faculty in collaboration with the Development and Alumni Relations Division, Simonsberg Residence and the Frederik van Zyl Slabbert Institute for Student Leadership Development.

"It has always been a dream of mine to honour Anton's legacy. I feel he had a raw deal politically and was never properly acknowledged – both in South Africa and in Namibia," he says.

“Anton was a Stellenbosch student in the seventies and a Simonsberg resident, so organising this e​​​​​​vent in collaboration with the university, is just a perfect fit and a dream come true for me," Adams adds.

Adams is a retired editor of the Small Business Labour Bulletin, the book Affirmative Action in a Democratic South Africa (1993, Jutas) and senior officer at the Cape Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

• Liaise with Charl Adams at tel 083 545 9085 or via e-mail at charldavidadams@gmail.com for more information.
• More on Anton Lubowski: http://alet.org.za/wp/?page_id=8
  

A new state-of-the-art nuclear medicine imaging unit, which is expected to reap big benefits for research, particularly into tuberculosis (TB), is currently under development at Stellenbosch University.

The Node for Infection Imaging (NII) is being constructed on the grounds of Tygerberg Hospital. In excess of R50 million from the Department of Science and Technology, Stellenbosch University and The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, has been committed to the project, which will be managed by the Central Analytical Facilities and will work in close association with the Division of Nuclear Medicine at the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences. The NII will include a new PET-CT scanner and an expanded radiopharmacy. It will be staffed by a specialist team dedicated to supporting research using PET-CT.

Dr Alex Doruyter, director of the NII, explained that PET-CT is an imaging technique that allows for non-invasive, precision imaging of biological processes through the use of radioactive molecules of interest (radiopharmaceuticals); coupled with the anatomical detail of conventional CT scanning. “This allows researchers to visualise and quantify selected biological processes with a high degree of accuracy," he said.

Doruyter, said he was “really excited" for the big challenge that lies ahead. As a nuclear physician, he will play a dual role in the operation: both directing and administering the facility; as well as giving advice on the imaging protocols and in interpreting and analysing the scans.

According to Doruyter, although PET-CT has been available in the Western Cape for some time (there is a scanner at Tygerberg Hospital and one at Panorama Private Hospital), but that researchers have had to compete with the main mandate of these scanners, which is one of clinical service provision. For instance a patient with cancer, who needs a scan to manage their disease, would (correctly) take precedence over a researcher wanting to use the facility. “There has until now not been much access for researchers. That will change with the establishment of the NII, which is intended purely for research, and plans to subsidise the costs of research scans. The combination of the world's only truly digital PET-CT camera, combined with our radiopharmacy facilities and research expertise, presents researchers with a great opportunity to perform first-class research."

Doruyter also highlighted the value of a dedicated radiopharmacist on his staff. “This means we can perform better quality checks on the radiopharmaceuticals we are injecting; that we can radiolabel more compounds; and that we can work on synthesising new radiopharmaceuticals, including tracers that specifically localise to TB. We will have one of the best-equipped radiopharmacies in Africa to perform such work."

Doruyter explained that the NII is part of the Nuclear Medicine Research Initiative (NuMeRI), which falls under the South African Research Infrastructure Roadmap (SARIR). “The aim of SARIR is to establish high cost infrastructure to support research at the national (and international) level. Our mandate will be to ensure that this infrastructure is put to good use, for the benefit of researchers." The NII is scheduled to become operational in November this year.

Caption: Dr Alex Doruyter is the director of the Node for Infection Imaging.

Image credit: Wilma Stassen

The acclaimed Stellenbosch University Choir will give a special performance in Pretoria on Monday 23 September and on 24  September in Soweto as part of the University's Heritage Day celebrations.

The SU Choir has an outstanding performance history. Under the baton of conductor André van der Merwe, it has garnered international recognition as one of the most talented participants in the World Choir Games. Since the Choir first took part in these World Choir Games in 2004, it has systematically risen through the ranks to become the best of 1 000 amateur choirs in the world.

