????Stellenbosch 万博体育官网's (SU) Compliance and Catering Office has partnered with the Swedish-based startup K?limato to promote a more conscious approach to meal preparation and selection among staff and students. SU is the first African institution to pilot Klimato's carbon footprint software. The project is one of many initiatives that SUNCOM, SU's Business Office, is implementing as part of its long-term strategy to lower carbon emissions and encourage sustainable practices within its operations. 

Food production is responsible for a quarter of the world's Greenhouse Gas (GHG) total emissions1 because of various farming practices, food processing, fisheries, and crop production. As a result, our food consumption directly impacts climate change because of the carbon emissions induced by the production of different ingredients. 

Klimato's software calculates the carbon footprint of meals and ingredients via a country-specific database. Therefore, using this tool, SU can help mitigate climate change by educating students and catering service providers to rethink the environmental impact of the combination of ingredients in the meals served on our campus. As the first institution to pilot the software in Africa, SU's Compliance and Catering Office hopes to supply valuable contributions to the food and ingredients database that will encourage the adoption of climate-conscious meal preparation and selections within the campus community.

"To showcase our commitment to sustainability, we prioritise initiatives to preserve the environment, promote social responsibility, and ensure economic viability for future generations. Through our combined efforts within the SUNCOM division we strive to reduce our carbon footprint, implement renewable energy solutions, and minimise waste generation," says Bennie Malan, Head of SUNCOM's Compliance and Catering Office.

Earlier this year, SUNCOM reported that 806 693 meals were booked online from January 2023 to December 2023. Such a high number of meals being prepared reaffirms the need for a more sustainable approach to food preparation and selection, with the goal of lowering the environmental impact. 

According to Malan, the Klimato tool is currently in its testing phase on campus in three residence preparation kitchens. Once implemented across campus, it aims to:

• demonstrate to students the environmental impact of various menu options and empower them to make more sustainable choices;
• improve meal recipes to produce lower Carbon emissions; 
• localise data to add to the Klimato South African database; 
• encourage the widespread adoption of this or similar software; and 
• enable a reduction in the carbon emissions produced by the catering service providers appointed by the Compliance and Catering Office.

Malan and his team are working closely with SU's appointed catering service providers during the test phase to utilise this tool and consciously adapt the ingredients in their meal options.

Through impactful collaborations like these SU continues to demonstrate the impact of innovation in society. Leading by example, the 万博体育官网 strives to achieve a net zero campus environment by 2050.

万博体育官网 SUNCOM

SUNCOM is a division of Innovus (Innovation and Commercialisation) responsible for the 万博体育官网's fifth revenue stream. This includes technology, intellectual property-related income, and pure commercial income. While SUNCOM feeds back into the 万博体育官网, all our divisions are financially independent.

For more information on SUNCOM, click here

1. https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.aaq0216 
   

Page Image:

??Trying to separate Prof Kobus van Schalkwyk from Stellenbosch 万博体育官网 (SU) and his beloved School of Accountancy (SoA) is like trying to separate a father from his son. It cannot be done even if there is distance between them. That bond will always be there, that bond that was first ignited in the imagination of a young schoolboy and further forged as a student and an academic. That bond which even retirement and the passage of time will not be able to unravel.

It was in Bellville where he grew up and at Bellville High School where he matriculated where he started dreaming of attending SU to realise his goal of becoming a chartered accountant. That dream kept him going through his two years of compulsory national service, which was the norm at the time. Upon his return, he managed to get accepted into SoA＊s BAccounting (BAcc) undergraduate programme. He went on to obtain his BAcc and BAccHons in 1982 and 1983 respectively.

Describing his time as a student at SU where he was also a resident of Huis Visser 万博体育官网 Residence, Van Schalkwyk shared: ※Being in a residence, where you were accepted for who you are, where everybody felt that they belonged and everybody were friends, was special for me. It did not matter where you came from or what you were like. Some of my best friends from Huis Visser are still my best friends today and I am still in contact with them. The same goes for my classmates, especially those I did my BAccHons degree with. There is a special bond between SU students that is hard for other people to grasp.§

It was also during this time that he got to know the late Prof Johan Matthee, who was then the head of the Department of Accountancy (now SoA). Matthee, who later also became the Dean of the Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences, would go on to play an integral role in his future career.

After acquiring his BAccHons degree, the young Van Schalkwyk then completed his articles at Theron van der Poel (later incorporated into PwC). This was followed by brief stints at Sanlam as a financial accountant (1987-1990) and Cape Investment Bank as manager: financial services (1990).

It was while working at Cape Investment Bank and doing his BComHons in Tax at SU, that he again crossed paths with Prof Matthee who became one of his study leaders. As luck would have it there was an opening for a lecturer in SoA and Matthee wanted to know if he would be interested.

※I thought maybe I＊ll give it a try for a year or two and see where it leads me. But then I found it so enjoyable and stimulating that I decided to stay on. I never thought of becoming an academic, but working with so many talented and passionate people was something special and I was persuaded to stay§, he shared.

Van Schalkwyk says the SoA was quite small back then and lecturers were required to be proficient in various disciplines.

※I had to lecture management accounting students as well as taxation and financial accounting students. After that I specialised in taxation for a year or two and then I switched to financial accounting. I was also involved with the master＊s programme in taxation. I found specialising in both taxation and financial accounting very interesting because it allowed me to keep up with both disciplines on quite a high level. I kept that going for a number of years, until we could find another lecturer to take over the master＊s taxation programme. After that I just specialised in financial accounting until the end of my career.§

But it is the part he played in turning the SoA into the foremost accounting department in the country during the 1990s and his tenure as Chair of the Department of Accounting (2000-2001) that he is most proud of.

※Our aim during that time was to develop the department into one of the biggest in the country. We had to work very hard to change our programmes and to keep our students. But our hard work paid off and we were able to attract excellent students and today I can honestly say that we are now the top accounting institution in the country and we produce excellent chartered accountants. Our students are often in the top 10 in the SAICA professional examinations. That was a huge accomplishment for me and my colleagues.§

Other career highlights include becoming a professor in 1998, which he describes as one of the proudest moments in his life; being Deputy Director: Social Impact and Transformation from 2016 to 2019; and Deputy Director: Learning and Teaching (2020-2023).

