​The MSc degree in Biostatistics that was recently launched by the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences' Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, has been gaining ground. Students are involved in projects on a variety of topics, including HIV, rheumatoid arthritis, cancer and rape.

But what does the programme entail, and how will it help to address public health and clinical problems?

What is biostatistics?

Biostatistics is the branch of statistics concerned with how we ought to make decisions when analysing biomedical data. It is an evolving discipline concerned with formulating explicit rules to compensate for both the fallibility of human intuition in general and for bias in study design in particular.

Biostatisticians would, for example, look at the prevalence of certain diseases in particular population groups – and try to determine the causes based on the information available. Or they would calculate life expectancy in certain patients, interpret data from certain drug trials, look at the geographical distribution of diseases, or evaluate treatment or prevention methods. This information could be used to improve or design health programmes, or to evaluate treatment and the efficacy of emergency care in a particular health setting.

Why is it important for research?

The collection, analysis and interpretation of data are key components of medical research projects. This not only enables a biostatistician or researcher to select the right statistical test for a particular study and study setting, but it also enables them to do the kind of analysis of the data to interpret the findings correctly – and to do so in an ethical manner, and with academic integrity.

It is also important to be able to interpret the findings of other studies correctly – not just the ones with which one was personally involved. Correct interpretation would make it possible to apply research findings to clinical practice – and would provide a basis for determining policy decisions.

“Biostatistics cuts across all health areas and strengthens research methods, thereby enhancing its rigour," says Prof Taryn Young, Director of the Centre for Evidence-based Health Care and Head of the Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics.

What does the degree entail?

The course offers rigorous training for those with a background or experience in quantitative or health-related disciplines who wish to pursue a career in biostatistics. The programme would be of interest to potential biostatisticians who require practical and technical skills, as well as skills in the application of principles of statistical reasoning to address public health problems and challenges.

It is a structured master's programme and students complete modules, an internship of three months and a research assignment. The programmatic offering is supported by a dedicated and dynamic team of lecturers from the Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics and the Department of Statistics, as well as international collaborators.

Goals

The programme aims to develop highly skilled biostatisticians who can use their expertise to contribute significantly to addressing issues in public health and in the field of biomedical science. It is hoped that this programme will also help to fulfil South Africa's need for a skilled and independent thinking scientific workforce with exceptional critical intellectual abilities.

The degree is aimed at students with an interest in and an aptitude for working with technology, statistical analysis and research in the fields of medicine and biology, and who are interested in trying to solve and address challenges faced by the community.

Caption: Dr Carl Lombard, Ms Liesel Esterhuizen, Prof Taryn Young, Ms Tonya Esterhuizen and Dr Birhanu Ayele.

Photo credit: Damien Schumann

Over the last decade disability studies as an academic discipline in Africa, particularly South Africa, has developed extensively, in no small part due to the commitment of Prof Leslie Swartz, a distinguished Professor of Psychology at Stellenbosch University (SU) with an interest in mental health and disability studies.

On Wednesday night Swartz, who is considered one of the most prolific and influential scholars in the field, was recognised by the Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf) for his dedication to developing disability studies when he received the prestigious Science-for-Society Gold Medal for 2019. According to ASSAf, the medal was awarded to Swartz for “excellence in the application of outstanding scientific thinking in the service of society". 

Swartz is the only academic in South Africa to receive a medal this year. The medal was bestowed on Swartz by Prof Jonathan Jansen, the President of ASSAf at the ASSAf Awards Ceremony held at The Capital Hotel-Menlyn Maine in Pretoria on Wednesday night. 

For Swartz it was always inevitable that disability studies, an interdisciplinary field concerned with how and why disability inequality happens and is maintained in the world, would be one of his research focus areas. The first clue came in the form of his 2010 memoir, Able-Bodied: Scenes from a curious life, which chronicles his relationship with his disabled father, yet explores disability from an academic perspective too. 

Swartz has not only concentrated on the development of disability studies, but has published over 250 articles in a range of international journals such as the Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disabilities, Psychoanalysis, Culture & Society, and PLoS One. He has also served as the Founding Editor-in-Chief of the African Journal of Disability up to 2018 and is the Associate Editor for the international journals, Transcultural Psychiatry and International Journal of Disability, Development and Education. Under his leadership, the African Journal of Disability became a PubMed and SCOPUS indexed journal which is now a key player in the disability studies field internationally. 

He is a Core member of the African Network for Evidence-to-Action in Disability (AfriNEAD), which is headed by Prof Gubela Mji, Head of the Centre for Rehabilitation Studies in the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences. AfriNEAD links disability scholars across the Africa, and also works with those from more economically developed countries like Norway, the United Kingdom and Canada. He is a Global Advisor to the Institute for Culture and Society at Western Sydney University.  He is also an International Advisory Board member of the Movement for Global Mental Health, “a virtual network of individuals and organisations that aim to improve services for people living with mental health problems and psychosocial disabilities in low and middle income countries across the world". 

Swartz has also won many awards, amongst them the Stellenbosch University Chancellor's Award, and the Stals Prize for contributions to psychology from the SA Academy for Science and Arts. 

Over the years, he has supervised more than 40 doctoral candidates, many of them disabled, black, or women candidates. Recently Swartz's ongoing project to mainstream disability issues into civil society in South Africa, which saw him receive funding from the NRF for a series of public engagements around disability and citizenship in South Africa, culminated in the book, the Palgrave Handbook of Disability and Citizenship in the Global South, which he co-edited. Other books he has co-edited include Disability and social change: A South African agenda(2006), Searching for dignity: Conversations on human dignity, theology and disability (2013), and Transformation through occupation (2004), which is widely credited with helping develop a social justice and public health approach to occupational therapy in South Africa and globally.

“Prof Swartz has played a leading role in developing the field of disability studies in South Africa, but has been dedicated in his drive to develop research capacity in people previously excluded from the academy and to making principles of scientific engagement accessible to the broader community. For this reason, he is sought after as an academic mentor and contributes regularly to the training of more junior researchers at a range of South African universities. His work is also regularly prescribed in academic courses in South Africa in psychology and other disciplines." said Dr Therina Theron, Senior Director: Research and Innovation at SU.

She applauded him for the central role he has played in diversifying the academy and as an activist “who takes scientific community engagement and linkages seriously". This has led to Swartz working with the Cape Town Holocaust Centre in 2018 and 2019. He presented a two-seminar series on disability and human rights as part of the travelling exhibition, Deadly Medicine: Creating the Master Race,produced by the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum and presented by the South African Holocaust and Genocide Foundation in South Africa. The exhibition focused on the abuse and murder of disabled people during the Holocaust and the links between these practices, eugenics in South Africa, and contemporary concerns. 

Swartz has also given back to communities in need by offering free consultation services to those individuals who require therapy and is currently supervising the first ever prevalence study of mental health issues amongst Deaf children conducted on the African continent. 

Speaking at the ceremony, Swartz said: “I am very grateful for this award, and I am deeply honoured. I would not have been granted this award without the help and support of my family, my students and colleagues, and without the many many people who have had the patience and generosity to allow me into their lives as part of my research and scholarly work."

“Stellenbosch University is a very supportive environment for me, and I am especially grateful for years of patient help from the Division of Research Development, the University library, and many others."

Swartz added that he was acutely aware of how privileged he has been to have worked with and alongside disabled South Africans and Africans from further afield to inform and expand his research in disability studies.

“They had good reason to mistrust me as a white, non-disabled South African male researcher, yet have given me the benefit of many legitimate doubts, and have allowed me to work with them. If this award is about anything, it is about the opportunities we all have to make a more inclusive world for everyone."

