​The report on the 'purple-face' incident served at the meeting  of the Stellenbosch University Council on 26 September 2016. Council earlier this year appointed Adv Renata Williams SC as independent commissioner to investigate incidents that took place  at the Heemstede residence on 4 February 2016. Council accepted her comprehensive report – including criticism and recommendations – with thanks, and also noted that the University management currently is attending to shortcomings pointed out in the report. Council also took note of the Press Ombud's remarks that one-sided reporting in the media further contributed to the unfortunate events. 

​

​At its third scheduled meeting of the year, on 26 September 2016, the Stellenbosch University (SU) Council deliberated on the current state of affairs regarding higher education funding and student protests, adopted a report on the so-called purple-face incident, appointed a new Chief Operating Officer, and also approved a new Student Disciplinary Code and a number of other important policies.

State of affairs in higher education

Council noted with concern the nationwide protests about student fees. In a submission to the Commission of Inquiry into Higher Education and Training, the University had indicated its support for providing assistance to academically deserving students in financial need – on a sliding scale linked to household income. Council has pledged to support this, as well as the sector-wide insistence on increased state funding for universities. Council also expressed its support for the planned visit to Canada and the USA by SU Rector and Vice-Chancellor Prof Wim de Villiers from 28 September to 7 October 2016, which is primarily aimed at raising funds for the University.

In terms of student protest, Council expressed its concern about the form it has taken, but confirmed its confidence in management to deal with the situation through ongoing talks and other steps. Council emphasised the importance of the academic project and said that the University should remain open to enable students to complete the academic year.

Report on 'purple-face' incident

Council thanked Adv Renata Williams SC for her comprehensive report – with criticism and recommendations – on the University's handling of events at Heemstede residence on 4 February 2016, dubbed the purple-face incident. Council noted that management had already initiated action to address the shortcomings identified in the report, and also took note of the Press Ombud's remarks that one-sided media reporting had contributed to the unfortunate events. 

New Chief Operating Officer

Council resolved to appoint Prof Stan du Plessis as SU's new Executive Chief Operating Officer. Du Plessis, who was the preferred candidate of both Senate and the Institutional Forum, currently serves as dean of the Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences. He will be taking over from the current Chief Operating Officer, Prof Leopoldt van Huyssteen, who is scheduled to retire at the end of 2017. Du Plessis will assume his new position with effect from January 2017, with allowance for a period of overlap so as to ensure proper handover of duties and responsibilities.

Student Disciplinary Code

Council approved a new Student Disciplinary Code, which had earlier also been given the go-ahead by the Students' Representative Council, the Institutional Forum and Senate. (The English version serves as the source document, with which the Afrikaans translation must closely correspond.) The code is in keeping with the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996, as well as SU's values and principles as contained in the University's Institutional Intent and Strategy. Particular emphasis has been placed on strengthening the administrative nature of the disciplinary process and moving away from quasi-judicial proceedings. The code will be managed by the Legal Services Division, which now falls under the Registrar. It will take effect on 1 January 2017 and will be published in the University Calendar as well as on the SU website.

Policy on Unfair Discrimination and Harassment

Council approved a new Policy on Unfair Discrimination and Harassment, applicable to both staff and students. (Again, the English text serves as the source document, with which the Afrikaans translation must closely correspond.) The policy has been in use since the Rector's Management Team provided provisional approval in November 2015 for implementation and adaptation as necessary, provided it still followed the full institutional approval route.

The new policy is an overarching document encompassing both the previous policy on sexual harassment as well as new guidelines against unfair discrimination. The policy aims to establish a new campus culture. It takes a firm stance against unacceptable conduct, yet at the same time encourages conversation and dispute resolution. The policy operates in tandem with related instruments, including the Student Disciplinary Code. It also pursues synergy between implementing structures such as the Equality Unit, Human Resources and the Central Disciplinary Committee.

SU Trademarks Policy

Council approved a trademarks policy, which is aimed at protecting the SU brand, being one of the University's most valuable assets. (The English version serves as the source document, with which the Afrikaans translation must closely correspond.) The policy has been drafted to promote the integrity of SU's respective trademarks and ensure that they are used appropriately. The policy falls under the Chief Operating Officer and will be implemented by Innovus, the division tasked with managing SU's intellectual property, in collaboration with other divisions.

Employment Equity Policy

Council approved the Employment Equity Policy (dealing with fair and equitable employment) with the earlier concurrence of Senate and the Institutional Forum. (The English version serves as the source document, with which the Afrikaans translation must closely correspond.) The policy enables SU to comply with the provisions of the Employment Equity Act of 1998. The document has been drafted following extensive consultation on campus as well as an external audit of employment equity practices at the University, and focuses on the imperative of building a staff corps that is both diversified and equipped with transformation competencies. An Employment Equity Plan outlining how the policy should be implemented will be submitted to Council as soon as possible.

Revision of SU Admissions Policy

A first draft of a revised SU Admissions Policy and associated legal opinion were submitted to Council, and members were requested to provide written inputs on foundational principles. The relevant task team will now produce a second draft, which will be made public for a month, to solicit inputs from students, staff, faculty boards and external stakeholders. A final draft will be submitted to Senate and the Institutional Forum before being tabled at Council for approval at its meeting of 28 November.

Statute

The new Statute of the University was published in the Government Gazette on 2 September and is now in operative. Click here for a copy as published. The Minister of Higher Education has not yet appointed additional Council members.

Mid-year financial report

Council approved SU's mid-year financial report to the Department of Higher Education and Training. Operating capital enables SU, as a leading research-driven university, to continue contributing to the country and continent despite the considerable expenses associated with research, bursaries, facilities maintenance and upgrades, as well as information and communications technology (ICT).

In terms of the report, the most important risks to be considered include:

• the impact of #FeesMustFall and the subsequent student protests about student fees;
• the impact of protests about the outsourcing of certain services;
• the unknown effect of the anticipated change in the subsidy formula on the University's first-stream income;
• the impact of the sluggish global economy on donations and research contracts; and
• students' (in)ability to settle their student accounts.

The University deals with these challenges through its strategic approach to financial planning and management, which is executed in accordance with its chosen business model.

Student fees

Council discussed possible student fee adjustments – one meeting earlier than usual due to the particular significance of this matter. A decision will however only be taken at the next Council meeting, on 28 November, when SU's budget for next year will be considered.

Council noted the announcement by the Minister of Higher Education and Training on 19 September 2016 that additional funding would be provided in order for students from households with an annual income of up to R600 000 to be charged the same tuition fees in 2017 than in 2015. Council also confirmed SU's support for the sector-wide approach of a proposed 8% increase in revenue for 2017.

Remuneration adjustments for 2017

Council received a report from its Remuneration Committee on remuneration adjustments for 2017. The following is recommended:

• A general inflation linked adjustment of 6% for all staff members who achieved a performance mark of 3 or more in the previous cycle.
• Base Remuneration Levels (BRL's) will not be adjusted in 2017.
• An additional percentage increase will be awarded to top performers as follows:
• a 1% adjustment for staff who achieved a performance mark of 4–4.49 in the previous three evaluation cycles. (This additional adjustment may not increase the employee's cost to company to above 10% of the BRL.)
• a 2% adjustment for staff who achieved a performance mark of 4.5 and higher in the previous three evaluation cycles. (This additional adjustment may not increase the employee's cost to company to above 25% of the BRL.)

A decision in this regard is subject to final approval of SU's budget for 2017, which will be considered at the next Council meeting, as well as the final state subsidy allocation.

Management reports to Council

At each Council meeting, it is customary for the Rector to report on the highlights in the period since the previous meeting. In his report, he said: "SU is a national asset. It delivers highly sought-after graduates, has the highest research output per capita in the country, produced a record number of PhDs last year, and boasts a throughput rate that is among the highest in the country. We need to build on these strengths and take advantage of all the opportunities that come our way in striving to be the best we can be." Click here for extracts from his report.