Van Schalkwyk served on various committees within SU including the Audit Committee (until 2014) and the Institutional forum (2014 to 2017). He also participated in social and business initiatives outside SU. This included positions as director of Horizon House, a centre in Stellenbosch that cares for people with a primary intellectual disability (2011 to 2017) and as chairperson of the Stellenbosch Chamber of Commerce from 2014 to 2017. He was also vice-captain of the Stellenbosch Golf Club (SGC) from 2018 to 2020 and thereafter captain of the SGC until 2023.

But no man is an island, and he does not hesitate to acknowledge his wife, Lize, for the role she has played in supporting him throughout his career.

※She has always supported me and being a professional (sports physiotherapist) herself she also understood the effort that I had to put into being successful as an accountant and a lecturer. We actually both retired at the end of March. So we will probably now have a bit more time for ourselves.§

On what is next, Van Schalkwyk mentioned his plans to dabble in investments, do some consulting, perhaps travel a bit and of course spend time on the golf course.

But SU will always be part of his life, of who he is. He smiles wistfully when asked how he has adjusted thus far without the institution and its people that have been such a big part of his life for so long.

※I miss the discipline of going to work every day,§ he says with a hint of longing in his voice. ※I especially miss my students. I was very fond of my students, and my colleagues. I think we have a special bond in SoA and I will always treasure that. I will always be a very loyal Matie.§

Page Image:

?Ecologists from 17 countries and six continents gathered in Stellenbosch recently to share knowledge and best practice approaches to the management of invasive species in protected areas.

The three-day workshop was hosted under the umbrella of the Centre for Invasion Biology Chair in Managing Invasions in Protected Areas which is hosted within Stellenbosch 万博体育官网's (SU) School for Climate Studies.

Prof. Tammy Robinson-Smythe, holder of the chair, said in her welcoming address that it was exciting to have specialists from just about every ecosystem 每 from marine and terrestrial to freshwater ecosystems 每 together in one room, making this a unique geographically representative gathering.

The objective of the workshop was to work towards achieving Target six of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, concerned with, inter alia, reducing the rates of introduction and establishment of known or potential invasive alien species by at least 50% by 2030.

Robinson says invasive species have a broad impact on biodiversity, ecosystem services and people's livelihoods. In this sense, tackling Target 6 already works towards the overall objective of the Global Biodiversity Framework, also known at the Biodiversity Plan for Life of Earth.  

As protected areas are focal points of action, already set up to protect valuable ecosystem services, she believes these centres of conservation expertise can be capitalised on to maximise the benefits of management interventions.

※With this workshop, we are hoping to identify and overcome the barriers in achieving the Global Biodiversity Framework targets," she adds.

A selection of papers delivered at the workshop will be published in a special edition of the journal Biological Invasions. Additionally, an overarching paper will draw together insights from the workshop, serving as a synthesis of the state of knowledge and identifying gaps in current practice and opportunities for meeting Target 6.

Prof. Guy Midgley, interim director of the School for Climate Studies at SU, said in his welcome address that invasive species are perfectly poised to benefit from increased CO₂ levels in the atmosphere and warmer temperatures when establishing in new territories. In that sense, the management of invasive species should also take the bigger picture of climate change into consideration.

This point was reiterated by Prof. Belinda Gallardo from the Pyrenean Institute of Ecology in Spain who pointed out that proactive approaches are needed to protect national parks from the combined impacts of invasions and a changing climate.

Some of the participants in the workshop also emphasised the importance of recognising the role of humans, especially tourists, in introducing alien species to new environments. Prof. Philip Hulme from Lincoln 万博体育官网 in New Zealand, emphasised ecotourism as an important pathway for the introduction of alien species into protected areas: ※People underestimate how quickly the tourism pathway is evolving," he said.

?

Page Image:

?This year marks the 30th anniversary of democracy in South Africa. Looking ahead to our national and provincial elections on 29 May as well as the next 30 years, researchers at the Centre for Research on Democracy (CREDO) at Stellenbosch 万博体育官网 reflected in recent opinion pieces for the media on how we should cherish and defend our hard-won democray. Click on the links below to read the articles as published.

• Prof Ursula van Beek (Cape Argus )
• Damien du Preez (Daily Maverick)
• Kira Alberts (Cape Times)
  

Photo: People casting their votes at Laudium Community Centre in Laudium, Pretoria. Credit: Government Communication and Information System 

?

Page Image:

??Prof Frank Tanser, Director of Population Health Innovation in the Centre for Epidemic Response and Innovation (CERI) in the School for Data Science and Computational Thinking at Stellenbosch 万博体育官网, delivered his inaugural lecture on Tuesday 23 April 2024. The title of his lecture was ※The rise (and fall?) of South Africa's HIV epidemic: a personal perspective".

Tanser spoke to the Corporate Communication and Marketing Division about how his research aims to evaluate and design intervention strategies that can drive back the HIV epidemic and its negative consequences in communities hardest hit by the epidemic.

Tell us more about your research and why you became interested in this specific field.

I am an epidemiologist specialising in the space-time evolution of infectious disease epidemics. My research focuses on the epidemiology of important public health problems such as HIV in rural African communities. In particular, it aims to evaluate and design intervention strategies to drive back the HIV epidemic and its negative consequences in communities hardest hit by the epidemic.

I became interested in this field when I started my first full-time job at the Malaria Programme of the Medical Research Council in Durban in 1997. I had previously used technologies such as remote sensing and geographical information systems to measure patterns of degradation for the purposes of improving land management. It seemed like a natural progression to apply these same technologies in the domain of public health to the understanding of disease spread.

How would you describe the relevance of your work, especially for sub-Saharan Africa?

The level of new HIV infections is still unnecessarily high in many African countries, but we possess the knowledge and tools to make a significant impact. My work over the past 25 years in a South African rural community decimated by HIV has provided substantial insights into the evolving and dynamic nature of the HIV epidemic and its key drivers, informing HIV prevention and treatment policy in sub-Saharan Africa. My research into the population-level impacts of the antiretroviral therapy (ART) roll-out has led to wide-reaching and rapid changes to government policy on how ART programmes in Africa are designed and implemented. A seminal study we published in the journal Science was the first to show that nurse-led, decentralised HIV programmes in rural areas could successfully reduce HIV transmission at the population level.

