Dale Holroyd completed an MSc in Biochemistry (cum laude) in April 2002. Today he is the founder and director (communication) of ZapCarbon – a groundbreaking environmental sciences company based in London.

What did you study, when did you finish?

I completed my MSc in Biochemistry (cum laude) in April 2002

Describe your work experience prior to your official job search process.

While I was a student, I worked at restaurants which helped me develop good communication skills. I also tutored 2^nd and 3^rd year students, which really sharpened my base knowledge. I also started up a promotional clothing company during my Honours year. It was called CrazyFish and sold t-shirts and promotional clothing to "koshuis" groups and sports teams. This did really well, because I had four years' worth of student networks and friends in different committees to get business from. I stopped after I finished my MSc and moved to London.

What is your current employment?

In 2008, I started the company ZapCarbon.com with a friend who studied chemical engineering. We started part-time and after two years went full-time. Today ZapCarbon.com is a ground-breaking environmental sciences company based in London. I am also director for communication at the company.  

What is exciting about your work?

I am passionate about the positive impact we make on people, organisations and the environment. More importantly our whole business is driven by innovation and developing new products and programmes to solve specific problems, so no two days is ever the same!

Your advice to students entering the job market?

Networking and knowing the right people get you a job a lot faster than sending out a CV, even if you are in the top 3% of your academic class. I will highly recommend making a top 10 list of potential employees one to two years before you graduate and contacting those organisations for holiday internships. Focus on making contact with one important contact person in each of these organisations and try and either meet with them for coffee or request advice over the phone. This is the best investment you can ever make! Over 90% of the staff I have ever hired was through networks, not employment agencies.

What would you have done differently during your years at university?

We spend many years studying but often only spend a hand-full of days or weeks researching the outcomes of that three to seven year investment. So speak to as many people in your chosen industry as you can. Find out what their work day is like, what they like about their job, their career path and what your earning potential is. You also get a lot of job ideas you never would have thought of by speaking to people in your industry.

Read more about our BSc alumni in the work place:

	Biochemistry postgrad now manager at biomedical firm Chantelle Pretorius
	Going place with a BSc degree in Computer Science Carl Crous
	Any chemist's dream job James McCleary
	Dreamjobs: software developer at BlackGinger Morné Chamberlain

​Come and join in the fun with Sports, Creativity and movement.  Please contact Lorinda for more info at lorindak@sun.ac.za

​​​US Woordfees 2015 is done and dusted. Next year's festival will take place from 4-13 March 2016.

Artists can download application forms from our website and send it to adminfees@sun.ac.za. The application proses will close 15 June 2015.

Woordfees supporters, who cannot wait for next year's programme, can relive this year's highlights – through your ears. Iono.fm recorded some of the talks at this year's festival and you can listen to it – at home, in your car, even at the gym! There are 14 Discourse talks to choose from as well as 21 Author talks. You can even revisit previous festivals. Enjoy it until it is time to get ready for next year's festival! Go to iono.fm and enter 'Woordfees' in the search bar.

The winners of our WOORDtroFEES for 2015 are:

Best Actor: Tinarie van Wyk Loots in Orgie.

Best Supporting Actor: Richard September in Rondomskrik.

Best Director: Christiaan Olwagen for Dogma, Die Seemeeu and Son.Maan.Sterre.

Best Production: Dogma.

Best Music Inspired Production: Zoid. Zanne. Zolani. Karen Zoid, Zanne Stapelberg and Zolani Mahola with Carien Loubser as director.

Best Solo Musician: Joshua na die Reën.

Best Contemporary Music Group: Mango Groove.

Best Newcomer at Aan de Braak: Ont(Pop).

Best Classical Music Production: Afrikaanse Lied by die SU Chamber Choir under direction of Martin Berger.

Best Visual Art Presentation: Museum: Van Been en As by Sandra Hanekom.

Most Popular Prose: Ikarus by Deon Meyer.

Most Popular Lifestyle Book: Die Dans met God by Abel Pienaar.

Most Popular Poetry: Mede-wete by Antjie Krog.

WOW Teacher of the Year: Ms. Carol Adonis, Reygersdal Primary, Atlantis.

WOW School of the Year: Bernadino Heights Secondary

US Woordfees 2015 Festival Hero: Elwin September

US Woordfees 2015 Festival Hero: Joey Farao

South African online users may be exposed to cyber crimes if they don't rethink their online password strategies, says USB's Martin Butler. He did an online survey investigating South Africans' password strategies together with Prof Rika Butler of the School of Accountancy at Stellenbosch University.

