Tukkievaria Staff Newsletter | Personeelnuusbrief | Ditaba Tša Bašomi July 2016 Volume 34 Number 2 | Julie 2016 Volume 34 Nommer 2 | Mosegamanye 2016 Kgatišo 34 Nomoro 2
INSIDE 02 Tuksalumni Breakfast
03 Dr Grobler receives award
OPEN DAY
2016
04 TuksSport to Rio
2016 Open Day in May, was opened by University of Pretoria’s Vice-Principal: Academic, Professor Norman Duncan.
for a large proportion of the country’s top matriculants. Of all the new first-year UP students who enrolled in 2016, 152 candidates in total had a 90%-plus academic average in the final Grade 12 examinations. This means that close to 20% of the top performing matriculants nationally last year had enrolled at the University of Pretoria in 2016. UP focusses on a holistic approach to university education and therefore invest significantly in sport, arts and culture. UP has 120 registered student societies ranging from the Debating Society and music groups, to political and religious societies. Then there are choirs, such as the awardwinning UP Camerata Choir and UP Symphony Orchestra. UP also takes sport seriously. While successes in rugby, soccer and cricket are given wide media coverage, you may not be aware of UP’s successes in the so-called minor sports, like rowing, golf and archery, for example. UP boasts with a total of 34 sports codes.
Open Day was organised to showcase UP to prospective students who were eager to learn more about the academic programmes offered in its nine faculties, residence accommodation, and the sports, social, artistic and cultural extramural activities at the University. Prof Duncan also added that attendees could also learn about the academic and general support services UP offered during the course of the day. Open Day was an opportunity for prospective students to also gain information on admission requirements, how to cope with university life and succeed at your studies, and whether their course of study would equip them for employment after graduation. Prof Duncan empahasised that one of the five core strategic goals of the University of Pretoria was to pursue excellence in teaching and learning, “We aim to provide the best education for the best our country has to offer.” He mentioned UP’s JuniorTukkie programme was aimed at assisting learners in Grades 10, 11 and 12 to make responsible study and career choices, and also develop skills to equip learners for the challenges they faced as students. He also covered the financial assistance UP provided to deserving but financially disadvantaged students. This was to ensure as far as possible that deserving and talented young people were able to find a place at the University of Pretoria, irrespective of their or their family’s financial means. To make this possible
two UP specific bursary funds were launched – the TuksScholarship Fund and #100inaMillion campaign, which encourages regular payroll donations by staff and alumni, in addition to financial contributions by the private sector and the initiative of the SRC, the #UPSRC_ R10mGame – Get in the Game, which aims to raise R10m for needy students. There was also the Vice-Chancellor’s Merit Awards which were presented to selected top students. The University of Pretoria remains the University of Choice
The University of Pretoria consistently emerges as one of the top universities in South Africa in employer surveys – our graduates are preferred by employers across disciplines and fields of study. Statistics show that 91% of our graduates find employment within 6 months after graduation. And according to the latest My Broadband qualifications and salaries survey conducted among 4 638 South African graduates who joined the workforce in 2013, UP graduates are amongst the top earners amongst graduates from the top eight SA universities. In the recent past there have been turbulent times in the South African university sector, and in spite of the challenges UP remains a university that prioritises excellence in teaching and research. Prof Duncan concluded by stating that UP had more than a century’s experience in offering its students a quality education and anyone who decided to study at UP could be assured of having made a good choice and can be guaranteed a
2
Tukkievaria Julie 2016
Landmark publication
Faculty of Education bids farewell to Prof Irma Eloff Earlier this year the University of Pretoria (UP) held a function at the University’s Engineering 1 venue to officially bid farewell to the Dean of the Faculty of Education, Prof Irma Eloff. Prof Eloff , an alumna of UP, became a full time lecturer at UP in 1998.
She proceeded to become Dean of the Faculty of Education from 2008 and served in this capacity for two successive terms. Prof Norman Duncan, Vice-Principal of UP, thanked Prof Eloff for her valuable contributions to the Faculty of Education. Her fellow Deans when asked how they would describe Prof Eloff if they had to do so in just one word, said the following: exceptional, caring, committed, integrity, honest, supportive and elegant. In conclusion, Prof Eloff addressed the audience and thanked the University, as well as her fellow Deans for their comradery and for always ’lightening the load’.