New national data show that South Africa is making headway in its fight against HIV. What must we do to sustain this momentum?

One of the most important things we can do is continue to increase the coverage of antiretroviral therapy to those who are HIV infected. Last year, our Health Minister, Dr Joe Phaahla, said that if we all pull in the same direction, we can achieve our goal of 95-95-95 (95% of the people who are living with HIV knowing their HIV status, 95% of the people who know that they are living with HIV being on lifesaving antiretroviral treatment, and 95% of people who are on treatment being virally suppressed) to drive the epidemic to low levels of endemicity.

Based on your previous research, what future prevention strategies are needed to reduce HIV infections in sub-Saharan Africa?

The HIV epidemic is rapidly changing and existing intervention strategies will need to evolve to keep up with the changing dynamics of the epidemic. We have recently received two grants of R40 million each from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in the USA that will help us in this regard. The first NIH grant seeks to design future HIV prevention strategies for severely affected rural communities in sub-Saharan Africa which seek to maximise the reduction in new HIV infections. The research will be used to inform the future implementation of HIV prevention programmes. It will utilise the rural HIV surveillance site in KwaZulu-Natal to quantify trends in the rate of new HIV infection by space, time and demography and then model and design new HIV prevention strategies aimed at harnessing the changes in the epidemic to maximise reductions in the rate of new HIV infections.

The second NIH grant seeks to address one of the greatest challenges in driving the epidemic towards elimination which is the low uptake of HIV prevention among men. The grant will fund a ground-breaking trial in Eastern Zimbabwe aimed at increasing the uptake of prevention. At the heart of this trial lies the promotion of Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) as a highly effective method for preventing HIV infection. PrEP involves the use of antiretroviral medication by individuals who are at high risk of acquiring the virus. The trial seeks to engage hard-to-reach men through their peer networks and enable them to self-test for HIV. ?The trial will recruit over 3 500 men living in 44 communities. It utilises innovative community support structures to decrease barriers to the uptake of PrEP by reducing the need for engagement with clinics.

As a leading scientist in HIV research, do you think the world is on track to end the HIV/Aids epidemic as a public health threat by 2030?

Unfortunately, I don't think it will happen by 2030 but nevertheless amazing progress has been made. Ending HIV as a public health threat will require sustained financial investment and commitment from many sectors. In July 2023, UNAIDS (the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/Aids) released a report which shows that Aids could be ended as a public health threat by 2030. Titled ※The Path that Ends Aids", the report makes it clear that ending AIDS is a political and financial choice, and that those countries and leaders who are walking the talk are achieving extraordinary results. We are already seeing positive results in countries such as Botswana, Eswatini, Rwanda, the United Republic of Tanzania, and Zimbabwe, to name a few.

You have spent many years in the challenging environment of higher education. What keeps you motivated when things get tough?

At times it was undoubtedly tough! But I believe that anything worth doing is not going to be easy. It was extremely motivating for a disease like HIV to be able to have an impact on policy and to be able to quantify the significant progress that has been made (after the initial years of 'doom and gloom').

What aspects of your work do you enjoy the most?

I enjoy travelling to rural sites in South Africa and beyond and meeting interesting people; working with amazing teams and learning from colleagues; and producing scientific results that change policy.

Tell us something exciting about yourself that people would not expect.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         

I've nearly been killed by three of the ※big five" game animals in Africa. In one of these encounters in 2016 whilst on a walking safari with my family in the Hluhluwe-Umfolozi reserve, my father was gored by a black rhino (he survived!). This near-death experience was featured on the local wildlife TV show 50|50.

How do you spend your free time?

I enjoy running, golf and tennis 每 last year I ran the Knysna marathon with my two sons. I also enjoy watching international rugby, visiting many of the magnificent wildlife parks in Southern Africa and walking in the mountains and other beautiful settings with my family. 

• Photo by Ignus Dreyer (The Stellenbosch Centre for Photographic Services).

? 

?

Page Image:

?????The spotlight will fall on entrepreneurial innovation and growth on the African continent at a new centre for entrepreneurship to be established at Stellenbosch 万博体育官网 (SU). The Centre will be known as the Allan Gray Centre for Africa Entrepreneurship following a R4 million donation the 万博体育官网 received from Allan & Gill Gray Philanthropies.

Allan & Gill Gray Philanthropies in Africa has as its overall vision an African citizenry thriving in ethical societies with dignity and hope. Its main mechanism for achieving this vision is the powerful lever of responsible entrepreneurship for the common good.

The focus of the Centre will be on how to create an enabling environment for high?impact entrepreneurship. It is envisioned as a Pan?African intellectual project spanning South Africa, Ghana, Kenya, Rwanda and Ethiopia 每 countries where the Allan & Gill Gray Philanthropies already have ongoing investments with existing entrepreneurship ecosystem partners. Strategic partnerships will be explored with Ashesi 万博体育官网 (Ghana), Strathmore 万博体育官网 (Kenya), the Ministry of ICT and Innovation (Rwanda), the Ministry of Innovation and Technology (Ethiopia), and Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (South Africa).

Prof Wim de Villiers, Rector and Vice?Chancellor of SU, says ※Stellenbosch 万博体育官网 has had a renewed focus on entrepreneurship and innovation over the past few years. This Centre will in many ways help the 万博体育官网 realise its vision of truly making societal impact. By doing research that can help resolve unemployment, poverty and inequality, the Centre will contribute to transforming Africa's numerous youth from a demographic liability to a human resource dividend."

Prof Ingrid Woolard, Dean of SU's Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences, says ※Entrepreneurship is a key driver of economic growth and job creation. This is true all over the world but is especially relevant for Africa given the large numbers of young people entering the labour market each year. However, many new businesses fail. This Centre will focus on the science and practice of entrepreneurship 每 what can be done to provide the right conditions to allow entrepreneurs to flourish."

According to Anthony Farr, CEO of Allan & Gill Gray Philanthropies in Africa, ※This centre is a powerful opportunity to develop greater intellectual rigour around the field of entrepreneurship in Africa. We are excited at the prospect of gaining deeper insight into the realities of entrepreneurship on the continent, particularly entrepreneurial ecosystems, and how they can be better harnessed towards the achievement of greater progress and prosperity for all."

