​High-ranking staff members of the media giant Naspers, members of the management team of Stellenbosch University (SU) and a number of other dignitaries gathered in Stellenbosch on Thursday (18 December) to celebrate the 100th anniversary of this media company.

Thursday's event took place at Heemstede house (next to the SU student residence with the same name) where the inaugural meeting of the 'De Nationale Pers, Beperkt' was held in 1914. On Friday 18 December 1914 at 15:00, 16 men met at Heemstede, home of the manager of the Stellenbosch District Bank Mr Hendrik Bergh with the purpose of, amongst other things, “een Hollands nieuwsblad te stichten”. The establishment of the company was enabled by a donation of 5 000 pounds from philanthropist Jannie Marais, in today's terms about R1,9 million.

According to Prof Lizette Rabe, Media Historian and Professor of Journalism at SU, the first meeting set the ball rolling to register 'De Nationale Pers, Beperkt' on 12 May 1915. On 26 July 1915, its first paper, De Burger, was published.  In 1921 the company re-registered itself as Nasionale Pers, Beperk, and in 1998 the group shortened its name to Naspers.

Prof Rabe said that in 1916, without money in the bank, Naspers founded its first magazine, De Huisgenoot. In 1917, it took over Het Volksblad in Bloemfontein, started De Burger-Leeskring in 1918 in an effort to generate money to publish books and in 1919 founded De Landbouw-weekblad. In 1965 Fairlady and the Sunday paper Die Beeld followed and the daily Beeld in 1974. In 1984, Naspers bought City Press, Drum and True Love and in 1985, M-Net was established.

"Today we look back on 100 years and we're deeply grateful that here, in Stellenbosch, a decision was made that is embodied by the image of a sturdy oak," Mr Ton Vosloo, outgoing chairperson of Naspers, said at Thursday's celebration lunch.

"Naspers, which operates in many countries, has a gene that allows it to continue the spirit of innovation." He said the successors of 1914 should move forward with the same passion, insight and realism in order to be prosperous in uncertain times. 

"As outgoing chairperson after 23 years, I would like to pay tribute to everyone who helped built a jewel of a company that has been a true asset to its founders, employees and supporters across generations," he concluded.

Mr Bob van Dijk, CEO of Naspers, said even the most visionary man of the 16 men who founded Naspers could not have foreseen what Naspers would become. “The company has a rich history and there are more opportunities ahead.”

​Dr Gerald Maarman (30) dreams of doing pioneering research in the medical field and developing cures for diseases.

But when he joined the SciMathUS programme in 2003 he couldn't foresee that he would become this programme's first doctoral graduate.

​The Visual Arts Department recently hosted an international conference focusing on the relevance of critical citizenship education on the African continent. The conference, which was held from 25 to 26 November, drew scholars and postgraduate students from five African countries – Botswana, Malawi, Nigeria, Swaziland and South Africa – as well as Canada.

Experts from the education, theology, visual arts and general linguistics fields were in attendance and papers were also presented by Masters and PhD students.

"Critical citizenship is an existing concept related to critical thinking that leads to individual transformation and the development of responsible and accommodating individuals in multi­cultural societies," explains Dr Elmarie Costandius from the Visual Arts Department and the organiser of the conference. 

"Like most existing social and philosophical theories, critical citizenship or critical citizenship curricula concepts originated in the USA and in Europe. In South Africa, it has become an essential issue following the end of the apartheid regime in 1994, especially with the obliteration of the notion of white supremacy as a national policy and the entrenchment of a multicultural matrix in which the notion of skin colour or race accentuation no longer exists. No doubt, there are similar issues of settler and original owner of land issues, coupled with ethnic rivalry, corruption, culture of impunity, and religious intolerance leading to unending wars, bitterness, and civil strife in Africa. Such debilitations often result in a vicious circle of under­development and other untoward situations in Africa. Solutions to the problem based on the examination of the causes and consequences of colonial and postcolonial periods seem not to have yielded results."

The conference, says Costandius, therefore sought an alternative solution to these problems through an educational curriculum.

"An educational curriculum can be used as a device to shape development, if based on the promotion of a common set of values.

"Critical citizenship is about having a shared understanding of what democracy is, what social justice is, what tolerance is and to encourage these qualities in students through the curriculum you teach."

Some of the topics the papers at the conference focused on were Higher Education and Critical Consciousness: Towards a Citizen of the World; Engaging Higher Education Curricula – a Case of the Critical Citizenship Module in Arts Communication Education; and The African Experience and Global Art History: Towards a Curriculum for Critical Citizenship Education in Africa.

Other interesting papers were presented by Prof Godwin Apker, says Costandius, who presented a comparison on what it means to be a citizen in Nigeria today by comparing it to South African notions of citizenship while Prof Johannes Seroto of Unisa looked at the school curriculum by examining the history books used in schools post-1994 and how to create critical citizenship through the information included in these books.

As many African scholars still use the Western notion of critical citizenship in their various fields of study, the conference also investigated how scholars can look at critical citizenship from an African perspective.

"Earlier this year, while in conversation with my colleague Prof Freeborn Odiboh of the Department of Fine and Applied Arts at the University of Benin in Nigeria, I realised that my interpretation of critical citizenship in my own research was based on a Western notion of the concept. At the time, we were involved in case study research at the Visual Arts Department focused on students' perceptions and experiences of critical citizenship. We applied the same research at Odiboh's department," explains Costandius.

"Data was collected through group interviews and revealed that values underlying critical citizenship, a concept originating in the Western world, are values that have long existed as part of the students' indigenous knowledge bases.