The vice-rectors and Chief Operating Officer take turns to table a comprehensive report to Council on their activities over the past year. At this meeting, Prof Arnold Schoonwinkel, Vice-Rector: Learning and Teaching, had the opportunity to provide an overview of his portfolio. His presentation focused on excellence in learning and teaching; student success; residence placements; a proposed new admissions policy; the size and shape of SU, including student diversity; programme renewal; the implementation of multilingualism; as well as ICT in learning and teaching. Click here for his PowerPoint presentation.

Student success

Council noted with appreciation the good student success rates maintained at SU, as indicated in the report by the Vice-Rector: Learning and Teaching. It is pleasing to see that the module success rate has gradually increased over the past six years and reached a new high of 86,7% in 2015. The long-term objective is to maintain a rate of 85% or higher.

Facilities maintenance and upgrades

Council was informed that SU's Campus Renewal Project is well on track. This project comprises extensive, complex initiatives in a range of different areas and with various clients, including the Engineering complex, Student Communities and Student Affairs, PSO/residence hubs, sport facilities, the Van der Sterr and the Accounting and Statistics buildings, the Arts and Social Sciences building, the Drama renewal project as well as upgrades to teaching spaces.

A component separately reported on to Council is the Tygerberg maintenance backlog project. In terms of nature, extent and timeframes, this is the single biggest project ever embarked on by SU and it has seen continuous extensive construction on Tygerberg campus since 2010. The project will be largely completed by the end of 2016.

Senior appointments and personalia

Apart from the appointment of the new Chief Operating Officer (see above), Council also discussed the reappointment for a second term of two of SU's vice-rectors: Prof Arnold Schoonwinkel (Learning and Teaching) and Prof Eugene Cloete (Research, Innovation and Postgraduate Studies). The Rector informed Council that these two officials are doing extremely well in their respective portfolios and that it is vital for this momentum to be maintained. Council adopted the recommendation that the short process instead of the long process for reappointment be followed. Profs Schoonwinkel and Cloete's reappointment will first serve before Senate and the Institutional Forum, after which Council will take a final decision at its next meeting.

Another staff matter considered by Council was the reappointment of Prof Sam Tshehla for a second term as Dean of Military Science. The Joint Appointments Committee recommended this reappointment, which Council accepted.

The Human Resources Committee informed Council that Dr Jerome Slamat will be permanently appointed as executive manager in the SU Rectorate with effect from 1 October 2016. He has been performing the duties associated with this position in a seconded capacity since 1 June 2015, having previously served as senior director of Community Interaction.

Prof Hester Klopper took up the new position of Vice-Rector: Strategic Initiatives and Internationalisation on 1 August. The Chair of Council welcomed her and said she now enjoys observer status at Council because under the Statute no more than three vice-rectors may serve on Council and she is the most recent appointment.

Prof Klopper received an honorary doctorate from Oxford Brookes University on 2 September 2016. Prof De Villiers was appointed to the Advisory Board of the international journal Gastroenterology.

SU in the news

The University continues to enjoy positive news coverage on cutting-edge research and other achievements. Council further noted that in the past three months, SU had also made headlines on language matters in particular, and – like the rest of the sector – on higher education funding and student protests for free education. Click here for news highlights and a list of opinion pieces and regular columns.

Next meeting

The next Council meeting is scheduled for 28 November 2016.

They were spinning, cycling, walking and running... Stellenbosch University (SU) students, staff and alumni have come out in full support of the student-led #Move4Food campaign - raising close to one million rand in cash and donations thus far.

This initiative aims to raise R10 million (cash and goods) in 100 days to ensure that for the next three years, no SU student will have to study on an empty stomach.

"The response has been phenomenal," says Karen Bruns, Senior Director of Development and Alumni Relations at SU. "We are so grateful to everyone who has decided to #Move4Food and we urge others to take up the challenge to help our students reach their R10 million target."

Prof Wim de Villiers, SU Rector and Vice-Chancellor showed his support for this campaign by running the full Sanlam Cape Town Marathon of 42.2km in a time of 4:16:16 on Sunday. Prof De Villiers, who has raised almost R128 000 thus far, was one of 110 staff members, alumni, students and friends of the University who registered for various races hosted by the Sanlam Cape Town Marathon as part of the #Move4Food campaign.

"We are proud to be led by a man who'll go 42.2kms and more to raise money for hungry students," Bruns adds.

While some ran the marathon, alumni, staff and students also did other things since the launch of this campaign on 20 August. Alumnus, Folkers Tullki-Williams, based in Helsinki, hiked the 375km across Estonia to raise R10 000 for #Move4Food, becoming the first South African to complete this hike. 

Staff member, Desmond Thompson, did the Coast2Karoo Cycle Race - completing it in 5:23 for #Move4Food. Thompson reported that he had “plenty to be grateful for - no falls and no punctures".

Last week students staged an awareness-raising 24-hour spin-a-thon on 12 stationary bikes in the Neelsie Student Centre. They cycled over 8 000 kilometres throughout the day and night, with music, energy and passion. This event drew attention to the huge lunchbox created by Engineers Without Borders Maties, a student society made up of 2nd and 3rd year engineering students.

A total of 15 095 items of non-perishable food were deposited into the lunchbox over the 24 hours - exceeding the target of 15 000 food items. A major contribution of 10 800 meals delivered by the PPS Foundation helped to further boost the collection, along with a significant contribution of products by the Spar franchise in the Neelsie.

According to Cheryl Benadie, Donor Relations Manager at SU, the #Move4Food movement is creating unity amongst our student body. “As this campaign evolves, it is inspiring to see Maties gain a greater understanding of the silent struggles faced by fellow students – and their dedication and passion to do something about it is contagious."

Benadie says the food items will be distributed by the social workers on our Stellenbosch and Tygerberg campuses. “This will offer a welcome respite as the limited students' NSFAS funds tend to have run out by the start of the fourth term, causing poor exam performance and prompting dropping out of their programmes by food insecure young people from financially stressed households".

On 22 September, the Maties Equestrian Club rode through Stellenbosch, handing out pamphlets and raising awareness about #Move4Food. They are also going to grow vegetables using their energy and inexhaustible supply of horse-produced fertiliser to contribute to the cause.

A Residence Rugby Derby and residence LevelUp Dance4Food video challenges were further activities in the Move4Food student campaigning.

"Our students have spent months bringing this campaign to life and I am proud that the Development and Alumni Relations Division has been able to support them in doing so," says Bruns.

"The fundraising challenge is now out there, our first million rand in cash and in donations has been raised. We'd really like to raise nine million more!"

Bruns says challenges have been put to alumni in Asia, Europe, the UK, and the Americas. "We still have a very ambitious target to reach, so get on board! Whether you run, spin, dance, surf or donate your lunch money, you can still #Move4Food."

The #Move4Food campaign ends on International Giving day or “Giving Tuesday", on 27 November 2018.

• Make a small contribution towards #Move4Food. https://www.givengain.com/cc/su100/
• For more information on this campaign, visit http://www.sun.ac.za/english/donors/Documents/Move4Food_ENG.pdf
• Videos: https://www.instagram.com/matiesalumni/
• Photo gallery: https://www.facebook.com/pg/stellenboschalumni/photos/?tab=album&album_id=2127348323992077 ​
  

Why register?

By registering your initiative:

• Stellenbosch University’s impact work is made visible within the university, to external societal partners (including government, business/industry and civil society), to funders and to the public;
• potential is created to collaborate within and across disciplines for greater impact;
• you will be eligible to apply for funding opportunities made available annually by the Division for Social Impact: https://www.sun.ac.za/si/en-za/Pages/Funding-opportunities.aspx;
• ou will be eligible to apply for funding from the Development and Alumni Relations Office, which supports registered social impact initiatives; and
• you will have a portfolio of evidence of your social impact initiatives for performance evaluation purposes.

