​The former ambassador to the fictitious homeland Bapetikosweti​, Evita Bezuidenhout, celebrated 20 years of democracy with Maties. 

The alter ego of the comedian Pieter-Dirk Uys delivered her "state-of-the-nation address" on Wednesday (14 May) in the Vroueverenigingsaal in the Neelsie Student Centre.

These days, she told the audience, she occupies her time by cooking – especially sugar-free koeksisters – for the team of the ANC's headquarters in Johannesburg, Luthuli House.

With witty humour she commented on topics from the recent elections and our eleven official languages to the plants at Tuynhuis and Pres Jacob Zuma's visit to the queen of England.

And of the EFF leader Julius Malema – of which she now has a baby doll version – she said, "now Red Riding Hood is also the wolf".

This event formed part of Stellenbosch University's celebrations of 20 years of Democracy and Freedom this week (12-16 May).

The celebrations, themed 20 years of Democracy (20YD): the story continues, includes interactive art works (see photo), a film festival and a special Mandela/Parks exhibition at the Sasol Arts Museum.

Programme elements:

• Film Festival: Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom, 12 years a slave, Endgame and Bloody Miracle (14 and 15 May)
  
• Interactive Visual art works, 14-16 May at the JS Gericke Library and the Neelsie Student  Centre, among others
  
• Exhibition of Visual Arts logo design curriculum project, 14-15 May, Upper Floor, Neelsie Student Centre
  
• JS Gericke Library 20YD: The story continues special documents exhibition, 12-16 May 2014
  

Forming part of the celebrations is the Dear Mr Mandela... Dear Mrs Parks exhibition, a travelling exhibition on loan from the Nelson Mandela Museum in Mthatha, Eastern Cape. Although already open, a special opening event is planned for 28 May. 

Photographer: Stefan Els

The Stellenbosch University Academic Planning Committee decided on Wednesday 14 May 2014 to propose to Senate that tests and exams should no longer be scheduled in the evening in the light of serious safety incidents over the past months.  

"Such a decision will have far-reaching consequences for the academic functioning of the University and it is a pity that crime should have such an impact, but we no longer have a choice," says Prof Arnold Schoonwinkel, Vice-Rector: Learning and Teaching.

The recommendation to Senate follows after an incident in which a student, Ms Ilzé-Dene Oberholzer, was pulled into a vehicle on the municipal parking area adjacent to the Eikestad Mall on Monday evening.

In comment to the media on Tuesday the University management said that it is of great concern that such an incident did occur. Ms Oberholzer is being assisted by the SU Crisis Service.

"The Management of Stellenbosch University shares the concerns of its students, their parents and town residents over crime trends. We welcome student initiatives to raise greater awareness of the crime situation in Stellenbosch and in South Africa. In this regard we appreciate the protest action planned for Friday on the Stellenbosch campus."

Prof Schoonwinkel added that a distinction should be made between incidents where students like Ms Oberholzer was abducted despite the fact that she acted responsibly, and incidents where students' own actions put them at risk. Unfortunately, many students are under the erroneous perception that Stellenbosch is safeguarded against the crime and criminal elements that plague the rest of the country.

"As a result students and residents unnecessarily become victims of crime through their own actions. It is a reality that the Stellenbosch campus is an open campus that is not isolated from the rest of the town or the country. The University and its Campus Security Service are doing their utmost to create a safe learning, living and working environment with safety patrols, access control, contracted security services, after-hours student transport (commuter buses), alarm monitoring and response, emergency reaction and closed circuit television monitoring. Unfortunately neither the town's law enforcement agencies nor Campus Security can protect students at all times. It is a reality that each student and resident should accept responsibility to ensure that they do not become a soft target for criminals. SU can recommend measures such as the discontinuation of evening tests, but students move around freely on campus and in town in the evenings and during the night."

Prof Schoonwinkel also appealed to students and staff to not walk the streets alone in the evenings, during the night or the early morning hours; to not abuse alcohol and to make use of the Security Service's pedestrian escort service on campus. The emergency number is 021 808-2333 and the number for the University's Crisis Service:  082 557 0880.

"If we work together and take responsibility for ourselves and for each other, we can fight crime effectively," he said.

----------------

According to information available to the University Ms Oberholzer was on her way to write a test on campus on Monday evening when she was forced into a vehicle by two men close to the boom towards Ryneveld Street on the municipal parking area adjacent to the Eikestad Mall. The vehicle stopped at Plankenbrug, where she was forced from the vehicle and held captive by the two men. When she saw an ADT vehicle, she freed herself and ran in front of the security vehicle. The security office assisted her and she later reported the incident to the SAPS. 

​​​The Paul Sauer Building, which houses the Department of Forest and Wood Science at Stellenbosch University, celebrates its 50th birthday today.

The E-shaped building was inaugurated on 15 May 1964 by the then Minister of Forestry, Paul Sauer. It was erected for just R180 000 thanks to financial and building material donations from the industry.

The architect of the building was JB Collins. He was ahead of his time in making full use of sustainable building materials and techniques which are becoming popular today through "green" architecture. All the wood used in the building comes from renewable plantations in the Western Cape. The tables in die laboratories are made of laminated pine (Pinus radiata to be exact). Most of the interior walls in the building are made of sapele panels which facilitate changes to the layout of offices, and contribute more to energy saving than standard brick walls.

The building was the home of many firsts on the campus. The first computer network at the University was installed here, as well as the first electron microscope. It is currently the home of the only industrial scale X-ray computer tomograph (also known as a CT scanner) on campus, which is managed by the SU Central Analytical Facility.

Mr Anton Kunneke of the Department of Forest and Wood Science says a number of activities are planned to celebrate the 50th birthday of the building. More information will be released soon by the Department.