"When Odiboh asked his students at the university what they understand of critical citizenship, they said that they associate more with concepts like Omoluabi (a concept similar to Ubuntu that comes from the Yoruba in South Western Nigeria), because that for them relates critical citizenship."  

Postgraduate students also benefitted greatly from the conference, says Costandius.

"For the students it was amazing to hear academics talking about different perspectives on critical citizenship. Some of the academics criticised the Western concept of critical citizenship and said that instead of bringing in a new concept, it may make more sense to focus on responsible citizenship and social justice, while others spoke about the link between critical citizenship and social justice in the education curriculum."

While teaching critical citizenship in a classroom context recently, Costandius says she was once again reminded that if "you can't even realise social justice in a class setup, then it is quite difficult to talk about producing tolerant and just citizens" through the education system.

"I recently did a project on forced removals and one of the problems with the project was that we had 27 white students and one so-called coloured student participating. It is impossible to give that one student of colour a democratic space to talk in in such a setup. So what I'm saying is if that kind of situation is not solved in a classroom setup then it is not possible to solve those kinds of problems in society either."

Challenges aside, Costandius says the conference was a huge success and provided many opportunities for future collaboration.

"This conference was a wonderful opportunity to discuss different perspectives on the subject with colleagues from the rest of Africa. We also made some good contacts and are looking at establishing a research group to continue with research on critical citizenship and possibly host another conference in future."

​​The Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences recently signed a cooperation agreement, primarily aimed at the PhD programme in Translation (translation, interpreting, editing), with the Faculty of Arts of the Catholic University of Leuven (KU Leuven) on the latter's Antwerp campus in Belgium. This agreement not only provides for exchange opportunities, but also the future conferment of a joint PhD degree by Stellenbosch University (SU) and KU Leuven.

The agreement was signed on 13 November by representatives of both universities, as well as Prof Luc van Doorslaer, the director of CETRA (the Centre for Translation Studies) at Leuven.

"For some time now, our faculty, and particularly our department, has been collaborating at an individual level with the former Lessius Hogeschool in Antwerp, which now forms part of KU Leuven. Prof Luc van Doorslaer, for instance, has been a research fellow in our department since 2013. Following the signing of this agreement, Van Doorslaer will specifically assist in supervising PhD candidates in Translation in our department," explains Prof Ilse Feinauer, Vice-Dean: Languages and the coordinator of programmes in Translation in the Department of Afrikaans and Dutch.

The agreement, Feinauer says, entails researcher exchange (particularly doctoral and postdoctoral students, but academics also), research initiatives and projects, as well as future joint PhDs.

"This will enable us to offer our PhD and postdoctoral candidates joint PhD supervision in translation, interpreting and editing," she adds.

Feinauer says the groundwork for the agreement was laid by Prof Rufus Gouws, who spent part of his research leave at KU Leuven in 2014. Here, Gouws liaised with the dean of arts on Antwerp campus, Prof Frieda Steurs, and held further talks to facilitate the agreement.

"What further enabled the agreement was the signing of a preferred partner agreement between Leuven and SU in May 2014. That agreement has certainly helped facilitate the signing of this accord between our two faculties."

According to Feinauer, CETRA hosts an annual summer school in translation studies, which SU's PhD students would now also be able to access more easily, while Leuven students would be able to visit Stellenbosch to conduct their research here.

"For Leuven, this agreement not only presents an opportunity for us to learn from them, but also for them to learn from us, particularly about translation and interpreting in Africa and South Africa, but more specifically about multilingualism. They are also unfamiliar with our concept of educational interpreting, and one of our PhD students will hopefully be the first to conduct research on this topic as part of the joint degree programme."

"We have a strong postgraduate programme in Translation, and the fact that they have chosen to enter into an agreement with us at that level confirms that Leuven understands the significance of the research conducted here, which I believe is a feather in our cap," says Feinauer.

Photo 1: Johan Hatting and Luk Draye. (Photo supplied.)

Photo 2: The signing of the agreement between the Faculties of Arts of Stellenbosch University and KU Leuven. Pictured from the left are Profs Ilse Feinauer, Vice-Dean: Languages in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences and coordinator of programmes in Translation in the Department of Afrikaans and Dutch, SU; Johan Hattingh, Dean: Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences; Rufus Gouws, coordinator of Lexicography programmes in the Department of Afrikaans and Dutch, SU; Bart van den Bossche, Vice-Dean: Internationalisation, KU Leuven; Frieda Steurs, Dean: Arts of Antwerp campus, KU Leuven; Luk Draye, Dean: Arts, KU Leuven; Luc van Doorslaer, Vice-Dean: Research of Antwerp campus and CETRA director, KU Leuven. (Photo supplied.)

​​​Stellenbosch University congratulates all matriculants who successfully completed their final exams and looks forward to welcoming the students who were admitted to SU at its various campuses on 22 January.

Find the welcoming booklet here​. The official welcoming of first-year students and their parents will take place in the Danie Craven stadium at Coetzenburg at 18:00 on 22 January.

Stellenbosch University received more than 15 000 applications in 2014 for the 2015 intake and has provisionally accepted more undergraduate first-year students than there are study places in the various faculties and study programmes (there is space for approximately 5 000 first-years). The reason why more students were admitted than there are study places lies in the fact that only a certain percentage of admitted candidates eventually present themselves for registration as students, says Mr Neels Fourie, Deputy Registrar at SU.

SU can't accept any new applications for 2015. The closing dates for programmes at SU vary from end of May (Medicine and Health Sciences) to 30 June in the previous year for all other programmes. Late applications were still accepted for certain programmes​ until 30 September, depending on the number of available study places, the number of students who had already been admitted and the estimated precentage of students who will present themselves for registration (based on past trends).