The survey is the first to show that South African online consumers are overoptimistic about what they know about cyber security.

The survey was completed by more than 900 South African online users.

The Butlers are busy preparing recommended guidelines for online users to use for a safer online experience.

Click here for the full article that appeared in the Cape Times http://new-usb.belpark.sun.ac.za/Shared%20Documents/NewsClippings/SurveyhighlightesriskyonlinepasswordstrategyCAPETIMES.pdf ​

The 12^th annual Stellenbosch International Chamber Music Festival (SICMF) will be held from 3 to 12 July 2015. This year, the concert programme features several South African and World premieres, as well as the finalists' concert of the inaugural SICMF International Study Bursary Competition.

The SICMF is the biggest festival of its kind in Africa and has since 2004 brought together music students from across South Africa and acclaimed musicians from all over the world. The ten-day festival features ten evening concerts, as well as lunchtime concerts, master classes and lectures for the students.

About 300 South African music students will attend the 2015 festival, where they will receive coaching and master classes from the faculty of 30 international musicians at the Stellenbosch University Konservatorium. All the faculty members will perform in the evening concerts, which will be held in the Konservatorium's Endler Hall. The concert programmes feature exquisite chamber music works which are seldom heard in South Africa.

"The festival prides itself on bringing audiences new chamber music that they otherwise might never have heard. This is what makes the SICMF's series of concerts different from any other concert series in South Africa. The audience will this year experience works by both well-known composers, like Brahms and Haydn, and somewhat obscure composers," says Peter Martens, Festival Director.

Each year, the SICMF also commissions a South African composer to write a new work which is performed during the festival. This year, Cape Town composer Thomas Rajna wrote Black and Unknown Bards for tenor and wind ensemble especially for the festival.

Rajna was born in Budapest in 1928 where he started to play the piano and compose at an early age.  In 1947 he left Hungary to settle in London where he established himself as a pianist and composer. In 1970 he settled with his family in Cape Town and took up an appointment at the Faculty of Music of the University of Cape Town.

A special feature of this year's festival is the final of the SICMF International Study Bursary Competition, with a first prize of R200 000, making it the largest single bursary awarded by a South African classical music competition. The competition will be adjudicated by five SICMF faculty members over three rounds, culminating in the finals on Monday, 6 July. The finalists will perform a concerto, accompanied by the Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra.

"This year's 12^th SICMF will again be an illustrious event with great music performed by some of the world's most talented artists. Music lovers should make sure not to miss a single concert," says Martens.

The SICMF runs from Friday, 3 July to Sunday, 12 July. Tickets are available from Computicket, or phone 021 808 2358. Visit www.sicmf.co.za for more detail about the programme and performers.

The Faculty of Science wants to establish a unique identity by means of a faculty emblem which can be used together with the official SU corporate logo to represent the Faculty.

If you ‒ as student or employee ‒ in the Faculty of Science want to apply your creative designing skills to help us in our search for such an emblem, we would like to invite you to submit an artwork proposal.

Please take note of the following requirements:

• It must be compatible with, and be representative of the three mainstream disciplines in the Faculty, namely the 1) Biological, 2) Physical and 3) Mathematical Sciences.
• The colour(s) used in the emblem should be in accordance with the official SU guidelines for the Faculty of Science, while the SU corporate logo colours should also be taken into account. See: http://www.sun.ac.za/english/corporate-identity/identification-elements/faculty-colours-emblems
• It must be compatible with the SU corporate logo, in order to be used together (the SU logo may not be deconstructed) see: http://www.sun.ac.za/english/corporate-identity/downloads/su-logo
• It should be bold enough to be used independently of the SU logo.
• The emblem should be sufficiently formal for use in a corporate communication context such as on:  letterheads, e-mail messages, brochures and other official faculty communication.
• A deconstructed version of the emblem must be usable in less formal contexts such as: in the marketing of Science Café Stellenbosch on Facebook and Twitter.

The final artwork proposal, as well as examples of the various applications of the emblem (illustrating the abovementioned requirements) can be submitted to science@sun.ac.za in jpg and pdf format by 25 May 2015.

A dinner for two on a wine farm is up for grabs. The entries will be adjudicated at the discretion of the faculty's management committee.