For any queries relating to the registration process, please contact Rachael Spiers: rspiers@sun.ac.za.​

Two scientists from the Faculty of Science were awarded the prestigious Havenga-prize for Life Sciences and Physical Sciences respectively from the Suid-Afrikaanse Akademie vir Wetenskap en Kuns.

The Havenga prize is an annual award for original research in the natural sciences and can be awarded only once to an individual. The award ceremony took place on 21 September 2018 in Stellenbosch.

This year's recipients are Professor Emile van Zyl, distinghuished professor in Microbiology, and Professor Ben Herbst, emeritus professor in Applied Mathematics.

The Havenga prize for Life Sciences were awarded to Professor van Zyl for more than ten years of research into finding environmentally-friendly alternatives for fossil fuels. In the 2000s he developed, in collaboration with several international co-workers, stems from brewer's yeast in the laboratory which could produce cellulose-enzymes in sufficient quantities to break down cellulose and ferment ethanol from the associated sugars in one step, a process known as consolidated bioprocessing. At the time it was a world-first.

Prof. Van Zyl says biofuels will remain significant in the search for renewable biofuels for especially heavy motor vehicles, the marine and aviation industry: “The commercial production of biofuels from non-edible plant rests promises to become more sustainable, environmentally-friendly and cost-effective, without competing with food production. In the future cellulose-ethanol will be the better and more affordable alternative, especially if one takes into account that the cost of global warming is not accounted for in the use of fossil fuels".

The Havenga prize for Physical Sciences was awarded to Professor Herbst in recognition of an academic career that spanned over 40 years. During this time he was involved with the South African Mathematics Olympiad for 15 years. In 1998 he became closely involved with the establishment of the annual South African Symposium for Numerical and Applied Mathematics (SANUM). In 2015 the symposium celebrated its 40^th anniversary with a list of selected international speakers. Today the SANUM conference is an established conference for numerical mathematicians from all over the world.

In reaction to the award, Professor Herbst said while awards have never been part of his frame of reference, he is thankful for the recognition: “Everything that I have done, I did out of passion and curiosity. And where I could work with enthusiasm, together with colleagues and students who meant so much to me, it was rewarding in itself".

During the event he also gave recognition to his mother, Mrs Lenie Herbst, who attended the event despite her mature age of 91. For that, she received a round of applause.

Another academic from Stellenbosch University, Professor Marlene van Niekerk, received the CL Engelbrecht prize for Afrikaans Literature for Kaar; Professor Lizette Joubert, chief researcher at the Agricultural Research Council's Infruitec-Nietvoorbij research institute and an extraordinary professor in the Department of Food Sciences at SU, received a medal of honour for her research on rooibos and honeybush.

On the photos above, Prof Emile van Zyl (left) and Prof Ben Herbst. Photo: SAAWK

A study by researchers from South Africa and Germany found that young children who grow up walking barefoot have better balance and can also jump further than children who wear shoes.

“Our research has shown that regular physical activities without shoes may be beneficial for the development of jumping and balance skills, especially in the age of 6–10 years," says Prof Ranel Venter from the Department of Sport Science in the Faculty of Education at Stellenbosch University. Venter and colleague Dr Elbé de Villiers collaborated with researchers from the University of Jena and the University of Hamburg. The study was conducted in South Africa and Germany between March 2015 and June 2016 and published recently in the journal Frontiers in Pediatrics.

Venter says the aim of the research was to evaluate, for the first time, the link between growing up barefoot or wearing shoes and the development of motor performance during childhood and adolescence. “To our knowledge, no study has examined the potential relationship between regular barefoot activities and motor skills."

Three hundred and eighty-five habitual barefoot and 425 shoe-wearing children between 6 and 18 years were recruited in schools across rural and urban areas in the Western Cape, in South Africa and Northern Germany.

Venter says the two populations were chosen due to their different footwear habits. “Whereas South African children are generally used to walk barefoot during the day, almost all German children wear shoes during school time and for most of recreational activities."

For the children to be considered habitually barefoot, they had to be barefoot at school and in and around the house or during sports/recreational activities. Both groups had to participate in physical activity for at least 120 accumulative minutes per week and they had to be free of any orthopaedic, neurological or neuromuscular conditions that may influence motor performance.

Venter says all the children completed balance (walking backwards in a self-selected, comfortable speed over three balance beams of 6, 4.5, and 3 cm width), standing long jump and 20m sprint tests.

“Results of these tests show that barefoot children in South Africa's primary schools performed better in balance tests than their German counterparts who never walks barefoot. This may be related to the fact that the feet of South Africa's children is wider and more deformable."

“Barefoot children were also able to jump further from a standing position that German children. This may be related to the fact that the foot arches of South African children are well developed.

Children who are regularly barefoot have higher foot arches than children who never walk barefoot. Their feet are also more flexible and less flat."

Venter says that as far as jumping results are concerned, significant effects were found for the age groups 6–10 and 15–18 years.

She also points out that fewer differences were observed during adolescence although there are greater jump distances and slower sprint times in barefoot individuals.

“Our results show that motor skill competencies of shoe-wearing and barefoot children may develop differently during childhood and adolescence. Whereas barefoot children between ages 6 and 10 years scored higher in the backward balance test compared to shoe-wearing children, no differences were found in adolescents. The early childhood years are fundamental for the development of balance, and rapid improvements can be observed until the age of 9–10 years."

“A likely explanation is that footwear habits influence the musculoskeletal architecture of the foot which in turn may be associated with motor performance."

Venter says the overall results of their study emphasize the influence on and importance of footwear habits for the development of feet and motor skills during childhood and adolescence.

• Source: Hollander, K et al 2018. Motor skills of children and adolescent are influenced by growing up barefoot or shod. Frontiers in Pediatrics Vol.6: 1-6.

Photo courtesy of Pixabay.

FOR MEDIA ENQUIRIES ONLY

Dr Ranel Venter

Department of Sport Science

Faculty of Education

Stellenbosch University

Tel: 027 21 808 4721

E-mail: rev@sun.ac.za

      ISSUED BY

Martin Viljoen

Manager: Media

Corporate Communication

Stellenbosch University

Tel: 021 808 4921

E-mail: viljoenm@sun.ac.za

Hockey player Ammaarah Hendricks and rugby player Duncan Saal were named Maties Sport's Sportswoman and Sportsman of the Year for 2018 at the annual Maties Sport Awards on Monday, 15 October.

Ammaarah could not attend the event as she was on her way back from representing South Africa at the Youth Olympics in Argentina. Earlier this year, she served as the captain of the SA U/18 hockey team that made history by beating Australia in a series for the first time. She was also a member of the team that won gold at the African Youth Games.

Duncan was a key player in the Maties Rugby team that won the Varsity Cup competition and was named Backline Player of the Tournament. He was a member of the SA Student Sevens team that won gold at the World Student Sevens Championships and was included in the WP Currie Cup squad.

“I feel very blessed and grateful," he said after receiving his award.

Swimmer Christian Sadie, who won a silver medal in the S7 50m freestyle event at the Commonwealth Games in Australia earlier this year, is the Parasport Sportsman of the Year.

Karin le Roux, who coaches Parasport athletes such as Zanele Situ and Kerwin Noemdo, was named Coach of the Year for individual sport.

Maties Rugby's 1st team – winners of the 2018 Varsity Cup, USSA and WP Super League A competitions – is the Team of the Year, while the team's coach, Hawies Fourie, is the 2018 Coach of the Year for team sports. Maties Rugby was also named Club of the Year.

A total of 52 students were awarded full colours – which meant they represented South Africa at international level – while 105 students were awarded half colours.