“The SU Choir has become synonymous with excellence," says Saartjie Botha, Director of the Toyota SU Woordfees. “Students from across the country apply to study at Stellenbosch University just for the opportunity to sing in the world-renowned Choir. The members fully live the motto 'Proudly South African' as ambassadors for SU and for their country, both at home and across the world."

Ticket prices for the Pretoria performance range from R150 to R230 per person and can be booked via Computicket.

Venue:     ZK Matthews, Great Hall (UNISA), 330 Preller Street, Groenkloof, Pretoria

Date:        Monday, 23 September 2019

Time:        20:00 (Choir performance begins promptly)

Admission to the Soweto concert is free.

Venue:     The Meadowlands Church, Zone 3 SDA

Date:        Tuesday, 24 September 2019

Time:        14:00 (Choir performance begins promptly)

• Get a taste of the outstanding talent that you can expect to hear: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xzS8FEcyhW8
• Liaise with Ulrike Vorndran on woord@sun.ac.za for more information.

​A first-of-its-kind training project between the Department of Business Management and Italtile culminated in seven students being offered internships with the company and one of the seven, Dannika Essl, being named as the overall winner of the initiative.

The project, which started in February and concluded with a prize-giving ceremony  last week, required participating students to job shadow sales staff at various Italtile stores, role play a sales process and hand in written assignments and a reflective essay about their experiences.

Students were judged on how well they analysed Italtile's marketing mix, including price, promotion and distribution.

Those who applied for the internship had to do a presentation of their findings.

Project manager Dr Debbie Human-Van Eck and Dr Lené Ehlers, both lecturers of the Department of Business Management, as well as Ms Susan Eckley, regional manager of Italtile's Commercial Division in the Western Cape, contributed to the success of the project.

Prof Christo Boshoff, chairman of the Department of Business Management and vice-dean: Research, thanked Italtile for their investment in the students.

“One of Stellenbosch University's key goals is to harness a collaborative nature and approach to teaching and learning. Projects such as this enable us to remain true to these obligations. Although a strong theoretical underpinning remains a key requirement in university studies, a transformative student experience becomes a much greater reality when there is an opportunity to interact with industry. We are grateful that a company as reputable and successful as Italtile was willing to share their experience and expertise with us," he said.

Boshoff expressed the hope that Italtile would continue the collaboration with the department in the future.

Paul Couzis, director of Italtile, said their engagement with the department has been outstanding and that it was a privilege to be part of the programme.

He said the students did a great job in analysing Italtile and understanding what the company is about.

“The fact is that young people can change the world if you only allow them to, and we want to create an enabling environment where they can make a contribution.  I think that is so important, and what I saw from these students is that they are prepared, willing and able to invest and to make that contribution."

Said Essl, “Receiving this prize and internship puts me in a position where I can enter the retail market. I have a great passion for sales and marketing so this job fits my interests. The internship is not only something that will look great on my CV but it also gives me something I can grow in because it's a field that really interests me and something I can see myself doing one day."

As the overall winner she received R10 000 in prize money, as well as a floating trophy.

The runners-up Janco Marias (2^nd) and Laura Shamley (3^rd) received R3 000 and R1 000 respectively.

The seven students who were offered intern contracts are: Essl, Marais, Shamley, Kayla van Zyl, Dylan Oosthuyse, Alexander Searle and Sinethemba Mathunjwa.

Spot prizes were also awarded to Marais for the best Italtile job shadow and Oosthuyse for the best Italtile role play.

• Photos by Anton Jordaan:
  Carousel photo: In the back row f.l.t.r. are Ms Susan Eckley (Italtile), overall winner Dannika Essl, and Mr Paul Couzis (Italtile). In the front f.l.t.r. are Laura Shamley (3rd), Janco Marias (2nd) and Ms Tuscany Kitch, 2018 Italtile intern and now Italtile intern custodian.
  Photo on the right:  With Mr Paul Couzis, Ms Susan Eckley and Ms Tuscany Kitch, all from Italtile,
   and Dannika Essl, overall winner, are Dr Debbie Human-Van Eck (far right in the back row) and
  Dr Lené Ehlers (far right in the front row), both lecturers of the Department of Business 
  Management.
  

