UP Tukkie 2019

2019 ISSUE 25

ALUMNI MAGAZINE OF THE UNIVERSITY OF PRETORIA

Looking ahead with 2020 vision UP Vice-Chancellor and Principal Prof Tawana Kupe

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Contents

2019 ISSUE 25

ALUMNI MAGAZINE OF THE UNIVERSITY OF PRETORIA

Major breakthroughs and world firsts

Prof Roger Deane involved in capture of amazing black hole image and Prof Mashudu Tshifularo pioneers middle ear transplant with 3D-printed bones.

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We were all born here

UP researchers part of study that concludes that the earliest ancestors of anatomically modern humans (Homo sapiens sapiens) emerged in southern Africa.

12 A home for the art of Africa

Looking ahead with 2020 vision UP Vice-Chancellor and Principal Prof Tawana Kupe

he Javett-UP offers an outstanding resource to students T and academics of art history, curation and conservation, and provides a public space for artists-in-residence.

18 Communication is what connects people to each other Professor De Wet Swanepoel’s smartphone technology detects hearing loss early among adults and children.

36 The blueprint to achieve a better future for all “UP is the natural choice for this initiative,” says Prof Willem Fourie, Coordinator of the South African Sustainable Development Goals Hub.

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41 Thought for food

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P is rolling out educational drives to teach staff, students and U alumni how to maximise nutritious food on a tight budget.

50 An ‘air-brained’ idea to beat hunger Aeroponics, an innovation that grows plants with no soil and little water, could provide the solution to feeding 10 billion people.

52 Addressing violence against women

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University opens the Tshwane Metro Police Department Satellite Station and holds anti-sexual harassment workshops in drive to deal with women abuse.

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The group of UP alumni and staff who made the M&G 200 Young South Africans list, with Vice-Chancellor Prof Tawana Kupe (centre).

Opinions expressed in Tukkie are those of the individual concerned and not necessarily the view of the University of Pretoria. Tukkie is published by the University of Pretoria’s Department of Institutional Advancement.

Any editorial queries or information can be sent to: Tebogo Menong Email: tebogo.menong@up.ac.za Tel: 012 420 3047

The Javett Art Centre at the University of Pretoria

Letter from the Editor Dear Tukkie reader, It is my pleasure and privilege to present to you the redesigned Tukkie, the University of Pretoria’s alumni magazine. The aim of this magazine is to keep you, our alumni family, in touch with your alma mater by publishing relevant, informative and exciting news. We value you and want to keep you in the loop at all times.

In our 2019 edition we congratulate and get to meet Dr Hinner Köster, the new President of Convocation of UP. We hear from Prof Willem Fourie, Coordinator of the South African Sustainable Development Goals Hub – based at UP’s Hatfield Campus – about the work the organisation does. Dr Vukosi Marivate, the ABSA Chair of Data Science at UP and co-founder of the Deep Learning Indaba, schools us on machine learning.

We have a report-back on the ViceChancellor’s international networking efforts, which saw Prof Tawana Kupe hosting alumni dinners in Australia and New Zealand. And of course we can’t forget the UP alumni and

Change of address Please send notification of address change or cancellations to: Email: alumni@up.ac.za Tel: 012 420 3533 Fax: 012 362 5088 Quote the code that appears on the address label in all correspondence.

Editor: Tebogo Menong

staff who made the M&G 200 Young South Africans list. Well done!

We also congratulate Dr Solomon Ayele Dersso, an alumnus of the Centre for Human Rights, who was elected Chairperson of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights, and salute two UP alumni, Prof Barend Erasmus, the new Dean of the Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, as well as Prof Elsabe Schoeman, who recently became the first female Dean of the Faculty of Law.

Contributors: Masego Panyane Shakira Hoosain Primarashni Gower Samantha Castle Design & Layout Words’worth

University of Pretoria’s Alumni Relations Office Personnel Samantha Castle Senior Manager: Alumni Relations Tel: 012 412 3044 Email: samantha.castle@up.ac.za

This is definitely not all, though – there’s lots more news in the magazine, so enjoy reading it all!

Jacqui Pietersen Senior Alumni Officer Tel: 012 412 3702 Email: jacqui.pietersen@up.ac.za

We hope you enjoy this issue and, as always, we look forward to your feedback, along with story ideas for future issues. Drop us a line at alumni@up.ac.za.

Vuyo Ntloko Alumni Events & Protocol Coordinator Tel: 012 420 3912 Email: vuyo.ntloko@up.ac.za

Tebogo Menong

Henriette Minnaar Alumni Events Coordinator Tel: 012 412 3980 Email: henriette.minnaar@up.ac.za

University of Pretoria | TUKKIE 1

Principal’s Message Dear Tukkie reader This has been quite an eventful year, with various challenges as well as several successes. But through it all, our alumni remain one of the cornerstones of our progress. Without this partnership, our position as an institution that is a part of the community (and not apart from the community) will be invalidated.

When I officially stepped into my role as Vice-Chancellor and Principal in January, I stressed the point that the changes taking place in the higher education sector present great

opportunities for UP. They allow us to continue innovating as we find new ways to make education more accessible.

I want to thank everyone who made this year the success that it was. Well done to the Alumni Relations team after the UP Alumni Connect app was named the fastest-growing alumni platform in the world. I also tip my hat to the Faculty of Law which, for the third consecutive year, has been ranked in Times Higher Education’s (THE) 2020 survey of the Top 100 World University Rankings by subject. These achievements are unparalleled in South Africa and Africa and reinforce our commitment to breathing, living and demonstrating quality in everything we do.

Our world is going through changes, with the fourth industrial revolution (4IR) having a huge impact on how we conduct ourselves. It is within this context that UP is forging ahead with its emphasis on transdisciplinary hubs.

Transdisciplinary research won’t be done by academics and students alone. We are bringing in

Prof Tawana Kupe

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business, government, international partners, and ordinary citizens through civil society organisations, because we believe problems and solutions are not just packaged in academic portfolios.

At UP, we are confident about our ability to be creators of knowledge and not passive consumers of received wisdom. This is exciting and is consistent with the urge to use knowledge to confront and solve the “wicked problems” facing our continent.

African universities producing new ideas will help our beautiful continent recover its sense of direction. I believe firmly that we are living through the dawning of Africa’s renaissance.

Our transdisciplinary hub, the Future Africa campus, was launched in March. This is where Africa’s leading scientists and scholars from across the world, specialising in a broad range of disciplines, come together to leverage the benefits of transdisciplinary research.

Engineering 4.0, another transdisciplinary hub – one that focuses on 4IR subjects such as smart cities and transport for disruptive communities – is designed to promote critical skills that are in short supply. The Engineering 4.0 complex is a research hub that is partnered with the South African National Roads Agency Limited and the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research. Engineering 4.0 also shares its technology and data sciences resources with all our other faculties via Future Africa.

The Javett-UP Art Centre, launched in September, is integral to promoting soughtafter 4IR subjects, which we refer to as STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Mathematics). This art centre focuses on African art and explores what makes us human, what inspires us to think, feel, act, innovate and advance. Students will be able to witness the restoration of art works as part of our new master’s programme in Tangible Heritage Conservation, a first for Africa, and which spans the arts and sciences, further encouraging transdisciplinary research.

The Innovation Africa initiative – which is still in its development phase – will be based on partnerships with academic researchers in agriculture and food security. It will also look to partner with the government through the Agricultural Research Centre, agricultural sector, industry, IT, and the Humanities. This multidisciplinary approach will assist us in solving global challenges, and positioning Africa for a prosperous future.

Another first was the inaugural donor appreciation event, which was held at the Javett-UP Art Centre. The event was held to say thank you for our donors’ continuous support, and also to share our achievements and projects. UP is the largest contact university in the country, with more than 56 000 contact students. In 2018, 25 633 of those students were awarded bursaries, for a total in excess of R1.35 billion. Without our donors, achieving such feats would become a serious uphill battle.

The safety of our staff, students and greater community is of vital importance. That is why I am proud of the opening of the Hatfield Tshwane Metro Police Department Satellite Station. We are grateful to the city for availing the personnel to fight criminality on our streets.

The South African Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Hub at UP presented its latest Briefing Note at Future Africa. The hub supports the implementation of the United Nations’ SDGs. At UP we have been involved in working on SDG goals 1 (No Poverty), 3 (Good Health and Well-being), 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth), 9 (Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure) and 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions). We also contributed to the country reports and the four thematic reports.

Speaking of good health and wellbeing, the University and the Animal Feed Manufacturers Association of South Africa (AFMA) signed a Memorandum of Agreement to the value of R50 million for the establishment of a feed mill research facility. This agreement

paves the way for the establishment of a training and research feed mill facility at UP’s Miertjie le Roux Experimental Farm near Bronkhorstspruit, the first of its kind in the southern hemisphere.

Another positive report concerns transformation. In 1994, 11% of the student population was black (African, Coloured, Indian), and in 2019 that number is 65%, with black students making up over 70% of students in UP residences. Women make up 55% of students. Transformation means achieving diversity, which in turn means the presence of everyone and the absence of no one.

Still on the topic of students, 93% of UP students are either employed or continuing with their studies six months after graduating.

We will work towards 100% of them finding employment or pursuing post-graduate studies.

The academic qualifications of our staff are also improving. In 2019, 66% of our staff held PhDs, which compares favourably with our local and global peers. An increase in the proportion of staff with PhDs will increase our capacity for post-graduate supervision. Staff members with PhDs also have the ability to do the more complex research that is needed to transform our continent.

For all but the most pedantic among us, 2020 marks the beginning of a new decade. It is an opportunity for us to pick up where we left off, learn from our mistakes, and up the ante in all respects. At UP, we will continue our mission to transform lives and communities locally, continentally and globally. To work towards a University community that is sustainable, well resourced, future-oriented and at the leading edge of research and innovation. Let me take this opportunity to wish all Tukkie readers a wonderful festive season and a spectacular new year and new decade. Let’s look ahead with new eyes, indeed with 2020 vision.

For, as we all know, that is THE UP WAY!

University of Pretoria | TUKKIE 3

Key staff appointments Prof Elsabe Schoeman makes history UP alumna and new Dean of the Faculty of Law Professor Elsabe Schoeman is the first female Dean in the Faculty after more than a century of its existence, a significant milestone.

She has been a professor in the Department of Private Law since 2016 and holds the degrees BLC (Pret) LLB (cum laude) LLD (Unisa).

Furthermore, she is admitted as Advocate of the High Court of South Africa.

Prior to joining the Faculty, Prof Schoeman was a member of the Law School at the University of Auckland (New Zealand). She also spent a year at the Institut für internationales und ausländisches Privatrecht (University of Cologne) as an Alexander von Humboldt Fellow. She was also a professor in the Department of Jurisprudence at the University of South Africa.

Prof Cheikh Mbow, the new Director of Future Africa The new Director of Future Africa Prof Cheikh Mbow recently joined the team from START-International in Washington DC. Prof Mbow served for a decade as an Associate Professor on remote sensing-GIS and climate change at the Institute of Environmental Sciences, Science Faculty; and Laboratoire d’Enseignement et de Recherche en Géomatique, Polytechnic Faculty of the University Cheikh Anta Diop of Dakar, where he was leading the research team known as Climate Change, Adaptation and Environmental Risks. He occupied various science leadership roles at the World Agroforestry center in Kenya and the START-International Secretariat in USA. With more than 120 publications on various environmental sustainability fields, Prof Mbow has proven transdisciplinary skills and expertise on land use, disturbances of natural vegetative systems and sustainability of agricultural systems.

New Dean takes interdisciplinary approach at NAS Professor Barend Erasmus is the new Dean of the Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences (NAS) at the University of Pretoria (UP).

A UP alumnus, he obtained his PhD (Zoology), BScHons (Zoology) and BSc (Zoology) from UP. Prior to this appointment, he was Director of the Global Change Institute at the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits) and before that, he was a lecturer at the School of Animal, Plant and Environmental Sciences at Wits, where he was subsequently promoted to professor and the Exxaro Chair in Global Change and Sustainability.

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12 Advanced Human Rights Courses The Advanced Human Rights Courses (AHRC) was established in 2000 and consists of annual advanced short courses dealing with issues pertinent to human rights, development and good governance in Africa.

8 Research Units The aim of the research and advocacy work of the Centre is to make a contribution to the realisation of human rights in Africa and beyond. Thematic units work with: business and human rights; children’s rights; democracy, digital rights and democracy; disability rights; freedom from violence; international developmental law; sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, and sex characteristics; and women’s rights.

5 Master’s Degree Programmes • • • • •

Human Rights and Democratisation in Africa International Trade and Investment Law in Africa Sexual & Reproductive Rights in Africa Disability Rights in Africa Multi-disciplinary Human Rights

2 Major Moot Court Competitions • •

African Human Rights Moot Court Competition (since 1992) Nelson Mandela World Human Rights Moot Court Competition (since 2008)

1 University Press The Pretoria University Law Press (PULP) is based in the Centre and endeavours to publish and make available innovative, high-quality scholarly texts on law in Africa.

PULP also publishes a series of collections of legal documents related to public law in Africa, as well as text books from African countries other than South Africa.

www.chr.up.ac.za

CENTRE FOR HUMAN RIGHTS

Faculty of Law, University of Pretoria The Centre for Human Rights, Faculty of Law, University of Pretoria, is an internationally recognised universitybased institution combining academic excellence and effective activism to advance human rights, particularly in Africa. It aims to contribute to advancing human rights, through education, research and advocacy.

The Centre was established in 1986 and over the years, it has positioned itself in an unmatched network of practising and academic lawyers, national and international civil servants and human rights practitioners across the entire continent, with a specific focus on human rights law in Africa, and international development law in general.

Today, a wide network of Centre alumni contribute in numerous ways to the advancement and strengthening of human rights and democracy all over the Africa continent, and even further afield.

In 2006, the Centre was awarded the UNESCO Prize for Human Rights Education, with particular recognition for the African Human Rights Moot Court Competition and the LLM in Human Rights and Democratisation in Africa. In 2012, the Centre was awarded the 2012 African Union Human Rights Prize.

University of Pretoria | TUKKIE 5

Major breakthroughs and world Innovation is part of THE UP WAY, and during 2019 the University achieved some world firsts that strengthen the institution’s research and international profile.

UP Libraries steps into future as it ‘employs’ robot to help students Libby, the newest UP Library ‘employee’, is on duty to answer visitors’ questions about library services. She’s not all work and no play, though: She can dance for you, and cracks jokes when the mood strikes her!

The Department of Library Services at the

questions, conducting surveys, and even dis­

University of Pretoria (UP) has ‘employed’ the

playing marketing videos. Libby is connected

first client service robot known to be in use in

to an online cloud via Wi-Fi, which enables her

any university library in Africa. Libby, as she is

to send information back and forth so she can

called, weighs 19 kg and is 90 cm tall.

answer queries or process data.

Libby ‘works’ at UP’s Merensky II Library on

UP Vice-Chancellor and Principal Professor

the Hatfield Campus. Over 60 sensors, cameras

Tawana Kupe met Libby during a special preview

and software integrations enable her to receive

meet-and-greet. He said: “Taking our library

and process various commands and requests.

into the 21st century also keeps the University

She boasts a tablet integrated into her chest

at the cutting edge of research, teaching and

area for manual input. Her brain is con­nected to

learning, and that is where we ought to be. New

Watson, IBM’s question-answering com­puter

technology has now enhanced the quality of

system, which processes queries directed at her.

research and learning.”

She runs off Android-based soft­ware, which

“The library prides itself on redefining aca­

opens up opportunities for the Department of

de­mic librarianship by immersing itself in some

Library Services to develop new and exciting

of the latest tools and technologies,” says Elsabé

client-facing appli­cations. However, Libby is not

Olivier, Assistant Director for Marketing and

all work and no play. She can dance for you, play

Quality Assurance at the Department of Library

music, and enjoys a light pat on the head.

Services. “Part of the redefining involves re-

“Libby is originally from China and is officially a new library employee,” says Isak van der Walt, manager of the Library Services

evaluating how services are rendered and how to make use of some of the latest technologies.”

Van der Walt says the library evaluated the

MakerSpace. “She is not a threat to anyone’s

client-facing environment in search of ways

job; she’s merely part of the library’s innovative

to optimise and adopt new technologies to

progress. For now, she speaks English only, but

enhance access and availability. “We then saw

my team and I will be sure to incorporate two

the opportunity to investigate the use of a service

more languages as time goes by. This dedicated

robot to complement the existing set of services

service robot will only perform general, mun­

and add a new and refreshed dimension to our

dane, repetitive tasks that staff perform around

client experience.”

the library, thereby releasing them to perform

As part of the investigation into the available

more advanced and specialised services. The

hardware on the market, the library also formed

library sees the use of robotics as an added

focus groups with students on what they would

bene­fit that augments and enhances its service

like to see or experience in interactions with a

portfolio.” Van der Walt says Libby will interact

robot. An internal team has been identified to

with clients by providing guidance, answering

over­see Libby’s daily operations.

