Three years ago Steinhoff Maties Men's Hockey had only two representatives in the South African national squad; by the end of 2014 seven players from the Maties Men first team played for South Africa.

In 2012/2013 the club implemented a high performance strategy. "We earmarked certain players. They were mostly junior national players. We made the commitment of investing in them to see what we could add to them as hockey players," said current men's coach Neville Rothman.

These players included Dylan Swanepoel, Shannon Boucher, Marc Fourie, Keenan Horne and Daniel Bell. "We worked on their conditioning with extra high performance sessions. They had a supervised gym programme and we gave them a lot of personal attention. Kurt Cerfontyne gave them extra sessions to work on their overall game as well. Since we have started we have seen all of these players that were identified making the national squad."

Rothman added that the profile of Maties Men's hockey has increased dramatically. "One our biggest coups was to get Paul Revington as Maties Hockey's High Performance manager. You don't just get that kind of knowledge and experience like that." Revington is a former South African, Irish and Malaysian national coach. "The package that is Paul Revington will add greatly to Maties Hockey. Our goal is not only have national players, but players of international standard."

Also available for the individuals and teams in the High Performance setup are the mental skill programme and the monitored medical support offered by Campus Health.

There are three tiers to the top 25 players at the club - national level, junior national (U/21) and national U/19 players. "We will be working closely with all of them. With the high performance strategy we place a high premium on the individual. It is important to instill in them a culture that will take them to the next level."

The increased profile of Maties Men's Hockey – due to the success of the high performance strategy – has drawn some of the country's biggest stars of the future to the Stellenbosch University. Both Bili Ntuli and Jacques Bleeker who captained the South African U/18 boys' hockey team at the Youth Olympics and Australian series respectively joined the Steinhoff Maties Men this year. Bleeker, Ntuli, Rob McKinley, Alex Stewart, Garth Turner, Jonathan Cloete, Chris Hawkridge, Ross Talmage, Gareth Simmonds and Reece Arendse have all registered as first years at Stellenbosch University this year. This is the biggest intake of national U/18 and U/19 players at Maties since 2005. They will give a big boost to the depth of Maties Men's hockey.

Currently Jacques le Roux, Danie Bell, Dylan Swanepoel, Marc Fourie, Keenan Horne, Pierre de Voux, Shannon Boucher and Alex Stewart are in the national squad playing against Dutch club Rotterdam.

​Steinhoff Maties Hockey was well represented in the South African women's team that played in the recent Summer Hockey Series at Hartleyvale with Illse Davids, Hanli Hattingh, Erin Hunter, Quanita Bobbs and Jade Mayne flying the flag for Stellenbosch.

It was not only an important series of games against Belgium and Chile, but also a grueling series of eight matches back-to-back. According to Davids, who is one of the most experienced players in the SA team, it was a big test for body and mind. South Africa drew both the series against Belgium and Chile. Many youngsters and new players were given the opportunity to test themselves on an international stage. It was a good time for lessons to be learnt.

"During the series it taught many of the players to tackle each game with drive and determination. Playing eight games in such a short period of time is tough both mentally and physically," said Davids. "Playing so many games means that you need to be physically fit and through this grueling 14 day period. Your mentality gets tested. I learnt that as a player you need to have both of these important qualities to be at the top of your game."

Sharing the field with her fellow Maties was a nice experience for Davids. "It was great to play with the likes of Quanita Bobby, Erin Hunter and Hanli Hattingh. Not only teammates at Maties, but great players in general!"

Next up for the SA team is World League 3 in June. "The series was a great way for the new caps to gain experience as well as for our team to compete against good opposition. Belgium has come over the past three years and it was Chile's first time in Cape Town. We drew both series. Our next tournament is world league 3 in June this year and we are all training hard to make that tournament a success."

​​​​​One of 2014's most successful participants of the Small Business Academy (SBA) Development Programme (www.usb.ac.za/sba) at the University of Stellenbosch Business School says the programme has taught her a great deal, including how to balance the books better.

Rushana Charles, who runs the Little Mermaids Swim School in Mitchell's Plain, was interviewed by women's magazine Destiny for their March 2015 edition. She started the business in 2012 as a response to the absence of a swimming school in her community. Since then her number of students, or clients, have increased from 35 to almost 500.

The best part of the SBA programme, Charles says, has been the mentoring she received from USB MBA alumnus and seasoned entrepreneur Elma Rivera. It was through Rivera's mentorship that she could tackle the challenges that followed the developmental phase of her business, according to her.

Rivera's tips for Charles included that she should only open a second school once her current business is running at full capacity. "Just because you're doing well doesn't mean you have to expand immediately," Rivera is quoted as saying in the article.

The new intake of SBA participants will start with their training soon. The programme – supported by Absa Enterprise Development and the Distell Foundation - runs over a nine month period. It covers all aspects of running a business, including finance, people management, marketing, as well as personal development.

Click here http://www.usb.ac.za/Shared%20Documents/NewsClippings/DestinyMarch2015_main.pdf to read the full magazine article about Charles. For more information about the SBA contact Benjamin Matshoba on 021 918 4379 or at sba@usb.ac.za

Most of the academic activities that would have taken place in the Van der Sterr building this week were moved to other venues on campus after Sunday morning's fire. 

Inevitably, classes for certain modules unfortunately had be to cancelled. A fire destroyed the third floor and roof of the northern and eastern wings of the Van der Sterr building. (Read more about the fire here.)

Tests that were supposed to be written this week were postponed but early assessment is going ahead. Complete information about this and class timetables for every day are placed on the webpage (click here for link) of the Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences (EMS) every day. Students affected by the fire are encouraged to visit this webpage regularly. Enquiries can also be directed to vandersterinfo@sun.ac.za.