Training in forest and wood science started at Stellenbosch University in 1932. SU is still the only tertiary institution in South Africa which offers graduate course in wood products science, forestry and natural resource management. These courses lead to career options as forestry scientists, harvest managers, wood products scientists, resource managers and plantation managers. Currently the Department offers tuition to 70 undergraduate and 30 postgraduate students, including many from various African countries. The shortcourses being offered regularly bring alumni currently working in the industry back to Stellenbosch.

"Through our education programme we want to prepare students to sustainably manage tree-based resources and the processing thereof," says Prof. Thomas Seifert, chairperson of the Department of Forest and Wood Science. "The Department strives to be the preferred provider of world-class tuition, research and outreach in this field in Africa."

At undergraduate level, two BSc Forestry programmes are offered, which cover all aspects of natural resource management, post-harvest operations, economic management and the forestry value chain. The BSc Forestry (Forestry and Natural Resource Sciences) programme consists of core modules in Forest Science, and from the natural, ecological and management sciences. The BSc Forestry (Wood and Wood Products Science) programme combines aspects of wood processing, engineering and management sciences.

The postgraduate research programme focuses among others on aspects of precision forestry, land use management, biomass and biofuel production, and studies of the wood quality of different tree species.

For more information, visit http://www.sun.ac.za/english/faculty/agri/departments1/forest-and-wood-science.

Photo:

Students and staff of the Department of Forest and Wood Science celebrate the 50th birthday of the Paul Sauer Building. Photo: Anton Jordaan

​​The Department of Horticultural Science in collaboration with the Alumni Office will launch the Prof Daan Strydom Bursary Fund on 30 May.

The event is hosted by Prof Mohammad Karaan, Dean of the Faculty of AgriSciences.

Place: Kleine Zalze, R44, Stellenbosch

Time: 12:00 for 12:30

Dress: Semi-formal

RSVP: Before 23 May with Melissa Nel at 021 808 2112 or melissanel@sun.ac.za

University College in Oxford will be the academic home of one of Stellenbosch University's top computer science students for the next three years.

Jan Buys, who recently received the SU Medal for the best masters student in the Faculty of Science in 2013, reckons he hasn't been this happy and at home in years.

"It is a wonderful experience to be able to study in such an academically stimulating environment and to interact with people from all over the world," he writes in an e-mail from Oxford University in the United Kingdom.

Jan received bursaries from the Skye Foundation and the Clarendon Fund to pursue his doctoral degree at this world famous university for the next three years.

Jan says that while life for a postgraduate student at Oxford is pretty much the same as that at any other university – going to the department, working on your research, attending lectures and seminars – there are some important differences: "One of the most important differences are the different Colleges at the university. Each college forms an academic community with various activities. This enables interaction with students from various disciplines. I'm in University College."

Every Sunday evening students in University College can attend a formal three course dinner in its 17^th-century dining hall. The dress code is formal and students have to wear gowns according to their academic status.

According to Jan he quickly realised that one black suit is not going to do the trick!

There are also active societies for just about every possible interest. Jan is making use of this opportunity to pursue his love for music – he is a member of the University College chapel choir and plays clarinet in a brass band. At SU he also played in the brass band for six years and was a member of the Canticum Novum choir.

His research is in the field of machine learning (the science of getting computers to learn how to act from examples, rather than being explicitly programmed) and focuses on ways to model structure in language. The idea is to develop natural language processing systems based on a model that is able to automatically identify the grammatical functions of words and phrases (and not only word-by-word translations).

At present a machine learning system like Google Translate is based mainly on phrase-by-phrase translation. However, while the individual words may be translated correctly, it is not always grammatically correct. Jan is busy working on a model that will analyse the structure of sentences.

"The field of natural language processing is currently developing rapidly with several new models which, if they can be developed fully, will have a major impact on practical language processing systems."

This is not the first time that this gifted student receives recognition for academic excellence. In 2011 he received the Van der Walt Medal for the best student in Computer Science, and in 2012 he was recognised by SU as the best student in the Natural Sciences.

His parents are Dr Johan Buys, formerly a senior lecturer in Mathematics at Stellenbosch University, and Mrs Marietjie Buys, financial manager at SU's Centre for Pedagogy (SUNCEP). In his matric year this former pupil of Paul Roos Gymnasium was under the top 20 in the Western Cape.

​​This week, Stellenbosch University (SU) staff and students will get an opportunity to share their thoughts and feelings on 20 years of democracy at an interactive visual art exhibition - just one of the many highlights of SU's celebrations of 20 years of democracy and freedom taking place on the Stellenbosch campus from 12 to 16 May.

The celebrations, themed 20 years of democracy (20YD): the story continues, include among other things, an exhibition in the JS Gericke Library featuring unique items; exhibitions of curriculum projects from the Visual Arts Department and interactive art works designed by SU students Annika van der Westhuizen and Jana van Onselen.

​Breast cancer is the most diagnosed form of cancer among women and also responsible for the most cancer-related deaths among women.

However, in the near future Fynbos could help curb it, says Dr Koch Visser of the Department of Biochemistry at Stellenbosch University (SU). In a recent doctoral study at SU, he found that the Fynbos plant, Cyclopia, used to make honey bush tea, may help stop the development of breast cancer. 

Visser specifically looked at the effect of Cyclopia extracts on breast cancer cells to figure out the possible molecular mechanism behind this effect. 

He used tissue culture techniques to test the effect of extracts obtained from dried plant material. With tissue culture, commercially available cancer cells, grown in a laboratory and able to multiply indefinitely, are used for testing. According to Visser, tissue culture is particularly useful to figure out molecular mechanisms because it is easier to manipulate. 

He adds that it also serves as a form of control because researchers at other institutions use the same cells and results are therefore comparable. 

"We found that Cyclopia extracts prevent the estrogen-induced growth of breast cancer cells by targeting and inhibiting estrogen receptor subtypes that promote the growth of these cells," says Visser. 

Estrogen, the female hormone, performs its physiological function through these receptor subtypes. 

"The fact that Cyclopia extracts target the receptor subtypes sheds light on the possible mechanism by which the extracts regulate the growth of breast cancer cells," says Visser. 