Prof Woolard says the Centre will initially conduct research and undertake postgraduate research studies, and the intention is that it will also start to offer formal taught programmes within the next few years.

At the helm of the Centre will be two co?directors, Dr Phumlani Nkontwana and Prof Erik Stam, who bring with them a wealth of knowledge and experience in the entrepreneurial sector.

Dr Nkontwana is an entrepreneurship specialist, having managed prominent entrepreneurship funds for blue?chip local and international companies. His work promotes Pan?African entrepreneurship among young people from various parts of Africa.

Prof Stam, an extraordinary professor at SU and professor at the Utrecht 万博体育官网 School of Economics, is a leading scholar in the field of entrepreneurial ecosystems, engaged in the science and practice of entrepreneurship?led development, both locally and globally.

Dr Nkontwana says, ※Our hope is to inspire the quantity and concentration of high?impact ventures, either headquartered or co?founded in Africa."

According to Prof Zwelinzima Ndevu, director of the School of Public Leadership (SPL), the Centre 每 expected to be operational by August 2023 每 is strategically located at the SPL. ※The aim is to better facilitate the interface between public and private role players in the development of a new crop of entrepreneurs in Africa that will transform and grow the economy."

※In earnest, we will ultimately endeavour to make available and consumable generated knowledge to local innovation hubs and ventures that need it the most," Dr Nkontwana concludes.

More on Allan & Gill Gray Philanthropies: https://allangillgrayfoundation.org/philanthropy?

?

Page Image:

?This short course offers academics who teach at SU an opportunity to broaden their knowledge and understanding of the role of AI in various pedagogical approaches, with a focus on promoting social justice.  

The course will draw on theoretical perspectives and evidence-based practices, providing participants the chance to think creatively and innovatively about how AI can both hinder and enable effective pedagogical practices that support student learning.  

Participants will have the opportunity to: (1) deepen their understanding of social justice in the current digitally-enabled higher education environment, (2) expand their knowledge and skills in critically engaging with automated tools like generative AI, (3) develop a deeper understanding of socially-just pedagogies and how they can impact student learning, (4) collaboratively explore practical ways AI could shape in-class and out-of-class learning experiences.

?This is an in-person, full-day course from 20 to 24 May. For preliminary registrations, please email Magriet de Villiers (mdev@sun.ac.za).

Page Image:

After cycling a gruelling 600 km over six days with a torn hip labrum and the support of her four children 每 including her youngest who is just 12 years old - Dr Marietjie Lutz, a first-year chemistry lecturer at Stellenbosch 万博体育官网 (SU), is closing in on her target of raising R60 000 to help fund undergraduate students facing financial challenges.

The fundraising initiative was inspired by one of Lutz's former first-year students, Blessed Muyanga, who despite his financial challenges and personal challenges managed to pass first-year chemistry with an above 75% average. ※He showed true grit," says Lutz. His dedication to pursue his studies despite adversity spurred her to embark on the ※Wheels of Opportunity" initiative to help other students in similar circumstances to achieve academic goals.

Muyanga is delighted that Lutz completed the challenge. ※You know that I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for you. My situation pushed me to be strong and to look to God for inspiration. Having you and my small circle of friends helped me to get this far and I will remain eternally grateful for that."

Lutz was joined on her cycle from George to Stellenbosch by her sons and daughter. The eldest, Ben (20), cycled 600 km to raise R10 000, her daughter, Isabel, (15), a learner at Ho?r Meisieskool Bloemhof, cycled 500 km to raise R5 000 while her youngest, 12-year-old Dani?l who is at Laerskool Eikestad, put foot to pedal for 200 km to raise R2 000 for the cause. The second eldest, Jan (18), drove the backup van during the whole journey.

Her husband, Dani?l (senior), was responsible for the planning and mapping of the route, which included travelling on gravel roads through Oudtshoorn, Calitzdorp, Riversdal, Swellendam and Greyton to Stellenbosch. ※We travelled on roads one would not otherwise see if travelling this route by car."

The family encounter several challenges during the ride, including a close encounter with an energetic kudu, a broken derailleur gear unit, multiple mountain passes adding to the more than 1 000 m of climbing every day and scorching temperatures of more than 40∼C, facing strong headwinds. But they persevered.

 Of the decision to fundraise with a cycle tour, Lutz says: ※I love mountain biking and I love my students, so this was a good way to combine both." Having her family join her for parts of the journey added to the experience and she is particularly proud of the younger two for clocking up their kilometres for a good cause.

But the feat would not have been possible without the support of her family, and local businesses such as Flandria Cycles that serviced their bicycles, Adventureshop that helped with the route mapping and Eendracht Hotel and Apartments were also on board sponsoring the backup van and accommodation along the route.

Dani?l (senior) is already planning next year's fundraising cycle, says Lutz. ※We hope that this initiative serves as an example to other academics, staff and students who may want to do something similar."

Newly appointed dean of the Faculty of Science, Prof Burtram Fielding, commended Lutz on her initiative. ※I am sure this, and the story of Blessed, will inspire other students to find ways to help fund their studies. I am also impressed with Dr Lutz's efforts to tackle 600 km for this worthy cause. She has already raised over R38 000 and now she needs our help to get over the R60 000 target."

• To support the "Wheels of Opportunity" initiative, interested individuals can donate through the GivenGain platform .
• For those interested in participating or supporting the cause in any alternative manner, contact her directly at mlutz@sun.ac.za.
  
   
  

?

Page Image:

?World Creativity and Innovation Day was observed on 21 April. In opinion pieces for the media, experts at Stellenbosch 万博体育官网 emphasised the importance of innovative and creative approached to address our educational and societal challenges. Click on the links below to read the articles as published.

• Prof Deresh (University World News)
• Prof Sara Grobbelaar (Mail & Guardian)

?

Page Image:

?World Book Day is celebrated annually on 23 April. In an opinion piece for the Cape Times, Dr Zelda Barends from the Department of Curriculum Studies offers a few guidelines that teachers and parents could follow to improve children's reading skills.

• Read the article below or click here for the piece as published.

?Zelda Barends*

In a country like South Africa, teachers play a very important role in improving the reading skills of learners, especially those in the Foundation Phase (Grade R to 3). By enhancing the reading proficiency of learners, they help to lay the foundation for future learning and academic success.