A contingency committee met on Sunday to manage the situation and arrangements were made to ensure that classes go ahead normally as far as possible. Stellenbosch University is very grateful to the Stellenbosch faith community who offered the use of buildings close to campus as lecture halls. On Monday morning at 08:00 a first lecture took place in the Kruiskerk.

Other arrangements by the committee include access control to and securing the building and follow-up actions with the insurer and assessor with the aim of restoring the building. The extent of the damage and the reason for the fire could not be established yet and the building will only be opened after a forensic investigation has been completed.

The University Management expressed its appreciation towards the Student Council and also the EMS Student committee for their roles in conveying students' concerns, and also for their support.

The Management called on students whose classes were inevitably cancelled to use the time productively for self-study and preparation for tests.

Open day continues as planned

The participation of the Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences in SU's Open Day on Saturday 28 February has not been affected by the fire. Information stalls will be available at the Faculty's CGW Schumann building in Bosman Street and the presentations will be held somewhere else on campus. The Dean, Prof Stan du Plessis, ensured prospective visitors that all areas accessible to the public are completely safe. 

Photo: Students have posted a message of support for lecturers on the fence surrounding the Van der Sterr building. 

The Stellenbosch University management regards acts of racism, violence, verbal abuse or human rights violations against any of its students in a very serious light, irrespective of whether the incident occurred on campus property or elsewhere. This was the reaction of Prof Leopoldt van Huyssteen, Acting Rector and Vice-Chancellor of Stellenbosch University, in response to reports of an alleged racist incident at a commercial fast food outlet in Stellenbosch in the early hours of Saturday morning.  

Prof Van Huyssteen added that the University Management welcomes engagement with student organisations, and that they have an open invitation to discuss matters that are important to the campus community.

The particular incident was reported to the Campus Security office in Merriman Avenue, and the student was accompanied by Campus Security officers back to the scene of the incident (off campus) to identify the alleged assailants. Unfortunately no-one could be identified by the complainant; it is thought that they had left the scene. SAPS investigators were at the scene of the incident this afternoon (Tuesday) and the University will be assisting with the investigation.

At this time the identity of the attackers are unknown to the University and for now the primary focus will be to support the injured students. The University’s Crisis Service has been in contact with them to offer support and counselling.

“I would like to make the University’s stance very clear,” Prof Van Huyssteen said in a statement released to the media. “We have a zero tolerance approach to racism and discrimination. We will institute action against any student found guilty of any behaviour or utterances that contravene the Disciplinary Code for Students, or if convicted of any criminal offence. If you study at Stellenbosch University, it not only means that you are here to obtain a quality degree or diploma; it means that you also subscribe to our institutional values and objectives of inclusiveness.

“The assumptions and innuendo that any actions by Stellenbosch students that constitute racism, discrimination or criminal behaviour have institutional sanction or support are unfounded.  It is also unreasonable to lump the institution into the ‘racist category’ as a result of the reprehensible actions of individuals.

“It also is important to clarify the role and mandate of the Campus Security division to avoid unrealistic expectations. Campus Security is not a law enforcement agency equal to the South African Police Services (SAPS). Although assistance will be rendered in emergencies such as the events reported on Saturday morning, Campus Security staff do not have any jurisdiction in public or commercial areas, and neither do they have the authority to investigate criminal offences. The Campus Security division does however have a close working relationship with the SAPS.”  

If the alleged assailants in Saturday’s incident are confirmed to be Stellenbosch students, the internal disciplinary process will be activated.

​

What better way to celebrate and appreciate beauty than on the day of love?  This year, on 14 February 2015, the Military Academy students' Valentine's Day was concluded by the announcement of their very own Mr and Miss Military Academy 2015.

Gold, red and black decor transformed the Joe Modise Hall at the Military Academy, into an ideal setting for the event.  The participants were eager and confident, providing spectators with a spectacular show.  They took part in three events which consisted of: Casual wear, beach wear and formal attire for both the men and women. 

The participants carried themselves with grace and added their own little quips and quirks in- between that made the event amazingly pleasant and memorable.

The new faces of Military Academy are Candidate Officer Theo Raath (Mr Military Academy) and Lieutenant Juicy Thobejane (Miss Military Academy).  The runners up were Candidate Officer Trudie van Wyk(1^st Princess) and Candidate Officer Durtly Daniels (1^st Prince) and Lieutenant Masande Thambekile and Candidate Officer Nomhlanhla Musina was 2^nd Prince and Princess.

Article and Photos: Candidate Officer Yolika Kleynhans

Photo:

From left to right: Lt M.K.Tambekile(2^nd Prince); CO N.E. Masina(2^nd Princess); CO T.C. Raath (Mr Military Academy); Lt K.J. Thobejane(Miss Military Academy); CO Van Wyk (1^st Princess); CO C.I. Daniels (1^st Prince)

​Come get free career advice and find out what Maties has to offer!

This is the invitation from organisers of Stellenbosch University's (SU) Open Day, presented for the first time this year on a Saturday (28 February) on its Stellenbosch and Tygerberg campuses.

The Maties Open Day is the ideal opportunity for Grade 11 and 12 learners to gain valuable information on university studies, career choices, bursaries and loans; student fees; residence placement, sporting events, accommodation, student associations, student life, and much more.

"What makes the Open Day so special is that prospective students and their parents can talk directly to faculty staff and representatives of the various support services to find out exact information on the various fields of study as well as the support services offered by the University," says Magdel Pretorius, project coordinator and adviser at SU's Centre for Student Recruitment (CSR).

