OnCampus Issue 1 • July 2016 • For daily updates visit www.uwc.ac.za
PAGE 3 CDCP
PAGE 9 New DVC for SDS at the helm
PAGE 14 Nobel Laureate Meeting
PAGE 19 Volleyballers Triumph
HySA Systems develops first hydrogen fuel cell forklift and refuelling station
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WC’s Hydrogen Systems South Africa (HySA Systems), in partnership with Impala Refining Services (IRS) and the Department of Science and Technology (DST), unveiled South Africa’s first prototype hydrogen fuel cell-powered forklift and refuelling station at the Impala Refineries in Springs on 31 March 2016. Over the last three years, IRS, a division of Impala Platinum Holdings (Implats), provided R6 million in funding to enable HySA Systems to develop the prototype forklift and refuelling station. Fuel cell technologies use electrochemical processes rather than combustion to produce power. The technology will allow the forklift to operate at lower pressures, improving vehicle safety and costs (the cost of the local refuelling station is around R2 million compared to €500 000 for an imported system). The forklift also has lower noise levels, generates less heat and noxious emissions, and has longer operational times between refuelling – hydrogen refuelling is required after two to four days of use, and refuelling takes only seven minutes. Implats plans to use hydrogen fuel cell technology as its main source of energy for material handling and underground mining equipment. This investment follows a decade of discussion and negotiations between Implats and UWC’s South African Institute for Advanced Materials
A prototype hydrogen fuel cell-powered forklift and refuelling station was unveiled at Impala Refining Services in Springs on 31 March 2016. Minister of Science and Technology, Naledi Pandor, was in attendance.
Chemistry (SAIAMC), under the leadership of SAIAMC’s Director, Professor Vladimir Linkov. “With Impala Platinum becoming a partner to SAIAMC, UWC has achieved the long-term goal of entering strategic research, development and innovation partnerships with an absolute national leader in one of the pillars of energy generation for current and future needs of the South African economy. This partnership is unique in the national system of innovation, unparalleled by any other university laboratory or institute in South Africa,” says Prof Linkov. Dr Cordellia Sita, Director of HySA Systems, says, “Fuel cell-powered forklifts are gaining significant traction worldwide and are now entering mainstream commercialisation. However, the limited availability of
refuelling infrastructure, coupled with the challenge of finding the most appropriate on-board hydrogen storage technology, remains a big challenge. Through this demonstration project, HySA Systems has addressed both challenges through the use of a novel metal hydride material for both hydrogen compression and storage.” Speaking at the event, Prof Frans Swanepoel, Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Research and Innovation at UWC, said, “South Africa is beginning the difficult but important journey towards a hydrogen economy, and this partnership is an important step in that direction.” Implats Chief Executive Officer, Terence Goodlace, commented: “As the world’s largest platinum-supplying region there is a guaranteed supply of the metal as well as the potential to increase global platinum demand.”
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UWC NEW AND NOW
Launch of new Centre for Radio Cosmology
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he University of the Western Cape’s Department of Physics and Astronomy has launched its new Centre for Radio Cosmology (CRC), funded by the South African Square Kilometre Array (SKA) Project. The Centre is led by UWC’s Professor Mario Santos, the chair of the international SKA Science Working Group for Cosmology. The new research centre aims to exploit the use of next-generation radio telescopes for measurements in cosmology – in particular in South African experiments at MeerKAT, HERA and SKA. The Centre will help to develop the pipelines and technical knowledge required to have a world-leading group capable of conducting the required radio surveys and analysing the huge data volumes that these telescopes will provide. The CRC will focus on the following areas: • Cosmology with HI intensity mapping surveys using MeerKAT and SKA1-MID. These include both large simulations of the signal and statistical analysis of the data with the aim to constrain dark energy, the primordial Universe and deviations from general relativity. • Cosmology with radio continuum surveys using MeerKAT and SKA1MID with emphasis on novel statistical techniques to extract the cosmological signal. • The 21cm signal from the epoch of reionisation when the first galaxies were formed – including both theory/ simulations as well as data analysis with the HERA experiment and the future SKA-LOW. “A lot of preliminary work is required before we can actually deal with the real data [provided by the telescopes], and the Centre will allow a coordinated team to tackle this task,” explains Prof Santos. “Once the data starts arriving, we will be in a privileged position to analyse it and provide
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Artist’s impression of the SKA dishes. Credit: SKA Organisation/TDP/DRAO/Swinburne Astronomy Productions.