"I'm particularly excited about the discovery that Cyclopia extracts are absorbed through the digestive tract, while remaining nontoxic even at high concentrations. Also, the extracts do not stimulate the growth of the uterus." 

Visser says this finding is important because several studies have shown that certain drugs used to treat breast cancer increase the risk of cancer of the uterus. 

"There's a possibility that this research could offer respite to women who may be diagnosed with breast cancer in future, especially considering the global need to better understand the development and progression of this disease in order to treat it effectively." 

Visser says Cyclopia, which is freely available and sold commercially as Honeybush, contains active compounds or "plant estrogens" that can mimic or counter the effect of our own hormones. 

He emphasises the importance of identifying these active compound (s) so that intake can be regulated and consumers can know they are using the right dosage of the active ingredients. 

"At this stage it is still too early to say with certainty what the final form of the medicine made from Cyclopia will be and how often it will have to be used." 

Visser says women aged 50 and older may benefit from research on Cyclopia because they have a greater chance of developing breast cancer. They are also more likely to use hormone replacement therapy because the natural production of estrogen decreases dramatically during menopause, he adds. 

"While hormone replacement therapy is usually prescribed for the treatment of symptoms associated with menopause, it can contribute to the development of breast cancer." 

Visser notes that Cyclopia extracts may be used as an alternative to traditional hormone replacement therapy.

Although the results of his study seem promising, Visser says that this type of research is still in its infancy. 

"We are confident that we are on the right track and that we can contribute to the pool of knowledge about how breast cancer develops." 

Visser says research at other institutions such as the Medical Research Council, Cape Peninsula University of Technology, North-West University, and the University of the Western Cape has shown that Cyclopia extracts may also help against skin, liver and oesophagus cancer.

• Dr Koch Visser is a postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Biochemistry at Stellenbosch University. ​

​​Alex Dyers a second-year Social Dynamics student shares his thoughts after a visit to Kayamandi.

We are a forgetful sort. Our lives tend towards the familiar; and in our day-to-day living it is easy to become complacent. We accept certain standards as true, not because we are unaware of the facts, but because it is difficult to dwell on the unpleasant or seriously consider things that do not have a direct influence on our own lives. 

I do not think it is selfishness, at least not in the truest sense of the word. It is not that we do not care, but rather that we become side-tracked. I may not be starving, but my problems are still my own and they matter to me.

Last year I took a short course Emerging Maties at the Frederik Van Zyl Slabbert Institute for Student Leadership Development, aimed at first-year students. It was a natural progression to take the Agents of Social Change course this year. This included a tour of Kayamandi and I believed this would be a highlight of the course experience. 

Although I have tutored English at Enkanini Township a short distance away, I have never walked the streets on which the students live. We are bussed to the school where we tutor and are bussed back without ever venturing further than the school grounds. I knew the tour would be an eye opening experience – a sharp contrast to my normal daily experiences.   

In Kayamandi I did not feel guilt or pity. I felt the pulse of a community. I saw pride as we were told the history of a settlement, originally meant to house black migrant male workers employed on the farms in the Stellenbosch area. This township has become so much more than it was meant to be originally. It is no longer simply a set of buildings housing a collection of tired workers, but a vibrant community with its own history and proud occupants.

"There are no avenues in Kayamandi. The streets are named after the first occupants." This statement really stuck with me. Children play on streets named after their great-grandfathers. The history runs deep. I experienced a sense of belonging that I do not fully understand.

Our guides pointed out that mostly all the residents know each other. Families can buy on tab at the shops, children go to the same schools as their parents, they play in the same soccer teams and are taught by the same teachers. Intergenerational rivalries flare up and flourish as new kin enter the fold.

From a distance Kayamandi may seem like a rundown community; a township rife with poverty, sickness and little in the way of hope. However, despite its many troubles, it should not be defined merely by its shortcomings. It is also a place where the values and importance of family is strong, where neighbours are not just strangers who happen to live near you and where stories are shared across generations.

It is easy to look down on people living in townships, to shake our heads and bemoan the conditions in which they live. It is easy to give up a weekend to help out in a soup kitchen, to donate unwanted clothes or give money to the building of a clinic.

It is a quick and easy remedy for a guilty conscience. However these are not faceless hands outstretched in need of guilty aid; these are people with lives, stories, plans, dreams and flaws just like the rest of us. Giving someone the tools to rebuild and helping them as they do so, is ultimately more rewarding than doing it for them. 

The old adage of teaching a man to fish is perhaps most appropriate here. Education is one of the most powerful and useful tools you can give to another person. This is why I have chosen to tutor English this year – to help in a small way so that the students may eventually help themselves.

We all have something to offer and time to spare, and I like to think we all care about the well-being of those less fortunate.

Kayamandi means sweet home, however walking past its numerous shacks also leaves a bitter taste. There are many problems to contend with: a lack of toilets, insufficient housing, low standards of living and a town hall that can only house 80 of its 55 000 people. While it is true that a helping hand is required, it might be appropriate to assess the reasoning behind your aid. Is it merely to relieve oneself of pent-up guilt, or to go through the checkbox of what it takes to be a good person? 

We so easily forget that privilege is not what makes us human. It is easy to view the less fortunate through a lens of pity. Walking through the streets of a township like Kayamandi, meeting the residents and experiencing the kinship helps to get rid of our flawed perceptions.

It is with open eyes that we see and remember. 

The age old art of making brandy is the subject of two doctoral studies that have just been awarded by Stellenbosch University. Dr Nina Bougas and Dr Leanie Louw will receive their doctoral degrees from the Department of Viticulture and Oenology on 24 April.

Dr Bougas, employed as a water laboratory manager at Pathcare, looked at factors influencing the style of brandy in her study. By law brandy must be matured in oak barrels for at least three years. This means that producers also have to wait three years before they know the style of their brandy.