"But the day is not just about gathering academic information. There will be plenty of entertainment and lots of prizes up for grabs!"

Career counselling

For the first time this year the University is also offering access to a free career counselling questionnaire, available at maties.pacecareers.com/questionnaire. The questionnaire identifies appropriate fields of interest and links this to a variety of careers and study opportunities.

"Another innovative program is Course Chooser, at www.coursechooser.co.za, which helps you find programmes that you qualify for based on your Grade 11 or 12 subjects and marks. This will give you a very good indication with whom you should talk to on Open Day," comments Pretorius.

"SU does offer career guidance to Grade 11 and 12 learners. This service includes a psychometric assessment of personality, aptitude and interests, individual conversations, as well as a written report of the results and recommendations. However, the questionnaire is a perfect option for those individuals who can't afford these tests."

Information sessions

At the Open Day, learners and their parents can attend general information sessions, on among others, application for admission in 2016 and they can visit the various faculties for more course specific information. Those interested in sports can make their way to the lawns next to the Rooiplein to find out more about Maties Sport, or alternatively hop on the Maties shuttle to Coetzenburg to see what Stellenbosch's Sport Facilities have to offer. A tour of the JS Gericke Library is also on the programme.

A good starting point for the Open Day is the welcoming tent at SU's Conservatorium in Victoria Street. Once there, parents and learners can get complete information about the day's programme and information sessions. A campus map, as well as buses for visitors to and from the various venues will also be available there.

Also be on the lookout for information officers wearing yellow T-shirts. They will be deployed at various key points across campus to provide information and directions.

Several other educational institutions will be exhibiting at the Maties Open Day. They includes Isa Carstens Academy; Stellenbosch Hair Academy; Stellenbosch Academy for Design and Photography; Stellenbosch Rugby Academy; Boland College; The Private Hotel School; ICA and Aleit Academy; CTU and The Hurst Campus..

Shuttle buses will travel from the Stellenbosch campus to the Tygerberg campus and back to accommodate learners and parents who would like to visit both campuses. Please note that it is imperative to make reservations for this service.

The Open Day starts at 09:00 and ends at 16:00.

•  Visit www.maties.com for the complete Open Day programme with times and venues.
• Visit us on Facebook at MatiesFanPage, or tel: 021 808 9111, e-mail info@sun.ac.za.

The Stellenbosch International Chamber Music Festival (SICMF) has launched a new International Study Bursary Competition with a first prize of R200 000 – the largest single bursary awarded by a South African classical music competition.

This bursary will enable the winner to further his/her music studies abroad at a recognised institution.

A second prize of a bursary worth R60 000 will also be awarded, which can be used for music studies at Stellenbosch University (SU) or an overseas institution. An additional four prizes of R10 000 each can also be won for respectively the best rendition of a South African work, the best recital, the best rendition of a major chamber music work, and the best concerto performance.

The Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra (CPO), under the baton of the Israeli conductor and SICMF faculty member Daniel Boico, will accompany the competitors in the final round. "That the CPO is enthusiastically endorsing this competition and including us into their busy schedule is a real coup for us," says Festival Director Peter Martens.

The competition will be adjudicated over three rounds and will run concurrently with the 12^th annual SICMF. The festival – the biggest of its kind on the African continent – will be presented from 3 to 12 July 2015 at the SU Konservatorium.

Since its inception in 2004, the SICMF has drawn the best South African music students who come for master classes and lectures by the internationally acclaimed musicians who are invited here by the festival. The faculty of about 30 local and overseas musicians also perform in ten evening chamber music concerts in the Konservatorium's Endler Hall.

Martens says the idea for the International Study Bursary Competition came about last year when engaging with one of the SICMF's international sponsors abroad.

"It became apparent to me that we were going to need to be innovative if we wanted to maintain the momentum that the SICMF had built up over the last decade or so. The introduction of a prestigious competition offering a first prize that would enable a top South African student to study abroad meant that we would need to provide a prize that surpassed all other local competition prizes currently on offer," explains Martens.

"Although the value of our prizes is not the crux of the matter, we have inadvertently found ourselves creating (in some ways at least) the most prestigious classical music competition in the country," he adds.

"The important attributes of this competition," says Martens, "are that it will over the years make a meaningful contribution to the lives of excellent music students who need financial assistance to study abroad and for the immediate future. It will also ensure that the SICMF remains a most desirable festival for our top students to attend."

The competition jury will be made up of five internationally acclaimed SICMF faculty members. Prof Nina Schumann, Artistic Director of the SICMF, will serve as non-voting Chair of the panel.

In order to enter, candidates are required to submit a 30 to 40 minute recorded recital programme on DVD or via a secure digital link to the SICMF Director. A maximum of ten competitors will be chosen for the second round that will take place at the SU Konservatorium. For the final round, a maximum of four competitors will be selected to perform in the Endler Hall.

Schumann says: "The aim of the bursary competition is to attract the finest local music students to the festival by offering an internationally competitive financial reward that will enable further study abroad. We will therefore be looking for our country's biggest and most exciting young talent."

• For competition details and rules please visit www.sicmf.co.za. Contact Peter Martens on martensp@sun.ac.za, or Nina Schumann on nina@twopianists.com. The closing date for competition entries is 1 May 2015.

Anja van Niekerk (left) and Marié Patterson, lecturers of the School of Accounting at Stellenbosch University, are reading messages of encouragement from their students, with the damaged Van der Sterr Building in the background.