TuksAlumni-sakeontbyt met Regter Johann van der Westhuizen Die jaarlikse TuksAlumni-sakeontbyt het by die UPkonferensiesentrum op die Hatfield-kampus plaasgevind met as gasspreker die voormalige regter van die konstitusionele hof, Regter Johann van der Westhuizen, wat oor die afgelope paar weke as adviseur vir UP oor transformasie en die taalbeleid opgetree het. Prof Tinyiko Maluleke, Adviseur van die Visekanselier en Rektor, het die gaste by die ontbyt welkom geheet en die gasspreker bekendgestel. Regter van der Westhuizen se toespraak het die tema gehad, ‘Quo vadis konstitusionele demokrasie? Die rol van howe en Hoofstuk 9-instansies’. Gaste het na afloop van die praatjie die geleentheid gekry om vrae te stel. Volgens die Dekaan van die Fakulteit Regsgeleerdheid, prof André Borain, was die bespreking hoogs insiggewend, het dit tot ʼn gehoor van uiteenlopende professionele agtergronde gespreek en is dit boonop op ʼn gepaste tyd gelewer, gegewe dat talle aspekte van ons jong demokrasie tans onder die vergrootglas is. Regter van der Westhuizen het die kwessies vanuit die regsbank se oogpunt aangespreek en ook van bepaalde konstitusionele sake melding gemaak. Hy het die belangrikheid van ʼn konstitusionele demokrasie vir ons land se toekoms benadruk.
by UP’s Dr Thula Simpson launched A land mark book titled Umkhonto we Sizwe: The ANC’s Armed Struggle, written by Dr Thula Simpson, a lecturer in Historical Studies at the University of Pretoria (UP), was launched at the Meresky 2 Library on the Hatfield Campus. Prof Vasu Reddy, Dean of the Faculty of Humanities, welcomed all and mentioned how proud they were of Dr Simpson’s book. Prof Reddy also highlighted the importance of such a book, which is the first major account of the history of uMkhonto we Sizwe. Dr Thula explained that it was his love for reading about history from a young age that eventually led to him being inspired to write this book. The book covers in depth the ANC’s armed struggle by their military wing, uMkhonto we Sizwe (MK), and offers the first full account of the rebellion in its entirety, from its early days in the 1950s to the inauguration of Nelson Mandela as South African president in 1994. It covers activities not just in South Africa but extends throughout southern Africa, where MK’s largest campaigns and heaviest engagements occurred, as well as to the solidarity networks that the rebellion mobilised around the world. Book launch: Dr Thula Simpson The book draws from previously unpublished writings and testimonies by the men and women who fought the armed struggle. It recreates the drama, heroism and tragedy of their experiences and tells the story of leaders like Nelson Mandela, Oliver Tambo, Joe Slovo and Chris Hani, whose reputations were forged in the crucible of the armed struggle.
Alumni-sakeontbyt: Links, Regter Johann van der Westhuizen en prof Andre Boraine.
For more info on the book please contact the Department of Humanities: corena.garnas@up.ac.za
SASLAW Debate
hosted by Dept of Mercantile Law The debate on the National Minimum Wage was hosted by the Gauteng chapter of the South African Society for Labour Law (SASLAW) and the University of Pretoria’s (UP) Department of Mercantile Law was well attended, on the Hatfield campus. The debaters were Executive Director from the Free Market Foundation (FMF), Mr Leon Louw, and Mr Gilaad Isaacs, coordinator of the National Minimum Wage Research Initiative at CSID in the School of Economic and Business Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand. Mr Shawn Christiansen, Senior Commissioner from the CCMA chaired the proceedings which were opened by UP’s Prof Mornay Botha from the Department of Mercantile Law.
Mr Christiansen started the debate by posing the question under review, Can South Africa in its current situation survive a National Minimum Wage (NMW)? Professor Stefan van Eck, from the Department of Mercantile Law, said that the debate was a great success. Commissioners from the Commission for Conciliation Mediation and Arbitration (the “CCMA” and attorneys engaged in the debate. He says that it is imperative that stakeholders should get involved in the national discourse about this very important social issue. He further said that, in his view, the answer does not lie in either the one, or the other of the main speakers’ point of view. Just as important as it is to foster entrepreneurship and the
SASLAW: From left,
establishment of start-up businesses, so important it is also that the gap between the rich and the poor should not widen to unacceptable proportions. The imperative to advance this two-pronged approach does not only lie on the state, but also on organised business and labour.