some of the more stringent constraints on cosmology using radio telescopes.” Prof Santos’s team is conducting test observations with the KAT-7 telescope to test calibration techniques with real data. They are also running simulations to determine the optimal process for cleaning measurements from contaminant signals. “These simulations are crucial if we want to understand what we are actually going to see. When doing an observation, the telescope changes the expected signal in many different ways, and we need to understand these changes to correctly calibrate the data,” says Prof Santos. One of the main targets is a survey to measure the distribution of neutral hydrogen across cosmic timescales (what is called a HI intensity mapping survey), allowing the CRC to make a ‘movie’ of the evolving universe and providing detailed cosmological information. The objective is to conduct a large survey with MeerKAT, which should
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provide some of the first measurements of this signal. “In particular, it will help us test the nature of dark energy, something that we also want to do with MeerKAT,” notes Prof Santos. “Also, it will tell us if there is any ‘smoking gun’ of modifications to our theory of gravity on ultra-large scales.” Some of the simulations are being developed with UWC’s Prof Romeel Davé (SARChI Chair in Cosmology). The Centre will benefit from the resources that will be available from the Inter-university Institute for Data Intensive Astronomy (IDIA), led by UWC/UCT joint SKA Chair Prof Russ Taylor, and its close relations with the SKA South Africa office and the Rhodes Centre for Radio Astronomy Techniques and Technologies (RATT). “The Centre is a multidisciplinary endeavour,” says Prof Santos, “and we are lucky that South Africa now has the resources to push this research at the international level – and that UWC can play a leading role in the process.”
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UWC NEW AND NOW
Academics from four universities at the launch of UWC’s new Centre for Diversity in Counselling and Psychotherapy (from left): Prof Mokgadi Moletsane (UWC), Dr Tony George (Christ University, India), Prof Agostino Portera (University of Verona), Prof Jeanne Watson (OISE, Canada) and Prof Tyrone Pretorius (UWC).
New Centre to study cultural diversity
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outh Africa is widely celebrated for being a multicultural, multilingual and multiracial society that promotes unity through diversity. But recent outbreaks of student protests, charges of racism, conflicts stemming from economic inequality and anxiety about violence suggest that South Africa is still struggling with diversity. The University of the Western Cape launched its new Centre for Diversity in Counselling and Psychotherapy (CDCP) on 14 March 2016, that will focus on issues related to diversity – specifically the counselling and psychotherapeutic interventions necessary to address challenges arising in a multicultural society. The virtual centre is a partnership with the CDCP at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE) at the University of Toronto in Canada, Christ University in India and the University of Verona in Italy. “The launch of the centre is of critical importance to UWC, but even more critical is the work that we hope will emanate from this collaboration,” said Professor Tyrone Pretorius, UWC’s Rector and ViceChancellor (and a trained psychologist) at the launch. “It’s more than an exercise in intellectual curiosity – psychologists working together can make a positive
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contribution to society.” The CDCP will draw on expertise across faculties at UWC, from disciplines such as clinical psychology (CHS), educational psychology (Education) and industrial psychology (EMS). It will conduct research, design training programmes, develop interventions and contribute to policies that can address the challenges of diversity as they relate to counselling and psychotherapeutic interventions. The Centre will examine emerging trends and issues related to multiculturalism and diversity, with the aim of developing suitable treatments in mental health. Prof Mokgadi Moletsane, Deputy Dean of Research and Postgraduate Studies in UWC’s Faculty of Education, is the driving force behind the Centre, which grew out of collaborative work she did with OISE. “Mental health practitioners must not disregard the importance of diversity,” Prof Moletsane said. “The reality is that mental health professionals are faced with tremendous challenges of assessing and providing psychological services across a diverse and multicultural nation, and existing approaches may not be up to the task.” “We hear a lot, and in different contexts, that our psychological training
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is using borrowed models, which is a challenge that we face in India as well,” said Associate Professor Tony George of the Department of Psychology at Christ University. “The need to provide training versus the lack of adequate models is a big tension that we grapple with, and I think one of the goals of a centre like this would be to narrow those gaps.” Thanks to globalisation, there are no more truly monocultural societies, said Agostino Portera, Professor of Intercultural Education at the University of Verona. This provides a range of opportunities for dialogue, but also poses some challenges. “We should start with the theories that we already have, but then try to develop more that take into consideration the new reality and the complexity of the differences that we have,” said Prof Portera. Canada, too, faces issues of multiculturalism. Half the population of Toronto, for example, were born in other countries, explained Prof Jeanne Watson of the OISE. “South Africa is in a unique position to offer cutting-edge ideas about mental health and wellness,” said Prof Watson. “These ideas are of great interest to the rest of the world.”