A fire destroyed the third floor and roof of the northern and eastern wings of the building, which accommodates various departments and divisions of the Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences including the School of Accounting. Accounting students wrote messages to their lecturers and fastened them onto the barriers in front of the building.

​This article also appears in the Faculty's annual publication. Click here to read full story.

The "family physician" is often mistaken for being just another family doctor, or general practitioner (GP), when in fact he or she is a medical specialist equivalent to an obstetrician, paediatrician or surgeon.

A reason for this might be that family medicine is a new speciality that only became formally recognised in South Africa in 2007, with the first intake of registrars in 2008.

Since then, 545 family physicians have been registered in South Africa, and at a rate of less than 40 new specialist family physicians being produced every year, the country's modest target of 1 060 of these experts is still far from being realised.

So what is the family physician's area of expertise? Contrary to the general perception that a speciality is a specific focus area, the family physician is an expert generalist.

"In terms of regulation the family medicine training programme is on par with how you would train a specialist – it is a four-year MMed degree and you have to sit a college exam," says Prof Bob Mash, head of the Division of Family Medicine and Primary Care at Stellenbosch University's Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences.

In addition to the training for primary care delivery, a family physician is equipped with advanced skills appropriate to the district hospital and would, for example, be able to do some anaesthetics, obstetrics, surgery and so forth.

This wide skills set makes the family physician a valuable asset in a country like South Africa, where a shortage of medical expertise has placed primary care in the hands of nurses and community health workers, and where there are major skills gaps at district and rural hospitals.

The Western Cape was the first province to create registrar posts for family physicians and has embraced the idea of the family physician as an expert generalist, particularly to improve the range and quality of services at district hospitals. Today there are 45 family physicians employed by the province and almost 50 registrars in training between Stellenbosch University and the University of Cape Town.

"Since 2008 this province has gone from virtually nothing to having a large number of registrars and employing family physicians – they are putting them in district hospitals and into community health centres," says Mash.

Since these positions were only created recently, Mash and his team have been tracking the impact of this new medical speciality on communities. "We are trying to document what difference they are making to the health system, so for the last couple of years we have been tracking the health indicators and interviewing district managers. The feedback has been overwhelmingly positive and we're seeing real improvement in clinical care and clinical governance in these areas," Mash explains.

"Due to skills shortages and financial constraints the South African health system relies heavily on nurses to be the main providers of health care. But you need the expertise of an expert generalist doctor to improve the quality of that care, to ensure that we foster a patient-centred system, and to look after the cases that are too complicated for the nurses to deal with," says Mash.

Read more…

​The Military Academy had its Welcoming Parade for the first year learners on 29 January 2015 at the Military Academy parade ground.  The students were especially welcomed and honored by the presence of the Mayor of Saldanha municipality, Mr Francois Schippers, the Chief Human Resources, Lieutenant General Norman Yengeni as well as the Chair of the Defence Force Service Commission, Prof Edna van Harte and her team.  There are a total of 75 first years from all Defence Force services who are starting with their studies this year.  The parade was led by the SA Army Band from Youngsfield.

The Commandant, Brigadier General Lawrence Mbatha welcomed the first years to the unit and also extended a welcoming to all staff members and students, back from leave.  In his speech, Brigadier General Mbatha mentioned that 2014 has been one of the busiest for the Military Academy and that the successes achieved would not have been possible without the dedication of the staff, interest and financial support from the Department of Defence and last but not least, the support from the West Coast community.

The Commandant mentioned that with various high-profile visits and unit activities that kept members together, the Military Academy was re-established as an asset to the DOD.  He also said that the unit needs to balance the emphasis of academia with professional military training.  "For the Academy to succeed in producing the DOD desirable end state - a balanced product of a professional Junior Military Leader."

Brig Gen Mbatha also said that the Military Academy do not only want to be perceived as a relevant institution to the DOD and Military Veterans, but to be regarded a pedestal of hope wrt academic and professional military training of excellence to the broader community of the DOD. "I therefore extend my plea to all Services, Divisions, up to the lowest serving member of the DOD not to hesitate to forward their training requirements to the Academy, so as to remain relevant to the critical needs and address the skills gaps currently existing within the DOD".

The Welcoming Parade marks a great start to the beginning of the year for the Military Academy, and first year learners got their first taste of events to come at this unit.  As part of the parade, the Dean of Faculty Military Science, Professor Samuel Tshehla, read the Military Academy Code of Honour to the students, which should serve as a guideline for them to complete their studies successfully.

The evening of the 29^th of January, saw first year students and staff of the Military Academy (Faculty of Military Science) attending the Academic Opening for 2015 – formally getting the academic year underway to the beat of the Diazville High School Band.  The unit were privileged to have the Acting Rector and Vice-Chancellor of Stellenbosch University, Professor Leopoldt van Huyssteen, as the guest speaker.

Prof van Huyssteen reminded everyone that "a good start is half the battle" and that the university places a high premium on excellence.  "We are now ranked amongst the top 2% of higher-education institutions in the world and the high academic achievements here at Saldanha (Military Academy) is part of this success story.  Last year, 38 BMil degrees, 12 Honours degrees and 2 master's Degrees were awarded here."  He also stated that "it is an honour for Stellenbosch University to contribute, through the Faculty of Military Science and the Military Academy, to such important structures in our country as the DOD and the SANDF"

Prof van Huyssteen also highlighted that Community Interaction is one of the core activities of the university, "because the pursuit of knowledge is not of much use if it does not improve people's lives."  In September 2014, the university has concluded an agreement with the Saldanha Bay Municipality to be the "knowledge partner" of the community through its structure at the Military Academy.