​“A day of celebration – not only of our achievements and research excellence, but also the positive impact that we have on the world around us."

This is how Prof Nico Gey van Pittius described the 63^rd Annual Academic Day (AAD) of the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences (FMHS), Stellenbosch University, which was recently held at the Tygerberg Campus.

The AAD is a showcase of the outstanding research done at the FMHS, and at this year's event, nearly 250 research items were presented as either oral or poster presentations. Four State of the Art Lectures and five PhD Lectures were delivered, as well as a Dean's Address and guest lecture by Prof Himla Soodyall, executive officer of the Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf).

Gey van Pittius, who is the Vice Dean: Research and Internationalisation at the FMHS, said that the university is committed to solving pressing health problems on the African continent and unlocking the “incredible potential" of its people. “Our research does have a tremendous and immeasurably positive impact on society, as can be witnessed by the many positive stories of the people that we care for, and the policies, practices and procedures in healthcare which we have been able to influence over the years," he noted.

But 2019 has also been a year of reflection, as research emanating from the Department of Sport Science of the faculty has been widely criticized for perpetuating racial stereotypes, using questionable scientific methods, and drawing unwarranted conclusions, Gey van Pittius added. “This has given us pause to reflect on some of the systemic factors within our institution that may have led to the unintended entrenchment of discrimination and inadequate responses to implicit bias which we have encountered in some of our research. It has posed us with a challenge to continue to actively promote behaviours guided by our Faculty's espoused values of inclusivity, compassion, accountability, respect, excellence and equity, also in our research endeavours."

In his Dean's Address, Prof Jimmy Volmink said that a task team has been formed to look at the use of race as a variable in research from the faculty in order to identify pitfalls and good practice. “While we are finding a lot of interest in trying to explain disparities in health or biological differences in terms of race and genetics, there isn't the same attention being given to other factors that can account for these differences," said Volmink. “It is important to understand that we need to give more attention to exploring the social and economic factors impacting on health. Because some of those factors are what accounts for the race differences we find."

In her lecture, titled: “Genetic ancestry and identity: lessons from southern Africa", Soodyall, a renowned geneticist, emphasised that there is no biological or genetic basis for race. “If we had to use the definition of race in zoological terms, the amount of variation must be more than 15% for them to be defined as a subspecies. No two human populations shows that much variation, and it has been shown that there are more variation within groups, than between groups."

“If you were to look at the mitochondrial tree, everyone living today is a leaf. Your anchor to the tree is through a twig, that twig brings you to a smaller branch, ultimately to a bigger branch, and ultimately to a common trunk. One tree, different branches, many leaves… but it is still one tree," said Soodyall. 

Caption: Prof Himla Soodyall of the Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf) was the guest speaker at the FMHS' Annual Academic Day.

​Photo credit: Wilma Stassen

​Students of the Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences at Stellenbosch University are annually afforded the opportunity to choose their top lecturer.

Awarding top lecturers was the initiative of Mr Koos Bekker of Naspers, who was also backing it by means of a sponsorship. The Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences seized the opportunity and organised the first top lecturer competition in 2011 in cooperation with Die Burger. It is the only SU faculty to hold the competition.

The 2019 competition is the ninth one sponsored by Die Burger.

According to Prof Ingrid Woolard, Dean of the Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences, Die Burger is enabling the Faculty to acknowledge excellence in teaching. “We take pride in this student-centred competition.

“From students' feedback, it is clear that the same 'old' values still hold true: lecturers have to be able to teach well and explain difficult concepts in such a way that students will understand them," she added.

Photographs of all the Faculty's lecturers are displayed in an online ballot, and students vote during a 10-day period. Undergraduate students vote for the best lecturer of their undergraduate study years, while postgraduate students vote for the best lecturer of their postgraduate study years. Students are also required to choose the single most important characteristic of an excellent lecturer from various options.