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UP professor pioneers world-first middle ear transplant with 3D-printed bones According to the South African Hearing Institute, our hearing ability naturally declines from the age of 30 or 40. In fact, by age 80, more than half of humans will suffer from significant hearing loss.

Although this is a natural part of ageing, hearing loss may also occur as a result of disease or infection, physical damage to the ears or head, or an inherited condition.

Professor Mashudu Tshifularo, Head of the Department of Otorhinolaryngology in the Faculty of Health Sciences at the University of Pretoria (UP), has developed a pioneering surgical procedure that may be the answer to one particular form of hearing loss –

firsts Astrophysicist part of team involved in capturing first black hole image University of Pretoria (UP) Associate Professor of Physics Roger Deane was part of an international group of scientists who captured the first image of a black hole. His group worked to develop simulations of the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) used to make this historic discovery.

Right: Associate Prof of Physics Roger Deane

instrument itself may have on the data. Prof Deane said: “In the case of the EHT, we built a simulation package that physically modelled a number of non-desirable effects that prevent

mi­nate between theoretical black hole shadow

one from seeing any sort of black hole shadow

models.” He explained that this also allows

feature.”

scientists to accurately predict the impact of

The EHT observes what radio astronomers

adding new antennas in the global network.

consider to be a very short wavelength, about

The team is now working towards testing

1 mm. “This presents many challenges to the

Einstein’s general theory of relativity. To do so,

These simulations attempt to mimic and better

telescope design, data processing and analysis,”

they will need to continue improving the images

understand the data coming from the real in­stru­

Prof Deane said. “Just a small amount of water

through array expansion in Africa and elsewhere

ment, which is made up of antennas across the

vapour in the atmosphere could completely erase

with improved algorithms.

globe.

the signature of the black hole shadow. This is

UP Vice-Chancellor and Principal Prof Tawana

why the EHT stations are at very high altitudes

Kupe congratulated Prof Deane, saying: “This

team about four years ago. Downplaying his

in some of the driest places on Earth.” There are

young scientist is an inspiration to scien­tists on

contribution, he said: “I’m still blown away by

many other aspects to model in an instrument

the African continent. Our staff and students are

the image. I’m just honoured to play my small

this sensitive and complex. “We incorporate as

innovative and creative thinkers who excel in

part in this amazing international team.”

much of this information as we can model in

cutting-edge research, and this discovery is a

software, which enables astronomers to better

great example of what can be achieved if we work

understand the real observations and dis­cri­

together across borders and disciplines.”

Prof Deane started working with the

As with any major physics experiment, one needs to understand the effects that the

Middle-ear facts From left: UP Dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences Prof Tiaan de Jager, Vice-Chancellor Prof Tawana Kupe, and patient Thabo Molishiwa, who has regained his hearing thanks to surgery performed by Prof Mashudu Tshifularo (right). conductive hearing loss, a middle ear problem

The procedure also aims to simplify the

caused by congenital birth defects, infection,

reconstruction of ossicles during middle

trauma or metabolic diseases. The procedure

ear procedures, such as ossiculoplasty and

involves using 3D technology to print the bones

stapedectomy, in order to increase the chance

of the middle ear. These reconstructed bones are

of success with minimal intrusion trauma. Prof

used to replace the hammer, anvil and stirrup,

Tshifularo’s procedure reduces the likelihood

the ossicles that make up the middle ear.

of facial nerve paralysis, which can occur if the

“3D technology is allowing us to do things we never thought we could,” says Prof Tshifularo.

The surgery can be performed on anyone,

The three bones in the middle ear are known as the hammer (malleus), anvil (incus) and stirrup (stapes).

Hammer

Anvil

Stirrup

How big is the stirrup?

The stirrup is the smallest bone in the body – measuring roughly 3 x 2,5mm.

facial nerve that passes through the middle ear space is damaged during traditional surgery.

“By replacing only the ossicles that aren’t

including newborns, and has benefited three

functioning properly, the procedure carries

patients already. The latest patient was born with

significantly less risk than known prostheses and

an underdeveloped middle ear.”

their associated surgical procedures.”

Actual size of stirrup in relation to a 20c coin.

University of Pretoria | TUKKIE 7

LANDMARK UP RESEARCH

UP survey records second-lowest number of southern right whales in Cape in 24 years.

Here’s looking at you, kid An aerial survey of southern right whales off the Cape coast by the University of Pretoria (UP) has counted 200 whales in the area, the second-lowest figure since 1995.

The survey was undertaken by the Whale Unit at UP’s Mammal Research Institute between 30 September and 5 October 2019.

According to the unit’s Research Manager, Dr Els Vermeulen: “This survey was flown between Nature’s Valley and Muizenberg, using an Airbus EC120B under charter from Silvercross Helicopters. All encountered whale and dolphin species were recorded, with a special focus on southern right whales.”

Dr Vermeulen explained that “these numbers mark the second-lowest number of right whales along our shores in October since 1995, after the extreme low numbers of 2016 (55 pairs). This is a huge decrease from last year’s all-time record of 536 cow-calf pairs in the same stretch of coastline.”

At the same time, it is a strong decrease from the 131 cow-calf pairs which were counted between This year marked the Hermanus and Infanta in 50th anniversary of August this year. The reason the aerial surveys, for this apparent shift in peak and the 40th year of presence over the past years consecutive photocould be related to female right whales giving birth identification data earlier and therefore leaving collection, making the South African breeding it one of the longest ground earlier, or that female running datasets on right whales are leaving any marine mammal the South African breeding worldwide. ground earlier possibly

Pictures: MRI Whale Unit

All southern right whales observed along this stretch of coastline were counted, and photographs were taken of the unique callosity pattern on the heads of all individual females with calves as well as all individuals of a brindle grey colouration or white blaze. “In total, 190 females and calves (95 pairs) of southern right whales were counted and photographed,

as well as 10 adult whales without a calf – so-called ‘unaccompanied adults’ – bringing the total to 200 southern right whales. Most female calf pairs were observed in De Hoop Nature Reserve and Walker Bay.”

8 TUKKIE | University of Pretoria

with a calf that is not ready to migrate.

“Also, the number of adults without a calf – unaccompanied adults being males, resting females and females that should fall pregnant this year – remained extremely low, as it has been since 2009. In fact, the recording of 10 adults without a calf in October is the second lowest count in the past 40 years. In 2016 we only counted nine! This tells us that non-calving right whales are still not migrating up to the South African coast as they used to prior to 2009.”

Whether these are temporary trends or not remains to be determined. The Whale Unit is investigating this matter, with preliminary results indicating strong correlation with climate conditions in the Southern Ocean and fluctuations in food availability and therefore energy reserves.

Similar trends are being recorded in South America and Australia, which led to the MRI Whale Unit co-leading the Southern Right Whale research theme under the Southern Ocean Research Partnership of the International Whaling Commission.

We were all born here Groundbreaking study reveals southern Africa as birthplace of modern Homo sapiens.

Two University of Pretoria (UP) researchers (Professor Vanessa Hayes and Professor Riana Bornman) were part of a team of international scientists who, through the use of DNA, found that the “homeland”, south of the Greater Zambezi River Basin region, included the entire expanse of northern Botswana, into Namibia to the west, and Zimbabwe to the east.

The breakthrough findings were published recently in the prestigious British multidisciplinary scientific journal Nature. The authors propose that changes in Africa’s climate triggered the first human explorations, which initiated the development of humans’ genetic, ethnic and cultural diversity. This study provides a window into the first 100 000 years of modern humans’ history.

been long debated is the exact location of this emergence and subsequent dispersal of our earliest ancestors.”

According to Prof Riana Bornman, study author and Senior Research Professor at UP’s School of Health Systems and Public Health: “Genetic diversity is the footprint of your past, and your past predicts your future. As southern Africa has played a critical role in the evolution of all modern humans, it is essential that they are included in the genomic era, which today is still predominated by European countries,” she explained. However, through the combination of genetics, geology and climatic physics, these researchers got more than they bargained for.

Prof Riana Bornman.

Pictures: Garvan Institute of Medical Research, University of Sydney (Chris Bennett).

A study has concluded that the earliest ancestors of anatomically modern humans (Homo sapiens sapiens) emerged in a southern African “homeland” and thrived there for 70 000 years, before some migrated due to climate shifts.

Prof Hayes, from the Garvan Institute of Medical Research and University of Sydney, and an Extraordinary Professor at UP, said: “Data suggests that the Greater Zambezi River Basin region, particularly the southwest Kalahari, played a significant role in shaping anatomical modern human emergence and prehistory.

“It has been clear for some time that anatomically modern humans appeared in Africa roughly 200 000 years ago. What has From left are: Nǂamce Sao, ǀkun Nǂamce, Professor Vanessa Hayes and ǀkun ǀkunta.

University of Pretoria | TUKKIE 9

Tell us about your background I hold a BSc and MSc in Electrical Engineering from Wits University (MSc under Prof Tshilidzi Marwala) and a PhD in Computer Science from Rutgers University, New Jersey, USA (PhD under Prof Michael Littman). I work on developing Machine Learning/Artificial Intelligence methods to extract insights from data. A large part of this work over the last few years has been in the intersection of Machine Learning and Natural Language Processing (due to the abundance of text data and the need to extract insights). I run a research group called Data Science for Social Impact, using local challenges as a springboard for research. In this area, I have worked on projects in science, education, energy, public safety and utilities.

build automated tools that can process local language data for tasks such as understanding communication on chat groups, automated labelling of local language data and discovering patterns in local language texts.

Through a number of collaborations inside and outside South Africa, we are working on looking at education data to better understand what factors lead to improved performance (on multiple measures) for primary and secondary school education. This is important as we can use Machine Learning models to predict performance, but for policymakers, we have to be able to explain how these methods actually work and how they make their decisions.

A number of students and collaborators work on developing Machine Learning approaches to understand cyber-safety challenges such as anomaly detection to detect fraud, or methods to identify threatening content online (misinformation, fake news, online harassment).

What is your role as ABSA Chair of Data Science at UP? The chair is a collaborative industry chair created by the University and ABSA. I work to expend Data Science practice, research and community, inside and outside the University.

Inside the University this means doing interdisciplinary Data Science research within and outside the Faculty of Engineering, Built Environment and Information Technology.

What exactly is Machine Learning and Data Science?

Machine Learning is a subset of Artificial Intelligence that deals with developing machines that can learn patterns from data.

Data Science is a burgeoning field that looks at using data (small and large) to better understand our world and take on chal­len­ ges across numerous fields (thus its multidisciplinary nature). At the end, the data scientist works to get their methods to be used by people in the field who use these solu­tions to solve problems. At the University this means I get to work with many academics from different schools and faculties.

Ultimately, we work to look at a problem through the lens of data and find ways to use appro­priate modelling (Machine Learning, Statistics and Graph Mining) to tackle that problem.

Why are they so important and what are they used for?

Data has become abundant in multiple ways.

My research group looks at a number of problems. One problem is using text as a data source to build tools. For example, we are working on methods that can make it easier to

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Using data to better understand our world

Dr Vukosi Marivate is the ABSA Chair of Data Science at the University of Pretoria and co-founder of the Deep Learning Indaba.

He spoke to Primarashni Gower about his work.

How much progress has South Africa made in terms of Machine Learning and Data Science, in comparison to Africa and the rest of the world?

We have a growing community that still has to grow by multiple factors to reach critical mass that solidifies the community. South Africa is one of the more advanced Machine Learning (ML)/Data Science Africa (DS) communities on the African continent but we still have to find ways to collaborate across institutions and with industry to create a solid foundation for sustainability. We face the challenge that we do not have large university departments with 50 or so full-time PhD students who are in computing, let alone ML/AI/DS and this is something we must work towards. There is a lot of opportunity if we work in a distributed manner. Through the Deep Learning Indaba, we have connected many people who are in the field doing great work.

What advice would you give to prospective university students about this field?

There are so many opportunities in this area and if you keep on learning you can grow very quickly. The University has a number of opportunities for those interested in Data Science, including the Master’s in IT in Big Data Science that continues to attract many students. Those interested in our group’s research can go to https://dsfsi.github.io.

University of Pretoria | TUKKIE 11

A home for the The Javett Art Centre at the University of Pretoria (Javett-UP) opened its doors to the public on 24 September 2019. A partnership between the Javett Foundation and UP, it is an inspirational space where exhibitions, events and performances will enrich society.

The building links UP’s Hatfield Campus to the eastern district of the city.

The Javett-UP bridge that spans Lynnwood Road and houses the Bridge Gallery has been designed to throw an ever-shifting pattern of light and seshweshwe-like shadow on Lynnwood Road and adjacent walkways.

The Centre comprises 13 distinct spaces. This includes an auditorium; the 265m2 Gold of Africa Tower that gives the Mapungubwe Gold Collection a permanent home; a double-volume gallery; a print gallery; a sculpture deck and a restoration studio.

The Art Centre opened with four ground-breaking exhibitions: • 101 – Collecting Conversations: Signature works of a Century (a collection of 101 signature works of South African art selected from collections around the country).

• All in a Day’s Eye: The Politics of Innocence in the Javett Collection (the Javett Family Collection of South African modern art).

• National Treasures: An exhibition of significant gold pieces from the Mapungubwe Gold Collection, and more than 350 artefacts from the AngloGold Ashanti Barbier-Mueller Gold of Africa Collection from West Africa.

• A Strange Thing Materialised Along the Way: A selection of quirky objects from the University’s museums.

The 101 signature works of South African art include works by Irma Stern, Gerard Sekoto, Mary Sibande, Pierneef, Walter Battiss, William Kentridge, Lucky Sibiya and others.

Founding Director Christopher Till said: “Art is for everybody. It tells the story of where we come from and why we find ourselves right here, right now. The Javett-UP is, and will always be, a home for the art of Africa.

Vice-Chancellor Prof Tawana Kupe and Founding Director Christopher Till.

12 TUKKIE | University of Pretoria

In the best tradition of warm and welcoming African hospitality, the doors are wide open so all people can come and learn more about this continent, its triumphs, tragedies and its deeply layered, but fascinating, complexity as expressed through African artists, both ancient and modern.”

The Centre offers an outstanding resource to students and academics of art history, curation and conservation, while it provides a public space for artists-in-residence.

“It is a wonderful work of art in its own right. It has a physical bridge, which is more than just a bridge between two of our campuses,

art ofAfrica enabling the safe movement of our students,” said UP Vice-Chancellor and Principal Professor Tawana Kupe.

Javett-UP is also a bridge across disciplines in the university. “As an academic bridge it will enable a transdisciplinary intellectual project that illuminates, inspires and enables new forms of creativity and knowledge to emerge,” explained Prof Kupe “Furthermore, the bridge has a gallery, which is an example of imaginative use of space – aesthetic yet also functional.”

Art is for everybody. It tells the story of where we come from and why we find ourselves right here, right now. The Javett-UP is, and will always be, a home for the art of Africa.

Above: Mary Sibande, Cry Havoc, 2014, Fibreglass, polyester, fibrefill stuffing, cotton and resin. Courtesy of the artist. Javett-UP Art Centre.

Left: Noria Mabasa, Flood Mozambique, 2002, Carved wood.

Javett Family Collection at Javett-UP Art Centre.

Left: Andries Botha, Dromedaris, Donder en Ander Dom Dinge, 1988, Rubber, mild steel, wattle, brass and galvanised wire.

Johannesburg Art Gallery Collection at Javett-UP Art Centre.

Right: Johannes Phokela, Nkosi Sikelele, 1996, Wood and paint, Wits Art Museum Collection at Javett-UP Art Centre.

University of Pretoria | TUKKIE 13

A space to create new knowledge in new ways Masego Panyane

The University of Pretoria stamped its authority on being a leader in the field of research with the launch of the Future Africa campus earlier this year.

Future Africa, based at the University’s Hillcrest Campus, has positioned itself as the place where Africa’s leading scientists and scholars from across the world and from a broad range of disciplines will come together to leverage the benefits of transdisciplinary research to address the challenges that face Africa and the world.

Speaking about the campus, Vice-Chancellor and Principal Professor Tawana Kupe said the holistic, multidisciplinary approach to science research is what makes Future Africa unique.

“Future Africa is a space to create new knowledge, in new ways, to address current

Professor Michael Pepper and Professor Don Cowan

and emerging complex, often seemingly intractable, challenges that face primarily our continent, but also resonate globally. This means that we will find solutions to problems from a holistic view point because problems rarely occur in a vacuum.

At Future Africa, we aim to transform the world through African research excellence.”

