OnCampus Issue 4 • December 2015 • For daily updates visit www.uwc.ac.za
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2015 Chancellor’s Outstanding Alumni Awards
PAGE 9 Opening access to knowledge
PAGE 16 UWC researchers tackle SA’s energy crisis
PAGE 20 A triumphant sporting year
Easing the cost of higher education
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n the past few months, the country witnessed a national campaign of student protests under the #FeesMustFall banner against planned increases in university fees for 2016. UWC has always championed equitable and affordable access to higher education. The consistently low fees the Institution has maintained over several decades enabled thousands of working class students to afford a quality tertiary education. It was in this spirit that Rector and ViceChancellor Professor Tyrone Pretorius met with students in the Student Centre on 23 October 2015 to hear their grievances – the same day that President Zuma announced the scrapping of the planned 2016 increase in fees. Unfortunately, the protests degenerated into violence just days later, with students burning and vandalising buildings, assaulting campus security personnel and endangering the safety of staff and students. The University had to take extraordinary steps – including closing the campus and calling in the police – to protect the rights of students to write exams and to ensure the safety of the Institution’s academic and human resources. After the campus calmed, discussions took place between the UWC management, the SRC and representatives of the UWC #FeesMustFall movement. A written submission by the UWC #FeesMustFall movement was tabled at the 27–28
UWC Rector and Vice-Chancellor Prof Tyrone Pretorius addresses students during the #FeesMustFall protests.
November meeting of the UWC Council. Although the Council felt that many of the students’ issues related to living in an unequal society, rather than matters that could be resolved by universities, it adopted several remedial measures: • It was agreed that UWC should issue a concessionary instrument to provide debt relief for UWC’s 2013 – 2015 NSFAS-eligible students. • The University will develop a means test to establish a threshold for students who fall outside the NSFAS funding limit but require financial support or debt relief. • Academically eligible students will not be excluded in 2016 on the basis of debt. NSFAS-eligible students will also not pay registration and upfront fees. • The Council mandated the University executive to determine the long-term impact of insourcing in the context of the University’s financial sustainability, and to explore possible alternatives. • Council acknowledged the challenged socio-economic conditions of outsourced staff, but decided that insourcing was an
unaffordable option at present. • However, all outsourced staff (cleaning, security, gardens and grounds staff) will receive a R2 000 monthly allowance from 1 December 2015. • Outsourced staff will also have access to the same study rebates as permanent staff for themselves and their children. • The University would engage contractors about improving the employment conditions of their staff. The Council noted that fees at the Kovacs complex, a public-private residential development for UWC students, were much higher than what the University charged at its own residences. The Council agreed that the Kovacs model was not ideal and had already authorised the University management in July to explore options for the acquisition of Kovacs. The University is in ongoing discussions with the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) about funding the Kovacs acquisition and DHET has indicated that a firm commitment will be forthcoming in the first term of 2016.
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NEWS
The 2015 Chancellor’s Outstanding Alumni Award recipients.
UWC Chancellor honours top alumni
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t was an elegant affair when The Most Revd Thabo Makgoba, Chancellor of the University of the Western Cape, hosted honoured alumni and guests at the second annual Chancellor’s Dinner and Outstanding Alumni Awards evening in October 2015. Receiving awards at the event were Ms Nargis Gani, Dr Nomafrench Mbombo and Prof Leila Patel in the Women in Leadership category; Dr Razeena Omar and Mr Ashley Uys in the Science and Technology category; Adv Hishaam Mohamed in the Law category; Dr Tanushree Pillay and Mr Tobias Titus in the Sports Education or Administration category; and Prof Nicolette Roman and Prof Praneet Valodia in the Health Sciences category. Two stalwarts of UWC, Professors Daan Cloete and Jaap Durand, were honoured with special recognition awards. UWC Rector and Vice-Chancellor, Professor Tyrone Pretorius, commended the alumni for their contributions to their
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respective fields and nation building, and also for contributing to UWC. “Tonight we are here to publicly state that we recognise that UWC’s reputation is also directly influenced by the quality of the graduates that we produce. Our alumni are the ambassadors who visibly, and sometimes silently, hoist the flag of UWC,” he said. Awardees took the opportunity to recall their experiences at UWC and paid tribute to their alma mater for laying the foundation of their professional success. Ms Nargis said, “The honour of recognition is humbling. UWC has groomed me on the path to success… Thank you for nurturing in me the skills to make a change in society. This award inspires me to do better and do more.” Mr Uys, the youngest recipient, said, “The mentorship I got at UWC assisted me in growing to have the skill set to start businesses. It really is a place of quality, a place to grow.” Reminding the gathering of UWC’s
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ethos of societal development Adv Mohamed asked, “What is it about UWC that inspires us? It is a camaraderie shared by students that commands us to make a difference in people’s lives.” In his address, Prof Pretorius acknowledged the current challenges faced in the higher education sector. “The issues that are being raised are important and complex. They call for serious consideration by a broad range of role-players. Higher education is a national asset and therefore a matter of national concern. These challenges call for true leadership and require us to think together and to work towards long-term solutions that will safeguard the academic integrity of our universities, protect and ensure the dignity of students and, most importantly, recognise the important role of higher education and access to higher education in building a sustainable future for our country.”
