TUKKIEVARIA Staff Newsletter | Personeelnuusbrief | Ditaba Tša Bašomi March 2018 Volume 36 Number 1 | Maart 2018 Volume 36 Nommer 1 | Dibatsela 2018 Kgatišo 36 Nomoro 1
Inside 2 FABI Celebrates 20 Years!
4 Project Arend
6 Sport
Welcome Day 2018 Following on from last year’s success, Welcome Day 2018 was also held in the Rembrandt Hall on the University of Pretoria’s Hillcrest Campus. During the two Welcome sessions that were held, Prof Cheryl de la Rey, the Vice-Chancellor (VC) and Principal of UP, officially welcomed parents, guardians and students to the university and introduced them to her senior leadership team. Due to the overwhelmingly positive response, marquees were set up on the lawn next to the dam to accommodate attendees. Both Welcome sessions were also live streamed, to enable guests who could not be accommodated inside the Rembrandt Hall to view the event. There was a lighter side to proceedings when Prof Tinyiko Maluleke, Advisor to Prof De La Rey, took a selfie with the VC and Student Representative Council President, Kwena Moloto on stage, with the audience in the background.
2
Tukkievaria Maart 2018
The Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute (FABI) at the University of Pretoria (UP) turns 20 in 2018. Vice-Chancellor and Principal, Prof Cheryl de la Rey welcomed the audience of FABI staff, students, alumni and a host of international researchers and academics who accepted the invitation to celebrate FABI’s milestone. Former UP Vice-Chancellor and Principal, Dr Johan van Zyl, explained his role and vision in ensuring that FABI found a home at UP.
FABI CELEBRATES 20 YEARS OF RESEARCH EXCELLENCE
Prof Mike Wingfield, founder and former Director of FABI, spoke about the challenges and achievements of FABI over the course of its history and how it had contributed to research excellence, diversity, and its sustainability. FABI’s research output touches on facets that affect many aspects of daily life, for example, paper, food security, tree health and tree life (which consequently has a direct impact on the air that we breathe and the environment). FABI’s initial research programme focused specifically on tree health while the forestry industry was a major stakeholder in establishing FABI. Interdisciplinary research has been at the core of FABI’s success. The research conducted by FABI has been crucial in finding integrated solutions to pest and disease management to ensure tree health. The Sirex Woodwasp problem affecting pine trees in South Africa is one such example of FABI’s research rescuing an industry, as well as the jobs forestry supports. FABI is home to one of the first six DST-NRF Centres of Excellence for Tree Health Biotechnology. In 2017, FABI’s long term research and achievements saw UP awarded a spot in the top two universities in the world for the study of fungi (mycology). “FABI has achieved a very obvious national and international footprint as well as recognition for research and educational excellence,” said Prof Mike Wingfield.
ANNOUNCEMENT Newly approved and updated UP policies
GIBS selected as
United Nations Champion
The University of Pretoria’s Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) has been selected as one of 38 global business schools to take part in the 2018-2019 Champions Cycle presented by the United Nations Global Compact and Principles for Responsible Management Education (PRME). The aim of the Champions Cycle is to equip the next generation of leaders with the necessary knowledge and skills to attain the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. More than 40 academic leaders and corporate executives, including deans from top business schools and chief executives from leading businesses, gathered for the round-table dinner to discuss gaps in today’s business and management education. To be considered as a PRME Champion, business schools need to be committed to contributing to future leadership development through responsible management education as outlined in the United Nations Agenda for Sustainable Development. The recognition of GIBS as a business school that leads in responsible management education adds to the school’s growing accolades as Africa’s pre-eminent business school. GIBS Dean, Prof Nicola Kleyn, who attended the event said, "We are delighted to be recognised as a PRME Champion. In a world of growing inequality, we believe that business schools have a vital role to play in fostering business behaviour that drives inclusive growth."
In the interests of best practice and enhanced efficiency, staff are requested to familiarise themselves with UP’s newly approved and updated policies. For ease of reference, please click here to access the list. A complete list of institutional policies is available on the staff intranet under Policies.