The degree programme for which SU received the most applications is MB, ChB (medicine). More than 3000 applications were received for 290 study places.

Students who can't register for the degree programme of their choice - either because they didn't receive a bachelor's pass or didn't do well enough in Mathematics or Physical Science - and who would like to improve their marks with the aim of re-applying for 2016, can apply for the SciMathUS bridging year at SU. Applications close 23 January.​ Apply here.

Another option is the Gap-year programme in Entrepreneurship and Management offered by USB Executive Development (USB-ED), the public executive development and training company of the University of Stellenbosch Business School (USB)​. Click here ​for more information.

Registration 

​Students (including first-years who passed the NSC or IEB exams) are encouraged to use the self-registration (e-registration) system. It will be available from 14-19 January (27 January for first-years). Students can use any computer with internet access (go to www.mymaties.com). First-year students should use the user name (student number) and password that were sent to the via the post.

Students who don't have access to a computer can register at a special computer area in the Langenhoven Student Centre (Neelsie) on Stellenbosch campus. The area will be available from 19-29 January (27 January for first-years) daily between 08:00 and 16:00 (excluding the weekend). Students who can't register electronically can follow the normal registration process on campus. Tygerberg: 23 January in GERGA (computer area in the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences); first-years on Stellenbosch campus: 26-27 January; seniors on Stellenbosch campus: 27-29 January. Physical registration will take place in NARGA (computer area for students in the Faculty of Science) at Administration Building A.

​All 93 students who completed the SciMathUS bridging programme at Stellenbosch University (SU) in 2014 and wrote the recent NSC exams in Mathematics and Physical Sciences, did very well.

SciMathUS (Science and Mathematics at Stellenbosch University​)​ is one of SU's access broadening programmes. The programme offers Grade 12 learners from educationally disadvantaged schools the opportunity to improve their marks in order to meet university admission requirements.​

The class of 2014 earned 11 A symbols in Mathematics and 6 in Physical Sciences. The subject average is 66% for Mathematics and 65% for Physical Sciences.

A total of 63 of the 93 students passed Mathematics with more than 60% – the minimum requirement for most of the degree programmes at SU. 51 out of 71 students did the same in Physical Sciences (22 students took Accounting rather than Physical Sciences).

The group's average increased with 15 percentage points in each of the subjects. The biggest individual improvement in Mathematics is 39 percentage points while the biggest improvement in Physical Science is 38 percentage points.

The top achiever in Mathematics achieved 87% while the top achiever in Physical Sciences got 95%.

According to Elza Lourens and Cerenus Pheiffer, the secret lies in hard work and the fact that students take responsibility for their learning process. They receive instruction in not only core subjects but also in language, computer and thinking skills. The importance of time management is also emphasised.

SciMathUS students have class every day from 08:00 til 16:30.

Most of the 2014 SciMathUS students will study at SU in 2015.

Applications for SciMathUS 2015 are open and 2014 matrics who don't meet the admission requirements for tertiary study can apply now.

Applicants must have already passed Grade 12 (with 45% in Mathematics and Physical Science). Visit our website ​or Facebook page​ for more information.

Applications close 23 January 2015. Apply online at https://www1.sun.ac.za/scimathus/application/login.php

Other contact details: 021 808 2301 or 021 808 3032.

​​​​​Every year in January, the Client Service Centre at Stellenbosch University is inundated with calls from anxious parents and students. Here are the answers to some of the Frequently Asked Questions​.​

Admission

Stellenbosch University has limited places for first-years, and as such, the enrolment for 2015 (along with waiting lists, to take into consideration cancellations) was already concluded in the 3rd quarter of 2014. Therefore it is important to note, that no late applications will be considered, as there is no place for any further students.

Applications for Bursaries/Loans and Residences have also already been concluded in the 3rd quarter of 2014.

If you applied for and have been accepted for a degree in one faculty, you will not be allowed to register for a degree in another faculty, all places are full.

Final Admission Status 2015

Please logon to www.mymaties.com on 9 January to see your final admission status.

Registration

E-registration opens for all first-years and seniors on 14 January 2015. Visit www.mymaties.com.

Only students who followed the IEB and NSC Matric will be allowed to e-register.

Registration dates and information are available here​. 

Computers with internet access (www.mymaties.com) may be used. Students who do not have access to a computer may make use of the computer-user area that will be made available on the Stellenbosch Campus especially for this purpose.

Username and password: Use the username and password that have been communicated to you.

Date: 19 to 27 January daily from 08:00 to 16:00 (excluding 24, 25 January)​.

All students registering for their postgraduate degree for the first time must register in person, it cannot be done electronically. 

If you need to add extra modules, or you are unsure on what to do on the e-registration, you should register for what you can and then come to NARGA in Admin A on the morning of Friday 30 January to make corrections.

Students who opted for self-registration must activate their student cards during the allotted time slots as indicated on the normal registration programme.​

Residences

All first-years moving into residence, must do so on Thursday 22 January between 08:00 and 12:00 unless an earlier date/time has been communicated to them by their residence. All seniors in undergraduate residences, must clarify with the Prim and Head of Residence as to when they are allowed to return.

All first-years should receive a personal letter/welcoming pack in December/January from their residence, telling them what to expect, what to bring with etc. If you have not received this by 15 January you can e-mail info@sun.ac.za with your student number and ask for the information from your residence.

All residences invite the parents for a welcome/introduction meal, please check with the residence for the date and time.

Welcoming Programme

The official welcoming for first-years starts of Thursday 22 January. The programme for the full Welcoming Period is available at www.sun.ac.za/welcome. 

'Vensters' street theatre take place on Friday 30 January from 18:00-23:00.