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UWC NEW AND NOW
E-Learning at UWC
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niversities are not just places where students sit in silence in lecture theatres and learn passively. They are also institutions that tend to be early adopters of new learning techniques and technologies. At the University of the Western Cape (UWC), the Centre for Innovative Education and Communication Technologies (CIECT) is exploring opportunities for more effective online teaching, learning and outreach to augment traditional teaching methods. Among the e-learning innovations initiated by the CIECT at UWC are: 1. Skills Training: The CIECT offers ICT skills and digital literacy training packages in a range of subjects to students and staff. 2. E-Learning Departmental Partnerships: The CIECT assists lecturers to incorporate e-tools and technology in their teaching practice. It has helped the Arts Faculty create approximately 140 online modules for the first semester of 2016, assisted the School of Public Health to create an online educational environment and helped the English for Educational Development (EED) programme to use online tools such as Blogger to set up group activities. 3. Distance Learning: With the help of the CIECT, UWC’s Law Faculty offers a blended (almost entirely online) master’s course titled Labour Law in the New Global Market, an online Executive Leadership Programme for the School of Government (for working professionals, including local government councillors), and several Social Work programmes for the Master’s in Child and Family Studies programme and the Postgraduate Diploma in Child and Family Studies. 4. Teaching and Learning Research: Since 2007, CIECT has published its research on topics related to the institutionalising of e-learning at UWC, change management strategies, training interventions and the effective use of e-tools. 5. Sharing experiences: The annual E-Learning Colloquium discusses a wide range of new technology and applications, giving e-learning experts and recent adopters in the UWC community the chance to share experiences and learn from one another. For more information about online/blended learning at UWC visit the CIECT website or follow the CIECT on Twitter (@CIECT_Team) and Facebook.
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PORTAL TO A WORLD OF INFORMATION
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he modern academic library is more than just a place to find a book although there are books of course – over 350 000 of them at last count at the UWC Library. Along with about 2 000 ebooks and 300 print journal titles, the Library also subscribes to electronic database packages of 25 000 journals, containing hundreds of thousands of articles in a variety of academic disciplines. The Library provides students and academics with a number of other crucial resources and services: 1. Training: The reference library staff provide SmartSearch training and assistance with research clinics. The building has several fully-equipped training rooms. There are also workstations in the Self-Learning Zone on Level 5 that offer students a variety of online multimedia presentations and tutorials on using information resources. 2. Knowledge Commons: The Knowledge Commons on Level 6 has 111 computers linked to four printers, with full access to MS Office, the internet, and to the databases and other Library resources. 3. Past Exams: The Library maintains an extensive repository of past examination papers based in Google Drive that can be accessed electronically by any student or staff member. 4. Studies online: All UWC theses and dissertations are available online in the Electronic Theses and Dissertations archive. Postgraduate students can upload their theses themselves. 5. Open Access: As a signatory of the Berlin Open Access Declaration, UWC strives to make academic research freely available to all. The Library maintains the Research Repository, which stores digital copies of UWC’s research outputs. The repository is organised according to research communities associated with faculties. Users can browse the collections of a research community, or search for a paper or article by author, subject, title or publication date. 6. Ask a Librarian: a new virtual service that can be accessed from the Library home page (http://www.lib.uwc.ac.za). A query can be posted after clicking the blue tab in the lower right-hand corner of the screen. Library staff usually answer the query in real time, or within 24 hours if received after hours.
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UWC NEW AND NOW
UWC Hosts World Nutrition Congress
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ue in part to globalisation and the expansion of large manufacturing and retail corporations in the food system, indigenous and environmentally sustainable small-scale food production systems are being increasingly marginalised in many Southern hemisphere countries. Malnutrition is increasing in many countries, both in the form of high levels of chronic undernutrition and in the rates of overweight and obesity, and their related diseases. With South African food corporations expanding into Sub-Saharan Africa and impacting on these countries’ food environments, South African experiences and food system policies can inform understanding and policy making on the continent. The DST-NRF Centre of Excellence in Food Security (CoE-FS) at the University of the Western Cape (UWC), in partnership with the World Public Health Nutrition
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Association (WPHNA), will be hosting the WPHNA’s second annual congress at UWC’s main campus from 30 August to 2 September 2016. UWC and the University of Pretoria co-host the CoE-FS. The CoE-FS is the first CoE to be hosted by a historically disadvantaged university since the Centres of Excellence programme was initiated by the National Research Foundation and the Department of Science and Technology ten years ago. UWC Professors David Sanders and Rina Swart, who are the principal investigators of the CoE-FS Food Consumption thematic area of research, are respectively acting as Congress chair and chair of the local organising committee. The congress will bring together researchers, policymakers, students and activists from fields as diverse as land and agriculture, dietetics, food retail and advertising, health systems, and nutritional outcomes.