Stellenbosch University (SU) needs discussions without borders, an open debate where ideas and points of view can circulate freely. This is how Prof Wim de Villiers, Rector and Vice-Chancellor, motivated the campus community to participate in the robust debate on transformation. In an e-mail to staff and a video message to students today (Tuesday 12 May), he also made an appeal for a spirit of tolerance and respect.

In his communication to staff Prof De Villiers confirmed that he had extended an invitation to the Open Stellenbosch leadership to engage with the University Management, and that he would take delivery of the movement's Memorandum on the Rooiplein on Wednesday 13 May 2015.

Click here for the email to staff.

According to Prof De Villiers it is encouraging that the "circulation of ideas" has started at various levels and places throughout the University. An example is a process initiated by the SRC to produce a Policy on Discrimination. Management is a willing participant in this discussion.

Other processes have also been running on campus. Management often meets with the SRC and various other student organisations around the transformation agenda. A committee of staff members and students are working on identifying controversial names and symbols, and are also discussing how to handle these matters.

In a video message to students Prof De Villiers emphasised that the University would not tolerate discrimination or racism, and that it would take steps against any person who acts contrary to the institution's values.

Click here for the video message to students.

HF Verwoerd plaque

"Obstacles in the path of unity and progress should be removed – like the HF Verwoerd plaque in our Accounting and Statistics Building," Prof De Villiers said. A ceremony will take place on 27 May at 17:00 to remove the plaque. Though specific guests will be invited, the event will be open to all who want to attend, and it will be streamed live over the internet (www.sun.ac.za/streaming).

"This plaque will provisionally be placed in the University Archive. This gives us the opportunity to talk about symbols on campus, as an institution of learning and critical debate should."

​​​​​The National Assembly congratulated the team of pioneering surgeons from Stellenbosch University (SU) and Tygerberg Hospital that performed the first successful penile transplant in the world in December 2014. Prof André van der Merwe, Head of the Division of Urology in SU's Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, led the operation.

In a congratulatory letter dated 24 March 2015, Ms Baleke Mbete, Speaker of The National Assembly, informed Dr Dimitri Erasmus, Chief Executive Officer of Tygerberg Hospital, that the National Assembly acknowledged that the first successful penile transplant in the world was part of a pilot study by Tygerberg Hospital and SU to help scores of initiates who lose their penises in botched operations each year.

"The Assembly believed that the procedure could eventually be extended to men who have lost their penises to cancer or as a last resort to severe erectile dysfunction," Mbete said.

"The Assembly congratulates the doctors of the Tygerberg Hospital and the University of Stellenbosch for raising the South African flag high."

In reaction to the congratulatory message from the National Assembly, Prof Jimmy Volmink, Dean of SU's Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, said the first successful penile transplant "is another excellent example of how medical research, technical know-how and patient-centred care can be combined in the quest to relieve human suffering".

Prof André van der Merwe expressed his appreciation and said: "It means a lot to us as a team that Parliament has acknowledged Stellenbosch University and Tygerberg Hospital. It makes us their choice of experts in this area and paves the way for improved negotiations between management and Western Cape and national health authorities – probably in more areas than just combined tissue transplant."

• Click here for the article on the first successful penile transplant in the world.
• Photo: Prof André van der Merwe of SU's Division of Urology
• Photographer: Stefan Els

A new residence has gone up on the Tygerberg campus.  But unlike the typical hostels that house human TygerMaties, these wooden structures on the sports field behind Meerhoff residence were built to accommodate bats.

The boxes form part of a large research project by postgraduate students with the Division of Medical Virology who are studying local bat populations. The Tygerberg boxes are part of a project which has seen several bat boxes placed around the Cape Peninsula.

"Our research looks at bat viruses," explains Dr Ndapewa Ithete. "We are monitoring bat colonies over a period of time. We collect and examine the faecal pellets to see if there are any viruses in the population, and how the disease profile changes over time."

The research group, led by Ithete (a postdoctoral researcher), consists of three PhD students and a master's student. They are studying corona-, paramyxo-, astro- and flu viruses. Several bat boxes were placed in the False Bay and Tygerberg nature reserves and on the Tygergberg campus. And the team is also collaborating with other researchers at the University of KwaZulu-Natal.

"By monitoring the bats and collecting ecological data we might be able to determine what drives bat viruses to jump from bats to other species," says Ithete.