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NEWS
Public Protector speaks at the 5th Annual Tutu Lecture
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he University of the Western Cape hosted the fifth Annual Desmond Tutu International Peace Lecture on 7 October. As in the two preceding years, the event coincided with the celebration of Archbishop Desmond Tutu’s birthday, his 84th. The lecture is presented by the Desmond & Leah Tutu Legacy Foundation, in partnership with the University of the Western Cape. His Holiness the Dalai Lama inaugurated the lecture series via satellite from India in 2011. This was followed by Graca Machel (2012), Kofi Annan (2013) and Mary Robinson in 2014. This year’s well-attended lecture was eloquently delivered by the Public Protector, Advocate Thuli Madonsela, who spoke on the theme “Democracy and Peace: what’s law got to do with it?” Adv Madonsela said, “It is a great honour to be associated with Archbishop Desmond Tutu, as he is a crusader for justice, peace and general human goodness or ubuntu.” In her address, Adv Madonsela dwelt much on law’s relevance to peace and democracy, saying: “World peace and democracy is a timely conversation. Peace is something the world is desperately searching for right now, and law is not everything – because it does not force peace, as peace is not the absence of war.”
Alluding to the number and intensity of conflicts around the world, she suggested that humanity had lost its way “because we have failed on the values of social justice and human solidarity.” Reminding the audience of apartheid’s use of law to enforce social injustice, she suggested that, in our strong Constitution, we had “the symbiotic relationship between law and democracy” and declared in her typically quiet but firm style, “It is my considered view that the single most important factor that makes law an important contributor to peace and democracy is the rule of law.” Adv Madonsela was joined by panellists Rector and ViceChancellor, Professor Tyrone Pretorius, Executive Director of the Desmond & Leah Tutu Legacy Foundation, Reverend Mpho Tutu, Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu, as well as UWC Chancellor, Archbishop Thabo Makgoba. Welcoming Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Prof Pretorius said, “We are delighted to have you back on campus with us after your bout of illness. I trust that the nurses who looked after you were gentle and kind and I hope that they were trained here at the University of the Western Cape.”
(From left) Rev Mpho Tutu, Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu, Adv Thuli Madonsela, UWC Rector and Vice-Chancellor Prof Tyrone Pretorius and UWC Chancellor Archbishop Thabo Makgoba, at the 5th Desmond Tutu International Peace Lecture.
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o C r a l u c i r r u C
UWC to launch new co-curricular records
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he Division for Student Development and Support (SDS) has announced an exciting new initiative called the Cocurricular Record, which will be launched in 2016. The Co-curricular Record Policy is being developed as a strategic initiative to provide students with a more complete record of their holistic learning and developmental experiences at UWC than that provided in an academic transcript alone. The Co-curricular Record will provide students with an official record of their participation in co-curricular activities, which include the students’ achievements outside the lecture halls during their academic career at UWC. The initiative supports the Institutional Operating Plan’s (IOP) objective of providing an enabling environment for the development and enhancement of students’ experiences throughout their studies. Co-curricular activities and programmes may be led by faculty members or staff, or by students themselves, but must comply with the set criteria, stated goals, measured outcomes and development indicators. To begin with, only campus-based programmes and projects, alongside other meritorious and academic achievements, will be recognised for co-curricular applications. As the initiative grows, the University will consider including other areas of student development or involvement beyond the UWC campus. Having a co-curricular transcript will give UWC students a competitive advantage over other students and graduates when
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pursuing future employment opportunities, study grants and scholarships. By getting involved in the co-curricular programme, students will be able to show possible future employers and donors that they have exhibited initiative and diligence in obtaining practical working experience while completing their studies. “As a higher education institution, we have to acknowledge the difficulties some of our students face following the completion of their degree. In today’s market having a degree does not guarantee employment. This is why we decided to launch this initiative to assist in marketing our students. We also hope this will encourage more students to become involved in co-curricular activities,” says Ncedikaya Magopeni, Executive Assistant to the Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Student Development and Support. The Co-curricular Adjudication Committee is finalising technical issues, such as an online portal, in addition to agreeing on set criteria. In order to apply for co-curricular recognition, a student will apply via the online portal. The application will then be vetted by a validator to ensure that it meets the criteria. Once validated, the application will be forwarded to the selection panel for a recommendation and then to the Vice-Rector: Student Development and Support and the Registrar for approval. Each student’s transcript will be verified by staff in the respective departments, giving companies the assurance that the information is accurate.