It is, therefore, crucial that effective reading instruction takes place in the classroom. However, intense debates such as the 'Reading Wars' continue to rage on in literacy education as to what methods are the best for teaching reading.

Reading Wars have been characterised by disagreements over the best approaches to teaching reading, particularly focusing on the debate between phonics (a component of reading instruction that focuses on the relationship between individual sounds and the letters that represent them) and whole language instruction methods i.e. methods used to teach reading. They are not just about differing pedagogical approaches, but can also be seen as a struggle for power in discussions about reading instruction.

Fortunately, reading instruction has shifted in recent years. It is no longer based on opinion of how children learn to read, but rather informed by science. In 2020, the National Reading Panel (NRP) was appointed to review reading research and determine the most effective methods for teaching reading. The NRP reviewed over 100,000 studies and analysed them to determine which methods work the best when teaching children to read. They concluded that there are five essential components of reading 每 known as the ※Big Five" 每 that should be taught for effective reading instruction. They are phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension.

Phonemic awareness is the ability to notice, think about and work with the individual sounds in words. Phonics refers to the understanding of how letters and groups of letters link to sounds to form letter-sound relationships and spelling patterns. It involves learning letter-sound correspondences and common spelling patterns. Fluency is the ability to read a text accurately and quickly and recognise words instantly, whereas vocabulary is understanding the meanings of words through direct and indirect instruction and developing tools to discover the meaning of an unknown word. Comprehension refers to making sense of what we read. Reading comprehension requires background knowledge, understanding sentence and text structures, monitoring understanding, and connecting ideas.

For reading instruction to be effective, it should be systematic, explicit, cumulative and sequential. By implication, teachers should systematically review the reading skills of learners to improve their memory, explicitly teach concepts in our language syllable types, phonics patterns, and syllable division rules.  Lessons and instructional routines should be cumulative and must build on previously learned skills and instruction should be sequential meaning it must begin with the easiest and most basic elements and progress to more difficult and complex material. Teachers should also follow a set scope & sequence of concepts.

As we celebrate World Book Day on 23 April, we should also ask a very important question: What does this mean for supporting learners on their learning-to-read journey?

Children often encounter in their reading sight words or high frequency words that have a part that can't be sounded out. Learners need to learn which phonemes (sounds) match the graphemes (letters) and which are irregular. Parents and teachers should allow learners to practice writing such words several times. Such words should also be included in games and daily instructional routines. Supporting readers with phonics demands patience as learning how the 26 letters in our written alphabet are used to represent the roughly 44 sounds in our spoken language (for English) allows learners to unlock the code of our written language. Give learners time to sound out the word and provide them with decodable texts that have sentences that tend to stick to letter patterns learners are learning or have already learnt. These texts help children practice applying the phonics rules they are learning. We should also help learners notice words and word patterns in the classroom or at home.

Supporting fluency can be exceptionally fun too. When decoding skills become automatic and reading is fluent, learners can more easily focus their attention on understanding words and text. Fluency is the bridge to comprehension! Teachers and parents can help their child develop reading fluency through a few simple and fun activities such as paired reading and recording learners reading whilst having them listen to their own reading.  In this way they can self-correct their reading. Whilst reading many word meanings are learnt, but before children can read text independently, vocabulary should be taught through oral language interactions and reading books aloud. Parents and teachers should take advantage of any opportunity to use new words in conversations.

What should we do when young readers are stuck on a word? Should we tell them what the word is? Should we prompt them to look at the picture? Or should we tell them to guess what the word is based on the context of the story?  It is sometimes very difficult to know what to do when a reader is stuck. However, we need to remember that we must draw children's attention to the text and not away from it. In doing so, we could ask them to look at the word, slide through the sounds to encourage grapheme-by-grapheme (letter or letter groups) decoding. This encourages blending through the sounds (combining individual sounds to form a word) smoothly without a big pause after each sound (continuous blending or connected phonation). If all else fails, we should help learners identify parts that they know in the word.

Learning to read is a complex process dependent on so many factors and variables.  On World Book Day, we should applaud all teachers who try to make sense of this complexity and learn every child how to read.

*Dr Zelda Barends is a senior lecturer in the Department of Curriculum Studies at Stellenbosch 万博体育官网. The views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Stellenbosch 万博体育官网.

? 

?

Page Image:

???From 7 to 12 April 2024, a delegation from Stellenbosch 万博体育官网 (SU) visited the 万博体育官网 of Groningen (UG) to strengthen the two institutions' strategic and comprehensive partnership. The SU delegation, comprising the Rector and Vice-Chancellor, three deputy vice-chancellors, deans and senior faculty, participated in a series of plenary sessions, individual and group meetings, and visits to UG's various cutting-edge research facilities.

The week featured intense discussions on academic leadership in turbulent times as well as responsible internationalisation, framing the next phase of collaboration between the two universities. A major success of the SU-UG partnership, the high number of joint PhD students, was celebrated with presentations by current students and reflections by UG supervisors on their experiences.

One of the highlights of the week was a dinner hosted at UG's Energy Academy, which aims to foster transdisciplinary collaboration through public-private-academic partnerships. Discussions at the dinner centred on the three themes of energy transitions, digital transformation, and biomedical solutions, being key areas of cooperation between SU and UG.

The visit further focused on collaboration between the two institutions' transdisciplinary schools, developing research and science capacities, educational innovation and leadership, co-appointments of academic staff, fundraising, information governance, and institutional planning and policy alignment.

Apart from the strong bilateral collaboration between SU and UG, the two institutions also work together through multilateral networks, notably the recently established Africa-Europe Clusters of Research Excellence (CoRE) 每 an initiative of the African Research Universities Alliance (ARUA) and The Guild of European Research-Intensive Universities. Cooperation in the CoRE on Renewable Energy was a particular focus throughout the week's proceedings.

The visit also served the important purpose of developing concrete plans for the future. These include specific joint funding applications, scaling up the joint PhD programme, establishing a joint SU-UG Graduate School and project office, and ambitious 'moonshot' projects to address global challenges through public-private-academic partnerships.

Following the visit, SU and UG issued a joint statement? that summarises the outcomes and future directions of their collaboration.