“Where we intend to see Future Africa should drive the trans­for­ma­tion we need. It is now recognised in sustainable development frameworks that we must deal with coupled socioeconomic and socioecological systems of high complexity. Dealing with complex natural resource dynamics of connected issues requires breaking disciplinary He added that boundaries to harness Prof Cheikh Mbow, Director of Future Africa transdisciplinary in this case a much wider, holistic refers to bringing together researchers and community that is willing to constructively partners from many disciplines and various work together. Current development sections of community. challenges in Africa need to be addressed with new knowledge and new behaviour that Future Africa’s newly appointed director, facilitate the production of transdisciplinary Professor Cheikh Mbow, said his vision for outcomes, and enables the use of scientific the institution is for it to produce research results in effective and productive ways.” that matters and that is in line with Africa’s For more information about Future Africa visit: transformation agenda. https://www.futureafrica.science/

Founding Director of Future Africa Prof Bernard Slippers; wife of the Chancellor Mrs Nondima Nkuhlu; Chairperson of the Council Ms Futhi Mtoba; UP ViceChancellor and Principal Prof Tawana Kupe, Vice Principal for Research and Postgraduate Education Prof Stephanie Burton; and UP Chancellor Prof Lumkile Wiseman Nkuhlu.

14 TUKKIE | University of Pretoria

Helper’s high When your brain’s pleasure centre lights up as a reward for being kind.

Shakira Hoosain

Influencing people positively can have a ripple effect of joy, happiness and kindness.

The University of Pretoria (UP) initiated a Random Acts of Kindness Day for staff and students, and we hope that this will become a UP tradition. Random Acts of Kindness Day will be a recurring campaign, and you can share your experience of being a recipient of kindness on each #UPUbuntuChooseday, which will always take place on a Tuesday.

According to Prof Norman Duncan, VicePrincipal: Academic, “October was University Social Responsibility Month, so this was an ideal time to launch the Random Acts of Kindness campaign. Kindness, caring, generosity and social bonding or solidarity are part of how we live THE UP WAY.” There are numerous benefits to being kind.

A series of studies at Stanford University,

headed by Prof Jamil Zaki, has found that kindness is actually ‘contagious’, and that if you see an act of kindness you are likely to spread it.

How does this work?

When one is kind or has witnessed an act of kindness, several biological processes happen: • It is argued that kindness increases oxytocin production. Oxytocin is said to be responsible for, among other things, increasing feelings of happiness. Increased oxytocin may also boost feelings of trust, according to a University of Zurich study, which in turn helps to reduce anxiety, boost self-esteem and create a sense of happiness.

• A study at the University of British Columbia found that highly anxious individuals relaxed more and showed an

increase in positive moods and a decrease in social anxiety and social avoidance if they performed just six acts of kindness a week.

• The ‘helper’s high’ is a biochemical phenomenon which sees your brain’s pleasure centre light up as a reward for being kind. This causes a dopamine rush so as a giver, you feel as good as a receiver for doing something nice for another person. Dopamine is a hormone that is associated with happiness. This is what makes being kind so addictive.

The kinder you are, the more your brain rewards you with a dopamine rush. In fact, an Emory University study found that the Continued on page 16

University of Pretoria | TUKKIE 15

human mind gets excited by surprises and unexpected good turns. This is why, according to a University of California, Berkeley study, the ‘helper’s high’ is said to produce enough endorphins to have the same mental effect as a mild morphine high.

• Kindness (like most anti-depressants) may boost your levels of serotonin, which is responsible for overall mood regulation and well-being. It has benefits for memory, learning and brain function.

The combination of endorphins, oxytocin, dopamine and serotonin is responsible for our happiness, and practising acts of kindness boosts their levels and in turn, our joy.

Acts of kindness reduce stress and enhance health. Dr Stephen Post from Case Western Reserve University found that altruistic behaviour improves everything from life satisfaction to physical health.

According to Prof Tharina Guse, Head of UP’s Department of Psychology, “In particular, kindness strengthens our social relationships. Interestingly, a study from the University of Utrecht showed that students who engaged in acts of kindness experienced higher levels of academic engagement.”

Above and below: Students and staff hand out biscuits as a random act of kindness.

16 TUKKIE | University of Pretoria

A Harvard Business School study involving

136 countries found that charitable and financially generous societies had the happiest people.

Dr Christine Carter, author of Raising Happiness: 10 Simple Steps for More Joyful Kids and Happier Parents, notes that “kinder people actually live longer, healthier lives…

People who volunteer tend to experience fewer aches and pains. Giving help to others protects overall health twice as much as aspirin protects against heart disease”.

Call for applications 2020 postgraduate studies From courtroom to boardroom — UPdate and UPgrade with a postgraduate qualification from UP Law www.up.ac.za/law

A postgraduate qualification in law facilitates critical thought, develops legal research skills, leads to a deeper understanding of the nature of law, of legal reasoning, of legal systems and legal institutions. It enhances specialisation in a particular field. It can boost your earning potential, change your career track and make you a more competitive force in the legal profession.

The Faculty of Law at the University of Pretoria offers a wide variety of postgraduate programmes on master's and doctoral level. UP Law is widely recognised as a leader in the field of postgraduate programmes. The LLM and LLD programmes presented by the Faculty enable students to specialise in their chosen fields by engaging with experts at an advanced level.

LLM through coursework

MPhil through coursework

Centre for Human Rights Disability rights in Africa Human rights and democratisation in Africa International trade and investment law in Africa* Multidisciplinary human rights Sexual and reproductive rights in Africa

Centre for Human Rights Disability rights in Africa* Human rights and democratisation in Africa Multidisciplinary human rights Sexual and reproductive rights in Africa

Jurisprudence Law and political justice Mercantile Law Banking law Consumer protection law Corporate law Insolvency law Insurance law and governance Labour law Mercantile law Tax law Private Law Child law Estate law* Family law* Law of contract Intellectual property law Private law Procedural law Procedural law (Civil litigation, Criminal litigation and Law of evidence) Public Law Constitutional and administrative law Environmental law* Extractive industry law in Africa International air, space and telecommunications law International law International humanitarian law and human rights in military operations* Socio-economic rights

Jurisprudence Law and political justice Public Law Environmental law* Extractive industry policy, management and regulation Medical law and ethics*

LLM/MPhil or LLD/PhD Research programme on an approved topic in law.

Kindly contact the Student Administration Department in the Faculty of Law for more information: LLM/MPhil coursework and applications Centre for Human Rights – melissa.erasmus@up.ac.za Jurisprudence – helen.vantonder@up.ac.za Mercantile Law – thembisa.dodo@up.ac.za Private and Procedural Law – lesedi.masitenyane@up.ac.za Public Law – klaas.ntuli@up.ac.za LLM/MPhil research and applications helen.vantonder@up.ac.za LLD/PhD mmopiemang.sesing-letsike@up.ac.za No new intakes in 2020/not offered in 2020.* Continuation of all programmes are subject to minimum registration numbers as per UP regulations and policies.

University of Pretoria | TUKKIE 17

Communication is what connects Professor De Wet Swanepoel is touching the lives of people globally, with smartphone technology that detects hearing loss early among adults and children.

Primarashni Gower

A Professor in the Department of SpeechLanguage Pathology and Audiology, Prof Swanepoel says, “I’ve always liked the idea of communication as the essence of what makes us human. Communication is what connects people to each other.” However, 466 million people have per­ma­nent hearing loss (5 percent of the world’s population). In South Africa, more than 3 million people suffer from per­ma­nent, disabling hearing loss, which

is often an overlooked condition. Globally, unaddressed hearing loss is estimated to have an annual cost of $750 billion according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

Prof Swanepoel says the majority of people who have permanent hearing loss come from low- and middle-income countries, where screening for hearing loss is usually inaccessible. “The leading cause of hearing loss is aging, with one-in-four people older than 45 and one-in-every-three older than 65 suffering

from significant hearing loss. Other causes of hearing loss include exposure to loud noise or sounds for extended periods of time.” This may be occupational in nature. Personal music players used by youngsters have also been flagged by the WHO as a public health risk.

Hearing loss is associated with many adverse effects including social isolation, depression, increased risk of falls and even hospitalisations. There is also a close link between hearing loss and cognitive decline (dementia). However, with the right test and right hearing devices and intervention people with hearing loss can actively engage in society and prevent or forestall many of the associated risks.

The smartphone-based approach to detect

The smartphone-based approach to detect hearing loss led by Prof De Wet Swanepoel has resulted in a number of clinical and consumer solutions.

18 TUKKIE | University of Pretoria

people to each other hearing loss led by Prof Swanepoel has resulted in a number of clinical and consumer solutions. In partnership with Dr Herman Myburgh from Computer Engineering at UP, they invented and patented the hearScreen app for rapid mobile hearing screening which is 80% cheaper than traditional devices.

The technology is available through digital health start-up company, hearX Group, of which Prof Swanepoel is a co-founder and scientific advisor. While traditional hearing screening equipment is “expensive, stationary and centralised”, his invention entails an app on a smartphone and an inexpensive set of headphones. Teachers or even the unemployed are trained to conduct the testing and the data management is cloud-based. The app picks up hearing problems and the person is referred to the nearest audiologist, based on geolocation. It tracks whether a patient has gone for a follow-up visit to the audiologist.

Referring to the technology their company has produced in partnership with hearX, Prof Swanepoel says “we demonstrate the impact in community settings to learn and refine the solutions to actual needs in the field”. His goal is to scale up access to hearing screening globally. Their solutions have touched the lives of more than 600 000 people across 38 countries, including China and Uganda.

Through hearX, Prof Swanepoel also partnered with UK-based Peek Vision, to provide vision testing, via the Peek Acuity app. The two-minute smartphone test can now identify hearing and vision problems before children even start school, according to his research, which was recently published in the prestigious Bulletin of the World Health Organization.

The project provides hearing and vision screenings in preschool centres in Khayelitsha and Mitchells Plain. Four local community members were trained to use the smartphone technology and are providing the service to preschool children. Results from the first 8 023 children screened across 271 preschools indicates that more than 100 children were diagnosed with a hearing or visual impairment, or both.

The success of this project has secured ongoing support from the Google Social Impact Award to ensure the lives of more than 20 000 children are touched.

In 2016 they launched the national hearing test of South Africa, a smart­phone app called hearZA. The app allows a free download of the test for every South African. The technology behind this application was adopted by the WHO, which is making it available worldwide as the hearWHO app.

Prof Swanepoel, who has received international accolades for his work, is an internationally recognised academic. He currently serves as past president of the International Society of Audiology and as Editor-In-Chief for the highly acclaimed International Journal of Audiology.

3 million Number of South Africans suffering from permanent, disabling hearing loss

600 000 Number of people who have been helped by the hearScreen app

$750 billion Annual cost of hearing loss globally

5% Percentage of world’s population with permanent hearing loss

He said, “95% of young children don’t get the chance to have these senses checked before entering school. Children who don’t hear or see well can’t learn well and can’t perform in a school environment.”

Hearing and vision impairments are the most common developmental disabilities in children younger than five years, with more than 40 million children affected globally.

University of Pretoria | TUKKIE 19

Inspiring Alum

Dr Muavha’s story is medicine for the soul Masego Panyane

Dr Dakalo Muavha is one of South Africa’s four urogynaecologists, a new speciality that has the ability to assist people suffering from conditions that are not only embarrassing, but can also make their lives a living hell if untreated.

Dr Muavha (35), a University of Pretoria (UP) alumnus, says while growing up in a village near Makhado in Limpopo, he always wanted to be a doctor. He was inspired by a local general practitioner who was known for providing quality healthcare at affordable rates.

“I was born in a little village called Nwaxinyamani and raised by a single mother.

My mother never held a formal job but would sell sweets at the street corner or help in people’s homes for us to have food.

Growing up I never felt I was poor, because in our village we all came from similar backgrounds.”

Pictures: Lucas Ledwaba/Mukurukuru Media

He arrived in Pretoria in 2003 – aged 19, with only the R200 that his mother had given him.

He had no idea where he’d live or what he’d eat.

20 TUKKIE | University of Pretoria

I personally felt supported by the University, even at the time when I was struggling. I truly believe that the culture of this institution is favourable to even a young black rural boy, like I was 15 years ago.”

It was UP staff who kept his dream from slipping away. “I had no prior arrangement. I presented my story to student support and I remember one of the personnel taking me by the hand and knocking on the doors of people who had the authority to find accommodation for me.” After he sorted out these issues, his journey then began.

Academically, things did not start smoothly. “I was… struggling at the bottom in first year. I

remember crying in the office of our Physics lecturer after getting 22%, I had never gotten such a low mark. Mr Brink arranged that I get extra lessons, which was very instrumental. I managed to adapt and finished medicine in record time.”

Today, Dr Muavha is one of SA’s few qualified urogynaecologists, a field of medicine that assists patients with urology and gynaecology issues, such as urinary incontinence, faecal incontinence and pelvic organ prolapse. He opened Limpopo’s first urogynaecology hubs in the two major private hospitals in Polokwane, as well as the provincial hospital. In addition to this he has a YouTube channel where he gives the public insight into how urogynaecology works.

UNIVERSITY OF PRETORIA

AT THE FOREFRONT OF

INNOVATION UP transforms lives and communities, using knowledge to pursue economic advancement and social justice.

Forging connections across disciplines and borders can spark critical new knowledge and innovation, and so we have launched four key transdisciplinary hubs.

UP - A WORLD OF ANSWERS

JAVETT-UP

ART CENTRE

A centre for the arts of Africa that explores what makes us human and traces the story of who we are, where we come from and the importance of Africa in the world.

FUTURE AFRICA

INSTITUTE

ENGINEERING 4.0

A continental asset with research and innovation programmes dedicated to solving Africa’s complex problems as well as addressing global challenges underpinned by sustainability, diversity and equity.

In partnership with SANRAL and the CSIR, we will use cutting-edge technologies for research, testing and training in everything from road surfaces to smart cars and smart public transport systems.

INNOVATION AFRICA AT UP Focusing on smart agriculture, we will be collaborating with government, the agricultural sector and industry to advance agricultural production systems that are resilient to climate change, environmentally-friendly, sustainable and easy to implement.

Make today matter

learn more at www.up.ac.za/research-matters

University of Pretoria | TUKKIE 21

HUMANITIES

MAMELODI

100

10

UP celebrated two significant milestones in 2019. The Faculty of Humanities celebrated its centenary and the Mamelodi campus celebrated a decade of academic excellence.

UP incorporated Vista University campus in Mamelodi on 4 January 2004 as part of government’s restructuring of the higher education landscape post-1994. In 2008, the University located the first year of its Fouryear Extended BSc programme (of the Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences) on the campus and augmented the academic offering by locating the first year of the Four-year Extended BCom programme (of the Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences) on the campus, as the core academic activities on the campus.

The Mamelodi campus is now home to UP’s highly successful Extended Curriculum Programmes (ECPs) and UP’s science hub in Mamelodi. The campus also cooperates closely with the Faculty of Engineering, Built Environment and Information Technology’s augmented programme, ENGAGE, as well as the Faculty of Humanities in the areas of arts and the creative.

The year-long celebration at Mamelodi included a number of activities culminating in a national colloquium on extended curriculum programmes hosted in partnership with the Special Interest Group (SIG) of the Higher

22 TUKKIE | University of Pretoria

Research has shown that students who start off at the Mamelodi campus perform well and tend to finish in regulation time, says Dean of the Mamelodi Campus, Prof Nthabiseng Ogude (right).

Education Learning and Teaching Association of Southern Africa (HELTASA).

Some of the activities included a communitywide high school tree planting event on Mandela Day (18 July) in partnership with the Gauteng Department of Education’s District South Office, which is responsible for the schools in the Mamelodi and surrounding communities.

Mamelodi Campus also hosted the Southern African Association of Research in Mathematics Science and Technology Education (SAARMSTE) annual doctoral research school, which targets doctoral students and early career researchers (including postdoctoral fellows and members of staff less than five years from PhD) in mathematics, science and technology education where facilitators from South Africa and abroad assisted doctoral and postdoctoral participants to make progress with their doctoral studies and publication requirements. According to the Dean of the Mamelodi Campus, Prof Nthabiseng Ogude, “In the words of one participant, “The entire

research school was very useful, learning from esteemed researchers, from a variety of places is useful. The mentoring was an added bonus.

Facilitators were kind and generous, even when you were not attached to their mentoring”.

Prof Ogude said, “UP’s Mamelodi Campus is a place of hope and academic excellence.

Our students start off with us, but our smaller classes and individual focus are just what some students need before they branch off and excel in the traditional course programmes. In fact, over the last decade, research has shown that students who start off at the Mamelodi campus perform well in the mainstream programme and tend to finish in regulation time. Students and lecturers at our campus are dedicated and focused on making a success of their life by working hard to excel and make the most of the second chance they’ve been given. We hope our campus continues to grow from strength to strength and provides students with more opportunities in the future.”

The Faculty of Humanities celebrated their

The Faculty of Humanities celebrated its centenary in 2019 and the celebrations will continue until 27 May 2020. This is the day that the Faculty was officially established.