Enquiries Manager: Information Governance Janine Esterhuizen Tel: 012 420 3941 Email: janine.esterhuizen@up.ac.za Prof Caroline Nicholson Registrar
Double honour for PhD student
A University of Pretoria researcher at the Centre for Sexualities, AIDS and Gender, Ms. Dikeledi Mokoena was recently recognised by the Most Influential Young South Africans initiative, and the Africa Youth Awards for her work in academic and non-academic spaces. Mokoena’s interests lie in African feminism, gender, political economy, African politics and decoloniality. She is a pan-Africanist keen on interacting with young Africans to work towards African unity, collective leadership and advancing intersectional struggles for the successful rebirth of Africa, the renewal of the Global South and the world. She has also facilitated community dialogues on xenophobia and sexual violence among other psycho-social issues plaguing black communities. She was a part-time lecturer at the department of political science and international relations. Currently, Mokoena is completing her PhD in Political Science. Her PhD topic is ‘Resistance and survival strategies of the women of Marikana: A decolonial political economy analysis’.
University of Pretoria
Universiteit van Pretoria
Yunibesithi ya Pretoria
3
PROF JOSUA MEYER RECEIVES A-RATING FROM NRF Prof Josua Meyer, Head of the Department of Mechanical and Aeronautical Engineering in the Faculty of Engineering, Built Environment and Information Technology, is the latest researcher from the University of Pretoria to receive an A-rating from the National Research Foundation (NRF). He is currently the only A-rated researcher in Mechanical and Aeronautical Engineering in South Africa. Prof Meyer joined the University as professor and Head of the Department of Mechanical and Aeronautical Engineering in 2002. In 2004, he was also appointed as Chair of the School of Engineering. He is now serving his fourth term as both Head of Department and School Chair.
IAAF Disciplinary
Tribunal appointment
Prof Steve Cornelius, Head of the Department of Private Law in the Faculty of Law at the University of Pretoria, has been appointed by the Council of the International Association of Athletics Federation (IAAF) as a member of the IAAF Disciplinary Tribunal. In terms of the IAAF Constitution, the Disciplinary Tribunal is required to act independently of the IAAF and is expected to play a vital role in safeguarding the integrity of athletics as a sport. Prof Cornelius is also a member of the Independent Anti-doping Hearing Panel of the South African Institute for Drug-free Sports and his main research interests are Law of Contract and Sports Law. He has received a B2 (Internationally Renowned Scholar) rating from the National Research Foundation for the high quality of his research. His appointment to the IAAF Disciplinary Tribunal again attests to his international status as an expert in Sports Law.
Members of SAYAS
Dr Mardé Helbig (left) and Prof Reza Malekian (right) from the Faculty of Engineering, Built Environment and Information Technology have been selected as Members of the South African Young Academy of Science (SAYAS). SAYAS is the voice of young scientists in South Africa. It aims to contribute towards solutions to national and global challenges facing society. The South African Young Academy of Science seeks to elect the country's leading emerging researchers in basic and applied science, engineering, social sciences, arts and the humanities.
Department of Architecture
75
The Department of Architecture at the University of Pretoria is celebrating 75 years of excellence in design education. Thus far they have achieved international recognition having attained third place in Africa, among the top 25 in the BRICS countries in 2017 for the QS World rankings. This placing was also within the top 200 architecture and built environment programmes in the world. It is also the only department in Africa offering full degree programmes, from BSc to PhD, in three spatial design disciplines – architecture, interior architecture and landscape architecture. Following their ecosystemic approach, students are exposed to all three disciplines, as well as urban design, during the course of their undergraduate and postgraduate studies. For more information on what’s on offer please visit: www.up.ac.za/architecture
4
Tukkievaria Maart 2018
Food Policy and Nutrition Economics
PROJECT
AREND
Despite the well-grounded and long-standing knowledge that nutrition is essential for development, and notwithstanding its centrality to many development approaches over the decades, it is not until recently that it has been taken seriously. Why? This was the question debated by University of Pretoria’s, Prof Sheryl Hendriks, Director: Institute for Food, Nutrition and Well-being, Professor in Food Security, Department of Agricultural Economics, Extension and Rural Development. She debated this during the Agricultural Economics Association of South Africa’s Tomlinson Commemorative Lecture at the University of Pretoria on Thursday, 22 February 2018.