“I would like to encourage all researchers, regardless of discipline, to think about how their work can include people with bodies and minds which are not the norm, but which are every bit as valuable as other bodies and minds. We cannot do diversity or decolonise our universities without making all our work accessible to all – and this includes people with disabilities of all kinds.  

Added Swartz: “Diversity, which includes disability participation at all levels, and accommodation of difference, will make our world, as the disability studies scholar Rosemarie Garland-Thomson puts it, more habitable for us all."

Photo: Prof Leslie Swartz (middle) received the prestigious Science-for-Society Gold Medal for 2019 from ASSAf at an awards ceremony held in Pretoria last night. Here he is with Prof Jonathan Jansen (right), President of ASSAf, and Prof Eugene Cloete, Vice-Rector: Research, Innovation and Postgraduate Studies at SU. (Supplied by ASSAf)

​​​Stellenbosch University's (SU) efforts to mitigate the risk of day zero has resulted in a 45% reduction of water usage in 2019 when measured against the year 2015.

Since the implementation of a new grey water system, the institution is determined to reach a 63% water saving target, said John de Wet, Manager for Environmental Sustainability at the Facilities Management Division.

SU commissioned consulting engineers to conduct a water balance study. The study detailed the major sources of consumption across all campuses and as a result, a drought response plan was rolled out.

The response plan led to campus-wide campaigns such as '#watersmart' and the rollout of water efficiency equipment and measures such as showerheads, rainwater harvesting, the use of boreholes and the catching of groundwater.

According to De Wet, the institution was able to achieve these great results through the efforts of students who piloted a variety of water saving initiatives. “We must give credit to the students for their contribution to help us save water; without the students this huge reduction wouldn't have been possible," said De Wet.

He said students at Simonsberg and Eendrag residences actively collected shower water to use for flushing toilets and irrigation purposes.

De Wet said they worked way in advanced on the water crisis and the aim of the institution was to change systems by introducing grey water to flush toilets He said this will soon be carried out in both student residences and academic buildings.

Nadeem Gafieldien, Director for Property Services at SU, said these results show that people can stand together during a crisis.

“We are thankful to the Department of Higher Education and Training for recognising our water saving efforts as an institution and awarding us a R7 million grant in their sustainable infrastructure and efficiency category," said Gafieldien.

He said the goal was to have all the toilets at SU flushing with grey water to avoid another day zero.

​​​​

Over the last decade disability studies as an academic discipline in Africa, particularly South Africa, has developed extensively, in no small part due to the commitment of Prof Leslie Swartz, a distinguished Professor of Psychology at Stellenbosch University (SU) with an interest in mental health and disability studies.

On Wednesday night Swartz, who is considered one of the most prolific and influential scholars in the field, was recognised by the Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf) for his dedication to developing disability studies when he received the prestigious Science-for-Society Gold Medal for 2019. According to ASSAf, the medal was awarded to Swartz for “excellence in the application of outstanding scientific thinking in the service of society". 

Swartz is the only academic in South Africa to receive a medal this year. The medal was bestowed on Swartz by Prof Jonathan Jansen, the President of ASSAf at the ASSAf Awards Ceremony held at The Capital Hotel-Menlyn Maine in Pretoria on Wednesday night. 

For Swartz it was always inevitable that disability studies, an interdisciplinary field concerned with how and why disability inequality happens and is maintained in the world, would be one of his research focus areas. The first clue came in the form of his 2010 memoir, Able-Bodied: Scenes from a curious life, which chronicles his relationship with his disabled father, yet explores disability from an academic perspective too. 

Swartz has not only concentrated on the development of disability studies, but has published over 250 articles in a range of international journals such as the Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disabilities, Psychoanalysis, Culture & Society, and PLoS One. He has also served as the Founding Editor-in-Chief of the African Journal of Disability up to 2018 and is the Associate Editor for the international journals, Transcultural Psychiatry and International Journal of Disability, Development and Education. Under his leadership, the African Journal of Disability became a PubMed and SCOPUS indexed journal which is now a key player in the disability studies field internationally. 

He is a Core member of the African Network for Evidence-to-Action in Disability (AfriNEAD), which is headed by Prof Gubela Mji, Head of the Centre for Rehabilitation Studies in the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences. AfriNEAD links disability scholars across the Africa, and also works with those from more economically developed countries like Norway, the United Kingdom and Canada. He is a Global Advisor to the Institute for Culture and Society at Western Sydney University.  He is also an International Advisory Board member of the Movement for Global Mental Health, “a virtual network of individuals and organisations that aim to improve services for people living with mental health problems and psychosocial disabilities in low and middle income countries across the world". 

Swartz has also won many awards, amongst them the Stellenbosch University Chancellor's Award, and the Stals Prize for contributions to psychology from the SA Academy for Science and Arts. 

Over the years, he has supervised more than 40 doctoral candidates, many of them disabled, black, or women candidates. Recently Swartz's ongoing project to mainstream disability issues into civil society in South Africa, which saw him receive funding from the NRF for a series of public engagements around disability and citizenship in South Africa, culminated in the book, the Palgrave Handbook of Disability and Citizenship in the Global South, which he co-edited. Other books he has co-edited include Disability and social change: A South African agenda(2006), Searching for dignity: Conversations on human dignity, theology and disability (2013), and Transformation through occupation (2004), which is widely credited with helping develop a social justice and public health approach to occupational therapy in South Africa and globally.

“Prof Swartz has played a leading role in developing the field of disability studies in South Africa, but has been dedicated in his drive to develop research capacity in people previously excluded from the academy and to making principles of scientific engagement accessible to the broader community. For this reason, he is sought after as an academic mentor and contributes regularly to the training of more junior researchers at a range of South African universities. His work is also regularly prescribed in academic courses in South Africa in psychology and other disciplines." said Dr Therina Theron, Senior Director: Research and Innovation at SU.

She applauded him for the central role he has played in diversifying the academy and as an activist “who takes scientific community engagement and linkages seriously". This has led to Swartz working with the Cape Town Holocaust Centre in 2018 and 2019. He presented a two-seminar series on disability and human rights as part of the travelling exhibition, Deadly Medicine: Creating the Master Race,produced by the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum and presented by the South African Holocaust and Genocide Foundation in South Africa. The exhibition focused on the abuse and murder of disabled people during the Holocaust and the links between these practices, eugenics in South Africa, and contemporary concerns. 

Swartz has also given back to communities in need by offering free consultation services to those individuals who require therapy and is currently supervising the first ever prevalence study of mental health issues amongst Deaf children conducted on the African continent. 

Speaking at the ceremony, Swartz said: “I am very grateful for this award, and I am deeply honoured. I would not have been granted this award without the help and support of my family, my students and colleagues, and without the many many people who have had the patience and generosity to allow me into their lives as part of my research and scholarly work."

“Stellenbosch University is a very supportive environment for me, and I am especially grateful for years of patient help from the Division of Research Development, the University library, and many others."

Swartz added that he was acutely aware of how privileged he has been to have worked with and alongside disabled South Africans and Africans from further afield to inform and expand his research in disability studies.

“They had good reason to mistrust me as a white, non-disabled South African male researcher, yet have given me the benefit of many legitimate doubts, and have allowed me to work with them. If this award is about anything, it is about the opportunities we all have to make a more inclusive world for everyone."

“I would like to encourage all researchers, regardless of discipline, to think about how their work can include people with bodies and minds which are not the norm, but which are every bit as valuable as other bodies and minds. We cannot do diversity or decolonise our universities without making all our work accessible to all – and this includes people with disabilities of all kinds.  

Added Swartz: “Diversity, which includes disability participation at all levels, and accommodation of difference, will make our world, as the disability studies scholar Rosemarie Garland-Thomson puts it, more habitable for us all."