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Poster and oral presentations, as well as workshops, will be organised within the following themes: • The impact of food systems on livelihoods, nutrition, diet and health; • Community health and nutrition programmes and interventions; • Malnutrition treatment and prevention; • The right to health, food, water, land and resources; • The political economy of public health nutrition; • Law and regulation in public health nutrition; • The first 1 000 days, infant feeding and early childhood development; • Food and nutrition security; • Capacity development for public health nutrition.
More information on the congress can be found on the conference website at www.wncapetown2016.com.
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UWC NEW AND NOW
How can UWC Help you
VANITHA NAIDOO Vanitha Naidoo is the Coordinator of Student Administration. The core functions of her unit are to issue transcripts to students, issue the students’ unique cards, help students with registration and issue proof of registration and the termination of studies. The unit also assists in general admission requirements, as well as admissions requirements pertaining to specific programmes set out by the University. Contact Student Administration at 021 959 3348.
NAYTHAN KAYSER Naythan Kayser, Programme Coordinator. The HIV/Aids programme’s vision is to develop a model and integrated response to the challenge of HIV/Aids, based on the values and practice of caring, compassion and non-discrimination. The HIV/Aids programme at UWC strives to address all the key functions of a tertiary institution, namely: teaching, research, prevention, care and support, advocacy and community. The unit focuses on peer education, HIV counselling and testing and LGBTI projects. Contact the HIV/Aids Programme office at 021 959 3365.
CLINT PRINS Clint Prins, Risk and Compliance liaison officer. The Risk and Compliance department of the University of the Western Cape ensures a safe and secure learning environment. Its responsibilities include Campus Protection Services, postal services, transport services, asset and insurance, and fire/medical and emergency services. Contact Campus Protection Services at 021 959 2100.
ARNOLD MDEPA Arnold Mdepa, Facilitator. The Centre for Student Support Services (CSSS) has four units consisting of academic support, therapeutic services, leadership and social responsibility, and the office for students with disabilities. The Centre plays a crucial role in assisting students on their academic journey at the University of the Western Cape. Contact CSSS at 021 959 2299.
AKHONA LANDU Akhona Landu, UWC Student Representative Council (SRC) President. The SRC protects and advances the interests of the students at the University and in the Higher Education sector. It represents and acts on behalf of the students at UWC in matters affecting their academic and social wellbeing. Contact the SRC Office at 021 959 2802.
ABDUL JAPPIE Abdul Jappie, Manager. The UWC Campus Lifestyle Store serves as the UWC brand retailer for all faculty uniforms, promotional clothing, corporate clothing, gifts and branded UWC fashion trends on campus. We also offer personalised branding on all our garments. Contact the UWC Campus Lifestyle Store at 021 959 9341 or 021 959 9342 (sport division).
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UWC NEW AND NOW
The University of the Western Cape is among the eight leading universities in South Africa and ranked in the top 15 on the continent. UWC’s Department of Institutional Advancement recently randomly interviewed students on campus to gauge whether students were making use of all the services available at our institution. Students were asked why they chose UWC, which services they made use of and what their general impression was of the student experience. Sharne Abrahams (20):
Lubabalo Dyantyi (20):
Janice Marion (19):
“I was afraid at first, especially with the protests last year. But I soon realised that it was not student against student but the fight was for everyone’s benefit. Campus life is the most chilled. It is like we are all a family. I will start attending my tuts this semester and I know they will be very helpful.”
I am not aware of all the services available to students here on campus but I personally make use of the Writing Centre. They are really helpful and ever since I started going there I have seen some improvements. I am enjoying my time at this university so far.
During Orientation Week, the peer facilitators divided us into groups. They gave us tips and motivated us. I really found it helpful because they told us hard facts. Something about UWC has a family vibe. You get people from different backgrounds with a common goal to succeed.
Sonwabile Qumbelo (23):
Musa Mdletshe (21):
Aphiwe Msila (19):
I get help mainly from my tutors. Library assistants here on campus are also a great help. UWC was recommended to me by a friend who is an alumnus. I wanted to see what the big deal was, and here I am today. The only thing about this place is that we are far from the shops and we have to travel all the time.
UWC is a nice place with helpful programmes like the Writing Centre. Most students just don’t know about the services on campus. The Centre for Student Support Services (CSSS) is very helpful – they have really exciting stuff happening there, and they support you academically and mentally. ICS also helped me with my laptop and I have made use of most of the services on campus.
Most people need counselling because they are struggling. The awareness of these programmes isn’t emphasised here on campus. The only time I saw or read about these was on my application at the beginning of the year. I don’t know much about these programmes but I picked up that people are making use of the Writing Centre.