After the competition, the winners – the undergraduate and postgraduate top lecturer of each department and the overall winner – will be awarded at a gala event.

In addition, ten students who have participated in the voting and whose names have been drawn in a lucky draw, will receive cash prizes of R1 500 each. One of them can also win a smartphone at the prizewinning function.

The overall winner of 2018, Mrs Sophia Brink, a chartered accountant and lecturer in financial accounting at the School of Accountancy, says it's a huge privilege to have been honoured in this way.

“This competition motivates lecturers and inspire us to reach even greater heights in the lecture hall. Thank you to Die Burger for its involv​​ement in the competition as well as to the students for their votes."

• Students can vote from 16 to 27 September 2019.
• The prizewinning function will be held on 18 October 2019.
  
  
• Photo by Anton Jordaan: At the top lecturer function last year were (from left) Mr Justin Langeveld, Die Burger's General Manager: News South; Prof Rachel Jafta, Chairperson of Media24 and lecturer in economics; runner-up Prof Sarel Steel; overall winner Mrs Sophia Brink; Mrs Eloise de Jager (in 3rd place); and Mr Willem Jordaan, Editor of Die Burger.
  
  

​​The phenomenon of using photo storybooks (fotonovelas) to address health issues in South Africa has shown significant promise and thanks to a grant he received from the Division of Social Impact at Stellenbosch University (SU), Dr Burt Davis will now be able to conduct an empirical research project to further determine its effectiveness.

Davis, a senior lecturer at the Africa Centre for HIV/Aids Management at SU, received his doctoral degree in 2017 by designing an Afrikaans photo storybook called “Spyt kom te laat" (“Regret comes too late") which deals with the health risks of using tik (crystal meth).

The use of photo novels to address health issues is especially popular in the USA and Davis hypothesised that it could be used effectively in a local context as well.

Because he wanted to move away from a theoretical PhD and design a product that offered a direct benefit to the community, Davis decided to focus on the development of a photo storybook that could form part of awareness and prevention campaigns in schools and health clinics.

“In South Africa, many products that convey health messages are developed without being empirically and scientifically tested. This photo novel is one of few products that wasn't only carefully thought out and planned, but also tested."

Since receiving his PhD, Davis has developed the photo storybook even further by adding more information in a Q&A format to increase its efficiency and versatility.

He applied for a grant from the Division of Social Impact with the aim of expanding this innovative approach to battle tik use in the Witzenberg local municipality specifically. To this end, the storybook has been translated into English and isiXhosa.

“The expanded initiative combines an empirical research project with a social impact intervention. The approach entails testing the effectiveness of a health-related photo storybook to communicate dangers associated with tik use, while also using it as an educational resource to disseminate prevention and health information about the drug," says Davis.

The empirical research component of the initiative entails a randomised controlled trial (RCT) to test the effects of the message while the social impact component includes the presentation of general substance abuse awareness and information sessions to the participants of the RCT using the photo storybook.

Partners in this project include the Africa Centre for HIV/Aids Management and the Language Centre at SU, as well as representatives of the Department of Health and NGO sector.

“Feedback from the community led to my decision to expand the quantitative aspect of my research to include a qualitative element. We don't only want to contribute to the body of knowledge on health communication methods related to tik/substance abuse, but also increase general awareness about and knowledge levels related to substance abuse and enable access to tik prevention information under the broader community," adds Davis.

He has presented several talks about his research, among others at the VIOT (Vereniging Interuniversitair Overleg Taalbeheersing) conference in the Netherlands and the South African Medical Research Council's biannual symposium on drug use, and co-published a paper titled “Using a fotonovela to battle crystal meth in South Africa" in the Journal of ethnicity in substance abuse.

He has also been approached to be involved in the development of a similar project about diabetes.

​​Following the Western Cape, Gauteng is SU's second largest feeder province. Faculties and the Division for Student Access joined forces for an Information Evening for about 1000 provisionally accepted students and their parents at the Mosaiek Lifestyle Centre in Johannesburg. The aim for this events is to impact the registration rate for 2020, as well as strengthening and forging relationships with schools and prospective Maties.