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NEWS
Outreach helping communities – and dentistry students
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hen the UWC’s Faculty of Dentistry outreach team arrived at the De Doorns Clinic in the Breede Valley on a Saturday morning in September, the facility was packed with more than 300 waiting patients in the queue. This was despite the fact that the Phelophepa Healthcare Train – an 18-carriage train delivering primary healthcare (including a dental clinic), education and outreach programmes to impoverished rural communities – had visited the area barely a month earlier. “We were concerned that most of the demand for dental treatment had already been met,” recalls Professor Robert Barrie, the faculty’s outreach coordinator. “But the need was much greater than we had anticipated. The patients who were at the front of the queue had been waiting outside the clinic gates since 1am that morning. It is clear that the public health sector is still a long way from providing a comprehensive service to the entire community, but at least we can assist in helping those in greatest need.” It was the final outreach programme for 2015. The faculty had hosted evening clinics in Kraaifontein every Tuesday and Wednesday and five weekend outreach programmes during the year – three of them over weekends and two Saturdayonly clinics. A team of eight fifth-years, five fourthyears, two third-year dental students, two third-year oral hygiene students and five lecturers travelled to the Cape Winelands District Municipality town on a Friday afternoon and set up their equipment in the clinic.
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UWC dentistry staff and students who conducted the outreach programme at De Doorns clinic in the Breede Valley.
The following morning the UWC volunteers issued numbered stickers to about 200 patients and asked the others to wait until they were in a better position to estimate the number they could attend to on the day. Prof Barrie says, “We soon got ourselves organised in the consulting rooms and offices by using our five portable chairs and two chairs in our mobile clinic. We also made use of the dental room in the clinic, and the staff tea room became our central sterilising section. Some patients had to wait for a long time, but they were all so appreciative of our service.” Barrie notes that, despite having had a busy week with most students writing tests, they all seemed to enjoy offering the free service and worked very hard throughout the weekend. According to Barrie, a significant number of young adults were keen on saving their teeth – they wanted restorations. “Some
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of them needed multiple teeth restored, especially their front teeth. In order to meet this demand, we had to use some of our supervising dentists as clinicians to do the work quicker.” The UWC team saw a total of 325 patients in the two days. In total, 812 teeth were extracted, 50 teeth were filled and another 25 patients were provided with scaling and polishing. “So many patients were treated and our students developed clinical skills, which makes these outreach programmes so mutually beneficial,” says Barrie. “This outreach programme was one of the busiest yet and we worked longer hours than ever before.” Barrie commended the colleagues who accompanied them on the trip and the Cape Winelands District Municipality team of the Department of Health, and the University for funding the outreach programmes.
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RESEARCH AND INNOVATION
The SARChI Chair in Health Systems Governance is held by Prof Helen Schneider (left) and Prof Patricia Hayes (right) holds the SARChI Chair in Visual History and Theory.
New SARChI chairs promote gender parity
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he Minister of Science and Technology, Naledi Pandor, recently awarded 42 more SARChI research chairs to South African universities following the latest round of applications. The University of the Western Cape’s Professor Patricia Hayes is the SARChI Chair in Visual History and Theory, and Prof Helen Schneider is the SARChI Chair in Health Systems Governance. Theirs are the only SARChI chairs in these distinctive fields. The South African Research Chair Initiative (SARChI) was established in 2006 by the Department of Science and Technology (DST) and the National Research Foundation (NRF) as a strategic intervention to increase scientific research capacity through the development of human resources and the generation of new knowledge, empowering top talent to develop particular fields. All of the 42 new chairs were awarded to women researchers in a deliberate attempt to address the continuing gender disparity at the senior level of academic research. Prior to these awards, four out of five research chairs were awarded to male professors. The latest awards brings the total number of SARChI chairs at South African universities to 197. “We were, of course, exceptionally pleased to hear that the University will host two more SARChI chairs, not least because they are committed to some very novel and critical fields of research, but also that they are filled by leading women
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researchers,” says Prof Frans Swanepoel, Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Research & Innovation at UWC. “These awards are testimony to an effective support structure, to UWC’s growing reputation and standing as a research institution of note, and to the unique and pioneering nature of the work being done by our scholars.” The Chair in Visual History and Theory will explore the challenges faced in visual studies, investigating key methodological and epistemological questions, as well as issues of civil engagement and representation through popular arts or social media. Visual History is an interdisciplinary research niche and postgraduate module initiated by historians in the Faculty of Arts from 1997. Its starting point was to address the huge neglect of rich photographic archives in South Africa and the subcontinent in terms of historical and humanities research, with potential implications for contemporary social and cultural debate. The Chair in Health Systems Governance will build the field of health policy and systems research, with particular focus on health systems governance. This Chair will provide the opportunity to consolidate a world-class hub in the global south in the emerging field of health policy and systems research, complementing the existing Chair in Health Systems Complexity and Social Change at the UWC School of Public Health – where Prof Schneider serves as director.