The AREND project focuses on the design, construction and testing of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) that can be used to detect and distinguish between humans and large animals, such as rhinoceros and elephants, in harsh environments. The members of Team AREND are attached to four universities on three continents. The universities that are involved are the University of Colorado Boulder, United States; Helsinki Metropolia University of Applied Sciences, Finland; the University of Pretoria, South Africa; and the University of Stuttgart, Germany. Undergraduates, postgraduates, staff members and industry partners have collaborated to find a workable solution for the Kruger National Park in South Africa. Once the integration phase of the embedded systems were successfully completed by the Colorado team at the University of Pretoria in 2015, the next phase of project AREND was to develop a landing and launch system for the UAV. Furthermore, the Faculty of Engineering, Built Environment and Information Technology at the University of Pretoria awarded its Teaching and Learning Excellence Award to Dr Lelanie Smith to acknowledge her excellent management of the project and the subsequent opportunities offered for student development.
Prof Hendriks is the first woman to have been recognised for her contribution to the profession since the initialisation of the award in 1986. The award commemorates the contribution of Prof FR Tomlinson, the founder of the Association. Prof Hendriks says: Unlike the development planning of the past, the responsibility for driving such policy reform is no longer the development community but African governments themselves. Exposing agricultural economics students to a broader domain than consumption theory within the supplydemand confines is essential to building an appreciation for nutrition, behavioural science and poverty dynamics in particular. Updating syllabi with food systems thinking, critiques of planning approaches and the mastery of essential soft skills are crucial for training the next generation of professionals.
Happy 110th birthday UP
AFRICAN GENETIC DIVERSITY COULD HOLD ANSWER A team of South African researchers, which includes researchers from the University of Pretoria (UP) recently completed a study aimed at unlocking the unique genetic character of southern African populations. The study involved the genetic sequencing of 24 South African individuals of different ethnolinguistic origins, the results of which revealed a high level of genetic diversity and highlights the potential implications for disease susceptibility in Africans. The study was the first government-funded human genomics research study to be performed on African soil. The sample group for the study was compiled to include ethnically self-identified individuals of different ancestries, after which whole-genome sequencing was used to study the differences in some of the major ethnolinguistic groups in the country. The sample group consisted of eight mixed-race individuals from the Western Cape, seven Sotho speakers from the Free State, eight Xhosa speakers from the Eastern Cape and one Zulu speaker from Gauteng.
Prof Michael Pepper
The study aimed to explore the ancestral compositions of these individuals, including maternal and paternal lineages, using novel whole-genome sequence data. The results indicate that despite a short period of geographic and cultural separation between Nguni and Sotho-Tswana speakers, there are measurable genetic differences between them. Coloured individuals in turn, showed varying proportions of admixture with Khoisan, African and European populations, as well as populations from the Indian sub-continent. After the inclusion of additional representative populations in the analysis, the study revealed a much stronger South Asian ancestry in the coloured individuals than indicated by previous studies. Professor Michael Pepper, Director of the Institute for Cellular and Molecular Medicine, and a professor in the Department of Immunology in the Faculty of Health Sciences at UP, who is also the Unit Director of the South African Medical Research Council’s (SAMRC) Stem Cell Research and Therapy Unit, said that the next step will be to use the knowledge gained through the team’s research to determine the potential impact the genetic variants could have on the health of individuals when healthrelated research is conducted.
In a recent surprise visit, local Hatfield community leader, Immanuel Landman, presented a birthday cake to Prof Cheryl de la Rey to commemorate UP’s 110-year birthday. Mr Landman’s wife was the baker of this delicious carrot cake and was just a “small token of our appreciation” to Prof Cheryl and her team. Mr Landman complimented her 'openness towards Community engagement and building relationships with all Community role players, which is a blueprint of success for the rest of the country’s universities to follow.’
CENTRE FOR CHILD LAW serves on Expert Group The Faculty of Law at the University of Pretoria is proud to announce that its Centre for Child Law’s Deputy Director and attorney, Karabo Ozah, was invited to take part in the third meeting of the Expert Group on Parentage/ Surrogacy Project. The meeting took place in The Hague from 6 to 9 February 2018.