Next steps include a series of follow-up engagements over the coming month to set clear targets and finalise plans. Additionally, upcoming activities through the SU-UG partnership include:

• a follow-up summer school on inclusive teaching and learning in diverse classrooms, hosted at UG;
• a summer school on polarisation, which forms part of a pilot project to eventually develop the summer school into a minor at both SU and UG; and
• participation in the Strategic Partnership Forum hosted by UG in May 2024.

SU Partner Institutions (sun.ac.za)

?The article have been compiled in collaboration with Prof Vasti Roodt, Alison April and Anita Veldtmaat.?

Page Image:

The Financial Sector Conduct Authority (FSCA) recently visited Stellenbosch 万博体育官网 (SU) to present an interactive workshop on financial literacy to Maties as part of the FSCA's Consumer Education Department's objective to empower students by bolstering their financial literacy. The Financial Literacy for Tertiary Students workshops, of which there were two, were co-hosted by the Centre for Student Counselling and Development (CSCD) within the Division Student Affairs (DSAf).

Both workshops were presented in hybrid form to all undergraduate and postgraduate students at all SU's campuses and drew more than 600 students in-person and online.

According to the FSCA, ※tertiary students encounter a multitude of financial decisions that can significantly impact their futures". Students often become entrapped in debt while studying - be it by accumulating credit card or store card debt - and make uninformed financial decisions as they do not have access to proper financial guidance or knowledge. 

※This has negative consequences that will impact their future and access to credit for an important investment like a house, especially where graduates have to work with money," said Mr Ephraim Kgosana, the project leader of Consumer Education Relations at the FSCA.

※There is a persistent need," added Kgosana, ※to conduct interactive seminars and workshops at tertiary institutions to equip students with practical skills and knowledge that will help them navigate the financial landscape competently."

The workshops focused on matters specifically related to students such as budgeting, saving, managing debt, investing, and planning financially for the future. Students were able to ask specific questions related to issues that they were struggling with or had encountered when dealing with their personal finances. 

※It is important for students to gain financial literacy at this stage as they are already managing funding they receive through bursaries, or via NSFAS, and must know how to balance everyday expenses which before would have been handled by a parent or guardian throughout their years of study," said Kgosana.

Lyndwill Clarke, the Head of Department: Consumer Education at the FSCA, Lyndon Johnson from the Western Cape Department of Economic Development and Tourism, specifically the office of Consumer Protection, and Selina Maketa from the Credit Bureau Association also addressed students. 

Since its first workshop, the FSCA initiative has taken a collaborative approach with key stakeholders invited to participate at institutions. These partners include the National Credit Regulator (NCR), Credit Bureau Association (CBA), and the Small Enterprise Development Agency (SEDA). This has ensured that students gain access to organisations focused on wide-ranging financial matters, and get up-to-date information too. During the workshops at SU, students were able to obtain their recent credit record for free and receive advice on improving it from representatives of the credit bureau Experian.

Kgosana said that the Financial Literacy for Tertiary Students initiative will continue to evolve according to students changing needs, with topics such as wealth creation, entrepreneurship and financial planning for the future becoming more important to students. SU was one of eight universities that the FSCA visited in 2024. The others included the North-West 万博体育官网, Rhodes 万博体育官网, 万博体育官网 of Limpopo, 万博体育官网 of Johannesburg, 万博体育官网 of Free State, 万博体育官网 of KwaZulu Natal, and Sefako Makgatho 万博体育官网 in the North-West.

※Through constant interaction and feedback sessions based on the Monitoring and Evaluation processes, we continue to witness first-hand the positive impact of financial literacy on students' lives such as improved budgeting skills and heightened awareness of financial pitfalls."

Page Image:

The Division Student Affairs (DSAf) annual Open Day at Stellenbosch 万博体育官网's Tygerberg campus has once again proven to be a resounding success in providing students with valuable information, fostering engagement, and creating a sense of belonging for all students within the university community. 

On 16 April, DSAf hosted its third Open Day at the campus. The event provides an  opportunity for DSAf staff from the Stellenbosch campus to join their Tygerberg counterparts in interacting with undergraduate and postgraduate students, as well as staff from the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences. The aim is to raise awareness of the comprehensive range of support services, leadership development training, and co-curricular offerings within DSAf that are available to students throughout their academic journey.

The DSAf Open Day initiative was conceptualised by Ms Khairoonisa Foflonker, Manager of DSAf's Tygerberg office, to ensure students have easy access to information and address the diverse needs of students pursuing different degrees.

※Increasing the visibility of our co-curricular offerings ensures that students are developed in a holistic manner in line with SU's Graduate Attributes. It also fosters awareness around our support services which includes, but is not limited to, food security, and mental health support, and accessibility awareness," explained Foflonker.

The Centre for Student Life and Learning (CSLL) and the Centre for Student Counselling and Development (CSCD) set up stalls at the entrance of the Tygerberg Student Centre and the Hippokrates Residence lawn, which students could visit during their lunch hour.

Students were able to find out more about the work of the centres and the units within each centre and were encouraged to ask any questions they had regarding the support, leadership, and personal development offerings available to them after the university's Welcoming period.

※After the Welcoming period, many students may forget about the services offered by our Centre for Student Life and Learning, and the Centre for Student Counselling and Development. Therefore, having stalls and engaging with registered students in all year groups in a fun and interactive environment is a reminder of the support we offer in order to help our students to live, learn and thrive in a welcoming and inclusive environment," said Foflonker

To foster greater awareness of student leadership structures and the upcoming national elections, the Tygerberg Students' Representative Council (TSRC) and the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) of South Africa also participated in the Open Day. Even Pokkel, the university mascot, joined in on the fun, which included a live musical performance, and a lucky draw, which students and staff could only enter after visiting all the stalls at the Open Day to obtain information to submit an entry form.

Page Image:

?Stellenbosch 万博体育官网 (SU) and the 万博体育官网 of Groningen (UG) are committed to the internationalisation of higher education and to building sustainable and equitable partnerships for the benefit of their students, staff and society at large.

This joint statement confirms these two institutions' commitment to strengthen their collaboration in support of international education, research and innovation.

