Believing in UP since 1949

Meet Dietrich von Staden (95), his wife, Sannie (93), and their daughter, Liebeth Turbati (63) – all graduates of the University of Pretoria (UP). Dietrich graduated with a BSc Agriculture in Horticultural Science in 1949, Sannie obtained a degree in social work in 1949, while Liebeth graduated with a

BPolSci in 1979.

After graduation, Dietrich was swiftly offered a post as Research Officer in the Department of Horticultural Science at UP and worked on a project to develop superior citrus cultivars for the South African citrus industry.

“Apart from my involvement in citrus research, I was also responsible for a long-term research project on the fertiliser requirement for bananas under South African conditions.” This project formed the basis of his dissertation and he received his MSc in 1965.

In the late 1960s, Dietrich initiated a course in Ornamental Horticulture at UP and with the establishment of the BL degree in Landscape Architecture in 1973, he adapted some of the courses to meet the requirements for the Landscape Architecture degree.

Sannie says it was a privilege to be trained at a world-class university. “That is why we sent our children and grandchildren to UP,” she said. She believes that the role of alumni is one of public relations, funding and support of programmes related to one’s specialised field of training. “It is also an opportunity to socialise at meetings where stimulating talks and programmes are presented.”

Liebeth currently works as a senior associate at international strategic advisory firm McLarty Associates in Washington, DC. “As a pioneer in the field of private sector diplomacy, we help our clients – mainly large US corporations – to navigate strategic and operational challenges in every part of the world.”

After graduating from UP, Liebeth joined the Department of Foreign Affairs and served in Denmark, Peru and Canada. “I also lived in Italy and, in the late 1990s, relocated to the US. As an immigrant it was not always easy to establish oneself in a new career, especially in a highly competitive city such as Washington, DC.” She related some of her memories of UP. “The 1976 student uprising in Soweto profoundly influenced the way many of us thought about apartheid policies and the increasing international isolationism South Africa was facing,” she recalled. “Mike Hough was a senior lecturer in Political Science at the time and encouraged open debate and critical thinking in his classroom. I have great memories of very lively debates on South Africa’s future in an evolving geopolitical landscape.”

She also recalls meeting a variety of people from abroad who studied at UP for a semester or did postgraduate degrees there. “The outpouring of appreciation for UP and the whole community by these international students made me feel proud of my alma mater.”

Author: Xolani Mathibela

Dietrich von Staden (95), his wife, Sannie (93), and their daughter, Liebeth Turbati (63) – all graduates of the University of Pretoria (UP).