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RESEARCH AND INNOVATION
UWC researchers honoured at 2015 NRF Awards
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he Minister of Science and Technology, Naledi Pandor, presented UWC researchers with top honours at this year’s National Research Foundation (NRF) Awards, held in Durban on 27 August 2015. Professor Alan Christoffels, Director of the South African National Bioinformatics Institute (SANBI) at UWC, received the Hamilton Naki Special Award, one of the top three NRF awards, recognising his success in building a distinguished academic career and conducting worldclass research in the face of “considerable equity challenges”. The award is named after Hamilton Naki who, despite his limited conventional education and the restrictions of apartheid, developed such remarkable surgical skill that he was able to teach medical students while working as a laboratory assistant to the late Dr Christiaan Barnard. Barnard in fact described Naki as “one of the greatest
researchers of all time in the field of heart transplants” and “a better craftsman than me, especially when it came to stitching.” Prof Christoffels is the SARChI Chair in Bioinformatics and Public Health Genomics. His interests include addressing the needs of South African public health research and the national imperative to enhance quality research and teaching in science and technology. In announcing the award of A-ratings for 2015, Minister Pandor noted that “South Africa’s progress towards a knowledge intensive economy rests on our ability, as a country, to develop a diverse – both in terms of race and gender – cohort of young researchers with high-end skills. The fact that today, only four black and five female researchers out of 28 researchers are to receive their A-rating is an indication of the long road still ahead.” Professors Romeel Davé and Andrew Russell Taylor of UWC’s Department of Physics received their first A-ratings by
the NRF, recognising them as leading international scholars in their fields. Both researchers are part of UWC’s Astrophysics Group conducting research with the Square Kilometre Array (SKA) project. Prof Davé moved from Arizona where he was a professor of astronomy, to UWC, where he is the SARChI Chair in Cosmology, co-hosted by the SKA. His research focuses on using supercomputers to model the evolution of the universe, and he produces documentary films highlighting the contributions of astronomers from under-represented groups. Prof Taylor has extensive expertise in radio astronomy, in particular wide-field polarisation, cosmic magnetism and Big Data, and has played a prominent role in the SKA project since its inception. He was one of the founding international SKA project scientists and co-author of the first SKA science case. He also represented Canada on the SKA Organisation Board.
Professor Alan Christoffels
Professor Andrew Russell Taylor
Professor Romeel Davé
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Six UWC academics join ASSAf
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he Academy of Sciences of South Africa (ASSAf) is the official national academy of science and represents the country in the international community of science academies. Membership of the Academy is a great honour given in recognition of scholarly achievement, and ASSAf is therefore composed of the country’s most outstanding scholars in science. New ASSAf members are elected each year by the full existing membership. Six new members from UWC were elected members of the academy at the annual ASSAf Awards Ceremony in Stellenbosch on 14 October 2015 (UWC now has 13 ASSAf members). Professor Tamara Shefer is Director and Professor of the Women’s and Gender Studies Programme and Deputy Dean: Teaching and Learning in the Faculty of Arts. Prof Shefer conducts research in the areas of (hetero) sexual relationships, HIV/ AIDS, gender and sexual identities, masculinities, gender and authorship, and feminist and
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critical psychology. Prof Julian May is Director of the Institute for Social Development in the Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences, and also of the DST-NRF Centre of Excellence in Food Security. Prof May’s research interests include poverty and inequality, agrarian reform, and impact assessment methodologies, and he is well known for his promotion of interdisciplinary research. Prof Priscilla Baker is an internationally recognised specialist in analytical electrochemistry at UWC’s Faculty of Natural Sciences and co-leader of SensorLab, an electrochemistry research platform focusing on fundamental and applied electrodynamics of materials and sensors. She recently received the prestigious DST Distinguished Woman Scientist Award. Prof Christopher Stroud is Head of Department at the Centre for Multilingualism and Diversities Research situated in the Faculty of Arts. Prof
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Stroud’s research interests focus on practices and ideologies of multilingualism in social and politically transforming economies in Southern Africa. Prof Uma Mesthrie of the Faculty of Arts is recognised as a leading scholar in the field of India-South Africa connected histories, has expert knowledge on forced removals and land restitution in Cape Town and has written on marginalised communities. Prof Ernst Conradie, who is a Senior Professor in the Department of Religion and Theology at UWC, teaches systematic theology and ethics. Prof Conradie specialises in Christian eco-theology. UWC’s Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Research and Innovation, Prof Frans Swanepoel, says, “The election of six UWC academics as new ASSAf members – the highest number of newly-elected members of any institution – clearly confirms the recognition and reward of excellence at UWC.”