University of Pretoria
Universiteit van Pretoria
Yunibesithi ya Pretoria
Celebrating a legacy of 60 years in collaboration with the UP symphony orchestra
The School of Engineering celebrated its 60th anniversary with medleys and memories rendered by the UP Symphony Orchestra conducted by Mr Gerben Grooten. A special effort was made to contact and invite as many alumna from the four EBIT schools to attend this event and to share in the celebration. Prof Sunil Maharaj, the Dean of the Faculty of Engineering, Built Environment and Information Technology, who addressed the audience said “It is through your efforts, affiliation and involvement that we can together, proudly celebrate 60 years of Engineering education at UP”. The repertoire of the evening included “Libertango” composed by Astor Piazzola, Beethoven’s 5 Secrets and Johann Strauss’s “Pizzicato polka”. The vocalists, Ms Monica Mhangwana and Mr Mzwandile Mabuza, had the audience in the palms of their hands with their delivery of The Prayer. It was a privilege to witness the genius of Mr Gerben Grooten. The programme was concluded with the masterpiece “World in Union” which brought a sense of loyalty and hope. The audience was taken through a journey of time and sounds and each one could identify with a particular song or sound. Together, all our different sounds and songs resonates in harmony, because we all believe that innovation will bring about change. Change does ignite hope within us – and hope is what our legacy is built on.
Dr Jacomine Grobler receives JD Roberts Award for Emerging Researchers Dr Jacomine Grobler, a Senior Lecturer of Supply Chain in the Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering at the University of Pretoria, has developed multi-objective algorithms for complex real-world production scheduling problems, which has earned her the 2015 JD Roberts Award for Emerging Researchers. The JD Roberts Award for Emerging Researchers was instituted by the construction company, Murray & Roberts in 1980, in remembrance of one of the group’s founding fathers, Dr JD Roberts. The award is bestowed annually in recognition of scientific research into technology that promotes environmentally sustainable solutions to human living environment challenges. All the finalists’ research presentations are assessed on the relevance and potential improvement to people’s quality of life; the innovation, uniqueness and distinction of the work; the potential uptake and practicality of the research in the relevant sector and the potential impact of the research. Dr Grobler’s research has been extremely well received by the engineering world and has been touted as the first of its kind. She says that she specifically developed these optimisation algorithms to address production scheduling challenges in the manufacturing sector, which also takes into consideration how operators schedule jobs and which machines they will use. Being able to do this has a major impact on the competitiveness of companies, because if jobs are scheduled efficiently then companies are in a better position to attain their delivery dates. Commenting on one of the algorithms she developed that focuses specifically on queue time, she highlighted its significance in reducing wait times, which essentially means that job processing time can be appropriately analysed. Dr Grobler’s research also points out the financial implications borne by companies as long wait times incurs increased rent for storage space and higher insurance related costs. Her algorithms have been shown to outperform existing advanced algorithms by up to 76%, which helps towards a substantial decrease in manufacturing costs.
Received award: Dr Jacomine Grobler
3
4
Tukkievaria Julie 2016
Sport Known to her friends and family as Linny, Lenize Potgieter is a not only a student at the University of Pretoria but is also a professional netball player. Lenize was born in Pretoria but lived in Pietersburg, Limpopo with her family. She started playing mini-netball when she was 8 years old at Laerskool Pietersburg and was immediately thrown into the goal shooter position because of her height. Little did the girl from the small town ever imagine that she would have a career in netball.