Dean of Humanities Prof Vasu Reddy, Prof Karen Harris, Head of the Department of Historical and Heritage Studies and UP Vice-Chancellor Prof Tawana Kupe.

centenary in 2019 and the celebrations will continue until 27 May 2020. This is the day that the Faculty was officially established and this year it was appropriately marked by the inaugural address of Prof Karen Harris, Head of the Department of Historical and Heritage Studies. Prof Harris holds a unique position at the University of Pretoria. Not only is she a member of UP’s academic staff, but she is also Director of the University of Pretoria Archives.

The Faculty of Humanities began with a small body of staff and students, and is now one of the largest of its kind in South Africa, and forms part of international networks of academics, researchers and students with a wide range of disciplines and projects.

To mark the centenary, the Faculty launched a book based on primary research that was conducted by the UP Archives staff and submissions from the Faculty’s academic departments, and was authored by Dr Bronwyn Strydom, an alumnus of the Department of Historical and Heritage Studies.

It is a kaleidoscope of selected vignettes that

brings together broader themes and trends which were part of the Faculty’s origin, growth and evolution over its first 100 years.

Over the course of the year, the Faculty celebrated the centenary with a range of cultural and academic activities, including the Dean’s Concert, which showcased a wide variety of the School of Arts talent, as well as the faculty’s reach in terms of the arts and broad social research science. The topics under discussion included fundamental issues facing society, such as climate change and culture, gender-based violence and culture, land, afrophobia, poverty, and a seminar by readers titled 100 Mind Altering Books, led by the Department of English. These serious issues stood alongside celebratory concerts, exhibitions and theatre productions which were all infused with the spirit of celebration across the year.

Reflecting on the centenary, Prof Vasu Reddy, Dean of Humanities, said, “The history of the Faculty of Humanities is the story of a dynamic and responsive entity, often acting as a mirror

on the contemporary social, cultural and political world in which it has been situated.

2019 represents further new beginnings as we look back on our points of pride and also of difficulty; the accomplishments and the challenges, the people that have made them, and the ideas that have shaped and are shaping this Faculty. With humble beginnings in a very different context the Faculty of Humanities has evolved and remains evolving.

We are being shaped by a diverse community of scholars, teachers, researchers, students, practitioners, artists and support staff. I believe our developing identity is a strength. It enables us to reflect on the past, but also directs us to the future in aspirational ways.”

University of Pretoria | TUKKIE 23

#ChooseUP Day a success Excitement was the order of the day as about 14 000 prospective students (grade 12 learners), their families and friends attended the University of Pretoria’s (UP) #ChooseUP Day on Saturday 17 August.

The learners who have been conditionally accepted into their first year of study in 2020 visited the Mamelodi, Groenkloof, Prinshof and Hatfield campuses, where they were provided with information on why they should choose UP as their place of study.

They were given tours of lecture halls as well as of the residences. The Faculty of Law students held moot court training sessions and mock lectures for guests to observe.

The deans and senior staff of each faculty held information sessions. There were also bursary draws in the faculties.

#ChooseUP Day 2019 gave prospective students and their parents a taste of what to expect at the University of Pretoria in 2020.

support for online learning”.

“We teach you to be independent and to learn on your own… while the University’s Ready for Work Programme prepares you for the world of work,” said Prof Kupe.

The prospective students were also awestruck by Mechanical and Aeronautical Engineering students showing off the Baja cars they had designed and built.

Riddni Patel (18) from Johannesburg said she had chosen to study at UP “because it’s pretty cool”, something she had heard from students already at the University. She said she would be studying towards a BCom Business Management degree.

Addressing prospective students and their parents at two sessions in the amphitheatre, UP Vice-Chancellor and Principal Professor Tawana Kupe said: “UP provides quality education and strong teaching support. It is rated number one in research outputs in the country”, while its academics produce worldfirst discoveries that are transforming lives.

Eighteen-year-old Elaine van den Berg from Centurion will be studying for a Bachelor of Education degree next year. “I have a special place in my heart for UP because I sang in the UP Youth Choir so I fell in love with the spirit of the University,” she said.

Furthermore, UP has “pioneered hybrid learning, which is face-to-face teaching and

24 TUKKIE | University of Pretoria

Tyrese Makhubele travelled four hours from Giyani with his father to visit UP. He intends studying for a Bachelor of

Information Science degree with a speciality in multimedia. “I am so passionate about programming and making apps, because the future lies in technology and the opportunities are huge,” he said.

Learners were also excited to visit the Mamelodi Campus to hear about the Extended Curriculum Programme. The campus provides students with a strong foundational basis for their studies in the Faculties of Natural and Agricultural Sciences and Economic and Management Sciences.

Alumnus Johan Steenkamp, who has a BSc in Mathematical Sciences, took a trip down memory lane with his family when he visited the Faculty of Economic Management Sciences. His son, Chris, will start his BSc degree in Medical Science in 2020. Steenkamp, who works for a mining company, said “graduates from UP are more professional and inclined for the business world”.

The magnificent seven Meet the Eersterust family of UP graduates Xolani Mathibela

When Winston Campbell matriculated in 1965, the coloured community was still barred from studying at what were then whites-only institutions, of which the University of Pretoria (UP) was one.

“I was allowed to register at UP much later and grabbed the opportunity with both hands, because the university offered classes after hours,” says the father of five, who graduated in 1991 with a BA Hons degree in Politics and International Politics. “It was a most rewarding experience.”

that they performed well when they went to varsity. The result is that the couple as well as all five of their children are UP graduates!

Alarice obtained a degree in Nursing and Midwifery (1990 and 1994); Julian graduated with a BCom Hons degree in Finance (2003); Raymond obtained his MBChB and MMed in Urology (1999-2007); and Andrea and Colwin both completed their LLB degrees at UP, in 2008 and 2011, respectively.

His wife, Colleen, started studying late in life because of family responsibilities and financial constraints, and obtained a BA from UP in Industrial Psychology and Public/ Municipal Administration in 2002.

For the Campbells, who hail from Eersterust in Tshwane, UP was the natural choice. “The qualifications attained at the university have been a game-changer for us,” says Colleen.

“A qualification from UP is a very good job magnet, as the institution is viewed by many as one of the top universities in Africa.

Completing our studies at UP contributed immensely to the professional and personal successes of our family.”

Colleen ensured that each and every family member did their schoolwork and saw to it

Yet while they have all made major academic headway, the family is acutely aware that

there are many gifted youth in Eersterust who should be studying at UP, and that because they are under-represented at the university, they lack representation in the workplace too.

Financial obstacles as well as societal factors – such as poverty, substance abuse, indifference of parents and educators, lack of exemplary role models, and social and racial engineering policies – often hamper the academic potential and progress of these young people.

“As parents, we believe that you must teach your children well,” says Winston. “Teach them to treat others with dignity and respect.

We feel truly blessed that our children have learned the value and ethical precepts of a good education – to play fair and to work honestly, hard and diligently. Most of these principles have been instilled in us by UP, indisputably one of the best institutions of higher learning in Africa.”

University of Pretoria | TUKKIE 25

Faculty of Engineering, Built Environment and Information Technology Fakulteit Ingenieurswese, Bou-omgewing en Inligtingtegnologie / Lefapha la Boetšenere, Tikologo ya Kago le Theknolotši ya Tshedimošo

The Faculty of Engineering, Built Environment and Information Technology (EBIT) at the University of Pretoria presents locally relevant and internationally competitive academic programmes and produces novel research in its three specialist fields.

EBIT is committed to future-focused research and innovation in its efforts to propel the country into embracing the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR). In order to do this, its teaching, learning and research initiatives address the 4IR skills challenge, particularly in the exciting fields of virtual reality, additive manufacturing, big data, machine learning, internet of things and artificial intelligence.

The Faculty enjoys high institutional rankings on the world stage and maintains close ties with industry to support its cutting-edge programmes and facilities. Opportunities for industry-relevant collaborative research are constantly investigated to ensure that the Faculty is ready to embrace and overcome future challenges.

In its efforts to embrace the 4IR, EBIT dedicates itself to cross-disciplinary projects and interventions aimed at consolidating the knowledge and skills required to thrive in this exciting new world. The current challenges faced by both industry and society require researchers to break away from working in discipline-specific silos, and cross academic boundaries to approach challenges from different perspectives. The Faculty is home to a unique combination of academic disciplines, which encourages the incorporation of multiple approaches to research problems, and allows for vivid cross-disciplinary work.

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NRF-RATED RESEARCHERS CUTTING-EDGE RESEARCH CHAIRS AND ENTITIES SPECIALISED ACADEMIC DEPARTMENTS

QS WORLD UNIVERSITY RANKINGS BY SUBJECT

Innovating our tomorrow

TOP 450 OF UNIVERSITIES RANKED GLOBALLY FOR ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY IN 2019 QS RANKINGS

TOP 1% COMPUTER SCIENCE AND INFORMATION SYSTEMS

ELECTRICAL AND ELECTRONIC ENGINEERING

MECHANICAL, AERONAUTICAL AND MANUFACTURING ENGINEERING

UP: Faculty of Engineering, Built Technology

26 TUKKIE | University of Pretoria Environment and Information

OF ENGINEERING SCHOOLS IN THE WORLD IN 2019 CLARIVATE ANALYTICS ESSENTIAL SCIENCE INDICATORS FOR CITATIONS

www.up.ac.za/ebit

Graduation highlights ‘Human beings have an unfathomable amount of potential’ UP School of Medicine graduate Dr Aliya Mukadam on how she topped the class

“The whole experience was incredibly humbling. I still can’t believe any of it, and am filled with gratitude to God for having had the opportunity to share the stage that day with the woman who’s been

Many might remember Dr Aliya Mukadam from a video that went viral

my strength all my life – my mother. My hope is that the video inspires

on social media of the exceptional medical student at the oath-taking

anybody who watches it to reach for greatness and keep pushing the

ceremony when it was announced that she had won the School of

limits of possibility.”

Medicine prize for the best performance in the Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery (MBChB) course. This was among other distinctions.

Dr Mukadam, who graduated with a MBChB degree cum laude, comes from a long line of medical professionals. “The very best people in my life are doctors: my grandfather, my mother and my father. Being witness to the incredible changes that these phenomenal people brought to others, their selflessness and humility made me want to try to be just like them. Beyond that, I find the physiology and pathophysiology of the human body fascinating.”

She credits having a balanced life as helping her get to where she is today – “What has helped me through most of my academic career was balancing academia, faith, physical fitness, relaxation and time management to fit it all in. Each and every one of my lecturers paved the way by having a high standard and belief in students, pushing us to accomplish more than what was merely expected and offering unwavering support throughout. The most vital lecturer though was my dad, and a special thank you goes out to him for his memorable dinner table tutorials.”

Double celebration at Spring graduation for UP doctoral couple It was a double celebration in the Kolo household when husband and wife Francis and Agatha graduated from the University of Pretoria’s (UP) Faculty of Veterinary Science with PhDs in Veterinary Science.

Dr Francis Kolo and his wife, Dr Agatha Kolo, met at the Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto in Nigeria, where they were studying Veterinary Science. “We met at the University in 1997, she was the only girl in our class of 20 boys, and I won her heart. We got married in 2005 after graduation,” said Francis.

He explained that his mother, Christiana Kolo, was a veterinary technician, meaning he grew up with animals around the house. Agatha was interested in health sciences but her father nudged her towards veterinary medicine.

They both did their master’s degrees at UP’s Department of Veterinary Tropical Diseases, where they are currently postdoctoral fellows. Francis obtained his master’s degree (cum laude) in 2016. His PhD was focused on the prevalence and characterisation of Brucella spp. in slaughter animals in Gauteng abattoirs. The study provided the first evidence of Brucella melitensis biovar 2 and 3 in cattle.

Agatha, on the other hand, focused her PhD project on the use of next generation sequencing (NGS) techniques to detect zoonotic bacterial

Her research interests lie in the molecular epidemiology of zoonotic

pathogens. “NGS is a new method for sequencing genomes at high

vector-borne pathogens. “I have also always loved parasitology from my

speed and depths at relatively cost-effective prices,” she explained.

undergraduate days.”

University of Pretoria | TUKKIE 27

Staff achievements in the spotlight

Former Minister of Higher Education and Training gets PhD from UP

For many, education enables one to make

Former Minister of Higher Education and

contributions that are more meaningful to

Training Dr Naledi Pandor took her portfolio

society. It is in this spirit that the faculties

seriously by going back to class and graduating

of Economic and Management Sciences

with a PhD in Education from the University of

and Humanities celebrated staff members

Pretoria (UP).

who graduated with MPhil degrees in Communication Management.

“I have always considered UP to be a

Her research topic was “The contested meaning of transformation in higher education in post-apartheid South Africa”.

prestigious institution. I began working at UP

The minister, who holds a Master’s in

in 2013 and for me it was a privilege to study

Education policy and practice in multi-racial

here,” said Samantha Rabie (below right),

societies, and another in Linguistics from the

Postgraduate Coordinator, Department of

applied linguistics perspective, said she chose

her, she set the rules for the relationship. She

Business Management. “This exposure has

UP to further her studies as “I was told that

said to me, “Now you are my Professor, I am

created great networking opportunities,

the Education Faculty at UP was a really good

your student. You call me Naledi, and I will call

including the making of new friends. My

team with very powerful postgraduate support.

you Professor.” That was a shocker! I could

greatest challenge was studying while being

I knew that given my schedule I should be

not believe it, especially given our previous

a wife and a mother. Some of the difficulties I

registered at an institution with a good PhD

relationship in the Department of Education.”

came across while studying was trying to find

programme. Several friends referred me to UP.”

a balance between work, family and studies.”

Professor Chika Sehoole, Dean of the

UP Vice-Chancellor and Principal Professor Tawana Kupe said: “We are delighted that

Faculty of Education at UP, says it was an

the Minister chose UP. In the 2019 QS World

master’s degree in communication I have

honour to supervise the minister. He pre­vious­ly

University Rankings by Subject Report, UP’s

gained so much theoretical knowledge,”

worked with her before the old Department of

Faculty of Education was placed in the 201 –

said Carto Abrams-Swarts (below centre),

Education was split. “After I agreed to supervise

250 range of top universities worldwide.”

“Knowledge is power, and with a

Operation Manager: Albert Luthuli Centre for Responsible Leadership. “I’ve learned how to approach certain diffi­cult situations on a daily basis in the workplace.”

Juanita Haug (below left), Senior Administrative Officer, Faculty of Humanities said she found UP to be a supportive environ­ ment with caring lecturers and colleagues that walked this journey with her. “If you want a diverse student body and great lec­ turers, then #ChooseUP today so that you can Fly@UP and reach new heights. In 2017, while studying for my Postgraduate Diploma in Communication Management, I was one of the top students. I even received the Dean’s Award from the Economic and Management Sciences Faculty,” she said.

Spring graduation ceremony a family affair as Prof Melck, former UP executive member, hoods his son The University of Pretoria’s spring graduation

hand, said her master’s degree and her work

member of the UP executive Professor Antony

as a répétiteur (accompanist, tutor or coach

Melck, who has now retired, was granted the

of ballet dancers or opera singers) was the

privilege of hooding his son, Marcus, who

result of her discovering that she liked classical

received a doctorate in history; while his

music as well as the chance to produce work

daughter-in-law, Misha, had a master’s in

collaboratively with other musicians.

music (Performing Arts) conferred on her. Prof

“He helped me with my dissertation. He

Melck and his wife, Gudrun, travelled from

and his wife have been involved in my master’s

Austria for the momentous occasion.

journey. And they were always supportive, even

Marcus’ PhD research focused on the history of German immigration and settlement in South Africa.

“In particular, it has been focused upon the German-South African community of Kroondal, situated on the outskirts of Rustenburg in the North West. The inspiration for wishing to pursue this topic comes from various sources, including the research of my supervisor, Professor Karen Harris,” Marcus said.

He added that his family’s own link to Kroondal – through the maternal side of the family – was his strongest motivator.

28 TUKKIE | University of Pretoria

His sister-in-law, Misha, on the other

calendar brought something special. Former

when they were in Austria,” she said.

Meet Dr Hinner Köster, the new President of Convocation of UP Primarashni Gower

“UP has made a significant contribution to the success of many of its alumni, and therefore I want the University to continue to be globally recognised and maintain its high standards,” says Dr Hinner Köster, the newly-elected President of Convocation of the University of Pretoria (UP).

The President of Convocation plays a pivotal role as Chairperson of Convocation Advisory Board (ex officio). As one of the four Convocation members on Council, he and other Convocation representatives can influence decisions.

Dr Köster graduated with a BSc Agric, BSc Agric. (Honours) and a MSc Agric in Animal Nutrition. He then went on to graduate with a PhD at Kansas State University, USA, where he still is an adjunct faculty Professor and where he also served as President of the Graduate Student Association. He was Chairman of the Alumni Board at UP since 2014.