In 2013, Ithete discovered a corona virus similar to the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) in a bat in KwaZulu-Natal, suggesting that the MERS virus, which is affecting human populations in the Middle East, possibly developed in bats, jumped to camels and eventually to humans.

It is thought that their social structure (living together in large groups), long lifespans, their ability to travel long distances and host viruses without being affected by it, make bats natural virus carriers.

The team is also conducting similar studies on rodents to determine the impact that declining habitats have on the ectoparasites (ticks, fleas and mites) and viruses hosted in these populations.

Photo: Tashim Suliman, Nadine Sampson, Karlien Malan, Karnustha Poovan, Bronwyn Kleinhans and Ndapewa Ithete make up the research team from the Division of Virology using the bat boxes in their studies.

​​​The University of Stellenbosch Business School (USB) is hosting two Information Sessions in Nairobi, Kenya, and Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, next week.

Martin Butler, a senior academic staff member, and Alex Matheri, the USB representative in East Africa, will discuss USB's internationally accredited programmes with prospective students.

Martin and Alex will discuss USB's MBA that has been redesigned for 2016 to better suit students from Africa.

They will also introduce the new Postgraduate Diploma in Business Management and Administration (PGDipBMA), which allows students to choose between on-campus and online delivery, or a combination of both (blended). ​

Research on grain cultivation at Stellenbosch University will in future be made much simpler, thanks to the donation of a new South African designed Equalizer minimum till plot planter. The donation was made to the Department of Agronomy by the Theebo Tech company in Cape Town.

The Department of Agronomy is involved in research on a variety of cereal crops cultivated in the Western Cape winter rainfall areas, including wheat, oats, lupine, barley and canola. Grain is sowed on a number of farms in the region for research purposes. With the Department's outdated equipment most soil had to be tilled up to three times before this could be done.

The value of the new equipment is about R150 000.  Similar equipment imported from abroad would have cost about R1.5 million.

With the Equalizer single minimum tilling implement a farmer only has to till his fields once per season. With this method, the soil is prepared and sowing takes place at the same time. The Equalizer planter can thoroughly cultivate any soil type and through various types of crop residue, to ensure a uniform emergence of seed.

According to Gideon Schreuder, managing director of Theebo Tech, the donation is part of an initiative to invest in the industry within which the company operates, and also to contribute to a creditworthy research institute such as SU.

SU is also his alma mater, as he obtained his degree in mechanical engineering here in 1996.

Schreuder hopes the equipment will make a contribution to highlighting best practice in grain cultivation, through agronomic research. He would like to achieve clarity on whether a tine or a disc planter is most advantageous in Western Cape conditions, among other issues.

The handover function coincided with the first winter rain in the Western Cape. At this event Prof Danie Brink, acting dean of the Faculty of AgriScience at SU, praised private sector partners like Theebo Tech for their support of research and development endeavours, and in the process also promote food security.

According to Prof Nick Kotzé, chairperson of the Department of Agronomy, the challenge is to remain at the forefront of research on industry-specific aspects, and to supply the agricultural community with answers for their specific problems, based on scientific trials. "The Equalizer minimum till plot planter will enable researchers of the department to do timeous planting trials and research a wide range of crops, while also intensively studying cultivation practices," he said.

He described Schreuder to the students present as an inspiration and an example of a real entrepreneur. Although Theebo Tech was only launched in 2000, it has been the market leader in the sales of similar air pressure planters in the Western Cape since 2006, and already has 110 employees. It also supplies wide frame precision planters for the planting of various crops in South Africa's summer rainfall areas, in other countries in Africa and in Australia.

His enterprise was launched after he achieved success with a grain sieve which he initially designed for use on the Schreuder family farm outside Hopefield. The Equalizer minimum till planters followed in 2000. They were based on existing principles but adapted to the robust local conditions, such as the rocky soil of the Western Cape.​​

​

Ton Vosloo, recently retired Chairperson of Naspers, has been appointed as a Honorary Professor in the Department of Journalism at Stellenbosch University (SU).

The category of honorary professorship at SU honours individuals with proven specialised expertise or with a high professional and highly skilled status. The same criteria that apply to the appointment of professors are used to evaluate candidates for honorary professorships, for which the title of professor is also used.

Vosloo will, from time to time, hold interactive sessions with students to inspire a new generation of journalists.

"It will be a privilege for me – a 'prehistoric' journalist − to exchange ideas with the new generation of prospective media practitioners in this rapidly changing world of ours," Vosloo said of his appointment. And added: "It will keep me on my toes."