“Tonight, we are here to celebrate another successful year," said Ilhaam Groenewald, Chief Director: Maties Sport.

“But it is important to ask, what does success mean? Success for me as the leader of Maties Sport means creating an enabling environment in which our student-athletes can develop into leaders that will have a positive impact on others. The most important task of any sport leader or administrator in the higher education environment is ensuring that our student-athletes graduate. My dream for you is that you will celebrate success in all spheres of your lives."

Prof Stan du Plessis, COO of Stellenbosch University (SU), praised all student-athletes.

“Maties Sport and Stellenbosch University would like to honour student-athletes whose hard work and dedication lead to success both on the sport field and, more importantly, in the class room. They leave Stellenbosch as well-rounded students, with the graduate attributes we would like to instil in all Maties."

Guest speaker Kass Naidoo, South Africa's first woman cricket commentator and founder of the country's longest running women's sport recognition platform – the gsport awards – said that she sincerely believes in recognising excellence.

Her advice to student-athletes was: “If it's never been done before, go out there and smash it. Live in the moment and grab every opportunity you're given."

Photo credit: Anton Jordaan

When, earlier this year, medical student Keaton Harris was chosen to take part in the Young Sustainable Impact (YSI) Innovation Program, he was, needless to say, thrilled. 

Then when he heard, recently, that his team had actually won the global competition for their design prototype aimed at solving health problems, the feeling was “surreal"! 

After months of liaising remotely with a team which finally pitched their prototype at a conference in Norway in August, Harris and his team-mates were voted the winners of the competition for their platform InforMED, which aims to help cross language barriers within the health sector. 

Earlier this year, Harris, a first-year medical student who also holds a Pharmacy Honours degree from UWC (summa cum laude), became one of 21 people – and the only South African - to be selected to take part in the YSI programme. 

YSI, which has been running since 2016, aims to find solutions to help meet the United Nation's Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). 

Candidates were chosen from 8560 applications internationally on the basis they were “crazy enough to think they can change the world and bold enough to actually do it." 

Following their selection, they were put into teams and coached to create their own design prototypes aimed at solving one of the SDGs. Harris and his team identified the SDG 3 which relates to “Good Health and Wellbeing." 

The teams then went through an online programme for five months while working together remotely on their prototypes. 

“The idea was that, after the five months we should have a prototype up and running, which we did. We then went to Oslo, Norway, as a team, from 12 to 26 August, to refine our start-up idea and build our business brand name and logo. We also interacted with a range of people," Harris said. 

“Working on the SDG 3 was perfect for me, being in the medical field. There were initially three of us in my team – myself, a person from Canada and another from Brazil. We started off by analysing different aspects of health that need improvement. 

“We decided to work on how to cross language barriers in medical practice. In South Africa, for example, language barriers are a problem. For instance, if an English- or Afrikaans-speaking doctor goes to work in KwaZulu-Natal, where most people speak Zulu, there can be a language barrier. 

“Our team created an offline mobile translation app which essentially breaks the language barrier between health practitioners and patients. 

“Then we got in a fourth person from India who is an expert in Artificial Intelligence. We coded the app and hard-coded the information. We got common statements from doctors, like 'how are you feeling'. The app can translate this to make communication easier. 

“The initial interface allows doctors or healthcare practitioners to choose their language of preference and for the patient to do the same. 

“We tackled this as a prediagnostic tool, so that before even doing a physical exam on a patient, the practitioner already has a clearer perspective regarding what could potentially be wrong with the patient and what should be focussed on in the physical exam to refine the diagnosis. 

“We then went to the conference, where we were given three minutes to pitch our idea with a slide show. I was chosen to pitch for our team. It was a big event. They then had a vote, based on the innovation criteria and what was felt was the most beneficial prototype for the public. Then they announced we had actually won! We didn't expect it at all!" 

Harris said the 20 000 Norwegian Kroner (about R45 000) which his team won, will be put into their start up so that they can further develop their product. 

An elated Harris said: “If you'd asked me five years ago if I'd be given an opportunity to change the world, I'd say you were lying. But now I do have this opportunity! To create something that's not been created before is surreal and also motivational as it shows you what you're capable of and it demonstrates the impact you can make when you're surrounded with individuals who think along the same lines as you do." 

Harris said that since their win, the team has been working to collaborate with Doctors Without Borders and other health practitioners to obtain translations for other languages. 

“We have had good feedback. We recently received a message from a doctor in Pakistan who said he will be an English/Urdu translator for us. We have also launched our Instagram page in Norway and have had good feedback from that. People are reaching out to us and indicating that they want to be involved. It really motivates us to take it further."

Captions: Keaton Harris at the YSI conference in Norway.

Dr Amy Slogrove, a senior lecturer in Paediatrics and Child Health in the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, was recently selected as a member of the South African Young Academy of Science (SAYAS).

The academy – established in 2011 – is an initiative of the Department of Science and Technology aimed at bringing together young scientists across a range of scientific disciplines to jointly think about solutions to societal problems in South Africa. It also aims to give young scientists a voice in influencing national policy.

Ten new members are appointed to the academy every year for a two-year term.

Slogrove's research looks at the effects of early-life exposures during pregnancy and infancy and their long-term impact on the health trajectory of children. Her specific focus is on evaluating in utero HIV and antiretroviral drug exposure on HIV-uninfected children born to women living with HIV. She is based at Stellenbosch University's Worcester campus.

“It was unexpected, but such a tremendous honour to be considered one of the ten leading young scientists and to be part of such a broad group is a huge opportunity. I am excited to work with people from different scientific disciplines and to hear other perspectives on how to deal with the challenges we face in our country," said Slogrove.

She said being based in Worcester means she can bring the rural perspective on health and development. “We see such inequalities in services and outcomes for people. As well as advocating for children, I will always advocate for rural and remote populations.

“We are realising more and more that what you experience early on in your life has a major impact on where you end up as an adult. This is often forgotten when tackling major societal problems. I will be advocating for investment in children early in life so they can reach their potential.

“As a very advantaged young South African woman I hope to contribute … through membership of SAYAS to reducing inequality in South Africa, either through collaborating with other young scientists to find solutions to pressing societal challenges or through mentorship of the next generation of young scientists," Slogrove concluded.

Nine Maties Sport student-athletes were among the 87 students honoured by Stellenbosch University (SU) at the recent annual Rector's Awards for Excellent Achievement. At this event, SU honoured students who excelled in areas ranging from academics to co-curricular fields.

Lwazi Madi (Water Polo); Jacques Lloyd (Cycling); Charmaine Baard (Netball); Stephanie Brandt (Netball); Emma Chelius (Swimming); Nicola Giliomee (Cycling); David Bedingham (Cricket); Keenan Horne (Hockey) and James Murphy (Sevens Rugby) all received the Rector's Award for Excellent Sport Achievement.

“It was a great privilege to be part of such a prestigious event," said Stephanie. “This award is an acknowledgement of hard work and it is a great honour to receive it."

For Nicola, it was an honour but also a humbling experience to have been in the presence of the most amazing students at SU.

According to Emma, it was amazing to get recognition from the university's rector.

“I have to say thank you to all those involved in my journey who made this reward possible for me."

James agreed that it was a privilege to receive this award.

“There are so many talented student-athletes at Stellenbosch University, so to be recognised as one of the top student-athletes is an absolute honour. And the feeling of getting a tap on the shoulder for hard work is special.

“The saying 'Once a Matie, always a Matie' is so true. When I made my Blitzboks debut in Hong Kong the commentators actually mentioned that I studied at Maties!" he recalled.

Ilhaam Groenewald, Chief Director: Maties Sport, and Jerry Laka, Director: Maties Sport, also attended the event.

“We are extremely proud of our student-athletes," they said. “They show amazing dedication and commitment and help us succeed in our goal of maintaining our momentum of excellence."