"Due to the fact that brandy is the largest locally produced spirit in South Africa, it is crucial to investigate the factors that influence its production as better understanding and control of these processes leads to the production of a brandy that is more consistent in quality and style," believes Dr Bougas.

Local producers can produce three categories of brandy, and within those categories, different styles in order to cater for diverse consumer needs. "Producers therefor have divergent opinions as to what comprises a good base wine and distillate for their individual end-product style in mind," says Dr Bougas.

Her research now enables producers to determine the style of brandy prior to maturation (therefore having a "blue-print" of styles). This helps companies from a cost point of view in order to be able to drive the style of brandy in a certain direction.

"Also, from looking at the chemical composition of the base wine used for distilling one can already then deduce the outcome of the style of brandy," she explains.

The factors known to influence the quality of brandy are the grape cultivar, vinification techniques, distillation and the oak maturation process; however limited research has been done on the factors contributing to the style of brandies.

Understanding and identifying the factors that contribute to the style of brandy, will allow for better control and manipulation of the process to ultimately produce a spirit product with a desired style classification. In order to do so, one must distinguish as to what differentiates (chemical and sensory analyses) the two most divergent styles of brandy (in this study referred to as class one and class five three-year barrel matured brandy).

Dr Bougas analysed over 104 three-year old barrel matured samples using different techniques. The information obtained in her research could be used to design a prediction tool which can be used to deduce and ensure the outcome of a specific style of brandy.

Dr Leanie Louw, who works as Sensory Research Manager in Distell's Quality Management and Research Department, investigated rapid profiling techniques for brandy. She developed screening tools for high alcohol products that provides fast and cost-effective complementary methods to conventional sensory profiling.

Dr Louw believes these techniques can be used as alternatives to conventional methods by a brandy tasting panel without, or at least with, very little training. "These methods help to establish a more efficient link between trained sensory panels and consumer perceptions," she explains.

In South Africa, the largest volume share proportion of the spirit market traditionally belonged to the brandy category. However, the position of brandy as the top selling spirit product is being threatened by the growing popularity of imported whiskies.

"In order to regain and protect brandy's top position in the South African spirit beverage market, it is important to understand consumer's needs and expectations of spirit products," she explains. "In this sensory research can help ensure that consumers' taste expectancies are met."

The complexity and high alcohol content of brandy make its sensory evaluation very challenging, explains Dr Louw. For conventional profiling, several practices (such as sample dilution, forcing panellists to rest between samples with controlled time delays and reducing sample set sizes) have therefor been put in place to control the onset of fatigue during sensory evaluations.

Dr Louw's research supports the use of so-called projective mapping, also known as Napping®. This is a rapid sensory profiling method by which a holistic overview of the sensory differentiation between products can be gained, without the time and cost implications of conventional methods. Napping® requires panellists to place brandy samples on a sheet of paper, based on perceived sensory similarity between the samples being evaluated. Samples that are perceived as very similar are placed close together, while samples that are seemingly very different, are placed far apart.

More recent variations of the projective mapping task include a descriptive step (known as ultra-flash profiling) where panellists provide terms to describe each of the spirit samples. "It is very important that the sensory language used to describe brandy remains consistent," adds Dr Louw.

"The existence of a common flavour language or brandy 'lexicon' will ease the incorporation of new brandy panellists, and make it easier to relate results from independent studies," she believes.

Continuous solutions to industry specific problems, training of students who can add value to commercial agricultural activities, and the expansion of already excellent industry partnerships – these are the objectives envisaged by Dr Lynn Hoffman, new chairperson of the Department of Horticultural Sciences at Stellenbosch University (SU).

Dr Hoffman's research focuses on the cultivation and export of cut flowers, and especially fynbos species. She follows in the footsteps of Prof Karin Theron, who after ten years as departmental chair will now take on a stronger research role at the University. Prof Theron will do focused research into the use of mechanisation in the pre-harvest activities of the fruit industry, among others.

"We place emphasis on producing undergraduate and postgraduate students who have outstanding practical and theoretical knowledge to make a difference in the fruit and cut flower industries," Dr Hoffman says about the studies offered in the Department of Horticultural Sciences, currently the only one in the country with a strictly horticultural training programme. "Most of our approximately 40 postgraduate students investigate issues related to the traditional deciduous fruit industry, while a handful also looks at problems experienced with the longevity of cut flowers, or alternative crops like blueberries and pomegranates."

Dr Hoffman serves as treasurer of the Southern African Society for Horticultural Sciences (SASHS), and is treasurer and secretary of the International Protea Association (IPA). She was also, until recently, president of the South African Protea Producers and Exporters Association (SAPPEX), which has now been transformed into Cape Flora SA. In the field of research she focuses mainly on indigenous flora, including fynbos and disa species. She also investigates ways to extend the vase life of other cut flowers such as roses, orchids and tulips. She recently received two research grants from the Dutch "Productschap Tuinbouw" for further studies regarding the postharvest cold storage of protea species.

Dr Hoffman, who hails from the Overberg, has been working at SU since 1998, after teaching at the University of Limpopo and doing research for the Department of Agriculture at Roodeplaat near Pretoria. Prof Gerard Jacobs supervised her SU doctorate on the manipulation of the flowering period of Protea Carnival as an export product.

Dr Hoffman says that the Department of Horticultural Sciences has recently started a process of recurriculation to review the training offered to agriculture students. She has invited interested parties from the industry to offer input where appropriate, and to be part of the process. The possibility of internships for undergraduate students is among the matters being investigated.

Photo:
Dr Lynn Hoffman. Photo: Engela Duvenage

For Dr Melanie Nieuwoudt her doctoral studies on beer brewing are much more than just an academic matter. She will be putting the knowledge she has gained over the past four years into practice by opening a micro-brewery in the Cederberg on the Nieuwoudt family farm, Kromrivier.

Dr Nieuwoudt is one of 18 graduates of the Faculty of AgriSciences at Stellenbosch University who receives her doctorate on 24 April. Findings from her PhD studies in food science now make it possible for brewers to consistently, time after time, make a beer with a stable foam head as well as a longer shelf life.

