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UWC scholar wins Tim Noakes award
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rofessor Marion Keim of the Interdisciplinary Centre of Excellence for Sport Science and Development (ICESSD) at UWC has received the Tim Noakes Scientific/Academic Excellence Award from the Western Cape Department of Cultural Affairs and Sport, presented in partnership with regional federations, sport councils and district municipalities. The ICESSD is the only one of its kind in Africa, and has been very successful in its research collaborations on sport and development issues with the City of Cape Town, the Western Cape province and the National Research Foundation, as well as international stakeholders such as the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) and the University for Peace. The ICESSD’s research work was complimented by the Western Cape Minister of Cultural Affairs and Sport, Dr Ivan Meyer, when he presented his latest Budget Speech in Parliament. Keim serves on the National Advisory Board on Sport and Recreation and on the Eminent Persons Group for Sport and Transformation in South Africa. She was scheduled to represent the ICESSD and UWC at the upcoming conference of the International Olympic Committee in Lima in April. The ICESSD was also asked to give input at the United Nations (UN) Sport for Development and Peace conference in Geneva, at the UNESCO meeting in Nigeria, and the Sports Minister Conference
when asked about the ICESSD’s national and international success. The ICESSD team consists of Keim, Professor Christo de Coning, Jose Cabral and Anita Fredericks, as well as several postgraduate students from South Africa, Eritrea, Germany, India, Malawi and Zimbabwe. Minister Meyer reiterated these thoughts when he hosted the Western Cape Sport Awards on 1 March, reminding award winners that their accomplishments were only possible with the help of those who love and support them. “You can only move from good to better with your family’s support,” he said. “The fact that you are better together shows that the impossible is possible. We see our athletes as an extension of who we are and what we can achieve.”
UWC’s Prof Marion Keim has received the Tim Noakes Scientific/Academic Excellence Award from the Western Cape Department of Cultural Affairs and Sport. in Berlin. The vision of the Faculty of Community and Health Sciences, with its partners from the Flemish Inter-university Council, to establish such an interdisciplinary research unit has paid off in a relatively short time. Since its launch in 2009, the ICESSD has developed into a vibrant research centre in a very popular and important field of sport and development, and has become a faculty flagship. “It’s wonderful to work in a team of dedicated and visionary colleagues who want to make a difference and contribute to the building of a better society,” says Keim
Other winners are: • Vernon Philander - Sportsman of the Year • Ilse Hayes – Sportswoman with a Disability of the Year • Charles Bouwer - Sportsman with a Disability of the Year • Suzanne Ferreira - Coach of the Year • Dyan Buis - Newcomer of the Year • Bianca Buitendag - Junior Sportswoman of the Year • Gregory Gans - Junior Sportsman of the Year Winners are expected to represent the province at the upcoming South African National Sport Awards ceremony.
Great educators acknowledged at awards ceremony
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he coordinator and head lecturer of the English Educational Development (EED) programme for UWC’s Faculty of Law, Mahmoud Patel, was honoured with the Faculty of Arts Distinguished Teacher Award on 6 March 2013. The award was presented jointly to Patel and Dr Sakhumzi Mfecane of the Department of Anthropology and Sociology, acknowledging their outstanding contributions as educators. Based on feedback from students, Patel’s teaching methods and vast knowledge of academic development content were noted as having been essential to the development of many students. “Under Mr Patel’s coordination, the EED Law 101 courses are structured in such a way
that students are guided towards developing their respective literacy skills as well as enhancing their communication skills during an intense end of the year tutorial,” says Patel’s colleague Waseem Matthews. “Mr Patel’s efforts to not only instil the basics of academic development, but to maintain freshness in his approach through the use of technology such as e-teaching tasks, Turn-it-in, iKamva and his presentation of contemporary content ensures that the course is successful.” Patel was moved by the honour, but wanted to acknowledge the roles played by others. “Receiving this award humbles me. However, I feel that I should share this moment with the students because they are the ones who make the experience of teaching worthwhile.”
Mahmoud Patel, joint winner of the Faculty of Arts Distinguished Teacher Award 2013. He also had a few words of encouragement for his peers. “I feel that all educators should have the drive to provide their students with high quality educational content.”
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