​

The 2018 Thys Visser Commemorative Lecture Series kicked off on Monday night with a lecture, A Stylized History of Quantitative Finance, by Prof Emanuel Derman of Columbia University. It was followed on Tuesday by the second in the series, Metaphors, Models, Data, Theories and Intuition.

The third and last lecture, An Introduction to the Volatility Smile in Options Markets, will be delivered on Thursday, 18 October.

The biennial lecture series by leading international scholars are held in honour of the late Thys Visser, a dynamic business leader, alumnus of the Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences and strong supporter of Stellenbosch University.

Derman, who is best known for his work on the Black-Derman-Toy interest-rate model and for developing local volatility models of the implied volatility smile, is the Director: Master of Science Program in Financial Engineering at Columbia University's Industrial Engineering and Operations Research Department.

After obtaining a BSc (Hons) at the University of Cape Town, he received a PhD in theoretical physics from Columbia in 1973. He was named the IAFE/SunGard Financial Engineer of the Year 2000, and was elected to the Risk Hall of Fame in 2002.

Since 1995, Derman has written many articles pointing out the essential difference between models in physics and models in finance. Derman together with Paul Wilmott wrote the Financial Modelers' Manifesto, a set of principles for doing responsible financial modeling. He also wrote Models. Behaving. Badly. (published in 2011), and has published in several journals including the Financial Analysts Journal, RISK, The Journal of Portfolio Management, and The Journal of Derivatives. His memoir, My Life as a Quant: Reflections on Physics and Finance, was published in 2004 and was selected as one of Business Week's top ten books of the year.

• Photo (by Hennie Rudman):  With Prof Derman on the photo are (f.l.t.r.) Mrs Amanda Visser, Prof Ingrid Woolard (EMS Dean), and Mr Jannie Mouton of PSG who attended the first lecture.

​The Stellenbosch University (SU) Council convened for its third scheduled meeting of the year on Wednesday 26 September 2018.

Council approved the University's mid-year financial report and noted the proposed remuneration and student fee adjustments for 2019. We were also updated on progress with the Faculty Renewal Plan as well as the revision of the Statute.

In addition, we approved a new Teaching and Learning Policy for the University. The policy aims to create an enabling environment where staff and students' potential is maximised, effective teaching and learning is encouraged, and suitable provision is made for the support of SU's diverse student body and the professional development of academics for their teaching role. This policy will further enhance the standing of the University as a globally recognised institution of higher learning, having featured in the rankings of five international higher education rating agencies over the past three years.

Council is pleased that the University is doing well, as appears from the reports we received from the Rector and Vice-Chancellor (click here to download), the Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Strategy and Internationalisation as well as the Chief Operating Officer.

Please read on for more details.

Kind regards

George Steyn
Chairperson: SU Council

Mid-year financial report

Council approved SU's mid-year financial report for submission to the DHET. It covers the University's financial performance for the period 1 January to 30 June 2018.

The report shows that the 2018 budget was successfully managed over this time. The institution is financially sound and has increased its available funds and net asset value. Private donations for the period exceeded expectations, and investments performed relatively well, given the generally poor market conditions.

However, certain risks need to be taken into account, such as the unknown effect of the expected change in the state subsidy formula on the University's first-stream income, the impact of the global and local economic outlook, as well as pressure on student finances.

Council noted the University's continued commitment to sound financial planning and management aimed at securing the long-term financial sustainability of the institution.

Proposed remuneration adjustments

Council received a report from its Remuneration Committee on remuneration adjustments for 2019.

• The report recommended a general, inflation-linked adjustment of 6,3% for all staff members who had achieved a performance mark of 3 or higher in the 2018 evaluation cycle.

The committee reported on developments regarding basic remuneration levels (BRLs) at SU:

• The proposed BRLs for 2019 – excluding those for post levels 19 and 18 – were accepted.
• A new model for differentiated remuneration adjustments was also accepted. The model implies that the past two instead of three years' performance marks would be taken into account to consider whether an employee qualifies to be taken up to 100% of the BRL concerned.
• Moreover, it was proposed that the remuneration of all employees currently remunerated at below 90% of their BRL be raised to 90%, subject to adequate performance, and that 90% be implemented as the new minimum appointment level for all funding streams.

Final decisions in this regard are subject to approval of SU's 2019 budget at the last Council meeting of the year on 26 November, as well as the final state subsidy allocation.

Proposed adjustment of student fees

In line with Council's request in 2017 for an indication of planned student fees adjustment prior to final budget proposals, points of departure in this regard were shared with Council on Wednesday. No final decisions have been taken as yet, since the 2019 budget will be tabled to Council on 26 November only.

While SU appreciates that government has made significantly more funding available to higher education, not all the University's costs are covered. Inflation-linked increases in student fees are essential to ensure the institution's long-term financial sustainability, world-class academic qualifications and research outputs, and a significant positive impact on society.

• Using the higher education price index (HEPI) as a guideline, SU proposes to raise tuition fees for 2019 by 7% across the board without any differentiation.
• A similar approach will be followed for accommodation fees, but since the budget must reflect costs, it may be necessary to motivate for a larger increase.

Council received the assurance that SU remained committed to support academically deserving students in financial need, and that the University's bursaries would be increased in line with increases in student fees.

These points of departure have been communicated to faculties and student representatives at a joint meeting, as well as to the Students' Representative Council (SRC). Regular communication with various stakeholders will continue in the run-up to final budget submission to Council at its last meeting of the year.

Faculty Renewal Plan

Council received an update on the Faculty Renewal Plan, which aims to assist the faculties of Education as well as Arts and Social Sciences to become more systemically sustainable.

Prof Hester Klopper, Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Strategy and Internationalisation, has been leading the process. She assured Council that the University held both faculties in high regard, since they contained immense expertise and delivered among the highest research outputs at SU.

Monthly steering committee meetings have been taking place in the two faculties, where task teams have been working on aspects such as academic programme renewal, student enrolment and graduation, research outputs, academic and staff matters, as well as finances. Various recommendations have already been implemented to good effect.

Final proposals will be tabled at the next Council meeting on 26 November.

New Teaching and Learning Policy

Council approved a new Teaching and Learning Policy for the University, including amendments proposed by its Executive Committee, Social and Business Ethics Committee, and the Institutional Forum. Senate too had recommended that the policy be approved.

The policy aims to promote an enabling institutional environment where quality teaching and learning can flourish. It is premised on the notion that teaching and learning is a shared endeavour with reciprocal responsibilities between students, academic staff, support services and management bodies.

The policy is further premised on the principle that quality teaching and learning should be informed by scholarship, and provides for the professionalisation and ongoing development of academics in their teaching role through a range of learning opportunities. It also affirms that SU places a high premium on the recognition and reward of scholarly teaching.

The new policy commits the University to creating enabling physical and virtual learning environments that support and encourage quality teaching and effective learning at both the undergraduate and postgraduate levels.

It provides for the continuous renewal of academic programmes to ensure alignment with the changing world of work, the broader social context as well as the SU graduate attributes. This will enhance graduates' contribution to society – locally and globally – and their potential as professionals.

The policy owner is the Vice-Rector: Learning and Teaching, while the Senior Director: Learning and Teaching Enhancement serves as curator. Senate will monitor the implementation of the policy. The document will be published on the SU website as soon as possible to guide staff and students towards creating innovative learning environments.

SU in world university rankings

Council welcomed the fact that SU had cemented its place among the world's top universities based on the latest Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings. Prof Hester Klopper announced that SU had moved up to the 301-350 category in the 2019 version, which happened to be released in London while Council was meeting. This is an improvement on last year and places SU in the top 1% of all universities worldwide. A total of 1 258 institutions from across the globe feature in THE's 2019 rankings. They were evaluated based on teaching, research, citations, international outlook and industry income.