Photo: Prof Leslie Swartz (middle) received the prestigious Science-for-Society Gold Medal for 2019 from ASSAf at an awards ceremony held in Pretoria last night. Here he is with Prof Jonathan Jansen (right), President of ASSAf, and Prof Eugene Cloete, Vice-Rector: Research, Innovation and Postgraduate Studies at SU. (Supplied by ASSAf)

In 2019 the Stellenbosch University Centre for Pedagogy (SUNCEP) celebrated 20 years of coordinating the Stellenbosch regional Eskom Expo for Young Scientists. During this time a total of 5 503 learners, displaying 3 298 projects, have participated at the regional level. Over 20 year 415 learners with 332 projects have represented the region at the national Expo.  Of these 332 projects, 269 won medals, 52 projects won special prizes and 16 projects were appointed as best in their category.  In this time 21 learners from Stellenbosch region have also represented South Africa in overseas Science competitions!

From 24 – 27 September 2019 the Eskom Expo International Science Fair (ISF) took place at the Birchwood Hotel and Conference Centre in Boksburg. The ISF brought together the brightest young scientists from across South Africa, Namibia, Kenya, Ghana, Mozambique, Ethiopia, Tanzania, Mexico, Turkey and Uganda.

Learners competed in 13 categories that included Agricultural science, Chemistry, Computer science, Energy, Environmental studies, Engineering and Social sciences. The Stellenbosch region's learners managed to secure three bronze medals, eight silver medals, one gold medal, one learner was a category winner.

Stellenbosch-region won four special prizes:

• Mgutsi Batandwa was awarded bursaries from Eskom and Siemens for his project on developing a low budget virtual class platform. 
• Katleho Baartman received a tablet and a R25 000 upgrade for the laboratory at his school, Zwelethemba High School for his project that developed a prototype spectacle to aid the blind around obstacles. 
• Chilandri Muller investigated the influence of Magnesium on ATP production in mitochondria and the Royal Society of Chemistry awarded her research with a R8 000 special prize.

You'll most likely recognise his voice from SAfm, but when Stellenbosch University (SU) alumnus and law graduate, Songezo Mabece, is not dissecting social justice, economic and political issues of the day on The View Point radio show, he's serving as Legal Counsel and Executive Assistant to the Commissioner of the Competition Commission of South Africa.  

On Friday, 18 October, Songezo will be the guest speaker at the Careers Café hosted by the Alumni Relations division in the Arts building on the corner of Merriman and Ryneveld Street between 13:00 and 14:00. If you are an undergraduate or postgraduate student and wish to attend the event, please visit http://bit.ly/CareersCafeSMabece to reserve your seat or contact  Marvin Koopman at marvin@sun.ac.za before Wednesday, 16 October.

For Songezo, education has always played a key role in his life. He grew up in Sada in the former Ciskei (now Eastern Cape) and attended Selborne Primary School and Selborne College before heading to Fort Hare University to complete an LLB Law degree. In 2017, he completed an LLM in International Trade Law at the Law Faculty at SU, this after completing a short course in Competition Law at the University of Cape Town and the General Manager Programme Certificate in the General Management Program at the IEDC-Bled School of Management in Slovenia a year earlier.

It is this unrelenting pursuit of knowledge that Songezo hopes to awaken in the hearts of students at SU as he shares his life and career journey with them during his talk this Friday.

“When it came to going to university, I had no choice. Mama and Tata were teachers, and Sisi and Bhuti studied teaching and, too, became teachers themselves. Education runs deep in the family. Not going to school and university would have made me the black sheep, as everybody at home had tertiary qualifications," he explains.

“The first year of university was a revelation for me in many ways and that was the beginning of my own journey to self-discovery," says Songezo, adding that it is something he will delve into in more detail during his talk.

His family history and his quest to encourage others to seek out knowledge is also what inspires him to anonymously contribute to the school and university fees of many learners and students in South Africa.

As a learner, Songezo was an avid debater, runner and rugby player, activities he continued once he arrived at Fort Hare. Later the sportsperson in him would give way to debating at Fort Hare and, later, at SU too.  

“All of this was in the name of keeping active and meeting people. Debating is what I did the longest and this took me across the length and breadth of the country, where I was fortunate to meet many people who I am still friends with today. At some point, I was a national champion after being selected as the Best Speaker at the Southern African National Universities Debating Championships held at Rhodes University in 2007."

Since graduating from SU, Songezo has worked at Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr and Bagraims Attorneys in Cape Town, Tralac in Stellenbosch, the Constitutional Court in Johannesburg, the World Bank in Washington DC in the United States and the Competition Commission of South Africa. But, he admits, in spite of all the successes, it has also been “a challenging journey" that has taught him a lot about the working world.

“While there have been challenges, nothing in my career has come as a surprise to me. Both from a desire perspective and personality front, I was always going to be a lawyer and broadcaster, but I just did not think the challenges would be as much as they have been in getting to where I am now."

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 http://bit.ly/CareersCafeSMabece or contact  Marvin Koopman at marvin@sun.ac.za before Wednesday, 16 October.

Two students can each win a seat at the dinner table with Songezo on the evening of the Careers Café by writing a motivation about why they believe they are the best candidate to benefit from a personal conversation with Songezo and send it to marvin@sun.ac.za.

Photo: Stellenbosch University alumnus, lawyer and SAfm radio host, Songezo Mabece, will be the next Careers Café speaker on 18 October.

​

With the increasing urbanisation of African cities, there is also an increasing demand for energy sufficiency. Energy is also central to the global move into the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

However, without energy sufficiency, Africa's ability to participate in this revolution will be compromised. With recent United Nations figures indicating that women in Africa are heading households more than ever, energy insecurity will make these women more vulnerable to socio-economic risks.

The launch of the Africa-UK Trilateral Research Chair at Stellenbosch University (SU) aims to minimise these potential risks through new research and evidence-based knowledge on how African cities can improve energy security in poor urban areas.

The launch event took place on Wednesday (10 October 2019) at the Stellenbosch Institute for Advanced Study in Stellenbosch.

Over the next five years, the Africa-UK Trilateral Research Chair will build research focusing on Mainstreaming Gender for Energy Security in Poor Urban Environments, in short Gender for Energy Security (GENS). This research will be under the leadership of Prof Josephine Kaviti Musango from the School of Public Leadership at SU.

The Trilateral Research Chair is in collaboration with Brunel University London (BUL) and the University of Nairobi (UoN). Working closely with Musango on this research chair is Dr Fabrizio Ceschin from BUL and Dr Amollo Ambole from UoN. The National Research Foundation and the Newton Fund through the British Council will fund the GENS Trilateral Chair.

According to Musango, she hopes the funding will continue beyond the five years, as this research chair will be invaluable to improve the lives of women and those in poor urban areas on the African continent.

“We are very grateful to have funders that are supporting us on this research. We are forging new relationships through these partnerships, which will help secure energy for women in poor environments," said Musango.

The GENS Trilateral Chair will bring together a diverse suite of expertise, including system dynamics, renewable energy policy in African cities, design thinking, design for sustainability and working with urban poor women in Africa through the collaborative partners.

SU's School of Public Leadership will also be hosting a few postgraduate students who will help with developing research for the GENS Trilateral Chair.

According to Prof Johan Burger, Director: School of Public Leadership, this research chair is a huge milestone for the school and helping SU to achieve its Vision 2040 goals.

“We recognise that, given Stellenbosch University's Vision 2040 and Strategic Framework 2019–2024, the University wants to be a leading research intensive university in Africa, globally recognised as excellent, inclusive and innovative where weadvance knowledge in service of society. This is why we are extremely excited about this research chair as it will help with these goals and it is a great research initiative," said Burger.

For more information on the GENS Trilateral Chair, visit https://gens.sun.ac.za/.