Prof Lizette Rabe, Chairperson of the Department, said that Vosloo's appointment is in recognition of a career built on a foundation of excellence and that it is a great honour for the Department that Vosloo accepted the professorship. "His experience in the fields both of journalism and of media management means that he can share valuable insight with our students. As a journalist and as a business leader, he changed the world of media in South Africa fundamentally."

When Vosloo − regarded as the paterfamilias of an entire generation of journalists – retired from the Naspers Board as Chairperson, an era came to an end. He had, after all, been part of Naspers since May 1956 when he started work at Die Oosterlig, today Die Burger-Oos. He was also a founder member of the editorial staff both of the Sunday paper Die Beeld in 1965 (precursor to Rapport of 1970) and of the daily Beeld, founded in 1974, of which he later also became editor. In 1984, he was appointed Managing Director of Naspers and was Executive Chairperson from 1992 to 1997. In 1985, Vosloo was instrumental in the establishment of M-Net, from which sprouted various other companies and which, under his guidance, spread to the rest of Africa, to Europe, to the Middle East, to Asia and to America. Naspers was transformed from a print-media company to an international digital-technology giant.

Under the dynamic leadership of the duo Koos Bekker, appointed Managing Director in 1997, and Vosloo, then Non-Executive Chairperson, Naspers has grown into a multinational group operating in more than 130 countries. Bekker has recently succeeded Vosloo as Non-Executive Chairperson of Naspers.

Vosloo was a Nieman Fellow at Harvard from 1970 to 1971 and among his three honorary doctorates is one from SU, which he received in 2001. He has been Chairperson of various Naspers affiliates, Non-Executive Chairperson of Sanlam, Chairperson of the World Wide Fund for Nature South Africa and of the Cape Philharmonic Orchestra, and Founder Trustee of the Foundation for Empowerment through Afrikaans. In 1992, Vosloo, as President of the Newspaper Press Union, led the South African delegation to the conference of the World Association of Newspapers in Prague, where South Africa was reinstated as a member of this body.

(Photo: Natalie Gabriels, Die Burger)

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

US President Barack Obama said that increasing income inequality is the "defining challenge of our time". Although he was addressing an American audience at the time, inequality is a global issue, and one that is particularly pressing in South Africa. In 2011 the World Bank ranked South Africa as the world's most unequal country in terms of income disparity with a GINI coefficient of 65 (0 indicates total equality while 100 indicates complete inequality).

"South Africa is one of the most unequal societies in the world. Although our gross national income falls within the range of middle-income countries, it is not a good indication of income distribution, as the country experiences extremes in terms of poverty and wealth," said Prof Lilian Dudley, who heads the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences (FMHS)'s Centre for Health Systems and Services Research and Development (CHSSRD).

The income disparities caused and maintained by the former apartheid system follow mainly racial lines. Although apartheid was abolished in 1994 and South Africa is now enjoying its 20th year of democracy, data shows that the income gap between rich and poor has actually increased over the last two decades.

The inequalities in South Africa's socio-economic landscape are amplified by the skewed distribution of health resources in the country, with a disproportionately high concentration of resources in the private sector and metropolitan regions, explained Prof Ronelle Burger from Stellenbosch University's Department of Economics.

South Africa's health system is polarised with around 16% of the population covered by medical insurance and using private health care almost exclusively, while the uninsured 84% mostly rely on public facilities.

In 2010 there were 6 775 medical practitioners working in the private sector (around one doctor per 1 200 population), and 11 309 in the public sector (around one doctor per 3 700 population). For medical specialists the numbers were even worse with 5 410 working in the private sector in 2010 (one specialist per 1 500 population) compared to only 4 442 being employed in the public sector (one specialist per 9 500 population).

The unequal division of health resources is not limited to medical staff and can be seen throughout the whole health system, from the amount of beds available to the availability of medication and equipment.

"The allocation of resources in the two systems also determines the value that is placed on a life. A prime example is the different resuscitation rules in public and private hospitals. Babies born at 26 weeks in a public hospital will not be resuscitated because the lack of resources makes it difficult to keep the baby alive, whereas in a private hospital, babies are often resuscitated at 26 weeks," said Burger.

"There will always be some inequality, but the polarisation between the two systems is extreme with very little on offer for the so called middle market," said Burger. Compounding the health problem for South Africa's poor is that in addition to low levels of resources, the burden of disease and disability is also much greater among lower socio-economic groups.