We recognise the critical stage that these learners find themselves in and we used this opportunity to create awareness of what SU has to offer. Both parents and students got the chance to have any possible worries or questions answered by the experts.

The programme covered the following themes, Why Maties (Rector & Vice-Chancellor: Prof Wim de Villiers); On your way to SU (Deputy Director: Student Recruitment and Career Advice- Dr Gillian Arendse) and How SU prepared me (Alumni: Janine Jellars).

We are grateful for the University-wide partnerships to have made this a successful event and look forward to reap the benefits in 2020. 

An article published by two colleagues at the Centre for Health Professions Education (CHPE) in the Medical Education, earned them the Henry Walton Award.

That means that the particular article was só popular that during 2018 it was the most downloaded article on a monthly basis in this journal's two categories.

Twice a year the Medical Educator allows shorter articles to be loaded in the addendum “Really Good Stuff: lessons learned from innovation in Medical Education". The news that Dr Elize Archer and Ms Ilse Meyer's article was the most downloaded one in this category over a one-year period, was officially announced at the beginning of July at the annual congress of the Association for the Study of Medical Education in Glasgow, Scotland.

“Even though international educators are ahead of us in certain fields, this award shows us that our work in South Africa is sufficiently innovative to attract a large number of readers. This is a major accolade for us," said Archer, head of the Simulation and Clinical Skills Unit (SCSU) at the CHPE.

Archer and Meyer, a research assistant at the CHPE, based the article Teaching empathy to undergraduate medical students: 'One glove does not fit all' on the findings of their research study among third-year medical students at the Tygerberg Campus. This was aimed at a teaching intervention that was made possible thanks to a fellowship which the Centre for Teaching and Learning at the Stellenbosch University awarded Archer for the period 2017-2019.

This intervention forms part of the medical students' clinical skills curriculum and has the development of empathetic communication skills as its goal – something medical schools strive for worldwide, as there are indications that empathy levels become reduced as medical students progress with their studies.

“In light of the debate about whether it is at all possible to teach people how to have empathy, it was already a challenge," says Archer. “It took a lot of effort to determine what the components were of what we thought students could learn in this regard."

She explains that with clinical empathy they differentiate between the emotional or affective component and the cognitive component. The cognitive component consists of skills that can be taught to anyone. “By means of an investigation of the broad literature we managed to identify several learning activities which would serve as an intervention during the clinical rotation of the third year students."

It takes place in small groups in the SCSU and attention is paid to listening skills, awareness and interaction with a simulated patient. There is also a learning activity which students must complete online on SUNLEARN in their own time.

For the research study students were asked how they experienced these learning sessions.

Many students said they had found the vulnerability, an essential component of empathy, disturbing. They nevertheless said that they found the focused attention, which accompanies working in small groups, valuable, as they did the individual feedback they received."

“We could not really determine which of the range of activities was good and which bad," says Archer. “The one student would prefer XYZ, but another one's experience would be exactly the opposite.

“From the feedback we received, our chief conclusion was that this was not a one-size-fits-all. It is true that people are different, not just patients, but also lecturers and students. And because the feedback from the students on the different activities was so different, we realised that it was important to use a range of learning and teaching strategies when such initiatives were implemented."

Caption: Ms Ilse Meyer​ and Dr Elize Archer.

The first week of September marks Kidney Awareness Week in South Africa and it highlights the need to have one's kidney functions checked early before chronic kidney disease sets in.

Kidney disease can kill. Ten thousand South African, men and women, young and old, will die of kidney disease or kidney failure every year. Others are luckier and can be treated by dialysis or a kidney transplant. There are also other kidney conditions which don't require dialysis, but which adversely affect the lives of thousands of sufferers. All of these conditions require early detection, and many can be prevented. Potentially fatal kidney disorders occur three to four times more commonly in our underprivileged African population.