Over the years he has epitomised how alumni should contribute to their universities. “UP’s Faculty of Agriculture is by far the best in South Africa. Therefore, the majority of people we employ are UP graduates as we give preference to UP students.”

As a major shareholder and Executive Director of holding company

Kaonne Investments, as well as a Director and past Chairman of the SA Animal Feed Manufacturing Association (AFMA), Dr Köster is instrumental in sourcing funding for research and other projects in animal science. His company also sponsors prizes for academic achievements and student events, and further provides bursaries and internship opportunities.

He is a guest lecturer and external examiner in animal nutrition at UP and other universities. He is also involved in postgraduate studies as a collaborator or on advisory panels. He has published over 600 scientific and popular press papers and has given more than 600 presentations worldwide. He is also on the management committee of the Tuks Rugby Supporters Club.

In 2018 he was instrumental in the signing of a Memorandum of Agreement between UP and AFMA, to the value of R50 million, for the establishment of an international animal feed mill research facility and laboratory at the UP Agricultural Experimental farm, Miertjie le Roux.

With cattle farming still in his blood, Dr Köster says “agriculture is such a major component of the economy and the food chain, and therefore UP has a major role to play to ensure that the industry grows and we do the right research”.

University of Pretoria | TUKKIE 29

Donor reach stretches beyond UP Donor appreciation event gives insight into impact of student sponsorships.

The inaugural donor appreciation event was held at the Javett-UP Art Centre at the University of Pretoria (UP) in November. Various donors took a tour of the campus and enjoyed a talk by Vice-Chancellor and Principal Professor Tawana Kupe, before being treated to lunch and a tour of the Javett-UP. Hernan Finkel, Deputy Director of Relationship Management and Fundraising at UP, said: “The event is to say thank you for your continuous support and also to share a few of our achievements and projects that are underway.”

Said Prof Kupe: “A bursary is used to transform a student into a person who gives back. What UP achieves spills over into the environment around us. What South Africa achieves spills over to the continent. Therefore donors contribute to the development and prosperity of other nations too.”

He spoke of UP’s world-firsts as “a representation of what donor funding does”. The intention of UP, he said, is “to play in the same league as what South Africa does on the international stage”, citing the country’s inclusion in the United Nations Security Council, which starts next year and lasts until 2022. He observed that UP’s global rankings were indicative of a similar “over-achievement”.

UP is currently the largest contact university in SA, with more than 56 000 contact students. In 2018, 25 633 of those students were awarded bursaries in excess of R1,35 billion. By 2025, the number will increase to 75 000.

Prof Kupe also highlighted transformation statistics. “In 1994, 11% of the student population was black, in 2019 that number is 65%, where black students make up over 70% of students in residences. Women make up 55% of students, which is way above transformation goals.”

As such, Prof Kupe stressed that the need for funding will be more important than ever in order to achieve a society with diverse members, academic excellence on par with international standards and more world-firsts.

30 TUKKIE | University of Pretoria

Donors and other guests listened to a talk by Vice-Chancellor and Principal Professor Tawana Kupe, and had lunch and a tour of the Javett-UP.

Mamelodi Campus Mamelodikampus Khampase ya Mamelodi

Celebrating 10 years of Extended Curriculum Programmes YEARS

MAMELODI CAMPUS Celebrating a decade of hope, innovation and educational achievement

University of Pretoria | TUKKIE 31

OUR

TOP

UP honours 20 alumni and staff who made the Mail & Guardian’s 2019 Top 200 Young South Africans list.

Primarashni Gower

University of Pretoria (UP) Vice-Chancellor and Principal Prof Tawana Kupe honoured UP alumni and staff who were nominated in the Mail & Guardian’s 2019 Top 200 Young South Africans initiative, at a dinner hosted at UP’s Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS).

The Mail & Guardian annually profiles outstanding young people under 35 who have made their mark in society and are future leaders to look out for. Prof Kupe told attendees, which included nominees from previous years, that “we are extremely proud of you – I am particularly proud of the

positive and significant contribution you are making to South Africa…”

He said South Africa needs leadership with foresight and wisdom. “You are the leaders who will lead the continent into the future.”

He provided an overview of UP in 2019, explaining that 37% of academic staff have PhDs while UP produces the largest amount of research. It produces 28% of all engineers in South Africa while it produces research that changes lives.

UP’s Senior Alumni Relations Manager Samantha Castle said, “The Mail & Guardian Young South Africans recognition programme has been running for the past 14 years… UP has identified 65 of its alumni and alumni associates who have been included on this prestigious list. This year there were 20 nominees.”

Four of the UP alumni who were included in the Mail & Guardian’s 2019 Top 200 Young South Africans list are (from left): Husband and wife team Papa and Hetty Boachie-Yiadom, Charles Maphanga and Dr Taryn Bond-Barnard, who is now teaching at UP.

32 TUKKIE | University of Pretoria

I can attest to the fact that the University of Pretoria will provide you with everything you need to make a success of your career, both locally and internationally.

Dr Taryn Bond-Barnard She said UP’s aim is to host an annual dinner that celebrates the latest honourees. “In doing so, our hope is to expand our network of remarkable leaders and change-makers in South Africa. We would like to turn this powerful network into a UP Mail & Guardian Alumni Club.”

This club could host networking events, while members could come back as guest speakers and inspire UP students, serve as mentors on the online UP Alumni Connect platform, and be ambassadors for the University.

The dinner was a platform for Prof Kupe to meet the nominees and for the UP community to network with each other.

Husband and wife team Papa and Hetty Boachie-Yiadom, who were nominees in the Business and Entrepreneurship category, stood out in their resplendent matching African print outfits.

They met each other as students in 2007.

Papa studied Actuarial Science and Hetty Political Science. They married in 2010.

“While on honeymoon, we decided to start a business,” recalled Papa. This led to the birth of P&H Boutique, initially an online store that sells modern African clothing. Initially they operated from their spare bedroom, but demand for their products soared and they now have stores in malls including Cresta, Southgate and Westgate, while they export wholesale to Europe and Australia. Soon they will employ about 30 people.

Papa said the M&G nomination “was a great privilege” and that studying at UP gave him exposure to people with different perspectives. Hetty said the M&G nomination “is a validation of the work we do”.

She explained that the “best thing UP gave to me was my husband. I am eternally grateful

for this and carry my education into all spheres of life”.

Alumnus Charles Maphanga, who has a Bachelor of Science in Human Physiology and an Honours in Medical Virology, was nominated in the Health category. As a researcher in the field of Biophotonics at the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research’s National Laser Centre in Pretoria, his work focuses on the development of point-of-care diagnostic devices (like cellphones) that can be used to improve the diagnosis, treatment initiation and monitoring of diseases, as opposed to drawing blood from a patient. His focus is on HIV and TB diagnostic devices.

Maphanga, whose passion for his work shone through, said “it feels good to be recognised for my work”. His advice to students is to: “Continue moving in your lane. Don’t take a short left or a short right.”

He enjoyed staying in the then Hse Kiaat residence, where he had a study partner.

“UP is not about how smart you are… You need to put in the hard work and not isolate yourself. Have a study partner.”

Dr Taryn Bond-Barnard, who was nominated in the Education category, is a senior lecturer and researcher at the Graduate School of Technology Management, and has a PhD in Engineering from UP. She teaches IT, and services project management and project management, to engineers who are pursuing a master’s degree in project management, or honours degree in engineering and technology management, respectively.

She also teaches several short project management-related courses through Enterprises@UP. She was presented with the Global Young Researcher of the Year Award in 2018 by the International Project Management

Our 2019 Top 200 Young South Africans are Mpho Tshivhase Aurelia Alvina Williams Palesa Monyake Gundo Nevhutanda Mukovhe Phanguphangu Jack-Vincent Radmore Bradwin Roper Hetty Boachie-Yiadom Papa Boachie-Yiadom Taryn Bond-Barnard Cyan Brown Ntombenhle Gama Keith Katyora Nic Klopper Ayanda Magida Eugene Makhavhu Tebogo Mamatu Charles Maphanga Vukosi Marivate Andrew Molver

Association. The award recognises the exceptional research she has done in her field and her PhD research into project communication, trust, collaboration and success. “The M&G nomination brought me more attention than the international award I won,” she laughed. She has had the privilege of working with Prof Herman Steyn who supervised her master’s and PhD. “I’ve learnt from the best and this has made me much more confident in teaching at a postgraduate level,” she said.

She added: “As a former UP student for my BEng, MEng and PhD studies, I can attest to the fact that the University of Pretoria will provide you with everything you need to make a success of your career, both locally and internationally.”

University of Pretoria | TUKKIE 33

FLY stands for: the FINISH LINE IS YOURS!

By Hestie Byles

At the University of Pretoria (UP), we encourage our students to take responsibility for their own finish lines – and to #GraduateOnTime. We believe in our students!

The FLY@UP campaign is about improving retention and encouraging students to attend classes and prepare adequately for tests and examinations.

Every academic programme has an ideal duration in terms of years of study.

Unfortunately, many students do not graduate in this period. The main reason this occurs is that they have chosen the wrong programme or are registered for too many modules.

Ensure the programme and modules you choose are RIGHT FOR YOU. Obtain details about the programme and its demands. Also consider: other options/combinations, the prerequisite modules and the electives you may take, and what the different modules entail.

The Orientation Programme for first-year students is critically important to integrate smoothly to studies and life at university.

Come TASTE the UP Way! Date: 21 to 27 January 2020 Who should attend?

It is compulsory for all new first-year students to attend Orientation Week.

You will have the opportunity to find out more about the following: T – Technology @ UP (AIM, clickUP and the hybrid mode of teaching) A – Academic sessions (contact with lecturers) S – Support (counselling, health services, security, disability support and the library) T – Transitions (assistance to make a seamless transition to university life) E – Expectations (university, faculty and student expectations)

We also recommend that you: shadow a professional person in the field you are interested in, interview professionals in that field, and visit www.gostudy.net to obtain study and career information.

The better you are prepared, the higher the likelihood of your success.

Make the Finish Line Yours!!

Tel +27 (0)12 420 4121 Email fly@up.ac.za Website www.up.ac.za/fly@up

34 TUKKIE | University of Pretoria

First-year students are prepared to FLY@UP

UP becomes first recipient of RMB THINK Bench

Laurie Dippenaar, co-founder of RMB; UP Vice-Chancellor Prof Tawana Kupe; David Kabwa, UP SRC President; and artist Louis Olivier at the unveiling of the RMB THINK Bench at UP’s Hatfield Campus.

The University of Pretoria (UP) is now home to a spectacular 13-metre sculptural public artwork – the Rand Merchant Bank (RMB) THINK Bench, a contemporary functional piece designed to celebrate and encourage innovative and collaborative thinking.

This 10-ton concrete bench, unveiled on 13 August, has been installed on UP’s Hatfield Campus. Appropriately located between the Merensky Library and the Student Centre, this thoughtfully interactive sculpture can seat more than 20 students.

to us. Without the ability to think we are nothing. The standing and excellence of a university are judged by the level of thinking across the institution,” Prof Kupe said.

He said the piece represented an ethos and a way of life at UP which staff, students, and alumni are all products of.

“Many graduate thinkers from UP have been employed by RMB over the years, and we hope that one day, a new generation of successful alumni will fondly look back and remember conversations at the RMB THINK Bench, recalling how seeing things differently sparked that great idea that helped change the world for the better,” Prof Kupe said.

The bench represents a space for young talent to congregate and collaborate through having conversations that matter. The bench was designed by artist Louis Olivier and his team from the Workhorse Bronze Foundry. With the work aimed at students, it was important that young artists were involved in its creation. Two assistant artists RMB’s Art Custodian, Carolynne Waterhouse, said: “Renaissance artist – Allen Laing and Nkhensani Rihlampfu – were mentored throughout Raphael’s The School of Athens served as inspiration to the initial team the process. The bench spells out the word ‘THINK’ from one side, of Louis Olivier, Nkhensani Rihlampfu and Allen Laing. This group while another perspective reveals life-sized human silhouettes in of young artists saw the link between the imagined School of Athens various thinking poses. It acts as a reflective fresco which features the “greatest thinkers reminder to students passing by that of all time”, and the learning and thinking sometimes one needs to change one’s spaces that universities are. perspective to think differently, reinforcing We hope that one day, a the bank’s brand ethos of ‘innovative and UP became a natural partner for this project, solutionist thinking’. when RMB received a thorough new generation of successful especially proposal from the Student Representative Professor Tawana Kupe, UP’s Vice-Chancellor alumni will fondly look back Council requesting a bench and elaborating and Principal, said the bench signified on its potentially powerful role as “a safe and remember conversations space for students to think fearlessly and what a university should and what UP does stand for. collaboratively debate and share solutions”. at the RMB THINK Bench, This way RMB can help to nurture thinking “Ideas, knowledge and creativity are not recalling how seeing things as a critical, active ingredient towards the possible without the ability to think. Think further development of the academic valuedifferently sparked that great chain. is what we are about. Think is everything

idea that helped change the world.

Prof Tawana Kupe

University of Pretoria | TUKKIE 35

The blueprint to achieve a better future for all Professor Willem Fourie, Coordinator of the South African Sustainable Development Goals Hub, based at UP’s Hatfield Campus, spoke to Primarashni Gower about the work the organisation does.

What exactly does the SDG Hub do?

We are a national facility, supported by the Department of Science and Innovation. Our main aim is to connect policy-makers with the best South African research on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). We do this by collecting and disseminating open access South African research on the SDGs through an open access platform. We also provide policy advice, host SDG public lectures, and publish SDG briefing notes.

We’re particularly proud of hosting the Master’s in Development Practice, a well-regarded interdisciplinary Master’s degree on the leadership capacities needed to implement the SDGs. Early in 2020 our first cohort of 17 students, many of whom with senior positions in the private sector and in government, will graduate.

36 TUKKIE | University of Pretoria

Why is there a need for it?

UP is the natural choice for such an initiative as the University is located in the capital.

This makes UP an ideal convening space for stakeholders in the higher education sector interested in contributing to South Africa’s attainment of the SDGs. Is it aligned with the National Planning Commission 2030 Report?

Absolutely. In fact, we recently released a Briefing Note that highlights how the SDGs can be aligned with the NDP’s cycle of development. In this report, in addition to the alignment exercise, we identify five emerging lessons: 1. significant SDG-NDP alignment on target level, 2. the possibility of sequencing SDG implementation rather than identifying priorities, 3. the interesting fact that SDG priorities are scattered across the NDP cycle of development, 4. the enabling role of environmental sustainability, 5. the cross-cutting importance of science, technology and innovation, and economic growth.

On which goals has the world fallen short?

What are the implications of this?

We had the privilege of playing a leading role in the drafting of South Africa’s first comprehensive SDG progress report which was presented at the United Nations in September 2019. In this report a mixed picture of South Africa’s progress is presented. On some goals we are doing very well, notably the innovation components of SDG 9, strides in attaining gender equity (SDG 5) and even our progress (admittedly from a low base) in promoting renewable energy (SDG 7). On SDG 3’s indicators we are seeing progress in reducing our maternal and infant mortality rates, even though we still have a long way to go. In some respects, notably economic growth and employment (SDG 8 targets), we are not doing that well.

SDG Goals According to the United Nations, the SDGs are the blueprint to achieve a better and more sustainable future for all. They address global challenges, including those related to poverty, inequality, climate change, environmental degradation, peace and justice. The Goals are interconnected and the aim is to achieve them by 2030. (https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/sustainable-development-goals/) What exactly do you research?

In my research I investigate the human and technological requirements of implementing complex development agendas such as the SDGs. On the human side I focus quite a bit on leadership. My contention is that we do not only need heroic leaders, but that distributed forms of leadership are also important for getting things done. On the technological side I’m interested in the role of newer technologies, notably cloud computing.

I contend that technologies delivered over the cloud can play a major role in optimising existing systems.

What themes do you follow?

I authored a briefing note on the potential of cloud computing to accelerate the SDGs’ attainment in South Africa. This briefing note is available on our website. I conclude that capitalising on its potential requires that a few fundamentals need to be in place. Policies, for example, need to integrate science, technology and innovation throughout the development planning process. They also need to allow for the free (yet regulated) flow of data. At the same time, the privacy and security of all data need to be ensured. But all of this won’t work if we do not develop the relevant skills. Investment is required that improves employees’ existing skills or completely reskills those whose job descriptions will change because of the introduction of cloud computing services.

How is your research translated into action and how is this measured?

We regularly engage colleagues in the public sector on these and other matters.

We also have an active advisory board with representatives from across society.

Additionally, we provide structured policy advice and host public lectures. We were privileged this year to host world-renowned experts to deliver lectures on SDG 2 (Zero hunger) , SDG 3 (Good health and well-being), SDG 5 (Gender equality), SDG 13 (Climate action) and SDG 15 (Life and land).

University of Pretoria | TUKKIE 37

UP brings magical history to life The Principal’s Concert was a real experience of what is possible when a people dare to dream and aspire.