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UWC NEW AND NOW
IQ
EQ
UWC launches Co-curricular Record
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cademic success is not enough to change students’ lives. In today’s organisational environment, students going into any employment opportunity will need requisite skills that are not taught in the classroom. This means that a conducive atmosphere is a requirement for the holistic development of students. Essentially, there is a need to balance the IQ with EQ (emotional intelligence),”said Lukhanyiso Matebese, UWC SRC Deputy President, at the launch of the Co-curricular Record at the Student Centre. The UWC Co-curricular Record is an online programme that encourages students to participate in both curricular and co-curricular activities. At the launch, attended by representatives of most student structures, students were encouraged to join societies and student movements where they would learn invaluable leadership lessons on how to run organisations and apply strategic thinking. Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Student
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Development and Support, Professor Pamela Dube, said UWC was one of five universities to have co-curricular programmes to this extent. “We would like to thank the Information and Communication Servises (ICS) department’s project managers for getting involved and walking the road with us,” she said. “From today, students will be able to apply for their co-curricular records and have their academic information and extracurricular activities verified.” At the launch, which included a video screening showing students how to apply online, Deputy Vice-Chancellor Academic, Prof Vivienne Lawack, said: “We want to celebrate academia and what happens beyond the lecture halls. The record will appear on the student’s transcript with the DVC: SDS and Registrar’s signatures at the bottom along with the academic transcript.” Validators will do screening and verification of qualifying students before they can receive their Co-curricular Record.
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UWC NEW AND NOW
New Deputy Vice-Chancellor for SDS at the helm
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rofessor Pamela Dube is UWC’s newly-appointed Deputy ViceChancellor for Student Development and Support (SDS). She joined the University in December 2015, replacing Prof Mokgadi Moletsane, who acted in the position after Prof Lullu Tshiwula retired at the end of 2014. Prof Dube exercises oversight over the Centre for Student Support Services, the Financial Aid Office, Residential Services, Sports Administration, Campus Health, the Office for Student Development and Student Governance, and works closely with the Student Representative Council and its structures. Prof Dube joined UWC at a time when the higher education sector faced immense challenges with students and staff protesting over various grievances. “In my view the unprecedented protests call on us as leadership and communities of not only the affected universities but of the country as a whole to listen and to engage effectively,” Prof Dube says. Prof Dube supports the principle of access to affordable education, “especially given our history as a country, and I think it should be possible but I’m mindful of the limitations. There should be an opportunity to start addressing the least advantaged among us first.” Driving the SDS strategy of supporting a holistic, strength-based and enabling approach to the development and support of students, the promotion of student engagement and collective efforts in addressing the challenges of financial need, accommodation, food security and study materials are high on her agenda. “We will work with faculties to
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Professor Pamela Dube
increase synergy between curricular and co-curricular activities, to embed UWC graduate attributes from an approach of shared values. And we will enhance efforts at broadening the concept of learning and submit to the rigours of research-based interventions,” she adds. Prof Dube holds a BA degree and a BA Honours in Drama and Performance Studies from the then University of
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Natal, and a master’s (cum laude) and PhD (summa cum laude) in Comparative Literature and Media Studies from the University of Siegen, Germany. She was Dean of Students at the University of the Witwatersrand before joining UWC and has served in various positions at a number of institutions locally and internationally.
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EVENTS
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1. UWC’s Sustainability Conception workshop On 23 January 2016 two dozen academics from different disciplines gathered at the University of the Western Cape for a two-day workshop aimed at creatively conceptualising a Centre for Sustainability to be based at UWC, which will promote interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary research collaborations. | 2. UWC Beach Volleyball Club triumphs On 31 January, the UWC men’s volleyball team of Leo Williams and Grant Goldschmidt won the first Flying Fish National Beach Volleyball Series. | 3. UWC team visits abuse survivors UWC Rugby Club members, led by coach Chester Williams and captain Philbrey Joseph, visited the Saartjie Baartman Centre for Women and Children. On 1 February 2016 the team was there to help out around the centre and play with the children.
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EVENTS
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6 4. O-Week 2016: Fresh faces at UWC The University of the Western Cape (UWC) commenced its official orientation day on 9 February 2016, when close to 4 000 accepted first-year students and their proud families gathered on campus. | 5. Pharmacy and Public Health graduate receives the 2016 Jakes Gerwel Award On 17 February 2016, the Jakes Gerwel Award was presented to Evans Sagwa (third from the right), a graduate of UWC’s School of Public Health (SoPH), for his contribution to introducing a holistic approach to strengthening national pharmaceutical systems. | 6. UWC dentists conferred international fellows On 24 February 2016, a number of UWC dentists and dental specialists joined the class of international ‘outstanding professional achievers’ when they were inducted as fellows of the International College of Dentists (ICD).