Both institutions, individually and jointly, affirm their support for:

• their strategic and comprehensive partnership;
• impactful research collaboration and joint funding applications in all areas, especially energy transitions, digital transformation and health solutions;
• joint academic chairs, starting with the field of computational astronomy;
• collaboration in the clusters of excellence of the African Research Universities Alliance (ARUA) and The Guild of European Research-Intensive Universities, as well as other consortia;
• capacity-building in all areas of science;
• joint academic programmes, from undergraduate to PhD level;
• the establishment of a joint SU-UG Graduate School;
• promoting transdisciplinarity by means of public-private-academic partnerships; and
• optimal policy alignment between the two institutions.
  
  

We recognise that global challenges, such as those outlined in the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals and the Africa Union's Agenda 2063, require global solutions. Therefore, responsible, impactful international collaboration is essential. Stellenbosch 万博体育官网 and the 万博体育官网 of Groningen have a shared vision for such collaboration and are committed to achieve it.

SU Partner Institutions (sun.ac.za)

?

Page Image:

• ?SU's centralised Materials Recovery Facility (MRF) on the Stellenbosch campus sorted and diverted more than 1 000 tonnes of waste away from landfill in 2023 
• With an annual diversion-away-from-landfill rate of 74 percent, SU is performing well above the 50 percent average reported by other universities 
• SU last year diverted and recycled more than 10.4 tonnes of e-waste 
  ?
  

Last year Stellenbosch 万博体育官网 diverted more than 1 000 tonnes collected on three of its five campuses away from landfill, a significant step towards its goal of achieving net zero by 2050. 

The 万博体育官网 is guided on its net zero journey by its Environmental Sustainability Plan alongside the United Nations's (UN) 2030Agenda guide, with its 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

During the week of 22-26 April 2024, SU will once again celebrate Earth Week and Earth Day on 22 April 2024. Supporting the world theme of Planet vs Plastics, Facilities Management's Environmental Sustainability team and partners hope to raise awareness for waste reduction on campus through two waste installations on the Rooiplein and at the Engineering Faculty during Earth Week.  

The waste towers on the Rooiplein will represent two days of waste produced on the Stellenbosch campus. The 3,000 kg of waste equals around 30 bales, which our centralised Material Recycling Facility (MRF) produces after they sort the waste they collect daily. Of this 3,000 kg of waste, SU recycles x28 percent, sends 46 percent for composting, and 26 percent to landfill. The MRF on the Stellenbosch campus sorts waste and diverts it away from landfill and in 2023, more than 1 million kg of waste, mostly plastic and paper, were collected and diverted from landfill. 

Since this facility was built, SU has succeeded in reducing its waste-to-landfill. We currently send only 26 percent to landfill. SU's goal is to get to zero waste-to-landfill by 2028, says John de Wet, SU's Environmental Sustainability Manager. 

As part of its efforts towards a greener future, aligned with these goals, the 万博体育官网 has invested heavily in various energy, water, waste, and biodiversity programmes on all its campuses, says De Wet. Initiatives include a three-bin sorting system on all campuses, the MRF, the installation of water-saving taps, shower heads and cisterns in residences, grey water systems to recycle shower water and provide water for flushing of toilets, waterwise landscaping and the installation of photovoltaic panels on the roof of five buildings to reduce carbon emissions and utility costs. 

For SU to reach its net zero target, it needs to decrease its carbon emissions from 85 241 tCO2e to as close to zero as possible, explains De Wet. "Waste is one of the elements in this journey, and SU's diversion-away-from-landfill rate is currently at an impressive annual average of 74 percent - well above the 50 percent average reported by other universities."

Most recently, in support of SU's contribution to reaching Goal 12: responsible consumption and production, and to raise awareness about Global Recycling Day marked on 18 March, the Environmental Sustainability team at SU's Facilities Management partnered with the UNASA (United Nations Association of SA) student society, Wasteplan, and eWASA (EPR Waste Association of South Africa) and hosted a successful e-waste recycling drive on the Stellenbosch campus. 

?

On the day, Christine Groenewald, SU's Environmental Sustainability Coordinator: Engagement, said: "We want to create awareness of the significance of keeping e-waste out of landfill sites." Electronic waste, or e-waste, contains numerous chemicals and heavy metals that can risk human and ecological health. On the day, the collected e-waste filled four yellow wheelie bins, weighing just over 62kgs, says Groenewald. Items included keyboards, kettles, charging cables, old phones and batteries, accounting for a third of all the e-waste collected. 

Other recent milestones include the certification by the Green Building Council of South Africa of 18 buildings on the Stellenbosch campus, and the City of Cape Town's awarding of 5-star and 3-star ratings to the Tygerberg and Bellville campuses for effective water management. Water-wise strategies at Tygerberg resulted in a significant 30 percent reduction in potable water consumption, while Bellville's potable water supply now comes from a deepwater lake and reverse osmoses plant resulted in minimal water supply coming from the City's network. 

SU's Sustainable Development Impact Hub (SDG/2063 Impact Hub), established in late 2021 to help the 万博体育官网 become more? sustainable and highlight contributions to the UN and AU's agendas, has just released its second Sustainable Development Annual Report (2022/2023) A Sustainable Africa: Partnerships for Progress.  

Corina du Toit, Programme Manager at the Hub, (situated within the Centre for Collaboration in Africa at SU International), says: "The report shows how through embracing partnerships and collaboration, SU's sustainability journey aligned with the 17 SDGs and 20 AU Goals is making a significant impact not only on our community but also nationally and throughout Africa as it takes the lead in driving future-forward, research, policy, and change." 

Programme of events 

During Earth Week (22-26 April 2024), SU's Environmental sustainability team planned a series of events to raise awareness. Some of the highlights include: 

For the whole week: 

• Waste installations on the Rooiplein and at Engineering with an information stall 
• E-waste drop off point at the information stall on the Rooiplein 
• Weaving Time Artwork display at the Container Gallery with the Visual Arts Dept 
• Staff competition: how to get to a net zero campus 
  
  

Monday 22 April 

18:00: A Quiz night with UNASA at Courtyard Cafe 

Tuesday 23 April: 

Earth week expo stalls on the Rooiplein (groups represented deal with the impacts of plastic pollution on the environment and assist in reducing waste to landfill) 

Wednesday 24 April  

13:00 每 14:00 Thrift fashion show, Neelsie stage 

18:00 每 20:00 Movie night at Neelsie cinema: David Attenborough Earth week hamper to be won in the lucky draw after the movie. RSVP https://forms.office.com/r/n0XLpc6T0P 

Thursday 25 April 

13:00 每 14:00 How to send Zero Waste to landfill- talk with ZWASA (Zero Waste Association of South Africa) and Ecomaties, Neelsie cinema. 