Edwin T Smith

On Thursday 19 September the University of Pretoria’s 42nd annual Principal’s Concert featured a solo performance by the legendary Abdullah Ibrahim, who was crowned in 2019 as a Jazz Master by the National Endowment for the Arts in the US.

to be the home of African art on the continent. It was a real experience of what is possible when a people dare to dream and aspire.

The concert, organised and led by the Faculty of Humanities’ School of the Arts, was billed as a celebration of “Magical history”. Not only did it offer the audience an extraordinary and intimate experience of one of South Africa’s jazz legends, the University was also celebrating the centenary of the Faculty of Humanities, its newly established School of the Arts, and the opening of its new, worldclass Javett-UP Art Centre, which is intended

Guests and some of the performers at the 42nd annual Principal’s concert.

38 TUKKIE | University of Pretoria

Natural and Agricultural Sciences, at the cutting edge of teaching and research…

The Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences will place you at the front-line of science and push you to think beyond the normal boundaries.

You can pursue careers ranging from the proverbial A to Z: from an actuary to a zoologist, from a food scientist to a meteorologist – the list is as endless as mathematics itself. With your internationally recognised degree, you would have had access to programmes that will allow you to be ready for the workplace or able to start your own business and contribute to the economy.

The Faculty focuses on solving grand challenges and Millennium Development Goals, by finding cures for poverty-related diseases such as Tuberculosis, HIV/ AIDS and Malaria, as well as (among other things) being committed to finding solutions to global food security and clean water.

Be part of the future! www.up.ac.za/nas

Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences Fakulteit Natuur- en Landbouwetenskappe Lefapha la Disaense tša Tlhago le Temo

University of Pretoria | TUKKIE 39

Innovators rewarded for creative excellence An event hosted by the Technology Transfer Office ensured that staff and students are duly acknowledged and rewarded for their creativity and ingenuity.

Some of UP’s inventions are:

Professor Namrita Lall (centre) pioneered her research on medicinal plants and is now looking at prospects in the area of the development of cosmeceuticals. Photographed with Prof Lall are some of her current and former students. Prof Lall has the highest number of filed patents and is the only inventor with more than six granted patents.

University of Pretoria (UP) students and staff responsible for the creation of commercially viable inventions were granted 40% rights to the first R1 million of revenues that have accrued to the University. UP’s Technology Transfer Office (TTO) has been involved in the creation of at least 10 start-up companies that employ more than 200 people, the majority of whom are UP graduates.

royalties that are held in trust.

Vice-Chancellor and Principal of the University of Pretoria Professor Tawana Kupe said, “Nationally and internationally, innovation based on scientific and engineering knowledge has become increasingly important for business development and wealth creation. Our long-term strategic plan, UP 2025, commits the University to maximise the advantages

• HearZA – a novel hearing screening mobile application • A unique eco-friendly type of soil that can be used to replace imported peat soil • The discovery of the anticancer activity of Helichrysum odoratissimum, an aromatic herbaceous shrub, commonly known as impepho in IsiZulu • An invention based on shoot extracts from Euclea natalensis for use in modulating immune responses in a subject and/or providing hepatoprotection in a subject. created by its research outputs, and thereby to supporting economic development and our competitiveness. In order to do so, we need to exploit our intellectual property (IP) by bringing our research outputs to commercial fruition.”

The University has an impressive array of 11 inventors who have been granted a patent for more than one invention, and 50 inventors who have been granted a patent for a single invention. In addition to this great record, UP also has eight inventors who have registered a trademark. At an event hosted by the TTO in June, all inventors whose patents were granted between 2 August 2010 (the day on which the Intellectual Property Rights Act came into effect) and 30 June 2019 were honoured for their achievements.

UP was among the first institutions to establish a Technology Transfer Office after the promulgation of the Act in 2010, and the University has since signed over 20 licence agreements with small and medium enterprises. Consequently, the TTO has accumulated more than R1 million in

40 TUKKIE | University of Pretoria

From left: Dr Nthabiseng Taole, Director of UP’s Department of Research and Innovation; UP ViceChancellor and Principal Professor Tawana Kupe; Professors Lise Korsten and Nico Labuschagne; and Mr Mmboneni Muofhe, Deputy Director-General for Innovation at the Department of Science and Technology.

Thought for food What the world can learn from food security on university campuses.

We live in a world of inequalities, and this spills over into our diets. There are extremes of obesity in some countries, while others suffer starvation from famine. In some countries, like South Africa, there are people who are both obese and undernourished.

This is because the bulk of their calories come from sources of processed sugars, salts and fats, with very little fresh produce, due to a variety of factors: low cost, ease of access and speed, as well as addiction to salt, sugar and additives in foods.

Students at all universities in South Africa and across the world are at risk of food insecurity and hunger due to poverty.

Constrained budgets, lack of cooking or preparation space, and lack of refrigeration or adequate storage compound the problem.

poor academic scores and increased dropout rates.

“All of this wastes precious resources invested in higher education and perpetuates inter-generational poverty and inequality. Students from all walks of life are affected. But the most impacted are black students from poorer households, who represent their families’ hopes as the first generation to access higher education.

“Students who go hungry are denied the possibility of achieving their full potential.

Posters from the Healthy Eating campaign.

Families, communities and the nation are denied the skills and full contribution such students could have made. Poverty is the primary cause of the problem, combined with increases in food prices, fees, accommodation, transport, and

According to Dr Marc Wegerif, a post­doctoral fellow in the Human Economy Programme at the University of Pretoria’s Centre for the Advancement of Scholarship: “A study of 34 colleges and universities in the United States found that 48% of students experience food insecurity, and 22% hunger. Of the black student population, 57% were food insecure, compared to 40% of white students.

“The majority of black students at tertiary institutions across South Africa today are the first or second generation to reach this level in their families, and are from poorer families. This legacy doesn’t suddenly end because they enrol to study at institutions of higher learning. Students also suffer the double burden of malnutrition – hunger and obesity. This results in stress, poor health,

Students who go hungry are denied the possibility of achieving their full potential.

University of Pretoria | TUKKIE 41

books. Students are torn between different demands on limited resources.”

In a recent study at UP, we found that 30% of students do not have R50 per day for three meals. Suppliers on campus did not have food in this price range, so students leave the campus to buy food at informal traders. It was also found that only 38% of students eat breakfast, and of that only 13% of NSFAS-funded students eat breakfast. We found that 26% of students eat just one meal a day, and a staggering 47% of students do not eat any meal on campus. As a result of this, food suppliers on campus have been asked to align with those budgetary constraints and healthy-food demands. Changing the eating habits of students from unhealthy high-fat, high-sugar and low-fibre diets has become a priority for UP, since the poor diet of students has a serious impact on their general health conditions, resulting in depression, obesity, and diabetes.

UP is rolling out intensive educational drives on healthy living in order to teach and encourage staff, students and alumni on how to maximise nutritious food on a very tight budget, while maintaining food safety easily.

An affordable and practical way to live a healthy lifestyle on a tight budget includes the need for us to have breakfast and drink enough water. Leafy greens and vegetables that are high in minerals and vitamins, like spinach, can be cooked quickly and easily, or eaten raw. Baked beans and peanut butter are quick to eat, don’t require special storage, are highly nutritious, and keep you full for a long time. Fatty fish such as pilchards and tuna are good sources of brain foods, and don’t require a fridge.

Whole grains and corn are good sources of carbohydrates.

These are some of the educational and awareness steps UP is taking to address a growing need for a more just food system and food availability on campus, while educating the next generation on how to make smarter food choices. This could impact the long-term sustainability of food security and improve overall health of South Africa’s population. We also have 10 dining halls which serve healthy meals to 20% of the student population.

42 TUKKIE | University of Pretoria

A healthy lifestyle on a tight budget?

It’s possible!

Have breakfast

UP’s Healthy Living campaign helps staff and students make smarter food choices.

Baked beans and peanut butter are highly nutritious Drink enough water

Choose leafy greens like spinach

Fatty fish such as pilchards and tuna are good sources of brain foods.

Just one of the programmes that UP has instituted is a feeding and nutrition programme called the Student Nutrition and Progress Programme (SNAPP) to assist our most vulnerable and underprivileged students with food and related assistance on a daily basis. Most of the students serviced on this programme are day students who are given a dedicated financial allocation and donation. SNAPP provides meals to

a number of students through the dining hall on the Hatfield Campus, and manages a food pantry that hands out weekly food parcels to students in need according to specific criteria and available stock levels.

To be part of this initiative and to donate healthy, non-perishable items to help our students achieve their full potential, please contact the SNAPP programme in the Department of Student Affairs on +27 12 420 2371.

Centenary: 1920 – 2020 | Reflections from previous Deans Prof Sieg Marx (1991 – 1995) A rapidly changing external and internal environment characterised my term as Dean. The Faculty was able to effectively react to current and expected changes in the South African tertiary environment. We were also able to grow the Faculty within its qualitative and quantitative parameters, positioning it as an acknowledged and respected leader in education and research.

Prof Carolina Koornhof (2003 – 2011) I was blessed with a number of highlights during my term, among others, expanding research to historical highs; furthering the transformation process to increase diversity, especially in terms of race and gender; assisting in creating a learning culture where all had an opportunity to pursue their studies; and initiating the first database at UP to comprehensively track student success. During my term, the Faculty also joined the South African Institute of Chartered Accountants (SAICA) Thuthuka programme with great success.

Prof Chris Thornhill (1996 – 2000) My term was characterised by many external demands and changes such as the development of distance learning programmes, increased co-operation between tertiary educational institutions and optimising technological support. I would summarise my term as one of stability, characterised by highly motivated office personnel and excellent heads of departments committed to academic excellence.

Prof Sibusiso Vil-Nkomo (2000 – 2003) What defined my term was my belief that education is the ultimate liberator. The goal was to lead this Faculty to play an even bigger role in opening up opportunities for young people and to create a system that makes young people think about their own contribution to the development and advancement of society.

I also established global partnerships and managed to get this Faculty recognised as a hub of excellence in scholarship.

Prof Elsabé Loots (August 2012 – present) Over the past seven years, the Faculty has, with success, focused on further improving the qualifications of staff; re-focusing and deepening our research impact; and implementing various hybrid teaching and learning models to entice a new generation of students. On the global front, we have expanded our footprint and now have international subject rankings in all our fields of specialisation. Our mission is to continue to advance relevant knowledge and develop employable, innovative and diverse graduates to co-create value for society.

The Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences has grown in size from:

32 to 7 800 students in 1920

students in 2019

Celebrating the first hundred years since the founding of this Faculty is a very exciting prospect.

We would like to invite you to re-connect with the Faculty by visiting www.up.ac.za/ems-alumni University of Pretoria | TUKKIE 43

You got the degree, now get the benefits!

Stay connected and benefit from these exclusive alumni opportunities Exclusive Invites

Advance your Career

Continuous Learning

Don’t miss the opportunity to join us for a wide variety of exciting alumni events. We host alumni events across South Africa and internationally. Make sure you join the UP Alumni Connect Platform to get your exclusive invite or update your details at www.up.ac.za/alumni.

Are you looking for a new job? The Alumni Relations Office now offers a job portal on UP Alumni Connect. On this portal, you will find both local and international job opportunities. Make sure you join the UP Alumni Connect Platform to advance your career.

Learning never stops! You can continue learning with your alma mater. Stay updated with upcoming courses and make sure you stay relevant and informed. Visit the UP Alumni Connect Platform for more information.

Access to the Library

Advance your network

Read and do good! As an alum you can join the Tuks Alma Mater Fund by donating R700 for student bursaries which includes a fee of R100 that gives you access to the libraries. Visit www.up.ac.za/alumni for more information.

Professional networks are important. UP Alumni Connect helps you to grow your network by connecting you with other UP alums and professionals in your field of expertise. Don’t miss out, join the UP Alumni Connect platform and get connected.

Hear from the Experts

Access to mentors

UP is always breaking new frontiers with innovative research and cutting edge advancements. Come hear what our experts have to say at the Expert Lecture series.

For more information, join the UP Alumni Connect Platform.

A mentor can inspire, teach a few tricks, make an introduction or be a sounding board for ideas. Are you looking for a mentor or would you like to be a mentor? Please make sure to join the UP Alumni Connect Platform to a find a mentor in your field of expertise or volunteer to mentor others.

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Stay updated Stay in the know! Don’t miss out on what is happening at your alma mater. Follows us on: • UP Alumni Connect Platform: www.upalumniconnect.com • Facebook: @UPTuksAlumni • Instagram: @Universityofpretoria (oneword) • LinkedIn: University of Pretoria / Universiteit van Pretoria • Twitter: @UPTuks • Website: www.up.ac.za/alumni Or share your story, recommendations and news by emailing us at alumni@up.ac.za.

‘Looking back to move forward stronger!’ – Samantha Castle

Alumni Relations in review 2019 has been a remarkable year for the University of Pretoria’s Alumni Relations Office. The year saw the alumni team reaching out and connecting with alumni across the globe, winning an international award for the fastest-growing app in the world, launching a new quarterly newsletter, celebrating and vigorously profiling alumni success, and creating platforms for strategic alumni networking and engagement.

The Alumni Relations team has been on a journey to gain better insight into how best to offer alumni services, support and communication. Co-creating this mutually beneficial relationship between alumni and the institution has been at the forefront of its strategy, and has inspired many of the activities and plans for the future.

The Senior Manager of Alumni Relations, Samantha Castle, says: “A university operates in an ever-changing society impacting the way we do things. As the world evolves, so do our graduates. Your relationship with your alma mater is impacted by the time you studied there, your experience with the institution, and the life stage you are at now. Therefore, what alumni are looking for from their

university differs from person to person. The Alumni Relations team has been hard at work to develop an array of offerings for alumni in order to have a lasting and meaningful relationship with their alma mater.”

During 2019, the Alumni Relations Office introduced a number of new initiatives to strengthen alumni visibility, communication and interaction.

Continued on page 46 Below: The Alumni Relations team (from left): Jacqui Pietersen, Henriette Minnaar, Hernan Finkel, Samantha Castle, Marilise Du Plessis and Vuyo Ntloko.

University of Pretoria | TUKKIE 45

2019 Alumni highlights Alumni communications and profiling Staying updated with AlmaMatters newsletter It is important to keep alumni updated with the latest University news, breaking research, alumni successes, sports achievements and upcoming events. Our quarterly AlmaMatters newsletter serves to do just that. The first edition was published in January 2019. The electronic newsletter is filled with highlights of interesting stories and profiles, with hyperlinks to the website where the full story can be read. The idea is to keep alumni updated, but not overwhelmed with too many stories. Since the launch, we have seen a 12% increase in the readership. We urge alumni to share their stories and we welcome suggestions about the types of news and story to be covered in the newsletter.

Alumni inspiration through Motivation Monday Inspiring stories go a long way in helping others to achieve success. It is also a powerful way of unifying and building pride in our institution.

In February 2019, the Alumni Relations Office started calling for alumni to share their stories. This led to the launch of the Motivation Monday posts on Facebook and LinkedIn. On Monday mornings at 08:00, you will find an inspirational post from a Tuks alum, sharing his or her story. We have received great feedback and appreciation for showcasing our alumni. Again, we encourage alumni to contact us and share their story. You never know when your story might become the life-changer for someone else.

Connecting Alumni Connecting with UP Alumni Connect App One app, eight months, 7 000 downloads! Since the Alumni Relations Office launched the UP Alumni Connect App in March 2019, we have received an overwhelming response – over 7 000 UP alumni have joined the platform. This staggering number caught the attention of Graduway (the creator of this alumni platform) and we have won an award for the fastest-growing platform in the world. Samantha Castle, UP’s Senior Manager of Alumni Relations, was invited to London in November to accept the award and presented a case study on the successful campaign that encouraged more than 7 000 UP alumni to download the app in under eight months.

The app offers alumni access to job opportunities, online networking, mentorship, invitations to exclusive events and news. We are grateful to all the alumni who have signed up thus far and who are using the platform to their advantage. We would like to reach 10 000 alumni sign-ups soon to connect and engage with even more alumni. We encourage you to sign up and promote the platform among other alumni. Sign up now at www.upalumniconnect.com or download the app by searching for ‘Graduway’ in the App Store or Google Play Store.

Engaging Alumni Introducing our Vice-Chancellor The Alumni Relation Office’s drive to reconnect with our international alumni coincided with the appointment of a Vice-Chancellor and Principal, Prof Tawana Kupe, in January 2019. This presented an ideal opportunity to introduce the Vice-Chancellor to xalumni living

46 TUKKIE | University of Pretoria

The Alumni Relations team would like to express special thanks to all alumni who have taken the time to attend events, written to us, shared their stories, joined our UP Alumni Connect platform, volunteered time, mentored our students, donated, opened doors for the University, organised alumni chapters, sent their children to study at UP, recommended UP and – most importantly – been proud Tuks ambassadors. Your commitment, generosity and support for your alma mater are truly valued and appreciated. We look forward to staying connected, and wish you a happy festive season and prosperous 2020. We anticipate an even more exciting 2020 Tuks Alumni year! in South Africa and abroad. During the past few months, Prof Kupe has been on a Vice-Chancellor’s Roadshow. He visited several cities in South Africa and abroad to meet with alumni while also promoting collaboration and partnerships with international universities.