In the photo above from left, Dr Fabrizio Ceschin, Dr Amollo Ambole and Prof Josephine Kaviti Musango. 

Photo by Anton Jordaan.

​​

The 2019 winners of the annual Stellenbosch University (SU) Teaching Excellence Awards were recently announced. Lecturers of the Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences (EMS) have bagged three of the 12 awards.

Dr Sharon Malan, Programme Leader: Extended degree programme, Mrs Carla Morris and Mr Alwyn Visser, both lecturers of the School of Accountancy, were awarded Teaching Excellence Awards in the category 'Developing Teacher'.

Launched in 2017, the awards acknowledge lecturers in two categories, 'Distinguished Teacher' and 'Developing Teacher', based on their experience and leadership in the scholarship of teaching and learning.

Applicants had to submit a portfolio that demonstrated their reflection on and evidence of four main components: context, students, knowledge and professional growth. They also had to indicate the lessons they had learnt on their journey to becoming excellent teachers.

Dr Sharon Malan

Malan's teaching experience spans over two decades, ranging from teaching high school learners to foundational, undergraduate and postgraduate students. Her journey to becoming an excellent teacher started with her being intrigued with the 'how' of learning.

“I was always intrigued with how learning happens, how the brain learns and how to best teach so that learning can occur. It is important that my students, mostly first-generation students, realise their rightful place on this campus and that they have the intellect, ability, resilience and strength to succeed and surpass our expectations."

She has also worked extensively in the field of Education Psychology, which has helped her with the necessary knowledge and skills needed to work with learners with diverse educational needs, enabling her to offer students more effective learning support and development opportunities within different contexts.

“What we as teachers often view as deficiencies in knowledge and skills, often masks our students' innate abilities. This can contribute to learners performing below their potential or even failing when they have the ability to pass. I realised early on in my career never to underestimate students – regardless of their backgrounds."

Malan is no stranger to winning awards. In 2014, she won the Rector's award for Excellence in Teaching in the Faculty of Education and in 2011 received the Rector's First Year Academy Award in the Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences, which is awarded to a lecturer who contributed the most to a first year student's academic success.

Malan says that winning this latest award has helped her reflect on her teaching approach and the kind of teacher she wants to continue to be to her students.

“I view my students as total beings, acknowledging that what happens to them outside of class impacts what happens to them in class. I believe that my classrooms are safe spaces for students to grow physically, mentally, emotionally and socially. In these spaces, I not only encourage active participation but also risk-taking where making mistakes is normal and even encouraged as long as we learn from them."

Mr Alwyn Visser

Visser also believes that being a good teacher goes beyond the classroom and says that he sees himself as more of a 'facilitator of learning' rather than just being a teacher.

“Part of my teaching philosophy is to be an approachable role model. This inevitably means that students confide in you with personal issues. This made me think about teaching more and it serves as some kind of validation that somewhere I am doing something right and making a positive difference."

Visser currently lectures Information Systems, Business Ethics and Auditing to first, second and third year students at SU. He has a passion for the education and training of chartered accountants and says his teaching methods focus on preparing students for practice after they graduate.

“Every graduation is a highlight to me. Sitting on that stage and overlooking the sea of potential in front of you. Knowing that the world is open to these students to explore and conquer. Nothing can quite compete with that."

Carla Morris

Morris says she also wants her students to live out their full potential once they leave her classroom and hopes that it helps to give them a voice on issues that matter to them.

Coming from a family of teachers who inspired her, she entered this Teaching Excellence awards to have a teaching portfolio of her own to share with her family and have an invaluable tool for ongoing reflection and professional growth.

“The process has been highly introspective. Learning is lifelong. I see this award as part of my legacy, so I will continue to reflect critically on my classroom practices and the choices I make in teaching."

Morris is currently busy completing her PhD degree and hopes to publish impactful research in the future that will help students in the field of chartered accounting.

“I entered academia in 2010 after realising, while training junior staff and reporting to clients, that the transfer of financial knowledge and skills was the aspect that I enjoyed most about being a chartered accountant in a corporate finance career.

“The field of finance flexes one's problem-solving muscles and demands analytical thinking. I want to continue to publish my research and help students to keep up with the rapidly changing landscape of the business world."

*The above-mentioned candidates will receive their awards during a ceremony at the end of the fourth quarter.

For more information about the Teaching Excellence Awards, contact Dr Karin Cattell-Holden at kcattell@sun.ac.za or 021 808 3074.

In the picture above from left, Alwyn Visser, Sharon Malan and Carla Morris. 

​​​​Growing up in the dusty streets of Kwa Debeka in KwaZulu-Natal, Nondumisa Phenyane had no idea her life would be what it is today.

Nationally recognised for her contribution to the law sector, and celebrated as one of Stellenbosch University's (SU) youngest black lecturers in the Faculty of Law, the 28-year-old says she aims to contribute towards transformation at the institution.

Expressing her passion for the youth, justice and equality, Nondumiso says: “We often expect young people in urban townships to make good decisions, but we seldom consider how much of a tall order it is to achieve this when you are mostly surrounded by brokenness. Through my work as an academic and a businessperson, I hope to affirm and uplift young people in urban townships.

“Working as an academic at SU, I want to contribute to the transformation of a predominantly white profession, and I believe young black students would like to see people who look like them in lecture rooms."

At the Faculty of Law, Nondumiso  teaches the Law of Evidence and Mercantile Law and has the responsibility of being the course convener for the Law of Evidence course at the faculty. She holds a Bachelor of Social Science, postgradiate Bachelor of Law (LLB) and is currently reading for her LLM. She was also named one of 2019's Mail & Guardian 200 Young South Africans in the education category.

“Being on the list is an affirmation that I am doing something right and that I am on the right track," says the young old lecturer.

Nondumiso shares the story of how she had to deal with losing her mother at the tender age of nine years. “Life had not always been easy for me and my sibling. We moved around quite a bit until she lost the battle to HIV/Aids.

“When my mother passed away, our maternal grandmother and aunt took both me and my sister in and ensured that we had a 'normal' childhood and upbringing. The move to my grandmother's house gave us the freedom to be children. We played, had big dreams and most importantly, we had people who believed in these dreams with us," she says.

Prior to joining SU, Nondumiso worked as a legal researcher at the Supreme Court of Appeal in Bloemfontein and during her time there she worked on high-profile cases such as Gauteng vs Oscar Pistorius and Van Breda vs Media24 Limited.

Nondumiso hopes to publish extensively on the topic of access to justice and eventually obtain a professorship at Stellenbosch University .

“Access to justice is the ability to seek remedy either through formal or informal institutions of justice in conformity with human rights standards." Nondumiso says her research interest is of critical importance, as traditional means to justice are either slow or expensive, especially for South Africans living in townships

 “I hope that my work in this field will lead to the legitimisation of informal community tribunals. I would also like to graduate with my Legum Magister (LLM) and proceed to a Legum Doctor (LLD) over the next few years," she adds.

​In the light of recent #climatestrikes around the world, Prof Ntshengedzeni Sampson Mamphweli’s work as director of Centre for Renewable and Sustainable Energy Studies (CRSES) is more important than ever.

CRSES, based in the Faculty of Engineering, serves as a national hub for postgraduate studies into the development of renewable and sustainable energy. This includes bioenergy, solar photovoltaics, solar thermal, wind and hydro power options. The Centre, which also conducts anything from initial feasibility studies to highly technical investigations into new technologies, was established in 2007. A decade later, Prof Mamphweni followed in the footsteps of outgoing founding Director Prof Wikus van Niekerk, when he became dean of the SU Faculty of Engineering in mid-2017.