As Brigadier General Mbatha has pledged that we remain committed as an institution irrespective of the challenges we are encountering, to be focused and committed to our vision and mission, we wish the intake of 2015 a prosperous three years at the Military Academy.

​We need to act on climate change immediately if we are to avert a human and environmental crisis in the near future, writes Prof Bob Mash of the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences at Stellenbosch University in an opinion article published in the Cape Times on Thursday, 26 February 2015. The same article also appeared in the Mercury under the heading Time to act on climate change is now.

The complete article, as it was published, follows below:

Two responses needed to climate change: Time for mitigation and adaptation

Imagine you take your 3-week old baby to the doctor with a suspected infection and fever of more than 38°C. Would you want the doctor to take specimens and then wait days for certainty before treating your child or would you want treatment immediately?

Most doctors would treat immediately because they know that the risk of calamity is real and if they wait it may be too late. This type of decision making, familiar to all health professionals, is what is required if we are to avert a human and planetary crisis in the coming decades.

Late last year, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) of the United Nations (UN) published a report spelling out the expected impact of climate change on human health and social wellbeing. The Panel found that "climate change is a severe threat to future sustainable development."

We should pay attention and act right away. After all, the report represents the consensus of hundreds of scientists who have appraised the work of thousands of their colleagues from around the world.

It is expected that climate change will affect human health in three different ways. First, an increase in such extreme weather events as heat waves and storms will lead to heat stress, drought, fires, flooding and storm damage. These will have direct consequences for people's health, as well as disrupt such infrastructure as roads, power supply and health services.

Second, our natural systems will be negatively affected. There will be more allergens and air pollution, decreased food production, an increase in diseases borne by food and water, and changes to the patterns of infectious diseases.

Third, our social systems will suffer because of societal disruption, forced migration, conflict and mental stress. If we unpack these three categories, a scary picture emerges.

Access to safe water supplies for drinking and irrigation is predicted to become more difficult. This goes for both urban and rural communities. And Southern Africa will suffer more because water is already scarce here.

Crop yields in Africa are predicted to be more variable, with a decrease in coarse grains (maize, barley, sorghum) of 17-22% in the near future. The yields of such other major crops as wheat and rice are also predicted to decrease. Changes in crop yield and food prices due to extreme weather events have already been seen in Russia and the USA.

In the context of rapid urbanisation in African cities with large informal settlements that are already at risk of flooding or fire, climate change will further expose large numbers of vulnerable people. Pregnant women, people with chronic diseases, small children and the elderly will be the most vulnerable.

The effect of climate altering pollutants other than CO₂, is uncertain, but 7% of the global burden of disease in 2010 was already assigned to respiratory and cardio-vascular illness resulting from such air pollution.

Diseases such as malaria, dengue fever, tick-borne encephalitis, haemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome, Lyme disease and Japanese encephalitis are seen as climate-sensitive infections. Changing climate can lead to a change in the habitat that supports the insect vectors of these diseases, and this could lead to new communities being exposed.

Climate change is just one of many human related impacts on planetary ecosystems. Others include deforestation, agriculture, road building, fishing, mining and the damming of rivers – all affecting our natural ecosystems.

Climate change is expected to have a disruptive impact on many species and their services to the ecosystem. The combination of acidification of oceans and warming of sea water will lead to a loss of fish, coral reefs and associated biodiversity.

From the above description of the risks associated with climate change one can see how these effects could lead to the displacement of populations, conflict over scarce resources and a breakdown in social solidarity.

What to do about it – that is the question. Two of the main responses are adaptation and mitigation.

Adaptation refers to the resilience of communities and their ability to handle the consequences of climate change. The ability to adapt will be related to the magnitude of climate change and its consequences.

The less we are able to mitigate or reduce greenhouse gas emissions, the harder adaptation becomes. And poor, informal and vulnerable communities will be the least able to adapt to the effects of climate change – making this a major challenge in South Africa. Without adequate adaptation, the number of malnourished children globally under the age of 5 years may increase by 20-25 million by 2050.

The health sector has a big role to play. The resilience of communities can be increased by strong primary health care and public health expertise with warning systems that alert us to impending risks. Well-functioning disaster management and emergency medical services will also be important.

Adaptation can only be successful if we are also able to mitigate ongoing greenhouse gas emissions, primarily though reducing our dependence on fossil fuels. In this regard the exploration of new fossil fuel reserves by technologies such as fracking is seen by many as unethical, because the burning of our existing reserves from more conventional sources will already take us way past safe levels of CO₂ emissions.

Delays in mitigation now may mean that it is too late to avert worst-case scenarios later on. Unsustainable development is therefore a threat in terms of increased climate change and reduced resilience.

Decision makers have the complex task of shaping policies that integrate sustainability and development. Governments must balance the need for energy security (keeping the lights on), energy access (extending affordable electricity to more people) and environmental impact (avoiding the destruction of ecosystems).

Sadly, after 20 years of global dialogue on climate change, governments and other major players seem unwilling to provide the leadership required to solve this problem. One exception is the Global Green and Healthy Hospitals Network. It unites nearly 500 healthcare structures and organisations on six continents that are committed to reducing their ecological footprint and promoting environmental health.

The Western Cape Department of Health and the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences at Stellenbosch University are two of only a handful of African health organisations to join this initiative. This highlights the need for a global movement of professionals concerned for the health of both the planet and its 7 billion people – before it is too late.

* Professor Bob Mash is head of family medicine and primary care at Stellenbosch University's Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, and chairs its Green Committee.