Academic year

Classes for first-year and senior students commence on Monday 3 February.

Parking

There is a shortage of secure parking on campus, and all of these bays are taken by senior students. We strongly encourage first-years to NOT bring a car to campus.

Budgeting for textbooks

You should budget about R5 000 for textbooks, and use secondhand books and the library to limit your expenditure.

Timetables and Faculty Calendars/Jaarboeke

The Timetable will be available online under www.mymaties.com.
The Faculty Calendar is available here​. 

Readmission Cases

Senior students who have had to submit readmission requests to readmit@sun.ac.za will know at the latest in the first week of February the outcome of their application for readmission.

Merit Bursaries

If you wrote the IEB or NSC Matric you do not need to do anything to be considered for this bursary. If you achieved an average of 85% or above excluding LO, it will automatically be awarded to your student account in April. 

If you followed another schooling system and achieved an 85% or higher average, you must take your certified final school results to the Bursary and Loans office before the end of February to apply for the Merit Bursary.

Student Cards and Diaries

The diary can only be collected when you have your student card done. This will be available in the Neelsie in the VV Hall from the start of e-registration.
Please note that your registration fees need to have been paid and reflect before you will be issued with a student card and diary.

Extended degree programmes

BA students (Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences)

If you were admitted to an Extended Degree Programme based on your Grade 11 results:

1. and your Grade 12 results now give you an average of 60% - 63.99% excluding LO. You can send an e-mail to info@sun.ac.za with the subject line: Reconsideration to Mainstream BA Programme. This must be sent by 15 January.
   

2. and your Grade 12 results now give you an average of 64% or above excluding LO, you can automatically register for the mainstream programme on the physical registration day.
   

If you were admitted to a BA Programme based on your Grade 11 results, and now your Matric average is much lower than 60% and not lower than 58%, you can apply for consideration to the Extended Degree Programme by e-mailing info@sun.ac.za by 15 January with the subject line reading Reconsideration to the BA Extended Degree Programme.

All students admitted to the Arts and Social Sciences programmes, if you meet the requirements of any of the programmes in that faculty, you will be allowed to register for it even though you did not apply for it. This excludes intensive selection programmes.

BComm students (Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences)

BComm students admitted to the Extended Degree Programme: If all your marks, Mathematics included, meet the requirements for the mainstream degree, you will be able to register at Physical Registration for the Mainstream Programme.

BComm students admitted to a mainstream programme, who obtain a Mathematics mark above 50% but less than 60% in the final exam will be able to register for the Extended Degree Programme at Physical Registration if all other marks and average meet the requirements.

All students admitted to the Economic and Management Sciences programmes, if you meet the requirements of any of the programmes in that faculty, you will be allowed to register for it even though you did not apply for it. This excludes intensive selection programmes. 

Faculty of Science

Applicants who were provisionally accepted to mainstream programmes, but who fail to meet the minimum admission requirements of the specific mainstream programme based on their final grade 12 results, may request to be considered for an extended degree programme (EDP). Admission to the EDP will only be considered if applicants meet the minimum admission requirements of the specific EDP programme; and should space be available. The closing date for EDP requests is 15 January 2015.  You can apply by e-mailing info@sun.ac.za  with the subject line reading "Request Consideration EDP Science".

• Contact the Client Service Centre on tel: 021 808 9111 or ​ e-mail: info@sun.ac.za. ​
  

A seminal work on agricultural education and training (AET) in Sub-Saharan Africa has recently been published by Cambridge Scholars Publishing and the Institute for African Development (IAD) at Cornell University in the USA.

Towards Impact and Resilience: Transformative Change In and Through Agricultural Education and Training in Sub-Saharan Africa is edited by Prof Frans Swanepoel, Director of the African Doctoral Academy at Stellenbosch University (SU), Prof Zenda Ofir, Honorary Professor at the School for Public Leadership (SU) and Prof Aldo Stroebel (IAD and the NRF).

The book, consisting of 17 chapters with 22 esteemed international contributors, focuses on clarifying the challenges, issues, and priorities of AET in sub-Saharan Africa, and provides suggestions for practical solutions that can help guide organisations interested in furthering AET for agricultural development on the continent. It discusses the African context within which a transformed AET system needs to be located; analyses African and international experiences that are relevant to identified AET needs and challenges; dissects AET models that may hold important lessons; and addresses the main critical issues that will impact upon AET in sub-Saharan Africa.

The book is uniquely positioned to add to a call to action on AET, to pull together state-of-the-art knowledge from within and outside sub-Saharan Africa. Also to advance "out of the box" thinking about the principles, values and character of AET for development, with an emphasis on models that can help to cultivate leaders and change-makers at all levels of the agricultural sector.

Various international experts attended the book launch at STIAS, among them Prof Adipala Ekwamu, Executive Secretary of RUFORUM, and Prof Alice Pell from Cornell University. Prof Monty Jones, the 2004 World Food Prize Laureate, provided the foreword.

"This book is a clarion call for reinventing Africa's food systems through agricultural education and training that is ample, entrepreneurial, and empowering. Everyone who cares about African agriculture, from ministers to extensionists to investors, will find a handy summary of the sector's challenges. They will find also a roadmap to the investments most urgently needed to upgrade AET systems while boosting the talents of the women and men who deliver Africa's food, nutrition, and agribusinesses. Opportunities for reinvention cannot be overstated. Smallholder farmers depend on it. Africa depends on it. The global food supply depends on it too." —Vicki Wilde, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, USA

Stellenbosch University remains a popular destination for international students. As in previous years, students from around the world will start or continue their studies at the university this year. They will enroll for full-degree or short-term mobility programmes.  