For his talk on 16 October 2019 as part of the Division of Research Development’s Forward with Research Impact lecture series, Mamphweni will be focusing on thermochemical and biological techniques can be used to convert biomass into energy. It takes place at 13:00 in the Old Main Building on campus.

South Africa’s renewable energy future

South Africa has committed to supplying at least 32% of its energy needs by 2030 through clean technology and renewable energy sources. This is the target set out in the Integrated Resource Plan 2018.

“Although it’s higher than the national target, I think at least 40% is possible for us,” challenges Mamphweli, who is inspired by the likes of India, a country heading towards a 90% renewable energy target.

Among his many responsibilities, he coordinates renewable energy research between South Africa and India, under the BRICS banner. This initiative will ensure more combined research projects and student exchanges between the countries.

He also drives stronger coordination of renewable energy research matters between African universities and centres, as co-director of the Centre of Excellence in Energy. This forms part of the African Research Universities Alliance.

Although he’d like to see that more of the technologies that have been developed or studied at local universities over the past decade actually be implemented, he remains a realist.

He believes the country can be pricewise competitive when it comes to producing the infrastructure needed to generate wind energy, biogas and solar thermal energy. The much cheaper photovoltaic infrastructure available via China is however a totally different story. An option would be to aim for at least the partial assembly of technology on the home front, to ensure that jobs are created locally.

Biogas expert                                                                                                                    

Mamphweli’s renewable energy expertise was shaped through his studies of biogas and syngas (synthetic) production, with waste materials such as wood waste, mealie cobs and manure as fuel. If he could have his way, there would be more biodigesters to generate biogas in back gardens in South Africa than is currently the case. Such technology would also be used in urban areas, instead of only being dotted around the countryside. He also sees room for municipal sewage works to generate their own electricity, using the methane gas that is in any case generated as part of their mandatory cleaning of wastewater, and is currently merely burnt.

A biodigester, in short, is a dome-shaped, roofed construction made from brick, plastic or steel fitted into the ground. It is filled with waste that may be animal dung or even human faeces. When water and bacteria interact with it, the material decomposes to release methane gas. An outlet pipe then takes the gas to whatever needs to be powered – be it a gas engine, a gas turbine or a stove. Gas can also be trapped in a canister or special bag for later use.

Biodigesters are widely used in China and India. While explaining the basics behind it, Mamphweli makes quick sketches on a blank piece of paper. After years of experimentation, he knows that it takes a near-perfect 50/50 match between manure and water to generate methane gas.

“About 25 kg of cow dung gives you 1 cubic meter of gas. That’s 6 kilowatt hours or six units of electricity, with which you can cook for five to six hours,” he sets out, making the technology look deceptively easy.

As a panel member of the National Biogas Platform, he however knows that there’s more to it than just trapping gas. One has among others to do gas scrubbing, which is a way of purifying and filtering the gas.

He acknowledges that some people find feeding such systems with available dung from livestock too tedious a household chore, even if it is giving them free energy. There are ways to sidestep such qualms, too, he says. The solution is to basically connect the system directly to a household’s sewage system.

“What you need is an inlet and an outlet, and a container to trap the gas in,” Mamphweli explains, still sketching away. Pre-empting the groans of the squeamish, he quickly adds: “You don’t even have to come in contact with it (the effluent).”

One of his PhD students has recently started to build a biodigester on the University’s Mariendahl experimental farm outside Stellenbosch. Manure, obtained from the pigsties on the farm, will be used to produce and capture methane gas, which will drive a 10 kW gas engine. If successful, it can be used to power outdoor lighting on the farm.

Early years

Mamphweli came to Stellenbosch via the University of Fort Hare, where he started as an Eskom Research fellow in 2005. It was in the Eastern Cape where he started to think about the nitty-gritty of biomass conversion, as part of the PhD in Physics he obtained in 2010. It was about biomass gasification. After graduating, he started research on biogas digesters. It led to hundreds of biodigesters and solar panels being installed in the rural Eastern Cape and areas bordering on Lesotho as part of his research endeavours.

He’s always had a particular affinity for physics. Today, he laughs at his younger self who tried to explain everything happening around him to his teenage friends in terms of physics. In his final matric exam he scored 100% for the subject, but was let down by the chemistry part, which he did not like during his days at high school.

This younger self dreamt of becoming a pilot, and as a second choice, a doctor. However, after matriculating from Lwenzhe Secondary school in Limpopo in 1997, the would-be bespectacled professor wasn’t even invited for an interview by the national carrier’s cadet academy. A lack of funds stopped him in his tracks after being accepted for medical studies at MEDUNSA.

“The letter (of acceptance) indicated how much I had to pay and all that. It was about R20 000 that I needed, which we did not have at home. I did not have a bursary, so I walked into the University of Venda, and applied to study there,” he remembers how it came about that he started to study 20 kilometres from home.

His choice fell on environmental science, because of his soft spot for nature.

“I told myself that one day I’d be working in the Kruger National Park,” Mamphweli remembers the challenge he put himself.

That’s one dream that did materialise. After completing his honours degree, Mamphweli found himself in the Kruger Park between 2002 and 2004, studying the impact of elephants on the trees along rivers to the southern side of Africa’s oldest nature reserve. He used the time and data collected to complete a masters degree on the subject.

“I still think my best life was in the Kruger National Park,” says this avid birder with also has a penchant for fast cars. “I go there every chance I get.”

He had the option of studying elephants for his PhD too, but was intrigued by an advert for a PhD position to study biomass gasifiers at the University of Fort Hare, as part of the Eskom Research Fellowship Black Researchers Development Program.

“I am not at all, not at all sorry about that decision,” he reiterates, saying that he believes he is making an impact on community level by the installation of biodigesters, and also on a national level.

“I love nature, but I also love the energy side of things,” says the professor, who is currently editing a book on independent power producers in Africa.

​More than 375 learners from 187 schools (Afrikaans and English, First Additional Language), from across South Africa qualified for the final round of the national Sanlam WOW Spelling Festival 2019, which will take place on 19 October at Stellenbosch University. 

"The Sanlam WOW Spelling Festival is one of the Woordfees and WOW's flagship projects, and the national finals are the cherry on the cake," says Saartjie Botha, Director of the Toyota SU Woordfees and WOW project.  (WOW is the acronym for Words Open Worlds.)  “The spelling festival is an initiative that focuses on continuous learning and tests much more than just the learners' knowledge of language and spelling rules. It expands their vocabulary, is an excellent exercise in concentration and gives learners the confidence to talk with ease in front of people they don't know. We are privileged to welcome the learners, their teachers and parents to Stellenbosch."

Sydney Nhlanhla Mbhele, Executive Brand Manager of Sanlam, remarked that it is a great honour for Sanlam to be the named sponsor of the WOW Spelling Festival for the fifth year: “As a responsible corporate partner, Sanlam is committed to ensuring that we leave a lasting legacy in the communities that we serve.  We do this by creating community value, influencing our growing business and continually evaluating our contribution to socio-economic development. We deem it important to form relationships and be associated with projects that deliver valuable contributions to communities."

Fiona van Kerwel, the WOW project manager, commented that the feedback she receives about the spelling festival is a prime motivator for her and her team. They travel throughout the country to ensure that the various rounds of the competition – from school level, through to the circle, district and provincial levels – run smoothly.  “Throughout the country, educators, parents and education departments attest to the fact that the WOW Spelling Festival helps young learners to sharpen their language skills and build self-confidence. At the same time they have a lot of fun as they practice, spell and learn. As one learner put it: 'The spelling festival gives me the words to describe, understand and work.'"

WOW supports multilingualism and once again offered the spelling festival in English First Additional Language for Grades 6-9 in the Western, Northern and Eastern Cape.  Since 2017, WOW has also offered the spelling festival in isiXhosa for Grades 6 and 7 in the four districts of the Western Cape.  This year a spelling festival for Grade 3 in one of the Western Cape districts was added.