Stellenbosch University students will get an opportunity to visit universities from around the world - without having to leave the campus. Representatives of universities from the continent, Europe, the US, Asia and Australia will be at the university on 19 March, taking part in an International Mobility Fair in the Neelsie Student Centre. They will give first-hand information about study opportunities at their respective institutions. The activities form part of International Week, celebrated by the Postgraduate and International Office (PGIO) from 16-19 March. 

Adding flavour to International Week activities the PGIO will also host the ever popular International Food Evening. This cooking feast will take visitors on a tour around the world with Maties international students preparing food from their home countries.

Students can look forward to a week filled with international activities says Jan Willem van der Westhuizen, Coordinator: Student Exchanges and Mobility Programmes at the PGIO. "There will be various information sessions on campus, information stalls at faculty buildings, direct engagement with student leadership and other interesting events."

Van der Westhuizen says International Week serves as an opportunity to create awareness about international study opportunities abroad. "The world is an awfully big place. How much of it have you seen?"

Coinciding with International Week the PGIO will also host the annual Stellenbosch International Academic Networks (SIAN) meeting from 17-21 March. The meeting will see international partners engage with SU staff members on topics focussing on internationalisation during workshops and social events.

Programme with dates and venues for International Week can be found here

The Stellenbosch University management regards acts of racism, violence, verbal abuse or human rights violations against any of its students in a very serious light, irrespective of whether the incident occurred on campus property or elsewhere. This was the reaction of Prof Leopoldt van Huyssteen, Acting Rector and Vice-Chancellor of Stellenbosch University, in response to reports of an alleged racist incident at a commercial fast food outlet in Stellenbosch in the early hours of Saturday morning.  

Prof Van Huyssteen added that the University Management welcomes engagement with student organisations, and that they have an open invitation to discuss matters that are important to the campus community.

The particular incident was reported to the Campus Security office in Merriman Avenue, and the student was accompanied by Campus Security officers back to the scene of the incident (off campus) to identify the alleged assailants. Unfortunately no-one could be identified by the complainant; it is thought that they had left the scene. SAPS investigators were at the scene of the incident this afternoon (Tuesday) and the University will be assisting with the investigation.

At this time the identity of the attackers are unknown to the University and for now the primary focus will be to support the injured students. The University's Crisis Service has been in contact with them to offer support and counselling.

"I would like to make the University's stance very clear," Prof Van Huyssteen said in a statement released to the media. "We have a zero tolerance approach to racism and discrimination. We will institute action against any student found guilty of any behaviour or utterances that contravene the Disciplinary Code for Students, or if convicted of any criminal offence. If you study at Stellenbosch University, it not only means that you are here to obtain a quality degree or diploma; it means that you also subscribe to our institutional values and objectives of inclusiveness.

"The assumptions and innuendo that any actions by Stellenbosch students that constitute racism, discrimination or criminal behaviour have institutional sanction or support are unfounded.  It is also unreasonable to lump the institution into the 'racist category' as a result of the reprehensible actions of individuals.

"It also is important to clarify the role and mandate of the Campus Security division to avoid unrealistic expectations. Campus Security is not a law enforcement agency equal to the South African Police Services (SAPS). Although assistance will be rendered in emergencies such as the events reported on Saturday morning, Campus Security staff do not have any jurisdiction in public or commercial areas, and neither do they have the authority to investigate criminal offences. The Campus Security division does however have a close working relationship with the SAPS."  

If the alleged assailants in Saturday's incident are confirmed to be Stellenbosch students, the internal disciplinary process will be activated.

Look out for the red arrows and notice boards leading to the JC Smuts Building in Merriman Street if you want to explore study opportunities in the Faculty of Science at Stellenbosch University's Open Day this Saturday 28 February.

All our departments and divisions – Earth Sciences, Biochemistry, Chemistry and Polymer Science, Physics, Physiological Sciences, Microbiology, Mathematics, Applied Mathematics and Computer Science – will be present with information about a variety of study opportunities, postgraduate research and career opportunities in the various fields.

Information sessions on study opportunities in science

If you need an overview of everything on offer in the Faculty of Science and what a future career in science involves, then don't miss the information sessions presented by Ms Mariétta van den Worm, Director: Faculty Management.

The four information sessions takes place in Auditorium A201 in the JC Smuts Building in the following time slots:

• 10:30 to 11:15
• 12:00 to 12:45
• 13:30 to 14:14 and
• 14:30 to 15:15

Also be on the lookout for the Faculty's academic adviser, Mrs Wilma Wagener, at the information table at the entrance to the JC Smuts Building. You can discuss general and specific entry requirements and application procedures with her. If you miss her on Saturday, then make sure to contact her via e-mail before you apply at scienceadmin@sun.ac.za.

For all other enquires, contact the Faculty Secretary Mr Bevin Abels at bpa@sun.ac.za or go to www.maties.com

​VIVUS February 2015 - read about the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences' innovation, engagement and excellence.

​​It has been decades since the water-lily ponds of the Botanical Garden housed tropical water lilies, including the giant Victoria water lilies. 

The historic water-lily ponds in the Botanical Garden was recently renovated and with the utilisation of green technology the water is once again heated to bring these exceptional plants back to the Garden’s collections. 

These recent changes to the Botanical Garden’s infrastructure are the first phase of a plan to ensure that the Botanical Garden is more sustainable with regard to energy use. The same solar panels currently used to heat the pond water will also be used to heat two greenhouses in winter.

For a few years after the construction of the ponds in the 1960s it was heated every summer to grow these impressive tropical water-lilies. These plants proved so popular that special extended opening hours used to be arranged for the public to view the Victoria flowers which opens only at night. 