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EVENTS
7. SA-JINR Seminar: Nuclear research brings nations together On 29 February and 1 March 2016, the University of the Western Cape hosted the South Africa-JINR Education and Research Collaboration Workshop which discussed ongoing and potential partnerships with the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research (JINR).
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8. Centre for Diversity in Counselling and Psychotherapy Launch UWC launched its new Centre for Diversity in Counselling and Psychotherapy (CDCP), in partnership with the CDCP at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE) at the University of Toronto in Canada, Christ University in India, and the University of Verona in Italy, on 14 March 2016. 9. Swedish Delegation University of the Western Cape (UWC) Rector and Vice-Chancellor, Prof Tyrone Pretorius, together with UWC’s Executive, hosted a delegation from Swedish universities on 18 March 2016. The purpose of the visit was to strengthen institutional partnerships with UWC.
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EVENTS
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12 10. Inaugural Brian O’Connell Visiting Fellows Lecture On 30 March 2016, the inaugural Brian O’Connell Visiting Fellows Lecture was held at the University of the Western Cape. The prestigious Brian O’Connell Visiting Fellowship is awarded to distinguished scholars from the African diaspora who are working in Africa or elsewhere. | 11. HySA and Implats introduce first Hydrogen Fuel Cell Forklift prototype On 31 March 2016 at Impala Refineries in Springs, Naledi Pandor, the Minister of Science and Technology, unveiled South Africa’s first prototype hydrogen fuel cell forklift and refuelling station built by UWC’s Hydrogen Systems South Africa (HYSA Systems). | 12. R13 000 donation to Ikamva Lethu – Our Future Fund The University of the Western Cape received R13 000 from Ogle Enterprises in collaboration with uButsha Communications on 6 April 2016, which was donated to the UWC Ikamva Lethu – Our Future Fund campaign.
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UWC NEW AND NOW
Siyambonga Matshawule, a lecturer and PhD student in UWC’s Department of Physics and Astronomy, explains his research to Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa on a recent visit to UWC.
UWC astrophysics student to attend prestigious Nobel Laureate meeting
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he Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf) has nominated five top young physicists from South Africa to attend the 66th Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting later this year in Lindau, Germany. ASSAf, as the official partner of the Lindau Foundation and with funding from the Department of Science and Technology, annually nominates young scientists to attend the Lindau Nobel Laureate Meetings which is designed as a forum for young scientists from all over UWC takes pride in...
the world to have an in-depth exchange with Nobel laureates. The meeting will take place from 26 June to 1 July 2016 and a total of around 30 Nobel laureates are expected to participate. Successful participants are outstanding undergraduate and postgraduate students and postdoctoral research fellows under 35 years of age, in the field of physics, which is the focus of this year’s meeting. They were selected after a multi-stage international selection process. The
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Department of Physics and Astronomy is pleased to announce that Siyambonga Matshawule, a Next Generation of Academics Programme (nGAP) lecturer and PhD student in the Department, will join 402 other young scientists from 80 different countries at this year’s meeting. Siyambonga is the second young UWC astrophysicist to attend the Lindau Nobel Laureate Meetings, which have been held annually at Lindau, Germany, since 1951.
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Appointment of new Director for Research
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WC has appointed seasoned researcher Dr Thandi Mgwebi as its Director for Research. The appointment will strengthen UWC’s position as the university with the steepest growth of research output in South Africa and, according to Professor Frans Swanepoel, Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Research and Innovation, will further strengthen capacity within the research, postgraduate study and innovation portfolio as UWC continues to grow its research profile. “She will play an important role in operationalising the UWC research strategy [currently under development] in collaboration with faculties across campus,” Prof Swanepoel adds. Prior to assuming her duties in December 2015, Dr Mgwebi was the Executive Director, Research Chairs and Centres of Excellence at the National Research Foundation (NRF). She has also served the NRF as Executive Director, Institutional Engagement and Partnership Development, Acting Executive Director, Human and Institutional Capacity Development, and Director, Human Capacity Development. Dr Mgwebi previously worked at the Medical Research Council, was appointed by the Minister of Higher Education and Training as a member of the Ministerial Task Team in Mathematics and
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Dr Thandi Mgwebi
Science, and serves on various committees and structures within the South African National System of Innovation. She holds a PhD from the University of Cape Town, a Certificate in Higher Education Management from LH Martin Institute, Melbourne, Australia, and completed the Management Development Programme at the University of Stellenbosch Business School.