The Rectorate accepted a report on rankings on 19 September. Since 2015, SU has featured in the rankings of five international higher education rating agencies: THE, Shanghai Academic Ranking of World Universities, QS World University Rankings, QS BRICS University Rankings and CWTS Leiden Ranking.

Despite their shortcomings and limitations, rankings do serve as an important performance indicator. They also play a role in attracting students and academics from across the world to SU and facilitating effective collaboration with other universities, institutions and organisations. SU maintains a nuanced approach to university rankings in general – given the current realities of the institution, our country and our continent, as well as the methodology of the various rankings, on which there are well-documented differences of opinion. However, the University will continue to make every effort to provide accurate information to selected rating agencies.

Enrolment figures

According to the annual June census, SU's total student numbers have risen to 31 765, a third of whom are postgraduate. Enrolments by black, coloured, Indian and Asian students have grown to 13 182, or 41,5% of the total. Compared to 2017, the number of coloured students has increased by 0,7%, black African students by 5,9%, and Indian/Asian students by 10,2%.

Revision of SU's Statute

Council received a progress report on the review of the Statute of the University, which commenced in August 2017. A task team led by the Registrar, Dr Ronel Retief, has been working on a new document in collaboration with experts and based on inputs gathered through stakeholder consultation and public participation. Apart from 12 workshops held to date, University structures such as faculty boards, Senate, the SRC, the IF as well as Council and its reading committee have also provided inputs. A final draft will be submitted to Council via the relevant SU structures in November, after which it will be forwarded to the Minister of Higher Education and Training for approval.

Report on Strategy and Internationalisation

Council received an annual report (cli​ck here) from the Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Strategy and Internationalisation, Prof Hester Klopper, covering the divisions of Strategic Initiatives, SU International and Information Governance. Highlights include the following:

Strategic Initiatives (SI)

• The SI Division has successfully rolled out most of SU's Centenary commemoration events planned for 2018.
• Concluding a two-year process, SI coordinated the process for the development of the University's new vision and strategic framework, which Council approved in June.
  
• In collaboration with the Transport Department, SI has successfully concluded an integrated transport plan for the University.

Internationalisation

• Over the past year, an Institutional Advisory Committee on Internationalisation was established at SU, consisting of representatives from all the faculties and relevant support environments.
• SU International celebrated 25 years of international relations in 2018.
• The Africa Centre for Scholarship facilitated five doctoral and scholarship development schools.
• The Global Education Centre prepared the first cohort of BCom (International Business) third-year students for their compulsory international semester at partner institutions, which kicked off in August 2018.
• As an active participant in the Africa Research Universities Alliance (ARUA), SU was named host of the ARUA Energy Centre of Excellence. The secretariat will be located in the Centre for Collaboration in Africa.

Information Governance

• A Technology and Information Committee has been established to facilitate institutional coordination of these important areas at the University.
• The SUN-i business intelligence system is being expanded to provide holistic management information in support of decision-making at primarily middle and senior management levels.
• SU is part of a task team of Universities South Africa (USAf) responsible for developing a code of conduct in relation to the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA) for all South African universities.

Report of the Chief Operating Officer

Council received an annual report (click here​) from the Chief Operating Officer, Prof Stan du Plessis (click here to download). He manages the responsibility centre of Operations and Finance, which consists of the divisions of Finance, Facilities Management, Information Technology (IT), Innovus and Maties Sport. Highlights include the following:

Finance

The Finance Division successfully manages SU's R6 billion budget, with five income streams. It was lauded by an external panel of reviewers earlier this year for the University's sound financial position despite severe pressure on the financial viability of public universities in South Africa.

Viable sourcing

SU's viable sourcing model strikes a sound balance between the provision of dignified jobs on the one hand and financial sustainability on the other. In 2017, seven contracts were successfully allocated to external companies subject to SU's code of conduct, and three have been awarded this year to date. In some instances, the rigorous tendering process has pointed to internal services divisions as the preferred option.

Facilities Management

The Facilities Management Division manages the buildings, infrastructure, sports fields and related services across all SU campuses. It employs 215 people and, through a business model of in-house and contracted service provision, manages 477 buildings comprising 775 000 m² of useable space. The portfolio includes residences, office buildings, commercial spaces, classroom facilities, laboratories, research facilities, and recreation and sporting venues.

Campus Security

Although security remains a risk on all SU campuses, reported crime incidents in the second quarter of 2018 were the lowest on record. Campus Security has taken the lead with visible security, improvements in infrastructure, partnerships and awareness.

Innovus

Innovus is responsible for SU's intellectual property and trademark portfolio, and supports SU researchers, staff and students to commercialise their expertise and research in order to generate benefits for the University and society. The revenue from intellectual property transactions in 2017 was R7,2 million, while the number of SU spin-out companies has grown to 24, and their total number of employees to 267.

IT

The IT Division is working hard to turn SU into a smart, technology-enabled institution. To that end, it is implementing a service engagement model to improve the visibility and management of workflow.

Maties Sport

Sport is considered of strategic value at SU. One of the many achievements by Maties Sport recently has been Maties Rugby winning the Varsity Cup in SU's Centenary year. But also note that Maties Sport high-performance student athletes achieved a first-year throughput rate of 84% in 2017, in line with the SU average

Council Members

Council welcomed Prof Johan Fourie, who had been re-elected by permanent academic staff members in the category for non-Senate members for the period 1 September 2018 to 31 August 2020. At the meeting, Prof Fourie was also elected to serve on the University's Investment Committee, which functions as a subcommittee of Council.

In addition, Council welcomed Ms Gwen Ngwenya as a new member, having been appointed by the Western Cape premier for the period 1 August 2018 to 31 July 2022 to replace Mr Andricus van der Westhuizen. Ms Ngwenya holds an MSc in Finance from the University of London and a master's degree in International Economics from the University of Paris. She is a member of Parliament, as well as a former SRC president of the University of Cape Town.

Finally, Council also congratulated SU Rector and Vice-Chancellor Prof Wim de Villiers on his 59^th birthday, which coincided with Wednesday's meeting. He and the Registrar, Dr Ronel Retief, were also congratulated with participating in the Cape Town Marathon in the fight against student hunger as part of SU's # Move4Food campaign.

Next meeting

The next Council meeting is scheduled for Monday 26 November 2018, which will be the last for the year.

PICTURES, HENNIE RUDMAN:

TOP: SU Council members at the meeting on 26 September 2018, from left (back), Messrs Wayde Davidse and Charl Cillié, Profs Eugene Cloete and Johan Fourie, Messrs Lwando Nkamisa and Jannie Durand, Prof Nico Koopman, Deputy Chair Mr Ainsley Moos, Profs André Coetzee, Aslam Fataar and Usuf Chikte, and Adv Jean Meiring; (front) Profs Joan Hambidge, Arnold Schoonwinkel, Stan du Plessis and Wim de Villiers, Chair Mr George Steyn, Ms Khungeka Njobe, Prof Amanda Gouws and Ms Gwen Ngwenya.

ABOVE: New SU Council member Ms Gwen Ngwenya.

​The awarding of degrees, diplomas and certificates (including doctoral degrees and honorary doctorates) will take place in the Coetzenburg Centre at the Coetzenburg sport grounds from 10 - 14 December 2018.

Each ceremony will commence punctually at the time indicated in brackets below, but all candidates up to masters level must report at the pavilion of the Danie Craven Stadium TWO HOURS prior to the commencement of the ceremony, already in possession of their hired academic wear.

Doctoral candidates: 

Doctoral candidates should report in the Barlow Room in the Jannie Marais homestead at Coetzenburg, 1½ hours prior to the commencement of the ceremony, also already in possession of their hired academic wear.