"At present, South Africa represents a classic example of the inverse care law;  the lowest socio-economic groups bear the largest burden of ill health but have the lowest level of health service utilisation and derive the least benefits from service use," Akazili, Ataguba and McIntyre wrote in a 2011 article published in the International Journal for Equity in Health.

"South Africa's leading burden of disease is dominated by diseases related to poverty," said Dudley. "TB and HIV are the biggest causes of ill health and death in adults, while diarrhoeal disease and pneumonia are the leading causes of ill health and death in children. And these diseases are all highly preventable and related to poverty."

At the same time the country is also experiencing an increase in non-communicable diseases, or so-called diseases of lifestyle such as diabetes and hypertension, which are also disproportionately affecting poorer populations, according to Akazili et al.

Read more…

Photo: Prof Lilian Dudley 

​​​Prof Wim De Villiers, Rector and Vice-Chancellor of Stellenbosch University (SU), received a memorandum of demands handed to him by the Open Stellenbosch movement at a gathering on the Rooiplein on Wednesday (13 May 2015).

The memorandum contains the concerns of the students and staff members who are pa​rt of the movement about SU's Language Policy, approved by Council in November. According to the movement, the policy is indicative of larger transformation issues at the University, and does not sufficiently cater for the needs of students who do not speak Afrikaans. They want the Language Policy to be reviewed.

"I acknowledge receipt of this memorandum and I can assure you that we will pay attention to it," Prof De Villiers said.

He explained that it would, however, be difficult to adhere to the deadline of one week because he will be travelling abroad next week on official business.

Prof De Villiers repeated his invitation to the leadership of Open Stellenbosch to engage in discussions with Management.  

In a video message to students and an e-mail to staff on Tuesday (12 May), Prof De Villiers encouraged the university community to participate in the robust debate on transformation currently underway, but in a spirit of tolerance and respect.

Prof De Villiers then excused himself to leave for prior engagements: an appointment with Simonsberg Men's Residence, and attending the Budget Vote of the Minister of Higher Education and Training in Parliament. He only received an invitation to the Rooiplein gathering on Monday evening. The gathering was also attended by members of the Rhodes Must Fall grouping at the University of Cape Town.

When the gathering on the Rooiplein ended at 14:00, a core group of participants marched to the entrance of Admin B in Victoria Street. They demanded that Prof Schoonwinkel should address them on his remarks at Student Parliament last week about Afrikaans as medium of instruction at SU.

Prof Schoonwinkel said his remarks were not intended to be offensive or hurtful, and offered an apology.

"I retract the statement made at [Student] Parliament and admit that it did cause pain."

Prof Wim De Villiers, Rector and Vice-Chancellor of Stellenbosch University (SU), received a memorandum of demands handed to him by the Open Stellenbosch movement at a gathering on the Rooiplein on Wednesday (13 May 2015).

The memorandum contains the concerns of the students and staff members who are part of the movement about SU's Language Policy, approved by Council in November. According to the movement, the policy is indicative of larger transformation issues at the University, and does not sufficiently cater for the needs of students who do not speak Afrikaans. They want the Language Policy to be reviewed.

"I acknowledge receipt of this memorandum and I can assure you that we will pay attention to it," Prof De Villiers said.

He explained that it would, however, be difficult to adhere to the deadline of one week because he will be travelling abroad next week on official business.

Prof De Villiers repeated his invitation to the leadership of Open Stellenbosch to engage in discussions with Management.  

In a video message to students and an e-mail to staff on Tuesday (12 May), Prof De Villiers encouraged the university community to participate in the robust debate on transformation currently underway, but in a spirit of tolerance and respect.

Prof De Villiers then excused himself to leave for prior engagements: an appointment with Simonsberg Men's Residence, and attending the Budget Vote of the Minister of Higher Education and Training in Parliament. He only received an invitation to the Rooiplein gathering on Monday evening. The gathering was also attended by members of the Rhodes Must Fall grouping at the University of Cape Town.

When the gathering on the Rooiplein ended at 14:00, a core group of participants marched to the entrance of Admin B in Victoria Street. They demanded that Prof Schoonwinkel should address them on his remarks at Student Parliament last week about Afrikaans as medium of instruction at SU.

Prof Schoonwinkel said his remarks were not intended to be offensive or hurtful, and offered an apology.