Swelling the ranks of Maties international population more than 300 students will be welcome to the university at a Welcome and Orientation session hosted from 20-22 January. Students from as far as Syria, the Czech Republic, India, Sweden and Madagascar are expected to attend the three-day event hosted by the Postgraduate and International Office (PGIO).   

The information session will be an introduction to living and studying in Stellenbosch and South Africa with the PGIO giving information about campus facilities, social events, culture shock, safety and security as well as practical information on how to adjust.

Angelo Jephtha, Coordinator: International Student Life and Success, says students will be informed about life at the university, the community and country. Another orientation session will be hosted from 14- 16 July for the second semester intake of international students.   

Apart from full-degree studies, international students have a wide variety of options for non-degree purposes. These include:

• semester exchanges for students from a partner universities,
• studying as a freemover where students pursue select modules,
• affiliated research: where the purpose is a short-term academic or research visit,
• attending a summer school,
• studying through tailored programmes,
• or studying through affiliated organisations, such as CIEE or AIFS.

More information about the International Welcome and Orientation here

​​New students will report to their residences and PSO wards on Thursday 22 January (from 08:00 to 12:30) and the official welcoming of students, their parents, student leaders and staff will take place in the Danie Craven stadium at Coetzenburg at 18:00.

Find welcoming booklet here.​

The pre-programme organised by MAD² starts at 17:00, also in the stadium.

Dream Launch

This event will be the start of an exciting welcoming week where first-year students will each receive a balloon on which they can write their dreams. The more or less 5 000 balloons will be released into the air during the official opening in the Danie Craven stadium. The aim of this event is to create a sense of unity and belonging, to set your own objectives and to dream big. This will also show the rest of Stellenbosch that the new Maties are in town!

Parking arrangements

Parents are kindly requested to park at the Coetzenburg sports fields and the Coetzenburg Centre near the Danie Craven stadium for their introduction to the faculties as well as the official welcoming event. Parking on the central campus is limited, and in support of our environment we request that parents park at Coetzenburg and walk to the venues where the introduction to the faculties will take place. Most venues are within walking distance. See the table on p 10 for time slots of the meetings, as well as the map on p 38 to determine the location of the venues.

The Faculty of Engineering is the only exception. It is too far from Coetzenburg to walk, but parking is available at the faculty.

Parents should take traffic congestion into consideration when driving to Coetzenburg after meeting with the dean.

Traffic congestion

Please take the high volume of traffic on all access routes to Stellenbosch, in town and at Coetzenburg into account when planning travelling time, parking and walking distance to the different venues. 

The pre-programme for students will start at 17:00 and we suggest that you take your seat as soon as possible after your introduction to the faculty, to enjoy that part of the programme. Comfortable clothes, walking shoes, a hat and a bottle of water are also recommended. 

It can be very windy at Coetzenburg: a light jacket or windbreaker may be a good idea.

Shuttle service

A shuttle service will operate in a circular route from the parking area at the Coetzenburg Centre to the Konservatorium (Conservatoire of Music) on the corner of Neethling and Victoria streets. Parents and students who have difficulty walking are welcome to make use of this service. Look out for the vehicles with a Maties bus or Stellenbosch University logo.

Whisper interpreters

Stellenbosch University wants to welcome new students and their parents in a language-friendly manner. Whisper interpreters and senior students (with neon-coloured bands) will assist those who do not understand Afrikaans. If you would like to make use of this service, it is recommended that you take up a seat on the main stand as early as possible. An announcement will be made regarding the interpreting service and where the earphones may be obtained.

Information officers

Information officers (dressed in clearly visible T-shirts) will be at Coetzenburg and on the central campus. Please ask them for assistance or directions. The Administration B building (Victoria Street opposite Wilgenhof) and the Administration A building (on the T junction of Ryneveld and Crozier streets) both have an enquiries desk. 

While scared shoppers were frantically running out of a shop where a gruesome attack just took place, two brave Tyger Maties rushed towards the scene to help the injured without any thought of their own safety.

Their heroics made front page news in two of the biggest daily newspapers in the Cape.

On the afternoon of Monday, 12 January, two fourth-year medical students at Stellenbosch University, Mishqa Jakoet and Nicole Dramat were grocery shopping at the Pick n Pay in Boston, Bellville, when an assailant attacked three people with a scissor inside the store.

"Shoppers ran to the door… I saw a line of blood on the floor and we [Jakoet and Dramat] ran to help a woman that was stab several times," tells Jakoet.

"It was very traumatic. This was the first time we saw something like this outside of the hospital. But we just relied on our training," says Jakoet. They have both worked with trauma wounds during rotations at Tygerberg Hospital during their third year.

They were also asked to help a second victim who also suffered multiple stab wounds.

According to Dramat, they had to use makeshift dressings from items in the shop, such as dish cloths. Other shoppers and staff members were also very helpful - they kept watch over them until the assailant was captured, brought them everything they asked for and also helped to treat and compress the wounds, says Dramat.

Two more medical students, Hendrik Booyens and Christopher Norman, also arrived and help attend to the patients.

The supermarket is a mere 4 km from the Tygerberg Campus and is frequented by Tyger Maties students.

"I don't go there very often, and I believe that it was God's will that we were there to help those people," says Dramat.

Both women were admitted to hospital and were in a stable condition, while a third victim was treated and discharged on the same day. The motive for the attack is unknown.

Prof Wim Gevers, professor and head of Academic Affairs at USB, officially retired at the end of 2014, but remains at USB in a new role. ​​

When did your involvement with USB begin?

In 1977 when I registered as a Part-time MBA student. I already started lecturing part-time in my third year (1979). I joined the full-time staff in 1981.

Describe your interaction with MBA students from then until now.