Late arrivals cannot be accommodated: 

Candidates who arrive with or without their hired academic wear at the Coetzenburg Centre after the ceremony has commenced, will not be able to walk over the stage and their qualification will be awarded in absentia. Take possible flight delays, power outages, traffic congestion and parking time into consideration to ensure timeous arrival. 

 Official notice:

• Download the official notice – the notice contains essential information for all graduates and guests
• Graduates will receive an e-mail notification regarding graduation at the end of October 2018
• Programme and name lists of graduates will be uploaded early in December 2018
  

​Candidates who qualify for the awarding of a degree, diploma or certificate at a December ceremony, but who want to defer the awarding of the qualification to the April ceremony, should arrange the deferral by completing the relevant form on www.mymaties.com before Friday, 30 November 2018. 

Undergraduate candidates utilizing and passing a second examination opportunity in a module in November – and thus automatically graduating at a ceremony in April 2019 – need not complete the form. 

The form is available at www.mymaties.com (Studies > Absence from graduation ceremony).

Current and former vice-chancellors of three leading universities in the UK and the USA are among the latest group of recipients of honorary degrees from Stellenbosch University. The world's premier postcolonial literary theorist, the president of the South African Reserve Bank (SARB), a world-renowned mathematical scientist, an outstanding South African jurist in the field of human rights and constitutional law and one of South Africa's leading winemakers, will also be honoured in this way.

The recipients are:

• Prof Homi K Bhabha, a literary theorist from Harvard in the USA;
• Prof Dame Glynis Marie Breakwell, former Vice-Chancellor of the University of Bath whose contribution to social psychology is globally significant;
• Mr Jan Boland Coetzee, one of South Africa's leading winemakers, leader in the technical, social and management development of the South African wine industry and former Springbok rugby player;
• Dr Shirely Ann Jackson, President of the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in the USA, a member of President Barack Obama's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology and first African American woman to obtain a doctorate in physics in the USA;
• Mr Lesetja Kganyago, President of the South African Reserve Bank (SARB) and Chair of the International Monetary and Financial Committee (the primary advisory body to the International Monetary Fund board of governors);
• Prof John Latham, Vice-Chancellor of Coventry University and higher education leader of note;
• Prof Lloyd N. Trefethen, a world-renowned mathematical scientist from Oxford, who is helping to cultivate a new generation of mathematical scientists on the African continent;
• Justice Zak Yacoob, an outstanding South African jurist in the field of human rights and constitutional law

Breakwell, Bhabha, Kganyago and Yacoob will receive the degrees at the December 2018 Graduation Ceremony, while Coetzee, Jackson, Latham and Trefethen will be honoured at March 2019 ceremony.

“We would like to honour the recipients for their significant contributions to humanity. They embody SU's mission to enrich and transform communities – in our country, elsewhere on our continent and worldwide. They are an inspiration to us," said Prof Wim de Villiers, SU Rector and Vice-Chancellor.

SU confers honorary doctorates to acknowledge excellence in a variety of fields as well as to identify the individuals concerned as role models for the University community.

The December graduation ceremonies take place from 10 to 14 December, while the March 2019 ceremonies are held from 1 to 5 April.

​The Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, which also celebrates its 100^th anniversary along with Stellenbosch University (SU) this year, will be hosting an evening of vigorous discussion involving staff, students and alumni on 23 October. The Arts and Social Sciences Centenary Discussions is part of the faculty's centenary activities to celebrate the impact it has made and continues to make on modern day South Africa.

The event will start at 17:30 at the entrance of the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences building where guests will be treated to snacks and some music from students from the Music Department. Thereafter guests will proceed to Room 230 and adjacent lecture halls where the panel discussions will take place.

Guests can choose to attend one of the three parallel panel discussions focused on:

• Spectres of Racial Science: From Rehoboth in Colonial Namibia to Berlin, Stellenbosch and beyond
• Art as Protest and Social Change
• Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the future of jobs, ethics and machines taking over

Speakers for the Spectres of Racial Science panel will include Ms Vanessa Mpatlanyane, Ms Nomzamo Ntombela, Prof Steven Robins from the Sociology and Social Anthropology Department, Maties alumnus Dr Handri Walters, and Dr Rudi Buys, the Dean of Humanities at Cornerstone Institute.

Walters, who completed a PhD in the Sociology and Social Anthropology Department, was responsible for discovering a human skull and instruments used to measure human hair and eye types in a case bearing Eugen Fischer's name in the SU Museum in February 2013. Fischer was a Nazi eugenicist of the 1930s. Robins is the author of Letters of Stone, from Nazi Germany to South Africa, a deeply personal and painful reflection of the true horror and extent of the Nazis' racial policies against Jews. His book made the Sunday Times Alan Paton Award for Non-Fiction shortlist in 2017. Read the full story here.

For the last few years, Buys has worked closely with institutions on transformation. In 2008, he was  called in by the University of the Free State (UFS) as a reconciliation consultant following what is referred to as the Reitz incident at that institution. The Reitz incident involved four white males who had filmed black workers participating in what they called selection tests for residence placement. This involved workers eating food in which the students had allegedly urinated amongst others. Buys was later appointed as Dean of Students at UFS and authored the book, Brugbouers – Die Reitz-video en die pad na versoening. Read a review of his book here.

Mpatlanyane is currently a guest lecturer and teaching assistant in the Sociology and Social Anthropology Department at SU. In 2015 she completed a Masters' thesis titled New Activism after Apartheid: The Case of Open Stellenbosch which draws attention to the Stellenbosch-based student movement Open Stellenbosch over a two year period, as well as the 2015-2016 student protests more broadly.

Ntombela is a final-year student studying towards a BA in Humanities degree with majors in Anthropology and Sociology. She has been involved in student activism and leadership through various student-led movements and structures since her earlier days at SU. She was a former executive member of the BA Student Committee (BASC) and the former President of the Student Representative Council (SRC) at SU. Recently she was invited to Michigan State University to discuss the necessary role, challenges and the future of student activism in higher education institutions and how these forms of activism are necessary in unravelling the truths behind the democratic project in South Africa.

The panellists topic will address the establishment of eugenics as a global science in the 20^th century, its roots in German South West Africa and eventually its impact on Stellenbosch University in later years and transformation at other institutions.

“Southern Africa was not removed from the development or application of eugenics as a science. German eugenics had roots in German South West Africa, from where it travelled to many parts of the world, including Stellenbosch University. This panel explores eugenics as a 'travelling science' but also reflects on broader questions concerning the legacies of the forms of knowledge and institutional culture produced at the university.  It attempts to highlight the importance of reflective remembrance in the year of centenary celebrations at Stellenbosch. Such reflection on institutional histories poses important questions that might move us forward in our commitment to present-day transformation," write the panellists.

Dr Leslie van Rooi, the Senior Director: Social Impact and Transformation; Ms Greer Valley, Visual Arts alumnus, former Open Stellenbosch member, curator of Open Form and a PhD candidate at the School of Fine Arts at the University of Cape Town, and Ms Stephané Conradie, a lecturer in the Visual Arts Department at SU who was also a member of Open Stellenbosch and an organiser of artist interventions that took place during 2015; will focus on Art as Protest and Social Change. Van Rooi takes responsibility, amongst others, for coordinating visual redress at SU. In his portfolio he is also responsible for the SU Woordfees and the SU Museum.

“In 2015, The Rhodes Must Fall movement argued that calls to remove the statue of Cecil John Rhodes were symbolic of the need for, amongst other objectives, the decolonisation of the university curriculum, addressing the slow changes in staff and student composition in terms of race, gender and class and to attend to the university's exclusionary institutional culture," explains Conradie and Valley.

They add that a month after “the globally publicised lifting of the Rhodes statue from its perch, students at Stellenbosch University responded to calls for transformation and redress by forming the student activist group Open Stellenbosch". 