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RESEARCH AND INNOVATION
Opening access to knowledge
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WC was one of many institutions internationally that celebrated Open Access Week from 19 to 25 October this year. Among other open access activities, Professor Bernard Martin, UWC’s Dean of Law, gave an informative lunchtime talk on academic publishing. It has become the norm for publishers to block or restrict access to online academic journals, unless the researcher pays a fee to download or access the publication. Outside of the wealthier economies and academic institutions, this can severely impact on the ability of students and researchers to access the latest research. In October 2013, UWC signed the Berlin Declaration on Open Access in the Sciences and Humanities, joining hundreds of institutions around the world
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in supporting the principles of open access and working to achieve openness in publicly funded projects. In a nutshell, open access means unrestricted access and unrestricted reuse of published material – which means anybody anywhere can read, learn from, critique and build on the research. Open access promotes collaboration and sharing of information and ideas without economic or geographical restraints to promote the production and dissemination of knowledge. As part of its commitment to open access, UWC Library hosts two open access digital repositories – the ETD Repository for student master’s and doctoral theses launched in 2005, and the Research Repository, where researchers
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can post their papers. The repository reached its 1000th paper during the 2014 Open Access Week. UWC also hosts several open access journals. Critical Studies in Teaching and Learning (http://cristal.epubs.ac.za) publishes scholarly articles and essays that describe, theorise and reflect on teaching and learning in higher education. The Journal of Student Affairs in Africa (http:// www.jsaa.ac.za) aims to be the foremost scholarly and professional journal dealing with the theory and practice of student affairs in Africa. And the student-run Writing Three Sixty journal welcomes creative writing, literary research and reviews (https://uwcjournal.wordpress. com/s).
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EVENTS
1.Dentistry outreach UWC’s Faculty of Dentistry hosted another successful outreach programme at the City of Cape Town clinic in Fisantekraal in August where the team of students and lecturers helped 119 patients in need of oral health care.
3. UWC accounting students visit Unakho Children’s Home Care Accounting students from UWC volunteered their time to work in the vegetable garden of Unakho Children’s Home Care for orphaned children in Gugulethu on Saturday 5 September 2015.
5.Varsity Football celebratory luncheon The UWC Executive Team hosted a Varsity Football Team Luncheon on 15 September to salute the achievements of the Men’s and Ladies’ Football teams in the 2015 Varsity Football tournament.
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2. JJ Tabane launches book Alumnus and Member of UWC’s Council JJ Tabane launched his book titled Let’s Talk Frankly at UWC in September. In the book he discusses the need for discourse in South Africa and the need for leaders to be held accountable.
4. Ugandan delegation visit UWC The Prime Minister of the Buganda kingdom and several other delegates from Uganda visited UWC on 10 September as part of their mission to build and strengthen bilateral relationships with South African institutions of higher learning.
6. UWC Spring Graduation UWC held its annual Spring Graduation from 16 to 17 September 2015. A total of 766 qualifications were conferred, including 39 doctoral degrees, 132 master’s degrees, 57 honours degrees, 395 undergraduate degrees and 143 diplomas and certificates.
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EVENTS
7. UWC celebrates Heritage Week UWC celebrated Heritage Week with a range of festivities, including the Steve Biko Frank Talk lecture and performances by the UWC Jazz band.
9. UWC researchers honoured at 2015 NRF Awards Three UWC scholars received honours at this year’s National Research Foundation Awards, held in Durban on 27 August.
11. Interdisciplinary Health Promotion student presentations A total of 325 second-year students from different departments in the Faculty of Community and Health Sciences who had Interdisciplinary Health Promotion (IHP211) as a module this year presented their health promotion projects on 8 October at the UWC Main Hall.
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8. 2015 Nelson Mandela Lecture at Penn State Mary Hames, the director of the Gender Equity Unit at UWC, presented the 2015 annual Nelson Mandela Lecture at Pennsylvania State University on 5 October.
10. Faculty of Community and Health Sciences Research Day The Faculty of Community and Health Sciences held its annual Research Day on 1 October where 29 oral presentations and 15 posters were presented.
12. 2015 Sports Awards UWC athletes have enjoyed one of their most successful years in 2015, and were honoured at this year’s annual Sport Awards ceremony, which was hosted with much glamour and glitz on 14 October.
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EVENTS
13. BRICS conference An open international BRICS conference, The BRICS Partnership and Multilevel Government in Member States: An Unexplored Dimension, was held at UWC from 15 to 16 October 2015.
15. Student Development and Support Awards Student assistants, leaders, tutors and mentors who provided support and assistance to UWC students in 2015 were recently acknowledged at the annual Student Development and Support Awards.
14. Computer Science Awards 2015 The Department of Computer Science held an award and prizegiving ceremony for its undergraduate students on 15 October. The top three students among the first, second and third-years received awards.
16 World Food Day A diverse group of experts – including food system analysts, community health workers, nutritionists, geneticists and proponents of smallholder farming – met at UWC to highlight key issues, challenges and questions relating to food and nutritional security in South Africa on World Food Day on 16 October.
18. UWC CPS member wins CAMPROSA award UWC Campus Protection Services member Melvyn Abrahams won the Campus Protection Society of Southern Africa’s officer of the year award for 2015.
17. Social Work oath-taking ceremony A total of 98 second-year social work students had their oathtaking ceremony on 19 October 2015 at the Senate Building. All social work students in South Africa take the oath to uphold the ethics of their profession.