University of Pretoria
Universiteit van Pretoria
Yunibesithi ya Pretoria
5
Collaboration for Cancer Therapy The Faculty of Health Science’s Department of Nuclear Medicine has entered a collaboration with the European Commission’s science and knowledge service, the Joint Research Centre (JRC), to develop a new breakthrough treatment for cancer patients. The JRC is involved in a range of endeavours to advance scientific knowledge, and collaborates with expert scientists across the world to carry out research. It chose the Department of Nuclear Medicine for its expertise in the field of nuclear medicine. The collaboration enables the Department to treat advanced-stage prostate cancer patients using targeted alpha therapy (TAT). ‘TAT has proved to be very successful, with an 85% success in treating patients with advancedstage prostate cancer,’ explains Prof Mike Sathekge, Head of the Department of Nuclear Medicine. The Department is the only platform in Africa, and one of only three in the world, to offer this treatment. It is situated at Steve Biko Academic Hospital and treats its patients at the hospital. Recently, an event was held at Steve Biko Academic Hospital to highlight the collaboration between UP and the JRC. The Director of the JRC, Prof Maria Betti, and the
EU Deputy Head of Delegation, Mr Raul De Luzenberger, were there to see the success that the Department has had. Prof Betti also extended an invitation and more collaborative opportunities to South Africa’s Minister of Health, Dr Pakishe Aaron Motsoaledi, who was amazed by the success of the treatment. Dr Motsoaledi expressed his desire to involve the Department in South Africa’s cancer strategy. Prof Sathekge hopes that their success will increase awareness of the benefits of nuclear medicine for cancer treatment, which will hopefully lead to large-scale trials. He says the collaboration with the JRC is of utmost importance and has enabled the Department to make lifechanging contributions to patients with advanced cancer. Also in attendance were Prof Stephanie Burton, VicePrincipal: Research and Postgraduate Education; Prof Tiaan de Jager, Dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences; Dr Mathabo Mathebula, CEO of Steve Biko Academic Hospital; and Prof Alfred Morgenstern, Head of Alpha Therapy at the JRC.
The Expert Group was established in 2015 by the Council on General Affairs and Policy of the Hague Conference. The Expert Group was established to explore the feasibility of advancing work in the area of the status of children, including issues arising from international surrogacy arrangements. Ms Ozah is also an extraordinary lecturer in the Department of Private Law, and researches and publishes in the area of Child Law and Human Rights at the University of Pretoria. Her involvement in the Expert Group is an acknowledgement of her expertise in the area of children’s rights and surrogacy in South Africa and internationally. The Centre for Child Law advances and protects children's constitutional rights through strategic litigation, advocacy and research.
TuksLaw launches new authority on Consumer Protection Law in SA
Co-authors, Mr Evert van Eeden and Prof Jacolien Barnard
On 25 January 2017, the Department of Mercantile Law in the Faculty of Law at the University of Pretoria launched the highly-anticipated volume, Consumer Protection Law in South Africa Second Edition by attorney Evert van Eeden and Jacolien Barnard, an associate professor in the Department of Mercantile Law.
issues. The second edition has a broad scope of readers as it is written in a way that will assist practitioners in the handling of consumer law issues in a variety of forums and industries. This includes compliance, manufacturing, marketing and advertising, services, conduct and supply, conclusion of agreements, and enforcement and redress.
The Consumer Protection Act 68 of 2008 has had a major impact on the way in which companies and consumers do business. This publication provides essential commentary to the legislation and case law, highlighting the main issues of consumer protection law from both a business and legal perspective. The key speaker at this event was Advocate Neville Melville, Legal Consultant and former Consumer Goods and Services Ombudsman.
A new chapter on E-commerce, by Adv Sylvia Papadopolous, also from the Department of Mercantile Law at TuksLaw, is introduced to address the growing number of consumer transactions occurring online.
The Consumer Protection Act 68 of 2008 (CPA) has had significant impact on the way in which suppliers and consumers do business in South Africa, Africa and abroad. The approach in the second edition is in line with the approach by South African courts that emphasises the important role of foreign and international law in the correct interpretation of consumer
The second edition also caters for undergraduate and postgraduate students and scholars (nationally and internationally) on the South African position regarding Consumer Protection Law in South Africa. The book is written in such a way that the legal position is addressed holistically without the need to consult various documents to come to the correct conclusion and legal position. The book will greatly assist practitioners, researchers, suppliers, consumers, enforcement institutions, students and regulators in providing an indepth view of Consumer Protection Law.
6
Tukkievaria Maart 2018
Sport TuksArchery
Anderson has also been invited to compete in two competitions in Europe.
Paralympian Anderson impresses
“I guess I will seriously have to start saving in order for me to compete internationally.” Anderson who had his left arm amputated in 2004 after severely damaging it in a motorcycle accident has a definite goal in mind. He wants to qualify for the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo. That is just the way he goes about things. No half measures ever. If everything goes according to plan, he hopes to qualify for the Games next year July at the World Championships.