In my experience students were more inclined to simply sit and listen to what the lecturer has to say in earlier years – it is, after all, a subject's gospel being preached! Luckily it changed over time and now students are questioning lecturers. Often students give valuable input to the learning conversation.

One of the most recent changes that I've noticed was that once the classes start students will ask how you want to be addressed. Happily, I'm informal and it therefore suits me when students address me by my first name.

Do you regard it as a compliment or an albatross around your neck when the subject Decision Analysis is referred to as the famous, if feared, 'Wimkunde'?

I think it is a form of a compliment. If the subject and lecturer forms such a unique combination that students give it a nickname then it hit the right nerve somewhere. And the dilemma is that it is not a difficult subject – but you have to work hard to master it. Perhaps it's more evident of the fast society we are living in where everything has to happen quickly. So, often students also want to finish a subject quickly – but that does not happen without work.

How does your role change now that you have officially retired?

This year I will be contracted to assist the director and programme heads with matters particularly where institutional memory is important. I will also continue to supervise MBA and PhD students. And I will complete the 2014 Modular groups' Decision Analysis classes, as well as present the Operational Research part of Decision Analysis for the 2015 Modular Afrikaans class.

​The 100% pass rate, 58 A symbols in Mathematics, 39 A symbols in Physical Sciences and 53 A symbols in Accounting achieved by the 2014 HOPE@Maties group are enough reasons for Stellenbosch University to smile.

Four HOPE@Maties learners have also been included Western Cape Education Department's Merit List for 2014. They are Robin Bosman (Swartberg Secondary School), Hideaki Kasai (Livingstone High School), Aimee Pearce (Bernadino Heights High School) and Zakariyah Toyer (Cape Academy for Mathematics, Science and Technology).

The 2014 group consisted of 220 learners who attended the programme in six centres in the Western Cape, either on a Saturday or during schools holidays.

Altogether 78% of the learners obtained 60% and more for Mathematics and 82% obtained 60% and more for Physical Sciences – the minimum requirement for entry into most degree programmes in higher education.

The HOPE@Maties programme is a university preparation programme offered by SUNCEP, the Centre for Pedagogy at Stellenbosch University.

Learners with an average of more than 70% at the end of Grade 11 are invited to become part of the HOPE@Maties Programme during their Grade 12 year.

The programme offers learners additional tuition in Grade 12 in the above-mentioned subjects to increase their chances of being accepted into higher education and selection programmes.

In addition to the extra tuition, the Division for Prospective Students at Stellenbosch University assists the learners to make informed career choices and to apply for university admission.

Dr Trevor van Louw, Director of SUNCEP, said the success of this programme can be attributed to the wonderful collaboration between the various role players; the SU, the Western Cape Education Department (WCED), school principals, teachers, learners and parents. The best educators in the different regions offer the tuition to the learners.

"These role players form a formidable team that put in many extra hours. Everyone is serious about the future of our children."

This programme will be offered again in 2015. For more information, visit our website http://www.suncep.sun.ac.za/UPP/Hope.html or phone us at 021 808 3483.

Photo: HOPE@Maties learners from the Overberg in Genadendal. Robin Bosman is on the far right.

The Stellenbosch University Contact and Client Services Centre has been inundated with calls and emails since the University reopened on Monday 5 January.

By Tuesday 13 January at 12:00 the operators had received 14 975 calls and 3450 emails, some of which were handled in isiXhosa or isiZulu.

Since December 2014 callers contacting the Contact Centre have had three language options to choose from: Press 1 for Afrikaans; Press 2 for English or Press 3 for isiXhosa/isiZulu.

With the appointment of two new staff members last year the Contact Centre can now assist callers in six of South Africa's 11 official languages, although two of these aren't official options.

Sindiswa Bangani, originally from Mfuleni and an alumna of Rhenish Girls High School and Stellenbosch University, is able to assist isiXhosa and isiZulu speakers, while Beltus Sirathaza, who was born in the Eastern Cape, grew up in Rustenburg and studied at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology,can assist callers in isiXhosa, isiZulu, Tswana and Sesotho.

According to Sindiswa and Beltus, the person on the other side of the line often seem very relieved to be able to communicate in a language in which they are more comfortable.

"They immediately become more expressive," says Beltus. Sindiswa has noticed that eliminating communication barriers saves a lot of time.

According to Mr Darryn Havenga, Head: Contact and Client Services, the isiXhosa/isiZulu line started off slowly as most people are used to pressing 2 as soon as they hear English.

"However, since Friday we are experiencing a larger call volume up to 50 per day and growing as awareness of the language support available increases."

Some of the most common questions are:

• Do I meet the requirements with my matric marks? Answer: Consult the document that accompanied your letter of admission; visit www.maties.com to see the requirements, or if you were in the NSC or IEB school systems, try to register yourself in accordance with the information further on.
• Can I still apply? Answer: Stellenbosch University won't accept any new applications for 2015.
• My Grade 11 marks weren't good enough to be admitted to SU but my matric marks are better. Will my application be reconsidered? Answer: Unfortunately no applications will be reconsidered at this time. You are welcome to apply in 2015 for the 2016 intake.
• When can I register? Answer: Students (new and returning) can e-register at www.mymaties.com from 14 January. A computer area on campus (in the Neelsie) will be available for students without computer access from 08:00 to 16:00 between 19-27 January (excluding the weekend). Physical registration takes place on 26 and 27 January.
• Do you still have place in residence? Answer: No. If you haven't received positive confirmation that you have been placed in a residence yet, please make alternative arrangements.