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EVENTS
19. CMDR/UWC CREATES Sindiwe Magona literary prizewinners announced The 2015 CMDR/UWC CREATES Sindiwe Magona prizewinners won cash prizes of R1000 each for creative writing (poetry and prose) in isiXhosa, Afrikaans and English. The theme of the competition this year was Iphupha Elirhoxisiweyo/ A Dream Deferred / ’n Droom Verskuif.
20. Women’s and Gender Studies third-year student photo exhibitions On 19 October Women’s and Gender Studies third-year students showcased their photo exhibitions which illustrated their experiences of instances when they felt empowered and disempowered at UWC.
21. School of Pharmacy Research Open Day UWC’s School of Pharmacy hosted its annual Research Open Day on 20 October where student groups presented the fruits of their investigations into a variety of real-world pharmacological and community care problems.
22. Talk on publisher’s contracts Prof Bernard Martin, UWC’s Dean of Law, gave a lunchtime talk during Open Access Week in October exploring the issues to consider when signing a publisher’s contract.
23. International Entrepreneurship Forum UWC’s School of Business and Finance, in partnership with CPUT and the Essex School of Business, hosted the 14th International Entrepreneurship Forum – a chance for researchers, policymakers and practitioners to discuss entrepreneurship for human, social, cultural and economic development.
24. 2015 Dentistry Oath-taking UWC’s Faculty of Dentistry hosted its annual Oath-taking and Prize-giving ceremony on 4 December. Upon their graduation, all healthcare personnel (in this case dentists and oral hygienists) are expected to pledge the Hippocratic Oath which commits them to serving the public to the best of their abilities at all times.
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RESEARCH AND INNOVATION
‘Seq2Res’ helps test drug resistant patients
The SANBI HIV drug resistance test project team.
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tudents at the University of the Western Cape’s South African National Bioinformatics Institute (SANBI) have come up with a low-cost, user-friendly drug resistance testing portal dubbed Seq2Res which can be used by researchers and clinicians to accurately analyse data. The students, working under the leadership of Professor Simon Travers, have received funding from the Department of Science and Technology for their innovation. The Seq2Res portal is a collaboration with the National Health Laboratory Service (NHLS) genotyping units in Tygerberg (Cape Town), the University of the Witwatersrand’s Faculty of Health Sciences and the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) in Johannesburg. Seq2Res is the first of its kind as there has been no HIV drug resistance test available for routine use in South Africa and other countries with a high burden of HIV infections. The test addresses a key problem facing ARV therapy programmes – the emergence of viral resistance to ARVs – and the need for a cost-effective drug resistance test. Even researchers and clinicians who have had no professional bioinformatics support will be able to use the test with no difficulty, using next-generation sequencing technology. When completed, the SANBI will present Seq2Res for clinical, research and surveillance use, enabling the establishment of routine HIV drug resistance testing in Southern Africa. According to Prof Travers, “The real value of this approach is that it has been developed in a research environment in conjunction with all of the prospective end users in the South African public sector.”
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UWC assists telecommunications in the Eastern Cape
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he University of the Western Cape’s (UWC) Department of Computer Science is funding a project in Nyandeni Municipality in the Eastern Cape, that addresses the communication network gaps caused by the lack of electricity in rural parts of the country. Dubbed the Zenzeleni Village Telco, the project, led by Professor Bill Tucker, aims at enabling community members to make calls to landline and mobile phones at a fraction of the pricing offered by the incumbent operators. The University of the Western Cape provided the initial funding to acquire the hardware and the training for the installation of the village telco (= telephone+communication), which is operated and maintained locally.
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A not-for-profit cooperative, Zenzeleni Networks LTD, was set up and mandated by the community to operate the network for the community’s benefit. Maintenance costs are recovered through the revenue obtained from charging community members to charge their mobile phone batteries using the excess electricity generated by the solar panels that power the communications infrastructure. The telco intends to provide cheaper voice services to the community. Thus far calls are being made for free from 12 access points in the community. Furthermore, because it is based in internet technology, the network could easily be used to provide the community with internet access in the future.
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RESEARCH AND INNOVATION
(From left to right) Prof Frans Swanepoel, Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Research & Innovation; Dr Bernard Bladergroen, Energy Storage Innovation Lab Director; Dr Bernd Oelerman, DTI Programme Manager: Special Economic Zones and Economic Transformation (SEZ&ET); Mr Barry MacColl, General Manager: Research, Testing and Development, Eskom Transmission & Sustainability Division; Dr Mmboneni Muofhe, DST Deputy DirectorGeneral: Technical Innovation; Prof Vladimir Linkov, Director of SAIAMC; Dr Douglas Sanyahumbi, former Director of the UWC Technology Transfer Office; and Prof Michael Davies-Coleman, Dean of Natural Sciences.