"To ensure continuous quality and flavour is a challenge to brewers, because so much depends on the raw materials, and especially the barley malt which is used," she says. "The taste and quality of malt varies depending on where it was cultivated, the variety and even the harvest season."

Through her studies she identified five biochemical aspects which in combination can reliably predict the quality of the end product. For two of these she developed fast and easy biochemical testing methods herself. This makes it possible to test for the presence of specific flavour-related enzymes and anti-oxidants in barley malt – one of the most important ingredients of beer – and to group malts accordingly. Because brewers can thus predict the incidence and concentration of these enzymes and anti-oxidants in barley malt, they can limit production losses that might have been incurred due to substandard raw materials. Dr Nieuwoudt also found that a tiny protein, lipid transfer protein 1 (LTP1), helps with the development of beer foam as well with ensuring flavour stability.

The taste and shelf life of the end product depends on the amount of enzymes or anti-oxidants which occur in a supply of malt – qualities which brewers can now test quickly and in advance, thanks to Dr Nieuwoudt's new methods and methodology. The anti-oxidants in malt help to capture a specific taste. A certain enzyme called lipooxygenase-1 (LOX-1) is respondible for the development of a negative flavour component, and causes beer to acquire an unpleasant taste after a period of time.

"Beer's shelf life is usually about four months, but it can be less due to the presence of not enough anti-oxidants or too many LOX-1 enzymes," she explains.

Some of her findings will be published shortly in the international Food Chemistry journal. Her studies, which entails quite a bit of biochemistry, were completed under the guidance of Prof. Marina Rautenbach of the Department of Biochemistry and Prof. Marena Manley of the Department of Food Science.

Her results are already being applied by the multinational brewer SABMiller, one of the funders of the project. And now she is going to put her knowledge into practice to develop the Ceder Brew range of beers on her family farm.

"No, I am not one of the winemaking Nieuwoudts of the Cederberg; instead I'll soon be one of the brewing Nieuwoudts of the neighbouring farm," she responds quickly when asked about her future plans now that her research work is over. Her family has lived on the popular guest farm Kromrivier, close to the Stadsaal caves, for seven generations. Distant relatives on the neighbouring farm are responsible for Cederberg Wines.

Construction of the Ceder Brew brewery will start soon, according to Dr Nieuwoudt's specifications. The labels for the beer bottles have already been designed, and acknowledge the variety of indigenous fish species found in the Krom River. If everything goes according to plan, visitors to the Cederberg should be able to crack their first bottles of Kurper Ale, Yellowfish Lager, Sand Fish Weiss and Chubbyhead Stout by the end of the winter.

"I have given myself a year to launch the brewery, before I have to start looking for work more seriously," she sets out her future plans. Her sister, Tania, who is currently doing a master's degree in logistics at SU, will then take the enterprise further.

Photo caption:
Dr Melanie Nieuwoudt at the brewery of the Stellenbosch University Department of Process Engineering where she did part of her research work. Photo: Hanjo Odendaal 

Maties student Gerard Louw is combining his talent for maths and his love for computers to work on the next generation of digital communication security, namely elliptic curve cryptography (ECC).

Cryptography involves using techniques in mathematics, computer science and engineering to send and receive information in secret code, so that only the intended parties can read it. Currently ECC, based on an esoteric branch in mathematics called elliptic curves, is regarded in the cryptographic community as potentially the best alternative to ageing cryptosystems such as the ubiquitous RSA algorithm.

This former learner from DF Malan High School in Bellville has just received the Dean's Medal for the best honours student in the Faculty of Science at Stellenbosch University. The medal, cast in solid silver, is awarded annually to an honours student who scores the highest average percentage throughout both the BSc and BSc honours programmes. Gerard managed to consistently achieve an average of 90% and higher.

He ascribes his love for mathematics to his mother, Prof Nelmarie Louw. She is associate professor in the Department of Statistics and Actuarial Science at SU: "Since my early childhood my mother stimulated my interest in mathematics. And for as long as I can remember, I have been interested in computers. It was only at university that I realised there is a huge overlap between these two disciplines. Since then I am as happy as can be."

Gerard is currently working towards an MSc in Mathematics at the MIH Media Lab at SU, under the supervision of Prof Florian Breuer. His research entails investigating certain cryptographic attacks which might break the security of an ECC implementation.

Gerard hopes to follow a career in academia or software development. His dream for the next ten years is to develop something which other people will find useful.

His advice to other students and learners is, "As long as you are doing what you are passionate about, the rest follows automatically." But he does admit to have worked really hard to achieve those high marks.

More about SU's MIH Media Lab

The lab was founded in partnership with MIH, the internet division of Naspers, to promote research in new media technologies. It involves several academic departments at Stellenbosch University, namely Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Mathematical Sciences (including Mathematics, Applied Mathematics and Computer Science), Socio-Informatics and Business Management.

On the photo, Gerard Louw with his mother, Prof Nelmarie Louw, after receiving the silver medal from the Dean of the Faculty of Science, Prof Louise Warnich, on Thursday 15 May 2014. Photo: Wiida Fourie-Basson.​

Livestock genomics is all about the genes (and therefore the hereditary qualities) of specific livestock such as cattle, chicken and sheep that are farmed with in South Africa. Work done through the various partners of the Livestock Genomics Initiative is combining the already available phenotypical (or observable and measurable breeding characteristics) information about specific breeds with genetic information to obtain the genomic Estimated Breeding Value (gEBVs). With an gEBV for each breed, farmers and producers can more accurately and efficiently rank their livestock based on their genetic merit, and therefore their suitability to breed with.

Prof. Kennedy Dzama, chair of the Department of Animal Sciences, is one of the Initiative's task team members, along with researchers from the University of Pretoria, the Agricultural Research Council, , breeding organisations like Breedplan, leading breed societies and SA Studbook.