​​​The Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences recently signed a cooperation agreement, primarily aimed at the PhD programme in Translation (translation, interpreting, editing), with the Faculty of Arts of the Catholic University of Leuven (KU Leuven) on the latter's Antwerp campus in Belgium. This agreement not only provides for exchange opportunities, but also the future conferment of a joint PhD degree by Stellenbosch University (SU) and KU Leuven.

The agreement was signed on 13 November by representatives of both universities, as well as Prof Luc van Doorslaer, the director of CETRA (the Centre for Translation Studies) at Leuven.

"For some time now, our faculty, and particularly our department, has been collaborating at an individual level with the former Lessius Hogeschool in Antwerp, which now forms part of KU Leuven. Prof Luc van Doorslaer, for instance, has been a research fellow in our department since 2013. Following the signing of this agreement, Van Doorslaer will specifically assist in supervising PhD candidates in Translation in our department," explains Prof Ilse Feinauer, Vice-Dean: Languages and the coordinator of programmes in Translation in the Department of Afrikaans and Dutch.

The agreement, Feinauer says, entails researcher exchange (particularly doctoral and postdoctoral students, but academics also), research initiatives and projects, as well as future joint PhDs.

"This will enable us to offer our PhD and postdoctoral candidates joint PhD supervision in translation, interpreting and editing," she adds.

Feinauer says the groundwork for the agreement was laid by Prof Rufus Gouws, who spent part of his research leave at KU Leuven in 2014. Here, Gouws liaised with the dean of arts on Antwerp campus, Prof Frieda Steurs, and held further talks to facilitate the agreement.

"What further enabled the agreement was the signing of a preferred partner agreement between Leuven and SU in May 2014. That agreement has certainly helped facilitate the signing of this accord between our two faculties."

According to Feinauer, CETRA hosts an annual summer school in translation studies, which SU's PhD students would now also be able to access more easily, while Leuven students would be able to visit Stellenbosch to conduct their research here.

"For Leuven, this agreement not only presents an opportunity for us to learn from them, but also for them to learn from us, particularly about translation and interpreting in Africa and South Africa, but more specifically about multilingualism. They are also unfamiliar with our concept of educational interpreting, and one of our PhD students will hopefully be the first to conduct research on this topic as part of the joint degree programme."

"We have a strong postgraduate programme in Translation, and the fact that they have chosen to enter into an agreement with us at that level confirms that Leuven understands the significance of the research conducted here, which I believe is a feather in our cap," says Feinauer.

Photo 1: Johan Hattingh​​ and Luk Draye. (Photo supplied.)

Photo 2: The signing of the agreement between the Faculties of Arts of Stellenbosch University and KU Leuven. Pictured from the left are Profs Ilse Feinauer, Vice-Dean: Languages in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences and coordinator of programmes in Translation in the Department of Afrikaans and Dutch, SU; Johan Hattingh, Dean: Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences; Rufus Gouws, coordinator of Lexicography programmes in the Department of Afrikaans and Dutch, SU; Bart van den Bossche, Vice-Dean: Internationalisation, KU Leuven; Frieda Steurs, Dean: Arts of Antwerp campus, KU Leuven; Luk Draye, Dean: Arts, KU Leuven; Luc van Doorslaer, Vice-Dean: Research of Antwerp campus and CETRA director, KU Leuven. (Photo supplied.)

​The Endler Concert Series has once again planned two fabulous seasons for 2015. The offering of 50 concerts excludes the busy Stellenbosch International Chamber Music Festival, which on its own offers around 30 concerts between 3 and 12 July. Included in the Endler Concert Series is the Classical Music programme of the US Woordfees that will take place from 6 – 15 March.

South African born pianist Renée Reznek will open the 2015 Endler Concert Series on 8 February with works by Satie, Debussy, Klatzow, Hofmeyr and Muyanga.  This will be followed on 15 February by 'The Korngold Project', featuring Daniel Rowland, Francesco Sica, Gareth Lubbe, Benjamin Roskams, Julian Arp, Peter Martens and Luis Magalhães performing Korngold's piano quintet and string sextet.

Our own University of Stellenbosch Symphony Orchestra opens the Woordfees in March with two performances of Prokofiev's Romeo and Juliet and Schumann's piano concerto with internationally acclaimed Italian pianist Antonio Di Cristofano.  This is followed by symphony concerts in August and October. The orchestra will once again present a Sacred Music programme with Canticum Novum in October, featuring Mozart's Coronation Mass. Quality choral performances continue throughout the year with the US Choir, Schola Cantorum and the US Chamber Choir. The University of Stellenbosch Symphonic Wind Ensemble will once again present their popular Band Extravaganza in May.

In 2012 the Stellenbosch University Camerata performed in a gala concert with violinist Joshua Bell, and for 2015 we are excited to announce his return to the Endler Concert Series.  Together with the Camerata, Joshua Bell will once again present a Prestige Gala concert on 6 September. 

Our very own Jazz Band continues to dominate the Jazz @ The Endler Series, but we are lucky enough to be able to include the Mike Rossi Big Band in April and the Pietersen & Tagg Jazz piano duo in August. For lovers of contemporary music, KEMUS will again present a concert featuring works by Lachenmann in November.  Other respected local and international artists such as Lukás Vondráček, Maria du Toit, Vassily Primakov, Pieter Grobler and Morgan Szymanski complete the line-up in the Presige, Recital and Chamber Music categories of the series.

In addition to the 80 concerts mentioned above, the Music Department also offers a free Lunch Hour Concert Series that has gained a tremendous following in recent years. These concerts take place most Tuesdays (13h05 - 14h00) throughout the term and are free of charge.  Sulayman Charlton Human will open the series on 3 February with Chopin's piano concerto in f minor, alongside a string quintet.