Prof Kupe hosted alumni dinners in New York, London, Pretoria, Perth, Melbourne, Sydney, Auckland, Cape Town and Durban. He introduced his vision for the future of the institution and reenergised alumni in supporting their alma mater. Filled with enthusiasm, alumni were happy to have their university – a special piece of home – visit them. They reminisced about their time on campus and spoke highly about having a degree from a credible and internationally recognised institution. Many affirmed that a degree from the University of Pretoria is recognised internationally. The dinners afforded alumni the opportunity to network and meet other graduates living in the same city. Many indicated their interest in establishing alumni chapters. They indicated that it could be a useful way to stay connected with the University, but also a great way of developing an expat support network.

Alumni reminiscing and maintaining the tradition Our older alumni are a very important part of our alumni engagement plan. In 2019, we invited our Tuks Club 60+ members to six lunches. The very popular trip to the Kruger National Park took place in June. The Super Senior Lunch is a special occasion on our calendar to which the alumni who are 80 years old or older are invited. This year, 63 seniors attended the event in October.

Choose UP – an intergenerational institution The Alumni Relations team welcomed alumni who brought their children to enrol at UP in 2020 with a free cup of coffee. We also introduced them to the UP Alumni Connect platform.

Proudly Tuks Graduation Badge We have designed a University of Pretoria Alumni lapel pin, which all new graduates received at the graduation ceremony. They can wear this pin with pride, showing that they graduated from one of South Africa’s top universities.

President of Convocation The position of the President of Convocation has been vacant since 2017. After two rounds of nominations for the position and an election held in October, a new President was announced in November. Dr Hans Hinner Köster was elected to serve as President of Convocation from 31 October 2019 to 30 October 2024. We congratulate Dr Köster on his appointment.

Entrepreneurship at UP

TuksNovation, in collaboration with SAP Next-Gen, brought together powerful female entrepreneurs who have taken the leap. They shared their personal stories, tips and lessons on their entrepreneurship journeys.

or a career field of your choice, by providing a product or service that fulfils a need in that specific area. While entre­pre­neur­ship is the ability to start and grow a business, it is also a mindset that students can develop. They can decide to develop their own businesses and not depend on finding jobs after graduating.”

The University of Pretoria (UP) offers nu­me­rous value-added benefits to prepare our students for the world beyond university. These include work-readiness and entrepreneurship training.

In a country that has nearly 30% un­employ­ment, youth un­em­ ploy­ment at 54% poses a critical problem. In South Africa, around seven out of 100 people are entrepreneurs, but we need 20-25 out of 100 people to grow the economy and create jobs. The World Economic Forum estimates that the world needs about 75 million entrepreneurs in order for families (and society) to prosper.

UP has a free, online entrepreneurship course that is available to all registered students and recent graduates (and staff). This means that students signing up for the course in their first year could have a business running by the time they graduate! And, for each student that becomes a successful entrepreneur through UP’s support, five people will directly benefit.

According to Prof Alex Antonites, Head of the Department of Business Management, “UP offers all the support needed through the entire businesscreation process. Entrepreneurship gives you the freedom to do what you love and to make a difference in an industry

The first step on this journey is for students to enrol for the free Entrepreneurship Professional Online Development (POD), and its subsequent phases of offerings will provide successful candidates with all the tools, skills and aid that they need to become entrepreneurs.

This is part of the University’s strategy to become a more entrepreneurial-minded university. Prof Antonites says that this is divided into three segments: an entrepreneurial mindset, academic entre­pre­neur­ship ,and the commercialisation of technology and intellectual property, as well as the creation of spin-off companies.

Continued on page 48

With the assistance of UP, many students are able to successfully start businesses while they are studying.

University of Pretoria | TUKKIE 47

“Most entrepreneurs fail because they do not have the necessary skills or support to continue once they hit a bumpy patch, but the need for entrepreneurs in South Africa has never been greater.

At UP, we have a custom-designed course and support system developed for our students, where they can learn these skills in their own time. The course teaches vital business skills to any registered student,” says Prof Antonites.

In the #Start_UP phase, students and their busi­ness ideas are presented to a team of ex­pe­ri­enced business managers who suggest changes where they see pitfalls. Those ideas that are workable will be taken to the next phase.

WHAT WE HAVE

WHAT WE NEED

7/100 Entrepreneurs

25/100 Entrepreneurs

For the next phase of entrepreneurial success – #Link_UP students receive the mentorship they need through incubation and acceleration.

UP has created niche incubators to help stu­dents realise this dream.

An incubator allows entrepreneurs to plan, start and even­tu­ally grow their ideas into high-impact business ventures. It does so by exposing that business to a relevant investor market or capital or highly connected network. The incubator pro­vides a space where you can meet your mentor, entrepreneurial peers and potential clients, have the professional appearance of an established business, and have access to a network of success for you to leverage from. This process helps cushion your business so that you do not have to invest significant capital at the beginning, and helps with finding clients through word-of-mouth exposure to relevant business influencers.

The incubators that help students to #Link_UP are the UP Business Incubator, which gives students coaching, mentorship and collaboration to help their businesses grow. Then there is the Library’s MakerSpace, which functions as an ideal space for idea screening, business training and prototype building. TuksNovation is a specialist incubator focused on technology-based businesses and acceleration.

Prof Antonites emphasises that it is important for UP to produce graduates who can compete in the jobs arena and also be able to solve unemployment.

“We create knowledge here. The idea is to take that knowledge and commercialise it so it’s an income stream. It also offers our students the opportunity to not only be employable, but self-employable. It ultimately affects the economy in that it’s one of the ways we can help address the youth unemployment crisis,” he says.

“Self-employability is one benefit of pro­du­cing graduates who are also trained as entre­pre­neurs. There’s also something called intra­ pre­neurship, where you think proactively, you develop new services, programmes and products for your company and you also generate more income. This is important because it means our graduates become more desirable as potential employees,” says Prof Antonites.

“The basic tenets of entrepreneurship are very generic by nature.

But every industry is different. There are different cost drivers and different obstacles. We have aligned it to specific industries, qualifications and faculties. If you start, for instance, a medical

48 TUKKIE | University of Pretoria

Banners from UP Entrepreneurship campaigns send a strong message.

Alumni Angels At UP, we have a wide range of highly successful alumni across a variety of fields and industries. This network can assist our students with their entrepreneurial dreams through angel investing, buying into the new business, providing another network of interested con­tacts, business-to-business trade, or providing advice and skills learnt from years of experience. As an alumni, if you would like contribute to this important project and take some of our bright, hardworking young students under your wing for mentorship or to invest in their business ideas, please contact TuksNovation at busiswa@tuksnovation.co.za. practice, it’s completely different to opening a restaurant or spaza shop, so we encapsulate context within that industry,” he says.

THE UP WAY: Everything you know and love about UP THE UP WAY is everything that makes the University of Pretoria one of the world’s top universities. It is our holistic approach to education, and it is the essence of who we are, what we stand for and the calibre of alumni we produce.

When our alumni are still studying, they are exposed to many different methods of teaching and learning. Each of these multiple ways ensures that our students become alumni who are agile and able to adapt to many different situations, while always maintaining their creativity, critical thinking and curiosity. They have access to traditional classes and additional online resources, they can apply themselves in practical classes and put their knowledge and skills to work in real world situations and community engagement projects. In addition to this, all students have

access to support systems which help them plan and track their academic achievements so that they can graduate on time and be ready for the world beyond university.

Alumni become innovative and have learned to base their decisions on sound research findings. We encourage our students to be curious and to think out of the box in all their fields of study. This creativity is boosted by free training, which allows our students to be prepared for the world beyond university through our work-readiness and entrepreneurship programmes.

Over many years, we’ve been incorporating community and volunteer work into our curriculum, so that our students understand the challenges in society. In this way, our students and alumni learn to make

a difference and positively impact and transform lives and society by giving back, doing things differently, and understanding that humbly serving humanity with our skills and knowledge is the mark of true learning.

We’ve always upheld the highest ethical values, and continue to instil this ethos into our students, so that each of our alumni lives a life that is respectful, caring and committed to being hardworking, honest and ethical in their conduct.

Being exposed to an excellent culture of high-quality teaching and learning, research and innovation, having a positive impact and aspiring to live ethically make our students and graduates products of THE UP WAY, which will have a positive ripple effect on society.

University of Pretoria | TUKKIE 49

An ‘air-brained’ idea to beat hunger How aeroponics could provide the solution to feeding 10 billion people.

Prof Nigel Barker and Dr Elizabeth Mkandawire

By 2050, we will need to produce at least 50% more food than we do currently to feed 10 billion people. However, over half the land in the world is already used to produce food, and agriculture has a significant negative impact on the environment.

Innovations are needed to produce enough food sustainably without using more land. Aeroponics is an innovation that grows plants in the air with no soil and little water.

The University of Pretoria’s Department of Plant and Soil Sciences has signed a memorandum of understanding with Impilo Projects to research aeroponics and its potential contribution to ending hunger and malnutrition.

Currently in the trial phase, the research team is exploring the pros and cons of these soilless plant production systems.

50 TUKKIE | University of Pretoria

The Impilo aeroponic unit is a stand­alone structure that supports vertical farming.

The largest unit can hold up to 96 individual plants while the smaller unit, mainly for

household use, holds 16 plants. The unit stands on about 1m2 and is approximately one-and-a-half metres tall. A modest commercial unit suitable for domestic entrepreneurs covers a mere 25m2 and can contain over 1 500 plants at any one time.

Such a unit is powered by less electricity than a kettle, and can be adapted to solar power. Water consumption is drastically reduced when compared to “conventional” agriculture, and (depending on the crop) each vertical unit can use as little as 20-25 litres of water a week.

“These units allow people to develop a new and different relationship with plants. They have a societal impact on how people view and grow food,” says Prof Nigel Barker, Head of the Department of Plant and Soil Sciences.

The Impilo aeroponic units also provide opportunities to research the cultivation and propagation of medicinally important and rare plants for conservation. They can reduce soil degradation, infertility and improve malnutrition. The implications for food security of farmers who often work on less than 2 hectares of land are limitless.

UP is more than just a university The ability to address social concerns, empathise, give back and uplift humanity is part of how we have a positive impact and transform lives and society, writes Shakira Hoosain.

UP students actively volunteer their time to make the world a better place through our official student societies.

For many years, UP has integrated community work into our curricula in nearly 300 subject modules. In 2019, about 29 000 students have pro­vi­ded their much-needed skills to communities around South Africa through their curricula. There are more than 7 500 students who actively volunteer their time to making the world a better place through our official student societies.

Our work cuts across more than 1 000 community partners and more than 3 000 projects. This helps us to produce graduates who are socially conscious, active citizens who address societal issues and positively impact our communities.

This amounts to the University of Pretoria annually contributing more than R60 million in working hours towards community engagement activities. The total improvement and effect of these working hours adds up to over R1 billion annually.

As a university, we believe that we are a resource and an asset to South Africa, Africa and the world. We know that even beyond the boundaries of knowledge production comes the wisdom and responsibility to apply our knowledge and skills to the benefit of all.

We are environmentally conscious and committed to sustainable growth. Our greening and earth-friendly initiatives give back positively to the planet rather than inflicting a harmful impact.

More than this, we know that the actions we take today have a ripple effect and impact on our future.

We are the first (and only) African uni­ ver­sity on the global University Social Responsiveness Network, and we are rep­re­sented on the Talloires Network, both of which are international associations of universities that are committed to strength­ ening the civic roles and social re­spon­ sibilities of higher education institutions.

We know that everyday kindnesses, courtesy, respect, tolerance and care towards everyone in our community can make a positive and lasting difference in our society and on the environment.

We are an anchor institution within the community, and we have a direct impact on the local economy, safety and security, the upkeep and sustainability of our surrounds, infrastructure, attractiveness and the uplifting and improving on the general conditions of the towns our campuses are home to.

University of Pretoria | TUKKIE 51

Addressing violence against women Tanya van Wyk and Priya Soma-Pillay

According to the United Nations, 35% of women and girls globally experience some form of physical and/or sexual violence in their lifetime with up to 7 in 10 women facing this abuse in some countries. The tragic deaths of Uyinene Mrwetyana, Leighandre Jagels, Meghan Cremer and Ayakha Jiyane and her three siblings in 2019 highlighted the dire situation in our country.

According to africacheck.org, in South Africa a woman is killed every three hours, ranking femicide in this country fourth highest in the world.

During 2019, the Centre for Sexualities, AIDS and Gender (CSA&G) at the University of Pretoria (UP) in cooperation with the Transformation Office, presented two anti-

Photo: Hatfield CID (H Vorster)

Below: UP Vice-Chancellor Professor Tawana Kupe, Tshwane Executive Mayor Stevens Mokgalapa and MMC Karen Meyer are shown the satellite station’s CCTV monitoring system.

52 TUKKIE | University of Pretoria

sexual harassment workshops in the Faculty of Theology and Religion, one of them during UP’s anti-discrimination week. The workshops highlighted the cause and effect of gender-based violence and work toward creating awareness of the dangers of gender stereotyping.

Most gender-based violence (GBV) takes place in the home and is perpetrated by a current or former intimate partner. The violence may take the form of physical violence, sexual violence, stalking or psychological aggression and is estimated to be responsible for 38% of women who are murdered worldwide.

The opening of the Hatfield Tshwane Metro Police Department Satellite Station in November will go a long way in addressing the GBV scourge, as well as other crimes.

The station is the result of a partnership

between UP, City of Tshwane, the Hatfield City Improvement District (CID), property agency City Property and other stakeholders in the Hatfield precinct.

UP Vice-Chancellor and Principal Professor Tawana Kupe said at the station’s official opening that the long-term sustainability of the University “is inextricably tied up with an attractive, clean, safe and secure Hatfield and Tshwane in order to entice the calibre of staff and students that we need to join our University to allow us to achieve our objectives”.

“Hatfield is now in a position where it will have a satellite Tshwane Metropolitan Police Department station, two support vehicles and a CCTV monitoring system that will monitor 79 cameras that have been deployed throughout the precinct,” said Tshwane Executive Mayor Stevens Mokgalapa.

We all have something that holds us back. Whether it’s uncertainty, pain, fear, a lack of knowledge or resources, there’s that thing that can stop us from taking the next step.

At SEMLI, we have everything you need to live #LifeUnrestricted Research | Sport and Exercise Medicine | Nutrition | Sports Science | Biokinetics | Sport Psychology & counselling services | Radiology | Physiotherapy | Orthopaedic Surgeons

012 484 1711 | info@semli.co.za | Hillcrest campus, Burnett street, Hatfield @SEMLIsport

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University of Pretoria | TUKKIE 53

Climate change and poverty go hand in hand Dr Mmatlou Kalaba and Dr Elizabeth Mkandawire

There are close to 800 million people in the world who are considered poor – those who live on less than $1.90 (R28) a day – and more than 820 million people who do not have enough to eat. Three-quarters of people who are considered extremely poor live in rural areas and mostly depend on agriculture for income and food.

The fight to end poverty and hunger through agriculture has become more difficult because of climate change. Ending poverty, hunger and malnutrition, and tackling climate change have to be dealt with simultaneously.

Picture: Shutterstock

The effects of droughts and floods are felt mostly by the poor. In South Africa, a persistent one has been the frequency of droughts, which have occurred successively between 2015 and 2017. Droughts and other climate change events increase the complexities of ending poverty and hunger

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and therefore need to be included in any efforts to meet these goals. Fully funded programmes and strategies need to be implemented.

Droughts and other climate change events increase the complexities of ending poverty and hunger.

South Africa is already providing a cushion through various types of social security protection. The Department of Social Development accounted for more than 10% of the National Budget (R140bn), and about 45% (R63bn) went towards the distribution of social security protection.

Research estimates that the cost to Treasury to support the extremely poor to maintain pre-drought living standards will be more than R275 million. These kinds of costs can be afforded on a once-off compensation basis. Long-term solutions, however, are needed. The easiest way is to build people’s capacities so they can provide for themselves. Resources such as land, watersaving technologies and seed varieties that perform better under dry conditions should be provided to the poor.

Such efforts allow the poor to become selfreliant, and their capacity to provide food for themselves is improved. They also have an opportunity to move into the next income group based on their own activities.

The full-length article first appeared in the Mail & Guardian on 25 October 2019.

Just purrfect!

Faculty vets rescue female black-footed cat and her kittens with caesarean section.