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SPORT
New graduates in sport development
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he Interdisciplinary Centre for Sport Science and Development (ICESSD) at UWC attained new heights earlier this year when four PhD students were capped and 17 students received the Postgraduate Diploma in Sport and Development. A highlight of the ceremony was the graduation of 66-year-old Isaac Adom-Aboagye and his son Kwadwo Adom-Aboagye, who graduated in the postgraduate group. Both had been inspired by Isaac’s daughter Nana AdomAboagye, who previously did her master’s degree through ICESSD. Jakobo Jacob Moroe, who received his diploma, is continuing with his PhD at ICESSD in 2016. He has been selected to attend the United Nations’ Sport and Development Programme for young leaders in Florida in June this year. As in the previous year, there were two students in the postgraduate diploma group who went through the Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) programme that took into account their many years of experience working in the field. “These are individual stories which
are amazing and reflect the belief in sport as a vehicle for change and the commitment of individuals and families to use the power of sport and its values to positively impact on their communities and the next generation of sport leaders,” says Professor Christo de Coning, who supervised two of the four PhDs and who has been teaching in the diploma programme since its inception three years ago. The diploma is a stepping stone to the Master’s in Sport for Development degree that will be offered from January 2017 as a structured interdisciplinary master’s coordinated by ICESSD. The doctoral students who graduated from ICESSD this year are Dr Tarminder Kaur, who conducted research on Sporting Lives and Development Agendas in the context of farm workers of the Western Cape; Dr Solomon Asihel, whose work was an Evaluation of Mechanisms on the Role of Sport in the Process of Reconciliation in the Post-apartheid South African Context; Advocate Lyndon Bouah, who analysed the implementation of the National Sport and Recreation Plan
in the Western Cape; and Dr Nelisiwe Maleka, whose PhD dissertation was titled Monitoring and Evaluation of Sport-Based HIV/AIDS Awareness Programmes of selected Non-Governmental Organisations in South Africa. “This has been an exceptional group of students,” says Prof Marion Keim, the Director of ICESSD. “Not only are they all deeply committed to sport and development, but they have collectively inculcated the Olympic values of excellence, respect, friendship and fair play in how they relate to each other as a team and through their work. It has been an honour and a pleasure to have worked with each one of them. “At a moment when South Africa is struggling more than ever with its post-apartheid social contract, ICESSD remains passionately committed to supporting leaders in sport to deepen their understanding of development and social change issues and the leadership role they can play towards building a better society,” Keim adds.
UWC’s Interdisciplinary Centre for Sport Science and Development graduated four PhD students in April.
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UWC Ladies Cricket team celebrates its triumph at Newslands Cricket Stadium.
UWC Cricket Club had a ball of a season
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he University of the Western Cape Cricket Club has many reasons to be satisfied with the results of the 2015/2016 cricket season. Both the female and the male teams reached no fewer than five finals in different competitions during the season. Early in 2016, the male team reached the final of the prestigious Varsity Cricket competition, the country’s premier university cricket tournament. Although the team lost the match to the University of Pretoria by 21 runs, they put on a sterling performance. The team also reached the T20 final at Newlands Stadium in April, losing to St Augustine’s by the narrow margin of 15 runs. Their female counterparts won the Western Province T20 final when they hammered Bellville Ladies by seven wickets at Newlands on 10 April 2016. That win, according to coach and captain Nuraan Pipers, meant that the team had achieved the goals they had set for the 2015/2016 season – to win the 50-over competition and the T20 competition. “We’ve won 22 out of 23 matches. I am so proud of the commitment and dedication the ladies have shown this past season. We all had the same goal and we all contributed towards making that goal a reality.” Pipers said the UWC Ladies Cricket team has grown in numbers and in strength over the past few seasons and strive to maintain and even improve on those standards “as long as there are ladies passionate to play cricket and eager to learn the game. We need to build on these successes for the coming season.” Pipers commended the University and its Sport Skills for Life
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Skills (SS4LS) bursary and mentoring programme for playing a big role in her team’s success. “A huge thank you to all the parties involved for making our dream come true.” Nicolas Kock of the UWC Cricket Club added, “Every final is special for us as it is a celebration of all the amazing sacrifices our UWC students and UWC staff make, working shoulder by shoulder in creating something special on our campus. We are UWC and together we can achieve amazing things for our community.” Both Pipers and Kock attributed the success of the club to the innovative SS4LS programme, which grooms young people for successful cricket and academic careers. Since its inception 16 years ago, the programme has produced a number of players who went on to play for provincial, professional and national teams while doing well in their studies. The men’s component of the programme has produced 29 first-class cricketers of which nine played franchise cricket, two represented the South African A Side, two played for Zimbabwe and one played in the Italian national side. The programme has been vital to the success of the UWC Cricket Club, with the men’s first side having won 13 league titles on their way to the top of the Western Province Cricket Association’s Premier League. The female component of the programme has given rise to four Proteas and 12 provincial players, including Shandre Fritz, who scored the first-ever international women’s T20 century with an unbeaten 116 runs against the Netherlands in 2010.