TuksNetball: Lenize Potgieter on balancing Academics and Netball
The first time she actually considered netball as a potential career was when she joined the TuksNetball team in 2014. In the same year she received her call-up to play for the Spar Proteas. “At first I couldn’t believe it. I shared the news with my family because it was a huge achievement for me. I never thought that I would be a national team player but I guess the coach saw potential in me.” She says that her family are her greatest supporters. “My dad is my biggest fan. Sometimes he just pitches at my matches to surprise me.” While her mum does the same for her younger brother who is an aspiring rugby player. Her mum provides her with emotional support. This TuksNetball player was spotted at the Euro Netball Championships where she was approached to play for
TuksGymnastics Ryan Patterson Qualifies for Olympic Games
Team Bath in the United Kingdom’s Superleague. Here she excelled and ended off the Superleague with an 87% shooting average for Team Bath who placed third in the Vitality Superleague. Once Lenize agreed to play for Team Bath she immediately informed her TuksNetball Team Manager and Coach. “Last year I spoke to Professor Human and told him that I want to continue my studies while I play netball in the UK.” The lecturers sent the Sports Science student all her assignments by email and she had an option of skyping in to her lectures. She communicated with her lecturers frequently and they sent her study guides and were very supportive. When Potgieter returned to South Africa she was not behind with her semester’s work and the only thing that was outstanding were her tests which she has now already written. Her advice to aspiring female athletes is that they should believe in themselves and to never underestimate themselves. “It doesn’t matter where you come from because no one would have ever imagined that a girl from Pietersburg could be a Spar Protea or even play in the Superleague one day.” With that being said the goal shooter adds that it’s still the responsibility of the athlete to train harder than their competition and always have the discipline to do the extra work. Lenize can be seen in the early mornings and midafternoons on the TuksNetball courts with her ball in hand and headset in while shooting some hoops. And that’s because she believes that “Champions do extra” and that it is her duty to get those shots in for her respective teams. Laerskool Pietersburg honoured, the Spar Protea goalshooter by naming their netball courts after Lenize last year.
TuksAthletics
Sehlopha sa Afrika Borwa se šoma gabotse Bonkgweteng bja Afrika bja CAA Bonkgwete bja Afrika bja Tlemagano ya Diatletiki tša Afrika (CAA) bo bile gona malobanyana ka Durban. Baatlete ba masometharotee le bahlahli ba bararo ba kgethilwe go emela Afrika Borwa mo tiragalong ye ye kgolo.
TuksGymnast Ryan Patterson made history by being named in the official initial squad of 24 athletes who will be representing South Africa at the 2016 Rio Olympics. The South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (SASCOC) gave Patterson the green light to represent his country. This will be the first time in 50 years that a South African gymnast will compete in the Olympic Games.
Olympic qualifiers: Jake Green and David Hunt Jonty Smith and Vince Breet.
Patterson improved his scores from the World Championships in 2015 thus getting a nod from the International Federation of Gymnastics to participate in the Olympic Games. He scored all-round total of 82.932 which was his personal best international showing.
TuksRowing TuksRowers qualify for 2016 Olympics
Akani Simbine (Tuks/hpc) o tšere maemo a boraro mo lebelong la banna la 100m ka metsotswana ye 10.05 gomme a latelwa ke morutwana wa Kreiti ya 12 wa TuksSport High School Gift Leotlela yo a tšerego maemo a bone ka metsotswana ye 10:24. Sehlopha sa Afrika Borwa se thupile lebelo la banna la 4 x 100m le la basadi la 38.84 le 43.66 ka tatelano. Baatlete ba bararo ba banna ba tšwa go TuksAthletics ke Emile Erasmus, Gift Leotlela le Akani Simbine mola baatlete ba babedi ba basadi ba etšwa go TuksAthletics ele Tebogo Mmathu le Carina Horn. Mo sehlopheng sa basadi sa peišanoneeletšano e bile nako ya lebelo go a feta ka moka ya bobedi yeo e ilego ya kitingwa ke sehlopha sa basadi ka Afrika Borwa. Raditabo wa Tuks Luvo Manyonga (Tuks/hpc) o tšere maemo a bobedi ka tabogo ya 8.23m
TuksRowers Jake Green and David Hunt (University of Pretoria students), Jonty Smith & Vince Breet (club members) all qualified for the country’s fifth boat for the 2016 Rio Olympics. The South African crew of four managed to secure their spot at the Olympic qualification regatta which took place in Lucerne, Switzerland. The #StripeGeneration won their heat and beat the French crew with true class in the process. South Africa won with a time of 5:55.220 and the French team came second in a time of 5:57.100. On his way to Rio: Ryan Patterson
Third in 100m: Akani Simbine
Second in long jump: Luvo Manyonga