The first evening the Victoria flowers are white and have an extremely sweet smell, the second evening the flowers turn pink before it disappears underneath the water, only to reappear when the seeds are ripe. The latest batch of Victoria water-lilies were grown from seed send from Longwood Gardens in the USA and the University of Helsinki Botanical Garden in Finland. At the end of this season the Garden staff will collect the seed of these giant annuals to avoid the hassle of importing seed annually.

Although the plants are still relatively small they are already getting the attention of many visitors and they should only become more impressive and will start flowering as summer progresses. The Botanical Garden is open seven days a week from 8:00 to 17:00 and admission is free.

• The Botanical Garden will be open these holidays, with the exception of Christmas Day. On all other public holidays including Boxing Day and New Year's Day the Garden will be open daily from 8:00 to 17:00.​
  

​​Six exhibitions by various artists in six days. And − to top it all − the exhibitions will be open for viewing from as early as six o'clock in the morning!

"I'm probably the only curator in the country who'd be mad enough to take on something like this," confesses Alex Hamilton, the man behind the exhibition Opskiete – popups − that will be on show at the University's art gallery (the SU Museum) during the Stellenbosch University (SU) Woordfees, which will run from 9 March to 14 March.

"At that time of the morning there are already people who come and listen to the live broadcasts of the radio station RSG at the Plataan café under those huge old plane trees behind the Museum," Hamilton explains, who also runs a gallery from his studio in Woodstock, Cape Town. "I thought it might be a good idea to give them something extra to do so early in the morning."

The works that will be exhibited and for sale at Opskiete will be diverse: they will range from pencil sketches to ceramic works. And the artists − who will take part in the three group and three solo exhibitions over the course of the six days − will be equally diverse.

The themes will be 'O . . . FAK!' ('FAK' usually stands for Federasie van Afrikaanse Kultuurvereniginge, a  federation of Afrikaans cultural associations), 'Op-Sessie' (a play on the word 'obsession'), 'Opgradeer' (Upgrade), 'Oop boek (Open book) – Frida Kahlo', 'Op dees aarde' (literally 'On this earth') and 'Die sondes van ons vaders' (The sins of our fathers). But who the artists will be remains secret!

This kind of experiment is, of course, risky − you cannot judge its success before the time. But it is also this uncertainty and playfulness that is alluring.

"Even though it might be risky, it's so much fun working on these exhibitions – and each one will be interesting," Hamilton assures us. "The artists live all over the country; some are already established while others are at the start of their careers."

There will be something for every pocket, with prices starting at about R200. And if your pockets are deep – prices go up to several thousands of rand as well.

"I don't believe in elitism. Art should be accessible to everyone and people should actually want to come to galleries," says Hamilton.

Festival-goers will have exactly 12 hours to visit each daily popup; the art works of that specific popup will then be taken down at 18:00 on that day, to be replaced by the next popup on the following day.

Hamilton will also be curating Die alfabeter − The alphabeter − a play on words. For this exhibition, the artists each get one of the 26 letters of the alphabet and, with these as point of departure, use popular, historic and nostalgic words and sayings to create their artwork.

In contrast with Opskiet, the names of the artists taking part in this exhibition at the PJ Olivier Art Centre are not secret. Two of these artists are Hannelie Tante, who uses the letter 'R' to create a work around rugby and rubber, while Stephen Rosin uses 'S' to cast light – or is it darkness? − on the concept of 'state'. But be warned: these words and works cannot be used to teach school learners the alphabet!

Hamilton, who is an industrious user of social media, explains that those who cannot attend the exhibitions − they may live in another part of the country or even in another country altogether − will still be able to be part of the fun.

"I'll be sending out messages on social media very regularly and, in so doing, will be able to involve people who may be far away."

Yet another exciting Woordfees happening is the auctioning of the benches dotted around Stellenbosch over the past year. The benches, all works for the public art project Kom sit/Come sit/ Hlala phantsi Stellenbosch created by artists and members of community projects, will be up for auction at the Lang Tafel (Long Table) on 6 March. The auctioneer? Actress, writer and director Lizz Meiring.

On the occasion of this same happening, the next public art project – Reflections – will be introduced. Artists taking part in this project include Jaco Sieberhagen, Strydom van der Merwe and Roelien Smit. These public art projects are run by the Stellenbosch Outdoor Sculpture Trust (SOST for short).

"Visual art at a festival is a necessity," says Dirkie Offringa of SOST. "Art isn't just Afrikaans. It crosses all kinds of boundaries, and people from different communities and language groups can therefore practice and appreciate it."

Public art is important, she believes, because people can touch it and feel it and children can climb all over it. It is this interaction between a work of art and the community that is so special.

"Public art goes a long way to undermining the perception of the inaccessibility of art. It also makes people more aware of their built environment," says Offringa.

Offringa is also curator of Woordfees artist Herman van Nazareth's exhibition at the SU Museum.

• ​Photo:  Blinkvosperd by artist Juanette Smuts. It will be part of the Opskiet art exhibition at die Woordfees. 
  