Dr. Leslie van Rooi, Senior Director: Social Impact and Transformation at Stellenbosch University, says that the WOW National Spelling Festival is a wonderful example of a contribution to nation building:  “Over the last few months learners, teachers and parents across all the provinces of our country have come together to sound and to spell.  In some areas this took place in three of our official languages and everywhere else people came together irrespective of the supposed borders that separate them. Even in competition we can make friends." He is pleased that Stellenbosch can play host to the final round of this national competition that brings the rich diversity of our country together. 

The national finals of the Sanlam WOW Spelling Festival will take place on Saturday 19 October at Stellenbosch University and starts at 10:00.  The prize-giving will take place at 15:00 in the Adam Small Theatre complex. 

To attend the event or obtain more information about the Sanlam WOW Spelling festival, contact Danie Marais at the Toyota SU Woordfees office : danie_marais@sun.ac.za of 083 325 3433.

Stellenbosch University's (SU) Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences (FMHS) today unveiled its Faculty Charter – a first for a faculty of the institution.

Said Prof Jimmy Volmink, Dean of the FMHS: “Today, this 63-year old Faculty steps into a new era. Through this Charter we acknowledge where we have come from, but more critically, we commit to ongoing transformation guided by the values of our Faculty and institution, and those enshrined in the Constitution of South Africa.

The FMHS Charter, which took more than 18 months to finalise, is a pledge by its staff and students to create inclusive, fair and friendly environments in every aspect of daily interactions. It serves as a guide for behaviour and an instrument to assist in holding everyone accountable for their actions.

“As a dynamic entity, we lead the way in expressing our commitment to change. Our Faculty strives to build an institutional culture that welcomes, celebrates and supports the development of a diverse body of students and staff. I have no doubt that the facilitation of our onward journey towards personal and institutional transformation will continue to produce benefits for everyone involved," said Volmink.

SU Rector and Vice-Chancellor Prof Wim de Villiers welcomed the launch of the FMHS Charter: “It strengthens our aspiration of being a transformed and integrated academic community that celebrates critical thinking, promotes debate and is committed to democracy, human rights and social justice."

The Charter was developed under the auspices of the FMHS Dean's Advisory Committee on Transformation (DACT), established in 2016. The Charter encapsulates the faculty's commitment to celebrating all forms of diversity and inclusion on the Tygerberg Campus and the cultivation of empowering environments in both the academic and clinical settings. The Charter recognises the importance of all its stakeholders and pledges, among other things, to promote mutual respect, advance human dignity, acknowledge the lived experiences of the communities it serves, engage in ethically sound research and protect the environment.

Ms Khairoonisa Foflonker, chairperson of the Faculty Charter task team, said the Charter had been developed through a series of meaningful and robust engagements with staff and students at various points. “Despite healthy and respectful disagreements, we left every meeting with consensus. Students and colleagues engaged with the format and content of the Charter in a manner that reflected the values of inclusivity, integrity and compassion."

The FMHS Charter artwork, which depicts the 'many hands within a hand' symbol all over the Tygerberg Campus, was completed with the assistance of SU's institutional visual redress committee and specifically Prof Elmarie Constandius of the SU's Department of Visual Arts, who also serves on the committee. “The overarching message behind the many hands within a hand symbol is that of connectivity and collaboration and I think it bodes well for the future of this institution," said Constandius.

Click here to read the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences Charter.

Caption: Prof Jimmy Volmink, Dr Ronel Retief, Khairoonisa Foflonker and Ascentia Seboko.

Photo credit: Wilma Stassen

​The Formal Investigation Committee (FIC), appointed by Stellenbosch University (SU) to investigate various aspects related to the research article, Age- and education-related effects on cognitive functioning in Coloured South African women, has requested an extension until the end of November 2019 to complete their task. This request was granted to allow for all processes to be followed.  

SU came under the spotlight in May this year after the article was published in an international scientific journal, Aging, Neuropsychology, and Cognition. Stellenbosch University subsequently acknowledged in a statement that the particular article caused offense and injured the human dignity of many South Africans, and apologised unconditionally for the severe trauma, pain and anger among members of the general public, Stellenbosch communities, University stakeholders and its campus community. The editors and publishers of the journal in consultation with the authors afterwards retracted the article – a step strongly supported by SU.

SU's Research Integrity Officer (RIO), in consultation with Prof Eugene Cloete, Vice-Rector: Research, Innovation and Postgraduate Studies, appointed the FIC in accordance with the SU Policy for Responsible Research Conduct, as well as the SU procedure for the investigation of allegations of breach of research norms and standards.

The FIC has been tasked to investigate a formal complaint lodged against the authors of the article, related to the alleged breach of research norms and standards, as well as the related institutional policies, processes and practices. It was initially expected that the investigation would be concluded by the end of September, but due to the complexity and public nature of the case, it took some time to clarify various legal issues related to the FIC membership. This has caused unforeseen delays. The outcomes of the investigation will be shared with stakeholders as indicated in earlier statements.

GLOBAL RESEARCH STANDARDS  

In a statement released in September, Stellenbosch University announced that two Senate committees have recommended that the institution formally adopts the Global Code of Conduct for Research in Resource-Poor Settings (www.globalcodeofconduct.org) at its next Senate meeting in November 2019. The Research Ethics Committee of Senate made this recommendation at its scheduled meeting on day 30 August 2019 after the Research Committee of Senate earlier adopted a similar recommendation at its meeting on 14 August 2019.

 “Although a single piece of research can in no way reflect the quality, ethics and values of SU's stellar research programme, the incident has sparked serious discussions on our campuses about how individuals and communities are treated in research about them – not only at SU, but at all South African universities, and for some time already in academia globally," Prof Cloete said.

“The improvement of global research standards has been on the international research agenda for more than a decade. African communities have in fact played a significant role in highlighting the exploitation of vulnerable communities, which contributed to the compilation of the Global Code of Conduct for Research in Research-poor Settings. In 2018 it was announced at a European Parliament workshop that the TRUST* Global Code of Conduct for Research in Resource-Poor Settings would become a reference document for the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme. Support for SU adopting the Code has been expressed in Senate committees and various other structures, and it will be tabled for formal adoption at the next Senate meeting in November 2019," Prof Cloete added.

INSTITUTIONAL INITIATIVES

Since May 2019, Senate and its sub-committees have thrown their weight behind a focused and concerted long-term institutional response to the issues brought to the fore by the article and related responses, for example interventions on SU campuses to address relevant themes like the role of race in scientific research and the transformation of the institutional culture of SU.

In a motion that was passed unanimously at the Senate meeting in May specific SU structures were tasked with attending to certain concrete proposals.

The Academic Planning Committee (APC) of Senate was requested to give consideration to offering a module on anti-racism, democracy and critical citizenship to all first-year students, and to determine whether some SU academics may already be focussing their research on gender and critical race studies. The objective would be to build a network of experts in these fields. A draft report is being compiled and will be tabled at the meeting of the APC on 30 October 2019.

Other proposals by Senate included:

That “consideration be given to instituting a campus-wide mechanism dedicated to transforming research and science" at SU.

That “a suite of short courses be offered by the Research Office for all staff members" at SU on topics such as “the use of human categories in research and science". Research integrity is already covered in existing short courses, but the possibility of prescribed training in research ethics is being considered. In the meantime existing training initiatives would be expanded with a view to raise greater awareness.

In addition, the Research Committee of Senate made further recommendations at its meeting in August 2019:

That a process should be created for all SU social impact projects go through an ethics review.

That compulsory training should be provided to members of the research ethics committees, staff and students, which should include awareness-raising initiatives around ethics code of conduct and SU policies and processes.