SUBSCRIPTION SERIES

The Endler Concert Series has a subscription offer in which the series is divided into 2 seasons: February to June, and August to November.  Subscribers will be entitled to a dedicated reserved seat for the entire season of their choice and will receive a massive discount of 50% on the regular ticket prices (terms and conditions apply).  Subscription to season 1 consists of 31 concerts for R1652 (regular price) or R1075 (pensioner/student price).  Subscription to season 2 consists of 19 concerts for R1042 (regular price) or R665 (pensioner/student price).  Please note that the Joshua Bell Gala concert is not included in this package. 

Tickets for all concerts are sold via Computicket which can be accessed through our website at www.sun.ac.za/music.  To buy a season pass, or for any inquiries, please contact Leon van Zyl on 021 808 2358 or leonvanzyl@sun.ac.za.  Info regarding programmes and repertoire will be made available as and when it is finalized.  Please make sure you are registered to the weekly newsletter to stay updated on all concerts and activities, by sending us an e-mail.

The Stellenbosch University Language Centre will be presenting a workshop on 18 February 2015 during which we will introduce strategies that ensure high-quality correspondence documents. The following topics will be discussed, among others:

• Correspondence as an integral part of effective business communication
• Effective writing strategies for correspondence
• The differences between correspondence via paper and e-mail
• The influence of e-mail on the working environment
• The influence of correspondence on business relations

The SU Skills Fund enables a limited number of SU staff members to attend this workshop free of charge. However should a staff member sponsored by the Skills Development Fund not attend the workshop, the complete registration fee will be charged to that member's environment.

Register via SuneHR. Call Audrey Poole on 021 808 2167 or e-mail her at taalsentrum@sun.ac.za should you need assistance with registration.

Closing date for registration is 4 February 2015​

The African Doctoral Academy (ADA) hosted 25 doctoral students for a week-long seminar on Research to Policy to Practice during the first week of January 2015. These young scholars, representing 20 nationalities, are part of the Southern African Young Scientists Summer Programme (SA-YSSP) – an initiative of the National Research Foundation (NRF www.nrf.ac.za/), Department of Science and Technology (DST) and the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA http://www.iiasa.ac.at/). In 2014, the ADA presented a similar policy seminar. Based on its success, the ADA was approached to present this second seminar.  

The young scientists explored the increasingly important domain of science communication with well-known science communicator Ms Marina Joubert, to assist in communicating not only to the public and media, but also to policy makers and potential funders. In addition, aspects of bridging the research-to-policy-to-practice gap was led by Prof Alice Pell (Cornell University) and Dr Lindiwe Sibanda (FANRPAN http://www.fanrpan.org/).

The seminar culminated with a high level policy dialogue facilitated by the DST and the NRF, with prominent participants from the science and technology community in South Africa, including Dr Phil Mjwara, Director-General of DST, Ms Malebona Precious Matsoso, Director-General of the Department of Health, and the CEOs of the SA Medical Research Council, Human Sciences Research Council and Agricultural Research Council. The Permanent Secretary in the Office of the President of Botswana, Ms Botshelo Mathuba, represented the Southern African Development Community in these discussions. Sessions focused on strategic policy discussions in the areas of water, food security, energy, health and agriculture.

A high-level roundtable by heads of research councils and government, led by the DG of DST, formed part of the policy dialogue, to determine the future investment strategy of South Africa in systems analysis capacity. Prof Frans Swanepoel, Director of the ADA, serves on South Africa's National Member Organisation to IIASA.

The SA-YSSP is an annual three-month initiative that contributes to the establishment, growth and enhancement of high level strategic research networks internationally. Launched in 2011 by Minster Naledi Pandor, SA-YSSP develops capacity in systems analysis at the PhD, postdoctoral and supervisory levels through research conducted in the areas of the DST grand challenges, and aligned with current research programmes at IIASA. The overall programme is hosted by the University of the Free State, this third year of the 3-month course brought together 22 scholars from 20 nationalities.

Photo – the SA-YSSP delegates, presenters and members of the DST and NRF.

​​A new guide, “Getting started in Clinical Research”, for junior researchers in the Department of Paediatrics and Child Health at the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences (FMHS) at Stellenbosch University has been published recently.

The guide was compiled by Profs Robert Gie and Nulda Beyers, who both are enthusiastic researchers who have experienced the pleasure, frustrations, lows and highs of research. They have realised the importance of having a mentor who could guide a researcher through the ups and downs of research, and decided to transfer that guidance to their young colleagues by publishing this book.

“The purpose of the guide is to try and make research study a little easier, to assist students  to complete their study and experience the elation of seeing their research published,” Prof Gie said.

The most important point, however, is that all MMed students now have to complete a research project which has to be assessed to the satisfaction of the postgraduate committee before they are able to register as a specialist in South Africa. “So even if you have passed your final exams and have not completed your research project, you will not be able to register and practice as a specialist,” he explained.

According to Prof Beyers, this is a first attempt to prepare such a guide and it will need to be updated regularly to ensure that all the material reflects the changing world of research and its requirements. “We have written this book mostly to address this urgent need as most MMed students do not know how to start, make progress with and complete their research project,” she said.

They started off writing the guide for registrars and junior researchers with examples relevant to paediatrics. Beyers indicated that the steps in the guide are fairly general and the appendices, templates and electronic version can be adapted to be more appropriate for other disciplines and users are welcome to do that.

It is arranged with 17 easy-to-read steps that are essential to carry out research and to get the results published. “We have included appendices, templates, regulatory sections and websites/references as additional reading material to provide more detailed information researchers may require for their study,” said Gie.

The book is available online free of charge at www.sun.ac.za/paediatrics.