Here is a list of some of the other art exhibitions:

• 16 X 16: Ons (Us) is a photo exhibition of portraits by Erhardt Thiel (SU Museum).
• Ligvangers (Light catchers) is a conceptual photo exhibition and light presentation in which Chris van Niekerk investigates the evocative and emotional effect of light; this exhibition comprises 20 digital photos and a light projection (Drostdy Theatre).
• Cobus van Bosch's The trouble with money looks at how South African society has changed over the course of 100 years (PJ Olivier Art Centre).
• Filmverse (Film verses) is a series of short animation films based on 12 classic and contemporary Afrikaans poems (SU Museum).
• With Wanvoorstelling (Misrepresentation), Olaf Bisschoff delves into the relationship between the name and the portrayal of Afrikaans and South African place names (PJ Olivier Art Centre).
• Museum: Van been en as (Museum: Of bone and ash), Sandra Hanekom's first solo exhibition after three years as curator of the ABSA Klein Karoo National Arts Festival, interrogates the relationship between beauty and transience (PJ Olivier Art Centre).
• Untold Stories is a photographic exhibition by Tony Mac (Maake) (PJ Olivier Art Centre).
• The artist Colbert Mashile's work is hosted by SMAC Gallery.
• Towerwoorde roep my (Magic words call me) exhibits works by Clare Menck, Shany van den Bergh, Strijdom van der Merwe, Peter van Straten and Anton Smit in D-Street Gallery.
• Jewellery by Lilly Friedlaender, Juria le Roux, Carine Terblanche, Angela Tolken and Erica du Plessis can be seen in the Lilly Friedlaender Gallery.

​This year, the Stellenbosch University Woordfees (word festival) received a financial windfall through the WF20, an initiative of the chairman of the Woordfees advisory committee, Rudolf Gouws.

''Frankly, we shamelessly adopted the model used by the Clover Aardklop National Arts Festival, which for the past six years had been using 'AK21' to generate additional revenue for their festival," Gouws said grinning widely. His wife and brother are both directors of Aardklop, and "we believe the country's arts festivals need to work together and learn from each other, rather than compete against each other".

The WF20 is a simple concept according to which art lovers each donate R20 000 to the Woordfees every year. The money is used to sponsor a particular production.

"Twenty people have already bought into the initiative. We started the project this year and hopefully more people will become involved in future," said Gouws, who retired as chief economist of Rand Merchant Bank in 2009 and is associated with Stellenbosch University as professor extraordinary of economics.

Donors receive certain privileges that include being able to book tickets to shows one day ahead of the public; receiving invitations to the Woordfees programme launch; and having access to the hospitality suite at the Woordfees. Also included are special parking at the festival grounds; invitations to wine and music days; opportunities to meet the artists; and tickets to suites at the Spier Amphitheatre.

However, these privileges are not why people are prepared to become donors. "They do it to support the arts," Gouws explained.

This year, the Woordfees is being presented for the sixteenth time; the reason for the '16 ounces' theme. Despite strong attendance figures that increase annually, this festival – like almost every other arts festival across the world – is continually seeking new sources of revenue. Modern patrons such as Gouws and other sponsors accordingly play an important role to lighten the financial burden on these festivals.

"That is not unusual. The arts have always had patrons, both male and female. Among those are the Catholic Church and the de' Medici family of the Middle Ages," Gouws said. "If we want to see theatre and other art, we need to dip into our pockets and produce."

In the past, regional arts councils such as the Cape Performing Arts Board (CAPAB), the Performing Arts Council of the Transvaal (PACT) and the Performing Arts Council of the Orange Free State (PACOFS), through their ballet, opera and theatre companies, provided artists with a fairly stable source of income. Some of these councils also commissioned new productions. However, since the regional councils dissolved in the 1990s, national arts festivals have become a lifeline to many artists.

With the dissolution of the arts councils, government funding dried up almost entirely, and although it has been difficult to access significant amounts from the National Lottery, somehow it was possible to maintain existing or newly formed opera and ballet companies, including symphony orchestras – mostly under severe financial pressure. Given the large number of new theatre and music productions it is evident that artists will not allow their voices to be silenced by financial constraints.

But should government not step in again to support the arts through structures such as the arts councils?

"As the need is equally pressing in many other areas, it would be difficult to convince government of this. Moreover, the capacity for corruption in state structures would seem to be too discouraging to explore this idea further. I believe it would be more advantageous if those who are able to do so, join forces and make things happen," said Gouws.

He believes cooperation between the various arts festivals is important – not only because costs may be shared when presenting co‑productions – but also because expertise could be exchanged in the process.

"To this end, Marguerite Robinson who is programme consultant of Aardklop is one of the Woordfees adjudicators."

In 2011, the SU Woordfees won a kykNET Fiestas award as the most popular arts festival in the country. The Fiestas recently announced that the Woordfees was again one of the best festivals in the country. The winner will be announced in March.

"We are fortunate in that geographically we are conveniently located, which gives us a slight edge over other arts festivals. People from Durbanville, Gordonsbaai, Somerset West, Paarl, Wellington, Cape Town, and even from the Cape West Coast are within easy drive of Stellenbosch to come and see our shows. Our so‑called swallows – foreigners who live here for the South African summer – are also keen festivalgoers. An added advantage is that people who visit the Woordfees have easy access to the ocean and mountains."

Although Gouws's love of the arts embraces all genres, he evidently prefers classical music.

Paging through the Woordfees programme, Gouws said: "Just have a look at the incredible classical music programme. Nina Schumann and Luis Magalhães, Roelof and Zorada Temmingh ... to name but a few. No, it's impossible to single out a performance. Everything here is wonderful. We are fortunate to have someone of Peter Martens's stature in charge of things. As cellist and director of the Stellenbosch International Chamber Music Festival, Martens has a packed programme and is on tour continually. In addition, he does exceptional work for the Woordfees."

According to Gouws, his role as chairman of the Woordfees advisory committee is "to help open doors through my associations in the business world and to assist in coordinating a few things. However, Woordfees director of 2015, Saartjie Botha, and her team manage to do such incredible work that my role really pales next to theirs."