That the institutional awareness of the risks of unethical behaviour in research should be raised via focused online training programmes and initiatives.

The theme of ethical guidelines for social impact was subsequently discussed at the annual social impact symposium on 6 September 2019, which also included valuable input by stakeholders from civil society. A newly-constituted task team will develop a formal set of ethical guidelines for social impact initiatives.

 “*TRUST was a pluralistic project, which aimed to foster adherence to high ethical standards in research globally and to counteract the practice of “Ethics dumping" or the application of double standards in research, by co-developing with vulnerable populations tools and mechanisms for the improvement of research governance structures. The TRUST project closed in December 2018. However, the TRUST consortium continues to be involved in efforts to reduce ethics dumping around the world. Visit: Global Code of Conduct for Research in Resource-Poor Settings."

(www.globalcodeofconduct.org)

A wine from Stellenbosch University's Welgevallen Cellar that was produced by winemaker and cellar master Riaan Wassung was commended at the 29th Veritas Vertex Awards. The “Die Laan Merlot Reserve 2017" was the only Merlot among the 1491 total entrees in this year's competition to receive a double gold medal.

To be awarded a double gold medal, a wine had to score at least 93 out of 100 on the judges' sheet.

The Veritas award ceremony is presented annually by the South African National Wine Show Association. This year 76 entrees (from 29 producers) were awarded double gold medals, along with 198 gold medals.

This is the best result that the Welgevallen Cellar has achieved with its Die Laan range at the renowned Veritas wine awards. Four other Die Laan wines entered this year received silver medals, and a fifth received a bronze medal.

The Welgevallen Cellar is the only facility of its kind at a South African university, and is managed by the SU Faculty of AgriSciences. Stellenbosch University is also the only South African university offering viticulture and oenology as a graduate programme. The University also plays an important role in research being done in the areas of viticulture and oenology.

About the Die Laan Merlot Reserve 2017, Wassung says: "The wine has a very intense red colour, good extraction and a lovely balance. The tannin structure is full and complex, with typical red berry and cassis aromas on the nose."

There are still about 800 bottles in stock, at R150 each. Contact Wassung at winesales@sun.ac.za or 021 808 2925, or visit the Welgevallen Cellar during office hours. It is located between Paul Roos Gymnasium and Coetzenburg in Stellenbosch. For more information, visit www.facebook.com/DieLaanWines.

• ​Photo: Welgevallen Cellar's wine maker and cellar master Riaan Wassung (left) with Christo Pienaar, chairman of the South African National Wine Show Association. Photo: Veritas

​​Through her work at Stellenbosch University (SU), Nondumisa Phenyane hopes to impact the lives of many young people.

Growing up in the dusty streets of Kwa Debeka in KwaZulu-Natal, Nondumisa had no idea her life would be what it is today.

Nationally recognised for her contribution to the law sector, and celebrated as one of Stellenbosch University's (SU) youngest black lecturers in the Faculty of Law, the 28-year-old says she aims to contribute towards transformation at the institution.

Expressing her passion for the youth, justice and equality, Nondumiso says: “We often expect young people in urban townships to make good decisions, but we seldom consider how much of a tall order it is to achieve this when you are mostly surrounded by brokenness. Through my work as an academic and a businessperson, I hope to affirm and uplift young people in urban townships.

“Working as an academic at SU, I want to contribute to the transformation of a predominantly white profession, and I believe young black students would like to see people who look like them in lecture rooms."

At the Faculty of Law, Nondumiso teaches the Law of Evidence and Mercantile Law and has the responsibility of being the course convener for the Law of Evidence course at the faculty. She holds a Bachelor of Social Science, postgradiate Bachelor of Law (LLB) and is currently reading for her LLM. She was also named one of 2019's Mail & Guardian 200 Young South Africans in the education category.

“Being on the list is an affirmation that I am doing something right and that I am on the right track," says the young lecturer.

Nondumiso shares the story of how she had to deal with losing her mother at the tender age of nine years. “Life had not always been easy for me and my sibling. We moved around quite a bit until she lost the battle to HIV/Aids.

“When my mother passed away, our maternal grandmother and aunt took both me and my sister in and ensured that we had a 'normal' childhood and upbringing. The move to my grandmother's house gave us the freedom to be children. We played, had big dreams and most importantly, we had people who believed in these dreams with us," she says.

Prior to joining SU, Nondumiso worked as a legal researcher at the Supreme Court of Appeal in Bloemfontein and during her time there she worked on high-profile cases such as Gauteng vs Oscar Pistorius and Van Breda vs Media24 Limited.

Nondumiso hopes to publish extensively on the topic of access to justice and eventually obtain a professorship at Stellenbosch University .

“Access to justice is the ability to seek remedy either through formal or informal institutions of justice in conformity with human rights standards." Nondumiso says her research interest is of critical importance, as traditional means to justice are either slow or expensive, especially for South Africans living in townships.

​

​​Please note that registration for the 2019 SOTL Conference closes on Friday 18 October. Attendance is free for SU academic staff.

All is set for the 12th annual in-house conference on the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL)! It will be held at the Lord Charles Hotel, Somerset West on 29 and 30 October, with pre-conference workshops being held on 28 October.

This year's theme is: (Your) Teaching Matters @ SU. The keynote speakers are Dr Joy Mighty (Carleton University, Ottawa, Canada), who will deliver her paper 'Reconsidering Scholarship: Why (Your) Teaching Matters', and Prof Geo Quinot (SU), whose paper is titled '(Y)our Teaching Matters'.

For appetizers of the keynote addresses and all other information, visit the website at http://www0.sun.ac.za/sotl.

Please direct your enquiries to: sotl@sun.ac.za.

​Stellenbosch University's (SU) Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences (FMHS) today unveiled its Faculty Charter – a first for a faculty of the institution.

The names of the departmental winners of the Faculty's 9th top lecturer competition sponsored by Die Burger, have been announced.  The overall winners – the top undergraduate and postgraduate lecturer of the faculty – will be announced at a gala event on Friday evening (18 October).

The top departmental undergraduate lecturers are:

• Prof Edwin Theron (Business Management),
• Dr Debra Shepherd (Economics),
• Mr Marius Meyer (Industrial Psychology),
• Mr Melrick October (Logistics),
• Ms Lize-Marie Sahd (School of Accountancy),
• Dr Ruenda Loots (School of Public Leadership), and
• Mr Luca Steyn (Statistics and Actuarial Science).

The top departmental postgraduate lecturers are:

• Prof Pierre Erasmus (Business Management),
• Dr Debra Shepherd  (Economics),
• Dr Samantha Adams & Mr Marius Meyer (Industrial Psychology),
• Prof Leila Goedhals-Gerber (Logistics),
• Mrs Sophia Brink (School of Accountancy), and
• Prof Willie Conr adie (Statistics and Actuarial Science).

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. The faculty is the only of the SU faculties to hold the competition.

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.

The names of the following 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:

1. Miss CL Stanton
2. Mr P Falck
3. Miss S Gerber
4. Miss NG Mahurayi
5. Miss ML Christophers
6. Miss S Wright
7. Miss CL Groeneveld
8. Miss A Swanepoel
9. Miss L Koegelenberg
10. Miss KH Matthews

One of these students will also win a Huawei smartphone at the prizewinning function.

The following article, Chasing her destiny: USB lecturer becomes the first woman in SA to receive a PhD in Development Finance​, was written by the University of Stellenbosch Business School (USB) and published on 18 September 2019 on its website.

Lecturer. Researcher. Poet. Commissioner. Dr Nthabiseng Moleko is a busy woman. And in between all the different roles she fulfils, she managed to find time to complete her PhD in Development Finance from Stellenbosch University earlier this year – making her the first woman in South Africa to have a Doctor of Philosophy in this field behind her name. The title of her PhD is, Pension Fund reform towards development of national economy:  A South African Case Study.