UWC researchers tackle SA’s energy crisis
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WC’s Energy Storage Innovation Lab (ESIL) aims to cross the “innovation chasm” in advanced energy storage solutions, providing reliable and cost-effective energy storage systems. Launched in May this year, ESIL is the culmination of many years of research, development and innovation at the South African Institute for Advanced Materials Chemistry at UWC in the field of Lithium-ion and Sodium-Halide batteries, battery modules and integrated energy storage systems. Its main aim is to create an interface between energy storage technology development projects (such as ESIL’s unique ultra-lowcost battery development for national grid stability), innovation partners and potential industrial customers in need of advanced energy storage solutions. The strength of the lab lies in the development, validation and localisation of wide-range energy storage systems for South African industry and communities. The lab also has an extensive network of energy storage developers, manufacturing and system integrators from South Africa, China, India, USA, Germany and other countries. ESIL boasts high-tech battery integration and production facilities, and has been involved in the development of a number
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of advanced storage systems. ESIL’s modular battery system (MBS) is scalable and modular, with series and parallel connection capability, and is stackable and easily integrated for a range of applications, including golf carts, battery electric vehicles, backup power solutions, off-grid power systems and grid-connected storage. The lab produces pouch (15-20 Ah) and cylindrical cells (2 Ah) suitable for energy storage applications in solar and wind energy generation. The lab also develops low-cost thermal cells for grid scale stabilisation and energy storage. Energy storage can mitigate the negative effects of power outages, assist in improving national grid stability, and enable South Africa to tap into its vast renewable energy potential, specifically from wind and solar sources. With the current strain on the electricity grid in South Africa, and growing deployment of renewable energy to meet energy needs while mitigating the effects of climate change, there is a clear need for reliable and cost-effective energy storage solutions, according to Professor Bernard Bladergroen, who heads ESIL. “Now is the right time for customers, innovators, researchers and entrepreneurs in the energy storage arena to get together and work towards sustainable energy solutions,” says Prof Bladergroen.
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SPORT
Leadership in sport
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eadership and the future of sport and development were debated at a seminar hosted by the Interdisciplinary Centre of Excellence for Sports Science and Development (ICESSD) and the Department of Sports Administration recently. Chairing the discussions, ICESSD Director Professor Marion Keim explained that the event was a platform to promote dialogue and debate on an improved understanding of where sport and development fit in in the international sports world, and the roles of sport, development and peace as well as leadership in the field at UWC and surrounding communities. The organisers intend hosting more events with these objectives in future. UWC Director of Sport Administration Mandla Gagayi argued that there was a difference between a leader and a manager, defining a leader as someone who can motivate others and who is able to influence decisions and processes. “We are all leaders in our own rights but the challenge is how we translate our leadership or how we influence those around us through our leadership.” United Nations Advisor on Sport for Development and Peace, Wilfred Lemke, defined leadership in relation to the UN’s work of using sport as a tool for development, saying leaders were good role models for others. “Don’t focus too much on the word leader because a leader can be a dictator. There are leaders who work for dictators but they are not necessarily role models, so I prefer leaders to be role models for our own children.” Lemke noted that children and students did not have much interest in what politicians and school principals said but were more interested in what their peers said in peer groups. His organisation
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International experts debated leadership and the future of sport and development at a seminar hosted on campus.
launched the Youth Leadership Programme in 2012 to create, support and enhance young people. “Wherever they come from, wherever they go, they should be role models so that the younger kids can look up to them and want to emulate the good and positive way they behave.” Lemke suggested that sport could be used to address the problem all countries had with the gap between the rich and the poor. Dr Philani Nongogo of the Tshwane University of Technology related his own experience as a university student and employee and discussed the “tantrum” between sports administration departments and academic departments. The future, he contended, was a marriage between the two units, and certain institutions had proved that. Dr Nongogo believes that the advent of professional sport at universities has dampened the potential of youth sport
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to be used as a tool for development “because the bottom line is teams must win, teams must be successful and be professionalised and make money. There is less of recreation and mass participation and the focus is more on competitive highperformance sport.” Prof Joseph Maguire of Loughborough University in the UK said people in authority should be challenged and be held to account when they make decisions. “They are governing by the people for the people and they need to be accountable to and aware of the people too.” Maguire said those in positions of power should be in authority to make decisions in democratic ways. “We want good policy but we also want policy that will reflect the needs of the people, so we should look at the whole issue of development of or through or around sport.”
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Sport achievers honoured
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WC athletes enjoyed one of their most successful years in 2015, and were deservedly honoured at this year’s annual Sport Awards ceremony on 14 October. Selectors were hard-pressed in making the final decisions as the nominees were all deserving of accolades. In the end, South African welterweight boxing champion Sinethemba Blom was named Sportsman of the Year and rising Banyana Banyana striker Thembi Kgatlana received the Sportswoman of the Year award. The University’s Men’s Football Club were the big winners of the evening, taking the Top team of the Year and Top Club of the Year awards. Men’s team
coach Salie Adams was chosen as the Top Coach of the Year. The Sport Council Award went to Banyana Banyana star Leandra Smeda. Thulile Hlongwane won the Student Sport Administrator of the Year accolade while Special Recognition Awards went to the Sports Skills for Life Skills initiative of the UWC Cricket Club, dance coach Cheslin Paris and netball’s Marlene Wagner. Athletes Sharn Gomes, Kyla Richard and Zoe Woodman were honoured with Academic Achiever of the Year awards. The contribution of the University to provincial and national sport structures was also noted. Nine athletes achieved
Western Cape Chief Director of Sport and Recreation, Adv Lyndon Bouah, presented trophies to the team captains of the UWC Men’s and Ladies’ Football Clubs, Reon October (left) and Vuyo Mkhabela (right).