The Paralympian archer, Shaun Anderson (Tuks), might have shot a South African record in his first competition since the boat accident, which paralysed him resulting in the loss of use of both his legs. In the first round at the TuksArchery Competition, he shot a score of 305 and finished the day with a score of 586 points. His overall score was 576. His score of 305 excites him. “We are not sure yet. It might be a South African record in the new category in which I am competing. Unfortunately, I got tired during the second round, which led to me making some elementary errors. It cost me valuable points. However, I am not too fazed about it. I have only been shooting seriously for the last two weeks. I am not yet ‘bow fit’,” said the Tuks archer. “The reason why I am excited about my first round score of 305 is because if I was able to repeat it in the second
round it would have meant that I would have shot 610. At last year’s World Championships, it would have placed me in the top 12 in the world in my category. “I am confident that it is going only to be matter of time before I will be able to consistently shoot scores of 600 and more. As they say practise makes perfect."
Anderson finished 17th during the 2016 Paralympic Games in Rio, despite having problems with his bow midway through the competition – resulting in him having to improvise with some super-glue. Such is the tenacity and ‘never give up attitude’ of the man.
TuksRowing
McCann and Van Wyk continue to dominate the Rock the Boat Regatta Another year, another regatta but theoretically the same result. In fact, it won’t be wrong to say the John Waugh Rock the Boat Regatta at Roodeplatdam has become the Kirsten McCann and Nicole van Wyk “show”. In 2016 Van Wyk was the overall winner. McCann, South Africa’s first female world rowing champion, won last year. The two Tuks/ HPC-rowers teamed up in a lightweight double sculls boat to win again, continuing their dominance at the regatta. The Tuks/HPC men’s crew of John Smith, David Hunt, Kyle Schoombee and Sandro Torrente was second overall. It is widely expected that McCann and Van Wyk will team up to try and qualify for the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo as they are currently South Africa’s two top female rowers. Apart from winning a gold medal at last year’s World Championships, McCann also won a bronze medal partnering Ursula Grobler in a lightweight women’s double sculls. Van Wyk won a bronze medal in the lightweight single sculls at last year’s World Under-23 Championships. In 2016 she won a silver medal. The big unanswered question in local rowing circles is when McCann and Van Wyk are going to team up. It is debatable whether they will do so this year as the Olympic qualification is still a year off. It means that Roger Barrow who is managing the South African RMB Rowing Programme from Tuks/HPC might allow McCann to defend her lightweight single sculls world title this year. South African women's rowing is starting to become a real force. Last year was the first time that the local rowers medalled at each of the three World Championships. Megan Hancock won a silver medal at the World Junior Championships.
AssupolTuks reclaims Varsity Cricket title Assupol Tuks Cricket is the best club team in South Africa. At the recent Varsity-final in Potchefstroom which saw Assupol Tuks beat Northwest Pukke by five wickets, there was no arguing the fact. Northwest Pukke batted first and scored 154/4 setting Tuks the challenge to score 155. The winning runs were scored with two balls to spare. The last time Assupol Tuks lost any tournament they competed in was exactly a year ago. It was the 2017 Varsity final. Northwest Pukke managed to beat Tuks with seven balls to spare. Since that setback, the team from Pretoria went on to win the Momentum National Club Championships. They also dominated the various Northerns Cricket Union (NCU) leagues, ending the year on another high by claiming the South African Universities title. One of the main reasons for the team’s success is not only the ability of the coaches to spot true talent, but also to help the players to play to the best of their abilities when it matters.
Before the Varsity Tournament Kruger van Wyk (head coach) said that it would take a real team effort for his team to succeed. The players certainly did not disappoint. In the nine games played, six batsmen managed at various times to play a crucial innings and five bowlers managed to take more than five wickets during the tournament. With such a brilliant display of teamwork, it might sound unfair to highlight the performance of just one player, but Neil Brand’s teammates will agree that he was brilliant. For the duration of the tournament, he gave an exemplary performance as the captain leading from the front. In nine innings, he scored 300 runs at an average of 42.9. He was justly the one to score the winning runs for Tuks in the final, hitting a four in the last over with just two balls to spare. Brand was equally impressive as a bowler, taking nine wickets. It was no surprise that he received the Player of the Tournament Award.