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UWC Ladies’ Football Club were crowned champions at the University Sport South Africa National Club Championships.
Udubs football teams score big victories
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WC Football Club dominated at the recent University Sport South Africa (USSA) National Club Championships, where both the male and female teams performed brilliantly. The event was held at the University of Free State in Bloemfontein in March 2016, having been postponed in December due to the university student protests. This important tournament is used as a qualifier for the Varsity Football tournament, of which the UWC male team are current champions. The male team finished third after beating Fort Hare University 5-1 in the play-off for third and fourth place. The team lost 4-3 on penalties in the semi-final to Central University of Technology. The female team were crowned champions after they beat UP-Tuks 4-1 on penalties.
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In addition to the win, three UWC players were honoured for their sterling performance at the tournament. Attacking midfielder Nelly Mamabolo was chosen as the Player of the Tournament for the second consecutive year. Nhlamulo Mathebula was the Goalkeeper of the Tournament and Janice Smith was named the Top Goal Scorer with eight goals. Nathan Peskin, the coach of the UWC female football team, says there was only one objective that the team set for Bloemfontein and that was to go and conquer. “Nothing less would be acceptable and nothing less was discussed,” he says. “The team possessed no shortage of talent and potential and had only to apply the necessary focus, discipline, application and execution to be crowned champions.”
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Peskin says, “Excitement and tears of joy were shed by them all as emotion spilled over. It’s been a long time coming. The dedication and hard work of all these players and management came together and brought success that had been brewing for the last few years.” Head coach of the male football team, Salie Adams, found the preparations for the postponed championship challenging. “The timing of the postponed tournament coincided with the players in the squad having other commitments,” he says. “However, all the players performed admirably in all the games. The team didn’t lose a game in the group stages and qualified to participate in the 2016 Varsity Football tournament. It was an excellent performance by the boys and we’re looking forward to Varsity Football 2016.”
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UWC beach volleyballers triumph again
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WC Beach Volleyball Club maintained its stature of being the best team in the game by winning all three national competitions so far this year. After winning the 2016 Volleyball South Africa Easter Splash Festival in Port Elizabeth in March, the female trio of Bejancke Della, Tsidi Dlamini and Kayla-Lee Provins defended their Varsity Beach Volleyball title for the third consecutive year on home soil in May. The male pair of Leo Williams and Grant Goldschmidt also made sure that the Flying Fish Beach Volleyball trophy remains at UWC for the third year. The Flying Fish National Beach Volleyball Series is a national tournament league played at eight different venues around the country throughout the year and features 24 male and 24 female teams. Each three-day tournament begins with knockout rounds on Fridays and Saturdays, with the semi-finals and finals played on Sundays. Williams and Goldschmidt, ranked number one in the country, have won the men’s category since the inception of the tournament three years ago. The players have their sights set firmly on this year’s Rio Olympic Games, but are desperately in need of sponsorship. The Splash Festival was intended to identify future stars of South African beach volleyball and the results showed that the UWC club was a key breeding ground for future Olympians. The Varsity Beach Volleyball competition is a premier university tournament which pits some of the best teams around the country against each other. In this year’s event, held at UWC, the UWC ladies’ team was untouchable throughout the tournament, cruising unbeaten through the pool stages, the semi-finals and the final where they beat UP-Tuks 33-29 in a fiercely contested encounter. Della, who captained UWC, paid tribute to Tuks for their impressive contest and commended the University Sports administration, home fans, event organisers and sponsors for making the tournament such a resounding success.
UWC Beach Volleyball women’s team celebrates winning the Varsity Beach Volleyball competition.
Elmien Cloete, UWC Beach Volleyball Club’s manager, attributed their success to the support of the University and the Western Cape Sport School. “UWC Volleyball appreciates the partnership established with the Western Cape Sport School, which acts as a feeder focus school for our Club. Many prospective students who play volleyball are now making UWC their choice of study. And UWC is recognising volleyball as one of the priority sports and therefore supports the athletes on all levels.”
UWC MEDIA OFFICE Do you have any important UWC stories to share? Do you know of an event on campus that you’d like to see featured? Have you heard of UWC alumni who’ve done amazing things, which you think the world should know about? Or maybe you have a few suggestions, comments or questions about something in this newsletter? Whatever the case may be, the UWC Media Office would really like to hear from you. Just email us at ia@uwc.ac.za, call us at 021 959 9525, or drop by our offices.
CONTRIBUTORS Nastasha Crow
Nicole Isaacs
Asiphe Nombewu
Myolisi Gophe
Nicklaus Kruger
Luthando Tyhalibongo
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