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full colours (for representing national teams) and 56 half colours after they were selected to provincial teams in different sporting codes. Delivering the keynote address, Advocate Lyndon Bouah, Chief Director of Sport and Recreation in the Western Cape Government, noted that the provincial government had many collaborations with the University. These include the Robben Island Digitisation Project and the Case of Sport research, which showed that sport contributed 2% or R8,8 billion of the Western Cape’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in the last two years. Adv Bouah said, “The successes through sport that have been mentioned tonight are the things that will spur the economy and will be a catalyst for growth at UWC. Because of the research this university did the sport federations were able to, in addition to the normal R8 million that they receive, get an additional R9 million from the Treasury.” Acting Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Student Development and Support, Professor Mokgadi Moletsane, congratulated the recipients and said, “UWC is fast becoming a force to be reckoned with. We have seen more athletes at senior national and international competitions.” Moletsane said the success of University sport in the last five to eight years was indicative of its considerable potential to impact on South African development. She said that there was a symbiotic relationship between sport and development. “For example, many students are able to study because of their involvement in sport. That is why the transformation process in sport is so linked to national development and creating equity in our society.”
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SPORT
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The new façade of the UWC Sports Stadium.
UWC stadium renovated
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he multi-million rand conversion of the UWC Sports Stadium into a state-of-the-art multi-purpose sport centre has been completed. Among the world-class facilities that have been included in the revamped facility are a health and fitness centre, a multi-purpose sports hall, additional offices, a boardroom, an upgraded medical facility, a restaurant and special events venues. The renovation process began more than eight years ago when the Sport Administration Department, under the auspices of Student Development & Support, decided to re-develop facilities in alignment with the University’s strategic vision. The University sees sport as one of its key strategic imperatives. The Sport Centre will have an enormous impact on student life on campus, and will advance the management and coordination of competitive sport activities and sport code management. Recreation codes and activities will be advanced by their accommodation on the ground level, and strategic initiatives in partnership with sport federations, government, community and corporate bodies with respect to the hosting of events and
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functions. These will profile the University as a positive contributor to both academic and sport performance. Mandla Gagayi, Director of Sport Administration, says that the new facility, and especially the new gym, will have a positive impact. “It will bring back the culture of health and fitness among UWC students and staff.” Gagayi adds that having proper work spaces will allow staff to perform at their best without any of the hindrances that they currently experience due to space limitations. “The facility will also make it easier for sport and academic projects to have meaningful collaborations and go a long way in promoting the University’s high performance agenda. “It goes without saying that the staff morale will definitely improve as they will now have proper infrastructure to work with. The staff are already excited and cannot wait to move into our new space.” The stadium project was recognised by the Architecture South Africa Project Awards in 2013 for its excellence in architectural design.
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A triumphant sporting year
The Women’s Sevens rugby team celebrate their successful 2015 campaign.
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he year started well with the Beach Volleyball women’s team successfully defended their Varsity Beach Volleyball Tournament title and ended on a high note in Varsity football. The sport enjoyed one of its most successful seasons in many years in 2015. After the men’s football team made history by winning the prestigious Varsity Football tournament for the first time, and their women counterparts narrowly lost the final for the same title, the two teams went on to successfully defend their University Sport South Africa (USSA) Western Cape Football crowns. Sensational attacking midfielder Thulani Mkosi was named Varsity Football Player
of the Tournament, and prolific UWC Ladies’ striker Thembi Kgatlana made it to the senior women’s national football team, Banyana Banyana. The men’s team also won the Northern Suburbs Local Football Association First Division and the LFA’s First Division Knockout Trophy, while the women’s team finished second in the Sasol League Western Cape. In volleyball, the men’s team won the Western Province and national championships while the women took home the Western Province Championship. Beach volleyballers Leo Williams and Clinton Stemmet came third in beach volleyball at the All Africa Games in Brazzaville, Republic of Congo.
The Women’s Sevens rugby team came third in the USSA games at the University of Venda in late September. The 12-member team beat the University of KwaZulu-Natal to claim the final of the Plate Section. Individual players such as Mymoena Gamiet, Babalwa Latsha and Ezryn van Aswegen also shone in the tournament and were rewarded with call-ups to the South African team for the World Senior Rugby Sevens Championships. In athletics, the UWC team did well at USSA Cross Country and had a number of athletes selected for the World Students’ Cross Country Squad.
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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