The Livestock Genomics Task Team has helped to draft the South Africa's Technology Innovation Agency's (TIA) proposed platform for animal breeding and reproduction technology (ABRTP). It was discussed with stakeholders in Pretoria recently during a workshop for academics, researchers, government officials and members of the game, beef, dairy and sheep industries gathered. Through the ABRTP, government and industry will drive the funding, setting up and management of comprehensive national gene banks to enhance local breeding methods and standards in livestock farming.

The animal genetics unit of the SU Department of Animal Sciences is a leader in the field of animal genomics. "Existing collaborations with the Western Cape Department of Agriculture and the Agricultural Research Council makes us a natural collaborator in this whole initiative, and we are excited about the prospects," says Prof. Dzama.

"Research done at SU on the genetic characterisation of SA livestock breeds such as Nguni cattle, major sheep breeds like the Dorper, SA Merino and Dohne Merino sheep, indigenous chicken and pig breeds use both molecular techniques and quantitative approaches," he adds. "This will hopefully provide the backbone on which the reference populations for genomic selection and future breeding efforts will be built, so that South Africa can join other top livestock producing nations in the world of genomic selection."

For more information on the Livestock Genomics Initiative, visit www.livestockgenomics.co.za .

The popular Garagiste winemaking shortcourse of Stellenbosch University (SU) is to get a Big Brother version. An advanced shortcourse is being planned for 15 and 16 August 2014, and promises to provide existing small-scale winemakers with in-depth knowledge of a range of related topics.

As with the entry-level course, this one will also be presented by Prof. Wessel du Toit of the SU Department of Viticulture and Oenology.

He has been the "father" of many a garagist since the first such course was presented in 2005. It has since lured up to fifty aspiring winemakers-in-the-making at a time twice annually to Stellenbosch. Many a garage has since been converted into a mini wine cellar. Amongst Prof. du Toit's students have been the owners of the first wine range to be bottled in KwaZulu-Natal, Swedes, British, Zimbabweans and even an Olympic medal winner.

Prof. du Toit came up with the idea for this practical course when a businesswoman from Johannesburg called him for advice on how to make her own wine. She was not willing to leave her day job to follow the Department's three year long course.

Since then he has been teaching course attendees about the fundamentals of the winemaking process - from the harvesting of ripe grapes, the addition of yeast to aid the aging process, to the bottling of the end product. These activities take place, amongst others, in the experimental cellar of the Department of Viticulture and Oenology. Prof. du Toit is assisted in this by his colleague and viticulturist, Dr Albert Strever.

The entrance level shortcourse, which Prof. du Toit believes is still something quite unique, will again be presented from 26 to 28 September.

It is however the planning of the advanced version, planned for June, that is now keeping Prof. du Toit busy. He believes that it is time to add a more in-depth course for those who wish not only to improve their skills, but who also want to learn the finer details of winemaking. A focus will be placed on the mistakes that can be made during the wine-making process, the ripening of grapes, the use of wood and how to make different styles of wine.

"The contents will definitely be a bit more academic, and will be pitched at about second year level," adds this lecturer in wine chemistry. "It is definitely for those who want to take their knowledge about small-scale winemaking to the next level."

Those interested can contact Prof. Wessel du Toit at wdutoit@sun.ac.ca or 021 808 2022.

Medical students at the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences are part of a group of interns and community service doctors petitioning the minister of health to reduce the working hours of junior doctors that can currently stretch up to 36 hours.

"South African interns and community service doctors are working continuous shifts, commonly of 28 hours but sometimes up to 36 hours, with no or little rest. The result is an increase in medical errors which can harm or lead to the death of patients," reads the mission statement of the Safe Working Hours Campaign.

Research shows that after being awake for 24 hours, a person's cognitive psychomotor performance decreases to a level similar to that of someone with a blood alcohol level double that of the South African legal driving limit.

The group argues that exhausted doctors are a danger to themselves and their patients. "Stringent procedures are in place to limit the working hours in professions such as aviation and commercial drivers to ensure the safety of travellers. The same safety standards should be applied to the medical profession," reads the statement.

The campaign is calling for Minister Aaron Motsoaledi to limit the maximum duration of a shift for a junior doctor to 24 hours and to stop the practice where interns work overtime hours not stipulated in their contracts.

The Safe Working Hours campaigners elaborated: "We understand that South Africa is facing a critical staff shortage, but we are questioning the way in which health systems deal with this. The situation of interns flip-flops between that of trainee and vulnerable employee, as is convenient for hospital administrations and the department of health. 

 "Stellenbosch University Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences prides itself on training graduates that are scholars and health advocates – and this campaign is the logical outflow of this output.  The evidence is unambiguous – working more than 24 hours continuously leads to poor performance and increased medical error.  Some institutions have adapted call rosters which use shorter, more frequent shifts in order to maximise the value of man-hours and improve patient safety.  We accept the fact that there are too few doctors, but we contend that the current solution is maladaptive and in need of serious scrutiny.

"The Safe Working Hours Campaign is a call to action to review the concept of continuous shift work on which so much of our medical infrastructure is based, and to inform the public that this practise conflicts with the best available evidence and violates patients' rights to a safe environment."

To view the petition online visit: http://tiny.cc/safeworkinghours

Follow the petition on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SafeWorkingHours

Contact the campaigners directly at safejuniordoctors@gmail.com

​​Are you still wondering whether the big bang really took place? And have you ever wondered what will happen with yummy marshmallows in a vacuum? These are all things that physics students not only think about, but make plans to figure out!

During this year's Physics information evening even Prof Hendrik Geyer, well-known physicist and director of the Stellenbosch Institute for Advanced Studies (STIAS), stood amazed at what postgraduate students in physics can do with marshmallows – all part of the process of understanding the secrets of the universe of course.

Prof Geyer delivered the guest lecture 'Was there really a big bang?' during the Department of Physics information evening on Monday 19 May 2014. This was followed by an introduction to the department and some fun demonstrations by postgraduate students.