Moleko, who lectures Managerial Economics and Statistics at the University of Stellenbosch Business School (USB), started with her PhD journey in 2014 with a scholarship from the business school. “I worked in the pension fund industry prior to entering the public space. I've always had an interest in how finance, and in particularly pension funds, can be used in developing economies and infrastructure.

“When I was formulating my problem statement, I had a discussion with my supervisor (Prof Sylvanus Ikhide), who saw the potential in this topic. We agreed on various research questions to address, including whether pension funds could be related to the economic growth of the country, looking at the Public Investment Corporation that remains one of the biggest asset managers in Africa, and just trying to understand Africa's pension fund sector and history," she says.

Her PhD is a robust assessment of pension funds in South Africa and its contribution to South Africa's economy. The central question answered is that pension fund assets do have a positive effect on economic growth, namely through capital markets. We also found that despite the highly developed banking sector and capital markets, households have not channelled their income to savings. Income levels are a linkage to boosting savings, thus it would be important to prioritise labour-intensive economic growth whilst improving incomes.

In 2017, with her full-time scholarship coming to an end, she became a lecturer at the business school while continuing with her studies part-time. She still teaches at USB and graduated with her doctorate at the university's graduation in April this year.

She says a highlight during her PhD journey was being able to present her papers at international conferences. “There are three conferences that stood out for me. I presented one of my papers in Accra (Ghana), where I have never been to before.

“The other conference took place in Zurich (Switzerland) and I presented a paper on poverty in Africa and how it can be reduced," she says. “It was rewarding being at a conference with not only Europeans but a mix of practitioners and academics from all over the world who all want to alleviate poverty. Poverty is a global problem that requires global collaborations and think tanks to come together, and conferences like that enables the opportunity to collaborate and engage with other thought leaders and practitioners."

The third conference is attended by mostly academics and will be her third year that she attends if her paper gets accepted this year. “It is very encouraging to hear from other peers, who are experts in their field, that your work is good but also getting feedback on how I can improve."

She says as an academic how to lessen poverty is key to her. “How do you translate your policy recommendations and reviews into things that can translate into real world policies and applications? That for me is critical," she says.

Contributing to knowledge and realising that she can contribute ideas to society, is another highlight. “You make contributions to public discussion of the greater society. For example, I wrote a piece for a financial magazine that had a special report on retirement funds. I focused on how we need pension funds and products for the low income market, especially those who are not in the formal economy.

“Having completed a PhD, I have gained more in-depth knowledge and therefore have more authority and a voice in that area. I am able to influence thoughts and thinking in my field, which is great."

Moleko also serves as a Commissioner on the Commission for Gender Equality and her role often requires her to write. “As you grow you become more confident to write; you find a voice. One of the biggest accomplishments for me is developing a stronger and unique voice," she says.

Academic papers is not the only form of writing she enjoys. She also has a passion for arts and culture and during October 2017 she launched her first poetry book, Been Chasing Destiny. The book is an anthology about the different phases one undergoes when journeying through life, attempting to figure out your purpose and chasing your destiny.

Moleko has a deep passion for South Africa and represents a unique voice – a mix of factual and spiritual on South African issues pertaining to governance and also the economy perhaps. “The book is a story of hope and attesting to the love I have for South Africa, by connecting to my audience with my voice," she says.

So how does she balance it all? “I think you have to have your priorities set out. I knew that I came here originally to do a PhD – everything else was secondary.

“I focused and put all my energy into my research. I ensured that even if I did my teaching and faculty-related work that I didn't compromise the pace at what I was moving on my research. I had to balance my time and sacrifice a lot of my social life. I didn't sleep much; I still don't sleep much!"

She says she works well under pressure and produces a lot of output when she has too much to do. "Previously I worked in a very intense job with minimum resources and high expectations. So you have to perform. I think because of this background I was able to balance everything.

“Also, when you start producing academic papers and see the results, it encourages you to pursue with the PhD. That kept me going," she says.

Being a people's person, one of the biggest challenges the past few years was the amount of time she had to spend alone reading and doing research. “During the PhD you spend long amounts of time alone reading. Alone, thinking. It's a very solitary journey. But it's part of the process – you have to read a lot; gather your thoughts. So you have to be very comfortable in your own space," she says.

“I also had to learn to receive critique, whether it's a submission of your work to your supervisor or a journal. You become very humble as you realise that even if you think it's your best work yet, there's always a way to revise and improve on it," she says.

Now that she has achieved her goal that she set out in 2014 to achieve, what's next on her list? “My life has taken a course that I don't really plan what happens to me. Opportunities come when they appear. I look forward to make use of this new skill set that I have," she says.

The Transport Economics group within the Department of Logistics hosted a machine-learning hackathon at the LaunchLab in Stellenbosch on Saturday (12 October 2019), which saw a team consisting of Stellenbosch University (SU) electrical engineering students securing second place.

Although originally hacking refers to breaching network security to access protected information, nowadays hackathons are being held to find digital solutions to everyday problems using computer technology.

Uber and data science competition platform Zindi partnered with the department in hosting the hackathon which drew some 100 data scientists and aspiring data scientists from all over the Western Cape.

The objective of the hackathon was to build a machine learning model to help the South African National Roads Agency Limited (Sanral) predict when and where vehicle and pedestrian accidents are likely to occur in the Western Cape.

Participants were required to build their models on historic road incident data as well as traffic pattern data from Uber. The resulting models must enable Sanral to anticipate where they will be needed next and to put measures in place that will help ensure the safety of all Cape Town's residents.

According to a recent study by the World Health Organisation, approximately 1 million road accidents are reported in South Africa each year, resulting in approximately 31.9 fatalities per 100 000 people each year. This fatality rate could be dramatically reduced if authorities are able to respond to reported incidents as quickly and efficiently as possible.

The second-placed SU electrical engineering students – Matthew Baas, Ryan Seebregts and Kevin Eloff – said their solution code was based on a previously submitted code which they adapted and changed.

“This recognition gives us the confidence to pursue machine learning as a career. Machine learning is the future and this competition is a good opportunity to get into it while still studying for our degree," said Seebregts.

The trio received R2 000 in prize money for their efforts.

Marcus Gawronsky, a University of Cape Town student studying for his masters in Advanced Analytics took first place with R4 000. Third place went to Thembisile Damon, Xolisa Mzini, Siphesihle Yapi and Thabiso Mareletsa from Explore Data Science Academy who was awarded
R1 500.

Yolisa Kani, head of public policy for Uber South Africa, said government always complains that they do not have the resources to find answers to problems facing them.

“This hackathon shows that there are lots of people willing to use their talents to find solutions. I hope that we can extend this challenge beyond the Western Cape," she said.

Reginald Kgwedi, lecturer in the Department of Logistics, said Uber making their data available to SU “presents us with an opportunity to not only find solutions to the transport challenges in South Africa but to use utilise this information to find solutions in the academic space as we also need real-time information to use in our lectures".

Prof Stephan Krysgman of the Department of Logistics, said the hackathon is a wonderful opportunity for students to be exposed to practical examples, actual data and real case studies, and to work with an international company to solve a problem.

Celina Lee, CEO of Zindi, said the hackathon offers data scientists the opportunity to hone their skills on real-life data sets, solve real life problems, build up their professional profiles, and connect with potential job opportunities.

“The data scientists, especially the students, can use their experience in this challenge to get jobs in the field, they can even apply for a job at Sanral or even Uber," she said.

• Photo: SU electrical engineering students (f.l.t.r.) Ryan Seebregts, Matthew Baas and Kevin Eloff secured second place in the hackathon.