Dr Katja Koeppel

The black-footed cat (Felis nigripes) is one of South Africa’s smallest and most enigmatic wild cat species. Their numbers, both in the wild and in captivity, are rapidly declining, and they are currently listed as vulnerable in the IUCN Red List (2006), and are also listed under Appendix I by the Convention on the International Trade of Endangered Species (CITES).

the manager of Lory Park Zoo, Kara Heynis, she was five days overdue. Ultrasound of the female showed two healthy foetuses and one where no heartbeat could be

seen. Radiographs of the female confirmed three kittens in utero. As the female was very lethargic and the foetus very large and overdue, a caesarean section was performed.

Three kittens – two female and one male – were removed from the uterus. The male was presenting without breathing or audible heartbeat, but Dr Dorianne Elliot, head of the Bird and Exotic Animal Clinic, managed to successfully resuscitate him. All three kittens are now being hand-reared by Kara Heynis and are putting on weight. They will become part of the captive black-footed cat breeding programme to combat the decline of this species. Mom Athena also made a great recovery and is chasing anyone out of her enclosure that comes too close, which is normal behaviour for a black-footed cat.

Athena, a female black-footed cat, was brought to the Lory Park Zoo and Owl Sanctuary as a 6-month-old kitten.

Found during harvest season on a farm near Lichtenburg, she was paired with a male and became pregnant. This was her first litter. Black-footed cat gestation is similar to a domestic cat (63 days).

She was monitored throughout her pregnancy, as it was her first litter and she was very large.

Dr Katja Koeppel is a wildlife vet in the Faculty of Veterinary Science.

On 19 August she was brought to the Faculty of Veterinary Science’s Onderstepoort Veterinary Academic Hospital (OVAH) with a history of lethargy and depression. According to

Left: UP wildlife vet Dr Katja Koeppel with one of the kittens after all three were successfully delivered.

GIBS measures up Luleka Mtongana

University of Pretoria’s Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) was recently profiled

by UK Financial Times, as one of the world’s leading business schools in the teaching of sustainable business education. The GIBS MBA was selected as one of the best in sustainability, ethics and social purpose.

The MBA programme includes a compulsory core course on Responsible and Ethical Leadership which is guided by the school’s adherence to the United Nations (UN)

Principles of Responsible Management Education initiative (PRME). The initiative consists of a series of principles that business schools can follow to teach ethical, responsible management. On the course, students learn directly about the challenges of local businesses and communities through experiential learning and are required to complete an Applied Business Project to tackle a societal issue from a business perspective.

GIBS Dean, Professor Nicola Kleyn, commented on the recognition: “We believe that ethical and socially aware decisionmaking deserves to be addressed as both a stand-alone course and woven through our curricula. Having our MBA programme recognised on this global platform is encouraging as we strive to play a role in developing impactful leaders with sound ethical grounding who will lead responsibly.”

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Deconstructing Ubuntu UP academic launches book on the daily successes of Southern Africans despite challenges.

Masego Panyane

Ubuntu, potentially one of the most popular ideas in Southern Africa, is what sets us apart from the rest of the world, and has also gotten us through some major challenges as a people.

A book penned by University of Pretoria (UP) academic Professor Liesel Ebersöhn, Director of the Centre for the Study of Resilience in the Faculty of Education, aims to deconstruct the idea of Ubuntu and ultimately shed some light on why we behave the way we do. Titled Flocking Together: An indigenous psychology theory of resilience in Southern Africa, the book is the latest in her work that spans decades in the field of educational psychology.

Prof Ebersöhn said the theory proposed in the book allows us to understand how, in everyday settings, the people of southern Africa tackle problems they are faced with; and that they have developed sophisticated and robust social structures to support each other, despite the absence of formal structures and services of support.

She said the idea behind the book was to explore a resilience concept unique to Southern Africans, the idea of flocking – quite different to that of fight, flight, freeze, faint and swarm elsewhere in the world.

She explained: “Flocking shows behaviours that are implied by Ubuntu and refers to people sharing available social resources to withstand everyday challenges – such as hunger, unemployment, illness – by means of simple acts of connectedness: visiting a friend who is ill, listening and helping with household chores; taking someone without

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Prof Chika Sehoole, Dean of the Faculty of Education, Prof Liesel Ebersöhn and UP Vice-Chancellor and Principal Prof Tawana Kupe at the book launch.

transport to a clinic for a check-up and medication, keeping our ears on the ground to spot people who need help.”

The book was launched at the Groenkloof Campus, home to UP’s Faculty of Education, with Professor Chika Sehoole, the Dean, presiding.

Prof Ebersöhn said she wanted to share in the book how Afrocentric teachings help people in Southern Africa confront everyday challenges. She also wanted to show how evidence-based insights from Africa can benefit global discourses in science.

Flocking Together was written using data that was collected over 20 years. Participants were encouraged to use a variety of mediums such as drawing, talking and photographs to share their experiences.

“Over a 20-year time frame, in multiple studies in urban and rural Southern African communities, young people and elders

shared knowledge of age-old strategies which they still draw on today to manage challenges in order to live meaningful lives.

We asked people to talk, and draw, and map and take photographs and use clay and sand to sculpt images of how they are able to maintain well-being: despite drought and isolation, or the harsh shocks in daily life given HIV/AIDS, or limited employment opportunities, or sparsely resourced schools, or limited transport to schools and jobs and clinics,” she explained.

UP Vice-Chancellor and Principal Professor Tawana Kupe said work such as that produced by Prof Ebersöhn “is important in the ownership of knowledge creation”.

“Knowledge systems in Africa have always relied on word of mouth. And now, our role as academics is to capture this knowledge through our work and present it to the world. Prof Ebersöhn’s work is important because it helps us achieve this in a spectacular fashion.”

at YOUR FINGERTIPS! With over 200 interactive exhibits and the marvellous camera obscura we provide a fun, hands-on experience to engage you while you discover the wonders of science.

SCI-ENZA IS DEDICATED TO CREATING A LEARNING ENVIRONMENT WHERE SCIENCE AND IMAGINATION CAN UNITE. What to do at Sci-Enza • • • • • • •

Experience a science show Learn science through puppet shows Get lost in the mirror maze Participate in technology workshops Discover the scientist in you with our interactive exhibits Be challenged by mathematical puzzles View Pretoria from the camera obscura

Technology workshops We give learners the opportunity to explore, invent and create with technology, science and robotics which will not only enrich their engineering and robotics knowledge, but their leadership, analytical and teamwork skills as well.

Holiday programmes Each school holiday, Sci-Enza offers a week-long science-related programme from 09:00 – 13:00 for learners in grade RR - 9.

Space is limited and ticket are sold at Sci-Enza.

Anyone is welcome at Sci-Enza and entrance is free to individuals and small groups. A qualified scientist is in attendance during office hours.

For more information, group bookings or holiday programme and technology workshop bookings, contact us: Tel: +27 12 420 3767 | Email: sci-enza@up.ac.za | www.up.ac.za/sci-enza-hands-on-science-wetenskap-in-aksie SciEnza UP

SciEnza Centre

scienzaup

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Where talented athletes become Wilhelm de Swart looks back at a sparkling year at TuksSport, and pays tribute to UP’s sports stars.

Results never lie. Therefore the University of Pretoria can rightfully claim to be a world leader in local as well as international sport, through the passion and dedication of its coaches, athletes and scientific support staff.

UP’s TuksNetball team beat the Maties (Stellenbosch University) team 48-43 in the Varsity Netball Tournament final. The victory was made sweeter by the fact that the TuksNetball team marched through the tournament unbeaten, a first for the tournament.

When asked how Tuks managed to prevail, Captain Tshina Mdau said, “We have a great coach who never leaves anything to chance. More importantly, she knows how to get each of us to play to the best of our ability.”

Tuks’ athletes continue to be trailblazers. Akani Simbine made history when he won the 100m during the London Diamond League Meeting in July. It was his second Diamond League victory.

South African sprint champion Tebogo Mamatu proved her worth in the 100m race in 11.04s during the 40th Resisprint Meeting in La Chaux, Switzerland. Her time was the second-fastest by a South African female sprinter.

One of this season’s big success stories has been how Sokwakhana Zazini keeps getting faster as a 400m hurdles athlete. By the end of August, the 19-year-old was still Africa’s fastest 400m hurdler, being one of only two athletes on the continent to have dipped under 49 seconds.

The other is Lindsay Hanekom, also from Tuks.

Zanini’s time of 48.73s which won him the silver medal at the World Student Games ranked as one of the 14th fastest times in the world in August. Equally impressive is that he had improved his best time in a mere eight months by nearly 0.59s. At the end of last year, it was 49.32s.

Tuks judoka Michaela Whitebooi won a gold medal during the African

Holding out for a hero would have been an excellent way to describe the state of South African women’s swimming three years ago. But one man, Rocco Meiring (TuksSwim head coach), and one woman, Tatjana Schoenmaker, managed to turn everything around.

This season it seemed as if Schoenmaker could do nothing wrong.

The Tuks swimmer won two gold medals in the 100m and 200m breaststroke at the World Student Games in Napoli, Italy in July.

Pictures: Reg Caldecott

She also made South African sports history during the recent World Long Course Championships in South Korea by becoming the first female swimmer to win a medal. She won a silver in the 200m breaststroke. To top it all, she also won two gold medals at the Tokyo World Cup in the 100m and 200m breaststroke in August.

Tuks rowers dominated during the USSA Boat Race winning, all four races.

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The Assupol Tuks Cricket team won the Varsity Tournament for the fourth time in five years.

Dannelle Wentzel became the first South African archer to win an individual event at a world Cup.

champions Championships in Cape Town in April, while Unelle Snyman won a silver medal.

Tuks archers were involved in making South African sports history by winning two gold medals during the Hyundai Archery World Cup in Antalya. Dannelle Wentzel became the first South African archer ever to win an individual event at a World Cup, while Reuben Brent-Meek teamed up with Jeanine van Kradenburg to win the compound mixed final which is also a first for South African archery.

A definite highlight for Assupol Tuks Cricket, which is celebrating 100 years of cricketing excellence, was winning the Varsity Tournament in September for the fourth time in five years. The team’s captain, Neil Brand, was for the second consecutive year the Varsity Tournament Player of the Year. In nine games he scored 269 runs at an average of 38.4 as well as taking nine wickets (13.8 average). Assupol Tuks’s Sean Gilson was the bowler of the tournament. He took 16 wickets at an average of 9.1.

SEMLI: promoting healthy lifestyles and safe physical activity Louise de Bruin The Sport, Exercise Medicine and Lifestyle Institute (SEMLI) was established in 2015, and in its short existence it has already made a global impact.

In a time where lifestyle diseases are responsible for

The Tuks tennis team achieved a significant breakthrough when they won the Sun City South African Universities Tennis Tournament.

approximately 70% of deaths globally, SEMLI’s work is as invaluable as it is relevant. The institute aims to reduce this shocking number through its high-impact research and state-of-the-art facilities.

Tuks rowers dominated during the USSA Boat Race winning all four races (men’s A and B as well as women’s A and B).

While physical inactivity is one of the main factors associated with lifestyle and chronic diseases, exercise can also cause injury and medical complications. This is the “Exercise Paradox” SEMLI’s experts in sports and exercise medicine tackle head on.

SEMLI’s work not only aims to reduce injuries and medical complications, but also enhance performance and sporting excellence.

One example of SEMLI’s impressive offerings is its new Biomechanics Lab, a unique component that has been missing from other multidisciplinary practices in South Africa. This lab also provides a space for sport science graduates to pursue specialist studies in biomechanics and enable applied sport scientists to put biomechanics into practice.

Another dynamic component is its portable lab, targeted at sprinters to improve the understanding of sprint

Sokwakhana Zazini’s time of 48.73s won him silver at the World Student Games, and makes him Africa’s fastest 400m hurdler.

start performance and support coaches in fine-tuning a sprinter’s technique.

SEMLI is fast becoming a global leader in researching the elements that constitute sporting success. It is also one of the few institutions in the world studying the role of sport in society, assuming a multidisciplinary approach and incorporating all the relevant fields of discipline, from ethics, to law, to sport management and economics, and education.

Tatjana Schoenmaker won gold in the 100m and 200m breaststroke at the World Student Games in Italy in July.

Akani Simbine made history with a second victory at the Diamond League in London.

To make an appointment to see one of SEMLI’s clinical or scientific specialists, please call 012 420 6133 / 012 484 1749.

For any other enquiries: info@semli.co.za.

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Picture: Theodore Swarts

In memory of …

Professor Andy Mogotlane, Retired VicePrincipal Emeritus Professor Ramaranka Anderson Mogotlane, retired Vice-Principal, passed away on 25 September 2019. He was appointed as Vice-Principal at the University of Pretoria in September 2001, the position he held and served with dis­tinc­tion until his retirement in 2010. He was subsequently appointed as Emeritus Professor and continued to serve the University by officiating at many

Professor Flip van Professor Chris der Watt Nagel

Carrol Boyes

Professor Flip van der Watt,

14 August 2019, at the age of 64.

retired Dean of Students, passed away on 8 August 2019.

He joined the University of Pretoria in 1975, first as Head of the Department of Church History and Church Polity, then as Deputy Dean in 1984 and as Dean of the Faculty of Theology in 1987.

He was appointed Dean of Students in 1989 and through his passion and strong commitment to the wellbeing of students, he has left a lasting positive impression on thousands of UP alumni and former colleagues.

graduations. Well read, widely respected and much loved, he will be fondly remembered for his fine sense of humour, his mischievous laughter and deeply caring nature.

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Christoffel Johannes Nagel, Professor in the Department of Mercantile Law, lost his battle with cancer and passed away on 18 August 2019.

His untimely departure is a great loss and he will be sorely missed. He was an academic and editor of note and a mentor to many students and staff members.

He was known as a gentleman, and a person with an exceptional sense of humour and wit. He had an immense understanding and intuition of and for languages.

He is also one of our last UP law lecturers who had a thorough grounding in Latin.

His spirit, legal knowledge and insight will remain with the legal community for time to come.

UP alumna and design icon Carrol Boyes passed away on Wednesday She studied art at the University of Pretoria in the 1970s, graduating with a major in sculpture. Boyes began her career as a teacher and from the late 1980s started producing her artistic tableware.

In 1991 the first Carrol Boyes shop was opened, and from there she led her creative team from strength to strength, with over 350 employees participating in the manufacturing and retail process by 2019. She will be greatly missed.

TuksAthletics: Danie Cornelius: Manager Tel: 012 420 6080 E-mail: danie.cornelius@up.ac.za

TuksCricket: Blanche Conradie: Administrator Tel: 012 420 6151 E-mail: blanche.conradie@up.ac.za

TuksTennis: MK Moloantoa: Administrator Tel: 012 420 6083 E-mail: tukstennis@up.ac.za

TuksAquatics (Lifesaving, Swimming, Triathlon, UnderwaterHockey, WaterPolo): Suzaan van Biljon: Administrator Tel: 012 420 6075 E-mail: tuks.aquatics@hpc.co.za

TuksCheerleading: Unathi Jofile: Captain Cell: 071 547 2322 E-Mail: unathi.lethu@gmail.com

TuksAikido, TuksBasketball, TuksChess, TuksDance, TuksExploratio, TuksKarate, TuksMindSport, TuksOrienteering, TuksSoftball, TuksTaekwondo, TuksUltimate, TuksVolleyball: Sibongile Maswanganye: Manager Tel: 012 420 6061 E-mail: sibo.maswanganye@up.ac.za

TuksFootball: Boitumelo Lekalakala: Administrator Tel: 012 420 6001 E-mail: Boitumelo.lekalakala@up.ac.za TuksGymnastics: Liezel Bouch: Manager Tel: 012 420 6014 E-mail: Tuks.gymnastics@up.ac.za TuksRowing: Xilia Dreyer: Manager Tel: 012 420 6122 E-mail: xilia.dreyer@up.ac.za TuksSquash: Alex Verhage: Administrator E-mail: tukssquash@up.ac.za

TuksGolf: Tertius van den Berg: Manager Tel: 012 420 6888 tertius.vandenberg@hpc.co.za TuksHockey: Kgothatso Maboea: Administrator Tel: 012 420 6156 E-Mail: tukshockey@gmail.com TuksNetball: Lifalethu Khumalo: Administrator Tel: 012 420 6081 E-mail: Lifa.Khumalo@up.ac.za TuksRugby: Ansie du Plessis: Administrator Tel: 012 420 6068 E-Mail: tuksrugby@up.ac.za

TuksArchery, TuksBadminton, TuksCanoe, TuksFencing, TuksJudo, TuksTrampoline, TuksWrestling: Ilze Wicksell: Manager Tel: 012 420 6135 E-mail: ilze.wicksell@up.ac.za TuksYachting: Johnathan Ham: Commodore Cell: 076 834 2867 Switchboard: Tel: 012 420 6060 (Monday – Friday 07:30 – 18:00)

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