Was there really a big bang?

To wonder about whether something like the big bang really took place, is like wondering whether the Earth is round, says Prof Geyer.

"The big bang theory is a well-founded theory based on detailed observations and can be confirmed by means of controllable predictions. To wonder whether there ever was a big bang, is equivalent to wondering whether the Earth is round, or whether the Earth rotates around the sun – in both cases the evidence is overwhelming."

The story of the big bang begins with the birth of matter, time and space over 13.7 billion years ago. The established big bang theory cannot tell us anything about what happened before the big bang, simply because its mathematical framework is not adequate to address this question. But at the same time physicists are considering the possibility of 'cyclic big bangs', especially within the context of string theory.

Prof Geyer says there are five "exhibits" or elements which on their own and together support the big bang theory, starting with Olbers' paradox: "The fact that the night sky is not as bright as day, implies that the universe cannot be both infinitely large and infinitely old. In other words, the universe had a starting point and is still expanding because of the fact that space-time 'stretches' out. Edwin Hubble observed this fact in the 1920s already when he investigated the light of Milky Way galaxies moving away from us."

If the universe was static and infinitely old, then the night sky would have been glowing with all the light of all the stars.

Another exhibit is the fact that we are observing the after-glow of the big bang in the form of cosmic background radiation, as observed by Penzias en Wilson in 1964. The big bang theory has also been able to pinpoint the relative number of photons in the universe and these values are supported by means of independent observations. The theory also explains in detail how observable structures like planets, starts and Milky Way galaxies form and develop under the influence of gravity.

Each of these elements is intimately bound together. In the words of the famous American physicist Richard Feynman, "Nature uses only the longest threads to weave her patterns, so each small piece of her fabric reveals the organisation of the entire tapestry". This means that even though one or more of these elements will undergo refinement or changes as new data become available, the bigger picture – that of the big bang – remains unchanged.

Typical of science, though, there is always the possibility that there might be other explanations: "So even though we now accept the big bang theory as the most plausible explanation of how our observable universe came into being, it doesn't stop us from looking around," he explains.

Physicists have, for example, been talking about multiverses for some time now, and our universe will be but one of them (as described here on campus by Prof Leonard Susskind). The idea of a cyclic universe (and therefore several big bangs) is supported by several prominent physicists, including Sir Roger Penrose, the well-known British physicist and philosopher of science who has also spoken about this idea here in Stellenbosch.

But according to Prof Geyer there are not yet sufficient measurable data for these ideas to afford them the same status as the big bang theory. "There are, however, new schools of thought, like the idea that the laws of physics or science itself can change with time," he adds.

More about physics and marshmallows

After the lecture the audience made the acquaintance of Prof Kristian Müller-Nedebock (who uses theoretical physics to measure and describe the properties of soft and squishy biological organisms, like the mitochondria in your blood cells); Prof Heinrich Schwoerer (whose group uses ultrafast laser spectroscopy to research the movement of atoms, which are a million times smaller than what the human eye can observe); and Prof Shaun Wyngaardt (who spies on the atomic nucleus with all kinds of sophisticated equipment at the iThemba LABS).

For the rest of the evening the postgraduate students, under the direction of Rikus Groenewaldt, entertained the audience with demonstrations of how light energy can excite molecules so that we can observe it with dark light (Andrea Rohwer, MSc student in laser physics); the noise made by a Geiger monitor when it picks up radiation (Hein Fourie, MSc student in health and radiation physics), and what happens to marshmallows in a vacuum (Bart Smit, MSc student in experimental laser physics).

Dr Christine Steenkamp's children, Nicolaas (5) and Marguerite (7), were brave enough to demonstrate afterwards that vacuumed marshmallows are still edible! Dr Steenkamp lectures in laser physics in the physics department.

The National Institute for Theoretical Physics (NITheP) hosted its 25th event this year. The topic of NITheP's flagship programme, the Chris Engelbrecht Summer School, was 'Nonlinear phenomena in Field Theory'.

Nonlinear problems are of interest to physicists, mathematicians and engineers and many other scientists, in that most systems are inherently nonlinear. 

Nonlinear systems cannot be broken up into simpler components and are therefore difficult to study. The School focused on methods that overcome these difficulties and presented various applications in different areas of physics. An everyday example of a nonlinear phenomenon that occurs in the research area of hydrodynamics is the weather. Simple changes in one part of the system produce complex effects throughout. This nonlinearity is one of the reasons why accurate long-term forecasts are impossible with current technology. On a more fundamental level, the formation of the hydrogen nucleus, the most essential building block of matter, could not be understood if the standard model of particle physics did not have nonlinear features. Besides topics from hydrodynamics and particle physics, nonlinear aspects of general relativity (cosmology), electrodynamics and condensed matter were taught at this year's School.

Prof Herbert Weigel (Chair of the School) commented that the School was particularly happy to welcome eight renowned lecturers from around the world that provided students with deep insights into the current frontiers of theoretical physics.

Prof Weigel, researcher and lecturer in the Physics Department at Stellenbosch University (SU), proposed and chaired the 2014 Chris Engelbrecht Summer School. Locally, the School was organised by Prof Weigel (SU), Prof Frederik Scholtz (NITheP) and Prof Robert de Mello Koch (University of the Witwatersrand). 

Twenty top students from various South African universities were selected to attend the School. In the past, a strong contingent of SU students attended the event annually and this year was no exception, with seven Maties attending. The South African series of Summer Schools in Theoretical Physics were conceived in the 1970s and brought to fruition by the late Stellenbosch University physicist Prof Chris Engelbrecht, after whom the series had been named.

Prof Scholtz, Director of NITheP, emphasised the importance of the School as an excellent training platform for young talent in this very specialised and important basic science, fundamentally positioned in assisting South Africa to be an international role player in the field.