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) has been estimated to affect as much as 15% of the South African population. According to the National Kidney Foundation of South Africa, it also represents a growing healthcare problem with some 20 000 new patients requiring diagnosis and treatment every year. 10% of all people in the world have some form of kidney disease. Kidney failure in South African adults is mainly due to inherited Hypertension (60-65%) or Type 2 Diabetes (another 20-25%).

CKD is a dangerous medical condition characterised by a gradual loss of kidney function over time that, if left untreated, can then lead to chronic renal failure (CRF). Once you have reached end-stage chronic renal failure you have two options - dialysis for the rest of your life, or a kidney transplant.

Kidneys are among our most vital organs as they filter toxins and produce essential chemicals in our bodies. Kidneys manufacture essential chemicals, they break down (metabolize) unnecessary or dangerous chemicals, and they retain necessary substances and eliminate toxic waste. They make 150 litres of urine a day, but reabsorb 149 litres of useful substances, like protein, and excrete 2 litres of waste. When the kidneys stop functioning properly, our body becomes toxic and we cannot survive. The difficulty lies in the fact that CKD is an insidious disease - it often goes undetected as many people whose kidneys are dysfunctional do not develop symptoms until their kidneys are close to failing. Early detection is crucial for CKD!

The two main causes of CKD are diabetes and high blood pressure. Preventive behaviour is a must focusing on weight management, not smoking, keeping fit, watching sugar intake, monitoring blood pressure and eating a healthy and varied diet. However, salt and high blood pressure are two silent killers. In other words, by the time many (not all) people present with symptoms and signs of kidney disease (especially hypertension and diabetes), it may be too late to prevent serious kidney and/or cardio-vascular dysfunction.

Symptoms

You are encouraged to visit a doctor if:

• You are more tired than usual
• Have trouble sleeping
• Experience dry and itchy skin
• Feel the need to urinate more often
• See blood or foam in your urine
• Have persistent puffiness around the eyes
• Your ankles and feet are swollen
• Your appetite is poor, or
• If your muscles are continuously cramping

How do you prevent kidney disease?

Everyone with a family history (even in elderly people) of hypertension or diabetes (Type 2) should have an annual blood pressure check-up from the age of 20 years and blood sugar check-up from the age of 30 years.

All sick people seeking a doctor's advice – usually their GP or a nurse in a clinic – should have their urine examined with a dipstick test. Dipstick abnormalities should be further investigated – so ask your doctor to test your urine if you go to see them with an illness.

How can I keep my kidneys healthy?

Smoking: If you don't smoke, don't start. If you do, quit! This is the simplest, most important lifestyle habit to change to reduce the risk of kidney disease. People who smoke are 3 times more likely to have reduced kidney function and have a 4-5 times greater risk of heart attack and stroke.

Limit alcohol: Excessive alcohol intake can lead to heart disease and high blood pressure, increasing the risk of kidney disease.

Enjoy life: Good health and wellbeing means that we are healthy from all dimensions of our lives – physically, mentally, socially and spiritually. So have less stress in your life and do the things you love. Balance the load.

Nutrition: The food you eat plays a huge role in the health and wellbeing of your body. As well as providing the body with a variety of nutrients, diet can also help in weight reduction and weight control. People with kidney disease may need to make some dietary changes to help manage their condition. Dietary guidelines will need to be made on a personal basis, taking into account age, lifestyle, health status and body chemistry. Lower your salt intake.

Quench your thirst: Use your thirst as a guide. Make water your drink of choice. Water assists in transporting nutrients around the body, as well as helping to eliminate waste. It contains no kilojoules, and in most areas of South Africa tap water is excellent with good mineral content.

Exercise: The benefits of regular exercise are wide-reaching. Not only can it help to maintain and reduce weight, it can also reduce the risk of developing heart disease and diabetes, risk factors for kidney disease. You only need to exercise for 30 minutes on at least five days a week to reap the benefits – a brisk walk is sufficient.