“Although the emphasis on visual redress was not at the top of the group's agenda, pressure from the students resulted in the ceremonial removal of a bronze plaque dedicated to the former Apartheid National Party Prime Minister and Vice Chancellor of the university HF Verwoerd from the Accounting and Statistics building in May 2015."

From May 2015 until early 2016, Open Stellenbosch protested the lack of post-1994 institutional transformation at SU highlighting, amongst other things, the discriminatory ways in which the then official university language policy (2014) was implemented at the university. 

“In Open Stellenbosch and during the #Feesmustfall student protests, art was used as a way to signify or allude to the misgivings students had with the university institution. Art was also used to not only challenge the perceptions the public and institution had about the student protests but it also became a vehicle through which students could say what was often too difficult to express in words. Art then acts as a vehicle to not just express but to resist, educate and understand difficult issues in  moments of crisis," explain the two SU alumni.

“Art, particularly public art, has historically been used as a site or place where civic ideas are represented and also an environment in which people can gather to engage in discussion and critical reflection. This type of artistic knowledge can be linked with liberatory knowledge production in line with Freirean pedagogy for the emancipation of the oppressed."

“Art in this case must be devoid of this institutional ideological framework and focused more on the active role it can have in society. This means to move it away from the traditional notion of art in isolation to a more communicative discipline which engages the communities it is taking place in."

Speakers to participate in the third panel focused on Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the future of jobs, ethics, and machines taking over will include Prof Bruce Watson, the Chair of the Information Science Department in the faculty; Mr Marc Tison, a Matie alumnus and Chief Operating Officer at Zing Holdings; and Dr Martin Berglund, a postdoctoral fellow at SU from Umeå University in Sweden.

“Advances in computational high-tech mean that roughly every 18 months we have twice as much computing power — a trends which has continued for five decades now and has given us the internet, ubiquitous computing, robotics, self-driving cars, and artificial intelligence (AI). Work on AI started almost 60 years ago, and experienced many false starts over the first five decades — moments at which we were “on the verge" of intelligent systems. This time it really is unfolding. AI holds tremendous opportunities for us to solve some of the world's problems, but simultaneously it has the potential to cause joblessness, social unease (at the least), and a wide variety of ethical problems. This panel will reflect on these issues and discuss them from a variety of standpoints," says Watson.

Watson is the co-director of the Centre for Artificial Intelligence Research, and co-founder and co-director of the distributed FASTAR Research Group. His is also a visiting professor in the Department of Computer Science at King's College London. With more than a dozen researchers, his combined research groups perform fundamental research in new algorithms and technologies. He has fortunate enough to work at a wide variety of high-tech companies (from Microsoft to Cisco to ASML), bringing to the world applied research in areas such as AI, Algorithms and their correctness, cybersecurity and warfare, and silicon chip design and optimisation. He holds two PhDs, one in computing science and engineering from Eindhoven University of Technology in the Netherlands, and another in computer science from the University of Pretoria.

Should you be interested in attending the event, please book a space with Ms Lynne Rippenaar-Moses at lynnr@sun.ac.za or Mr Marvin Koopman at marvin@sun.ac.za by 22 October. Spaces are limited.

Back in Grade 9, 15-year-old Jenny Pienaar had already decided that she was going to be a lawyer. However, when she found herself unable to pass Private Law 1 while studying towards a BA Law degree at Maties, she did what only a student with blind determination would do – she refused to listen to her lecturer.

“I was struggling to get through Private Law 1 and I managed to fail it twice in two years. When I told my lecturer that I wanted to go into law, he told me outright 'you will never a become a lawyer'," says Jenny as she recalls her student years at Stellenbosch University.

“I knew then that I had to find another way to get into law, so I did a BA degree in Classical Culture and Political Philosophy, got my BA degree and then went to the University of Cape Town and did my LLB over three years because I did not have any law subjects," says Jenny who graduated with an LLB degree from UCT in 1991.

Today Jenny is a qualified Trade Mark Attorney, a Partner and Co-Chair of the Trade Marks Department, and acting as the Chair of the Trade Mark Litigation Department at the well-known law firm, Adams & Adams.  She practices in trade mark litigation, domain name registration, securing domains from unlawful proprietors, litigation related to copyright, passing-off, unlawful competition, and company name objections. She also has experience in advertising law and regulatory compliance. ​

Adams & Adams represents 240 of the Forbes 500 companies in the United States as well as other countries, with a wide variety of clients from the FMCG (Fast-moving Consumer Goods) to the banking sector and pharmaceutical industry.

On 24 October Jenny will tell students more about how she defied the limits others had set for her to become the lawyer she always dreamt of being. This TedTalk-styled event, known as the Careers Café, will take place between 13:00 and 14:00 in Room 230 on the second floor of the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences building on the corner of Merriman and Ryneveld Street and is open to all students. 

The Careers Café series was launched in 2016 by the Alumni Relations Office to provide a platform for alumni to engage with the university in a different manner by offering their time and skills to help current students prepare for the careers they want. Through this interaction, current students are able to learn from the real-life experiences of Matie graduates in the corporate world and benefit from advice and tips from them as well. Other career development opportunities on campus are also promoted through this event, encouraging students to further improve their work preparedness.  

If you want to attend this free talk, you can RSVP for the Careers Café here.

• For more information about the Careers Café, follow the Alumni Relations Facebook page at www.facebook.com/stellenboschalumni and the SU Facebook page at www.facebook.com/stellenboschuniversity. 
• Two students can also win a seat at the dinner table with Jenny on the evening of the Careers Café by entering the Careers Café Facebook competition that will be advertised on the Stellenbosch University Alumni page or by submitting your entry to marvin@sun.ac.za. 
  

In celebration of the University's centenary, the Faculty of Economic and Management sciences invited its alumni earlier this year to nominate the best lecturer during the course of their studies. Almost 500 alumni participated and the vast majority voted for Prof Sampie Terreblanche as their best lecturer.

This one-off Alumni Best Lecturer award for the period 1929 to 2010 formed part of the Faculty's annual top lecturer competition this year, a competition that has been sponsored by Die Burger since 2011.

The name of Professor Sampie Terreblanche, who passed earlier this year, has become synonymous with the history of the Department of Economics at Stellenbosch University. When he finally retired in 2006 (officially already in 1996), Prof Sampie concluded an uninterrupted career of some five decades as lecturer in economics.

Prof Stan du Plessis, former Dean of the Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences and now SU's Chief Operating Officer, once remarked, “Professor Sampie Terreblanche is a towering figure in the 90-year history of the Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences at Stellenbosch University. One calculation shows that if you added up all the students in every lecture he gave during his career, the grand total would be about one million. It is, however, the quality of these lectures rather than their quantity which made such a lasting impression on generations of students."

Three of Prof Terreblanche's five children, Carine and Christelle Terreblanche and Dr Marié Kirsten, attended the top lecturers' prize-winning function last week.

In a tribute to Prof Sampie, Prof Andrie Schoombee, Chair of the Department of Economics, referred to the motivations given by alumni who voted for Prof Terreblanche. “These focussed on Prof Sampie's passion and enthusiasm, the fact that he challenged his students and made them think, his deep knowledge of his subject, and his interest in his students," he said.

“In my opinion his ability to teach his students critical thinking, was the one factor that made him stand out from many other top lecturers."

The alumni who voted for Prof Sampie was represented at the function by Mr Hermann Erasmus, whose name was drawn in a lucky draw. Mr Erasmus and his wife, Annatjie, came from Worcester to attend the function.

• Main photo by Sampie Terreblanche (Jr); photo below by Hennie Rudman. For more information about Prof Sampie, click here.
  

At the top lecturer prize-winning function were (f.l.t.r.) Carine Terreblanche (daughter), Prof Ingrid Woolard (Dean),
Dr Marié Kirsten (daughter), Christelle Terreblanche (daughter) and Willem Jordaan, Editor of Die Burger.