NITheP is funded by the National Research Foundation (NRF) and is hosted by Stellenbosch University, the University of KwaZulu-Natal and the University of the Witwatersrand respectively. As one of the twelve NRF Centres of Excellence, NITheP aims to support scientific innovation, transformation and socioeconomic development in South Africa.

NITheP hosts the Theoretical Physics public talks biannually, while the Institute also collaborates with iThemba LABS in hosting monthly public talks on various scientifically based topics. If you would like to be notified of such events, please contact René Kotzé at renekotze@sun.ac.za.

​​The latest available information on the safety situation in Stellenbosch, such as hiring in additional capacity, putting up notice boards on strategic places and that the Crime Prevention Task Group (consisting of representatives of the SAPS, the Municipality, the University and the security companies in the town) started drafting an operational plan against crime at its first meeting on Friday, was communicated to students via e-mail on Sunday.

Information on incidents over the week was also given through to students.

Students and staff are requested to have the emergency numbers (021 808 2333 for the central campus and 021 938 9507 for Tygerberg Campus) at hand at all times. General information on the safety situation is available at www.sun.ac.za/safety.

• Read the e-mail to students here.
  

Recently, several attacks on students in Matieland have upset and disturbed parents. In this opinion article that appeared in Die Burger on Thursday 21 May Prof Russel Botman, SU Rector and Vice-Chancellor, takes a look at the crime problem on campus and explains how the University is addressing it.

Stellenbosch is in no way spared from the wave of crime engulfing our country. This we realised once again and with great shock following several attacks on our students over the past couple of days, which also received prominent media coverage. In my view, even a single incident of this nature is intolerable and one too many. We will not resignedly accept the situation.

As one of our student leaders said in talks held this week, this is an abnormal state of affairs, which requires abnormal steps. I do not believe his intention was for us to 'fight fire with fire', but his words do illustrate the anxiety and general feeling of insecurity experienced – partly due to the recent incidents in the immediate vicinity of our campus, and probably also as a result of the impact of crime in the broader context of our town and surrounds. Given SU's reality, not functioning as a fenced-off entity but being virtually intertwined with the town, the crime problem becomes even more acute and poses certain pertinent safety challenges for the University to address.

With this in mind, SU management has invested significant amounts over the past number of years in securing our residences by installing card validators, as well as in putting up surveillance cameras at all our administrative and academic buildings. In addition, more than 200 high-resolution security cameras, costing millions of rands, have been deployed across our central campus in an effort to improve campus safety and combat crime. This security camera network enables all main routes and key facilities of the University to be monitored 24 hours per day from a state-of-the-art control room. Because of this, many potential crimes were already prevented and several offenders caught red-handed and arrested by our Campus Security officials.

Based on the proven success of this initiative, we were able to conclude an agreement with Stellenbosch Municipality two weeks ago, agreeing to facilitate closer collaboration between our separate security camera projects and to exchange information in an attempt to combat crime. Months ago already, we also expanded our patrol services with guards on trail and mountain bikes, and deployed additional patrol vehicles to achieve a greater visual presence on campus.

However, preventing and combating crime as a social phenomenon requires a broader approach. For this reason, SU is closely involved in strategic partnerships with Stellenbosch Municipality and the South African Police Service. As a product of the high-level collaboration between these partners in combating crime, the Monitoring and Advisory Committee on Crime (MACC) was established early last year (representing all role players) in order to monitor and analyse crime patterns and trends, and to combat crime based on the actual state of affairs in greater Stellenbosch. This is in addition to our involvement in the Community Policing Forum.

Based on our analysis of crime trends over the past while, we spend much of our time and resources enhancing our visual policing of the central campus. For the very reason of safeguarding our students during the June exams, we have implemented the following steps with immediate effect:

• A mobile security office is now being deployed in the evenings on the corner of Ryneveld and Victoria streets. This office will be staffed throughout the night.
• Patrols on the route intersecting Victoria and Bosman streets have been stepped up with additional vehicles.
• Officers on motorcycles will patrol the main routes in and around campus, covering a distance of 7,7 km. 
• The number of guards on the "Green Route" has been doubled. From this weekend, all guards will wear uniform neon-green vests for easy identification and visibility.
• We are expanding the existing after-hours shuttle service to safely transport our students on campus from their places of residence, designated parking areas and study areas in the evenings. The logistics in this regard will be communicated to the student community in due course.​

In addition, and with a view to the longer term, we are exploring sensible ways in which our academic timetable during the day may be changed to obviate the need for evening tests and exams. Greater utilisation of technology is also being investigated in order to make study and reference material conveniently available, particularly to students who commute from surrounding areas every day and often have no choice but to remain on campus until late to study.

In short, as far as resource constraints permit, SU will continue to do everything in its power to turn all its campuses into even safer places.

Fortunately, in addition to all the measures already taken, we enjoy the major benefit of exceptional camaraderie among our students, caring for one another and keeping a watchful eye so as not to become soft targets of crime.

I call on our students and staff to assist in enhancing the general safety on our campuses by taking simple steps: Stay together when going out at night; go for jogs with friends; avoid dark or poorly lit areas at night, also when parking; lock rooms or offices, even if you are only popping down the passage; report anything and anyone suspect to our security officers or the control room, and always have the emergency numbers (021 808 2333 for the central campus and 021 938 9507 for Tygerberg campus) at hand.

If the thousands of pairs of eyes on our various campuses all remain vigilant and on the lookout for potential crime, and report incidents in time, we can fight crime as a team. 

Stellenbosch University will not merely accept the escalating crime in Stellenbosch. Within the constraints of available resources it will do everything possible to make its campuses a safer environment.

Prof Russel Botman, Rector and Vice-Chancellor, made this commitment in an e-mail message to staff and students on Tuesday 20 May 2014.

He also indicated what Stellenbosch University has been doing for quite some time to improve security at a cost of millions of rands, and which additional measures are being implemented now. Prof Botman also made an appeal for  cooperation to combat crime.

Click here to read the e-mail to staff and students.