If you are concerned about your kidneys, or would just like to consult a doctor, please contact Campus Health Service here and make a booking. Otherwise, you are able to chat to a Nurse Practitioner on a walk-in basis. 

​​​​​“Find what you love to do, love what you do … Believe what you do is great…" 

These were the words of Anita van der Merwe, emeritus professor in the department Nursing and Midwifery, at a departmental achievement awards event held recently to acknowledge the top academic and clinical achievers in all the department's post-graduate programmes as well as in the Masters in Nursing. 

Awards and prizes were awarded to postgraduate students for academic excellence and perseverance in the disciplines of midwifery, operating theatre, ICU, Nursing Education and Management, as well as Primary Care. 

In an address which focused on the theme of 'brilliance', Van der Merwe stressed the importance of small acts of kindness in the nursing profession. 

“Brilliance grows in the soil of what we do better and kinder every day," she said. 

The event was opened by Prof Portia Jordan, head of the Department of Nursing and Midwifery, and the FMHS Dean, Prof Jimmy Volmink, welcomed all guests and stakeholders. 

The prestigious Dr Pat Gorvalla award for Masters Research Implementation went to Shanaz Adams for her study entitled The Experiences of Clinical Staff about Transformational Change Management at an Emergency Centre. 

Adams' study looked at the systemic challenges faced by a primary health care facility in the Western Cape which was the subject of an investigation by the Public Protector's office in 2009 – and at the subsequent improvement strategy – based on a transformational change philosophy – which was initiated in the Emergency Centre. 

In an apt reference to the important role of kindness in the nursing profession, Van der Merwe quoted from the book The Language of Kindness by Christie Watson: “Both joy and tragedy build a nurse."

The preferential partnership between Stellenbosch University (SU) and Katholieke Universiteit Leuven in Belgium has been strengthened in the form of a nursing master's internship in the FMHS department of Nursing and Midwifery.

The master's internship for student mobility was initiated in 2018 with one management master's between the FMHS' Dr Guin Lourens and Phillip Moons, a professor of Healthcare and Nursing Science at KU Leuven's Department of Public Health and Primary Care. Applications to SU have since increased.

“Our first student was Yasmina Bellon – who bravely applied to the newly established partnership," said Lourens. “She did a non-clinical masters in the field of healthcare/nursing service management and I was assigned her mentor. The placement covered one module of her masters. This year we rolled out to include six-week internships in management, midwifery and primary care co-ordinated by myself, and Dr Doreen Kaura and Danene Kitshoff, both from the department of Nursing and Midwifery.

“Four master's students – one focusing on midwifery, another on primary care (clinical masters) and two nursing service management (non-clinical masters) – enrolled in the programme this year.

“The students arrived on 29 January and returned to Belgium on March 16."

According to Lourens, the students took part in a 30-working day internship which is a 15-credit module towards completion of their master's degree in nursing at KU. “They were allocated a mentor and set objectives for the time here aligned to the experience we were able to give them in respective fields of nursing. They were tasked with various activities to master, including giving presentations, policy development, assistance with practical exams in their field of expertise and were also able to shadow their mentors and other nursing role models. They also assisted with arranging the department's open day.

When they weren't working, the students enjoyed exploring Cape Town doing tourist activities.

Lourens said all the interns reported that they had an excellent experience at the university.

“The pilot internship went well in 2018 and it was rewarding to see the roll up in 2019 to include two clinical master's internships in primary care and midwifery."

The highlights included seeing the students grow in confidence and identify possibilities for their future disciplinary selves.

"The social highlight was learning about the South African braai, and every Wednesday they had a braai at the international lodge at the Tygerberg campus. There was also a farewell function at the end of their internship."

As one returning intern put it: “It's been over a week since I left South Africa and I must say that it was hard to say goodbye. I enjoyed my stay and your mentoring. It really was a great opportunity!“

According to Lourens, the department hopes to continue collaborating on internships with KU and is in ongoing discussions with the university to expand the programme.

Caption: Dr Guin Lourens with student interns from Katholieke Universiteit Leuven in Belgium at the FMHS open day.