"I retract the statement made at [Student] Parliament and admit that it did cause pain."

Prof Wim De Villiers, Rector and Vice-Chancellor of Stellenbosch University (SU), received a memorandum of demands handed to him by the Open Stellenbosch movement at a gathering on the Rooiplein on Wednesday (13 May 2015).

The memorandum contains the concerns of the students and staff members who are part of the movement about SU's Language Policy, approved by Council in November. According to the movement, the policy is indicative of larger transformation issues at the University, and does not sufficiently cater for the needs of students who do not speak Afrikaans. They want the Language Policy to be reviewed.

"I acknowledge receipt of this memorandum and I can assure you that we will pay attention to it," Prof De Villiers said.

He explained that it would, however, be difficult to adhere to the deadline of one week because he will be travelling abroad next week on official business.

Prof De Villiers repeated his invitation to the leadership of Open Stellenbosch to engage in discussions with Management.  

In a video message to students and an e-mail to staff on Tuesday (12 May), Prof De Villiers encouraged the university community to participate in the robust debate on transformation currently underway, but in a spirit of tolerance and respect.

Prof De Villiers then excused himself to leave for prior engagements: an appointment with Simonsberg Men's Residence, and attending the Budget Vote of the Minister of Higher Education and Training in Parliament. He only received an invitation to the Rooiplein gathering on Monday evening. The gathering was also attended by members of the Rhodes Must Fall grouping at the University of Cape Town.

When the gathering on the Rooiplein ended at 14:00, a core group of participants marched to the entrance of Admin B in Victoria Street. They demanded that Prof Schoonwinkel should address them on his remarks at Student Parliament last week about Afrikaans as medium of instruction at SU.

Prof Schoonwinkel said his remarks were not intended to be offensive or hurtful, and offered an apology.

"I retract the statement made at [Student] Parliament and admit that it did cause pain."

​The FNB Maties started strongly and scored four tries as they defeated rivals FNB UCT in Saturday's Intervarsity, held at the Green Mile on the UCT Campus. (Read more about the history of this clash​).

An early penalty by outside centre Paul Streicher opened the scoring for the Maties. Tries by winger Brandon Asher-Wood, lock Johan Momsen and flyhalf Chris Smit, coupled with three conversions by Streicher, gave the Maties a deserving 24-0 lead at the break.

Flanker Martin Groenewald went over to secure the vital fourth try in the second half. Despite conceding two late tries the Maties never looked like losing the match and ran out 31-12 winners, making sure the Intervarsity Trophy remained in Stellenbosch for a second consecutive season.

FNB Maties:

15. Craig Barry 14. Brandon Asher-Wood  13. Paul Streicher  12. Louis Jordaan 11. Jason Warrol 10. Chris Smit  9. Louis Nell 8. Derick Linde  7. Martin Groenewald  6. Beyers de Villiers  (Captain) 5. Kobus van Dyk  4. Johan Momsen  3. John-Hubert Meyer  2. Marko Jv Rensburg 1. Chippy Oelofse

Replacements:

16. Craig Corbett  17. JE vd Merwe 18. Ian Groenewald 19. Lungelo Chonco 20. Brendon Nel 21. Edri Vorster 22. Christoff van Tonder.

Point scorers:

Tries: Asher-Wood , Momsen, Smit, M Groenewald . Conversions: Paul Streicher (4). Penalty: Streicher.

​

On Tuesday, 12 May 2015, 42 Food Science 478 final year students (divided into 7 groups), had to present their newly developed products to the rest of the University, sponsors & members of the food industry.

The criteria for their products were as follows:

• it had to fit in with at least one of the major global  food trends identified for 2015;
• it had to be Microbiologically safe;
• had to have a 7-day shelf life under specified storage conditions;
• had to fit into a well-defined product category.

The students never fail to surprise and 12 May 2015 was no different.

Yet again attendants and judges were impressed by the innovative way of applying their scientific training in the development of these products.

The Department of Food Science was also honoured by the presence of Mrs Catherine de Villiers who acted as honorary judge and also presented the prizes to the winning groups. 

Group 5 walked away with the SAAFoST prize for 'best product & presentation' for developing MOCHA  MELTIES. It can best be described as a soft centred espresso shot encapsulated in layers of dark and milk chocolate.

Group 4 received the SAAFoST prize for 'product with the best commercial potential' for their

POP-IN'S, which is a high protein, toastable meal.

4^th years, well done you did us proud!