RSVP https://forms.office.com/r/NXnm8vWdzg 

Friday 26 April 

12:00 每 14:00 Visit to the Stellenbosch Municipal landfill site and recycling drop-off facility. RSVP https://forms.office.com/r/BjqtiCdngY 

Saturday 27 April 

8:30 每 12:00 Community clean up along the Kromrivier in Idas Valley.  

For queries, Christine Groenewald at cgroenewald@sun.ac.za                     

??

?

Page Image:

At the 5th annual gathering since the inception of the Stellenbosch 万博体育官网 Professional Assistants Network (SUPAN) in 2019, assistants from across the institution convened on Friday 5 April 2024 for a dynamic and insightful conference focused on shaping the modern workplace. SUPAN serves as an informal, yet invaluable platform for university assistants to exchange knowledge, develop professionally, and create a sense of community in the institution.?

The conference kicked off with a message by Dr Choice Makhetha, Senior Director of the Division for Student Affairs at Stellenbosch 万博体育官网 (SU). Dr Makhetha emphasised the importance of connecting with the heart and to never underestimate the power of a simple ※hello" when interacting with 万博体育官网 stakeholders. She highlighted the significance of the role of professional assistants as frontline ambassadors and gateways within the institution, with the ability to influence workplace culture and shape a sense of belonging. 

A highlight of the conference was the enlightening session by the Language Centre, which delved into the ripple effect of language in communication. Dr Kim Wallmach, Director of the Language Centre, along with her team, Fatima Halday, Head of the Communication focus area and Michelle Pieters, Comms Lab coordinator, shared insights on the importance of active listening and understanding in promoting effective communication. They encouraged attendees to embrace the power of language in building meaningful connections. Additionally, attendees were introduced to the Style Guide, a valuable resource to enhance communication clarity and consistency across the 万博体育官网. 

Throughout the conference, participants had the opportunity to engage in discussions, share best practices, and explore ways to navigate the evolving landscape of the workplace. The event served as a testament to the dedication and professionalism of assistants at university level, who play an important role in driving excellence and innovation across various faculties, departments and functions. 

As SUPAN continues to evolve and grow, its commitment to providing a supportive and collaborative environment for professional assistants remains steadfast. With each gathering and event, the network strengthens its mission of empowering its members to thrive in their roles and contribute to the SU's success. 

If you fulfil a secretarial role at SU, and you would like to join SUPAN, please reach out to Wildr谷 Kok, SUPAN Chair, at supan@sun.ac.za.

Page Image:

Prof Christie Dorfling from the Department of Chemical Engineering in the Faculty of Engineering at Stellenbosch 万博体育官网 delivered his inaugural lecture on Thursday 18 April 2024. The title of his lecture was ※Hydrometallurgical extraction of metals from primary and secondary resources".

Dorfling spoke to the Corporate Communication and Marketing Division about how his research helps to improve the extraction of economically valuable metals from, among others, minerals, mining waste, electronic waste, and spent catalytic converters (devices that contain a catalyst that turns toxic gases from a vehicle's exhaust into less harmful substances).

Tell us more about your research and why you became interested in this specific field.

I started my career as an engineer at Mintek, working in the mining and metals industry. During this time, I gained experience in a range of aspects associated with the mineral processing and extractive metallurgical industries. It allowed me to develop an appreciation for the technical challenges inherent to complex processes and continuously changing conditions, as well as the significant role that the mining and metals industry plays in South Africa. For this reason, I decided to contribute to the mining and metals industry through research when I was appointed as a lecturer at Stellenbosch 万博体育官网. Hydrometallurgy (extracting valuable metals from their ores i.e. naturally occurring minerals or rocks), specifically, is very relevant because it is often considered as a potential processing route when seeking process solutions for low-grade resources.

How would you describe the relevance of your work?

The availability of high technology metals is critical to the development and manufacturing of equipment and devices that have become integrally part of our daily lives. However, as the grade of ore bodies gradually decrease and alternative ore bodies are evaluated, it becomes more difficult to recover these metals of interest. Novel technologies such as hydrometallurgical processes must be developed to allow economic recovery of these metals of interest.

Your research focuses on the hydrometallurgical extraction of metals. What are some of the real-world applications of your work?

Hydrometallurgy plays an important role in the development of processes for the treatment of secondary sources such as mining waste, electronic waste and spent catalytic converters. The recovery of metals from these secondary sources is important from an economic as well as environmental management perspective and in support of the global drive towards a circular economy (reducing the consumption of raw materials, designing products in such a way that they can easily be taken apart after use and reused, prolonging the lifespan of products through maintenance and repair, using recyclables in products and recovering raw materials from waste flow).

You have spent many years in the challenging environment of higher education. What keeps you motivated when things get tough?

For me, it helps to keep sight of the bigger picture and to maintain a realistic perspective: I try to spend my time and energy on decisions and activities within my control that are meaningful, add value and have a positive impact. I am also fortunate to be part of an excellent team in the Department of Chemical Engineering, and I am very grateful for colleagues who are always willing to support one another.

What aspects of your work do you enjoy the most?

I am fortunate to engage with exceptional students, both through undergraduate teaching and research / postgraduate supervision, on a regular basis. It is fulfilling to be able to play a role in their development in some way or another, and to enable them to reach their potential and pursue their goals as future engineers. 

• Photo by Ignus Dreyer (The Stellenbosch Centre for Photographic Services).

Page Image:

?Prof Sara Grobbelaar from the Department of Industrial Engineering in the Faculty of Engineering at Stellenbosch 万博体育官网 (SU) delivered her inaugural lecture on Thursday 18 April 2024. The title of her lecture was ※Creating Our Shared Future: Innovation for Inclusive Development".

Grobbelaar, who is also a research associate at SU's Centre for Research on Evaluation, Science and Technology (CREST), spoke to the Corporate Communication and Marketing Division about how her work on inclusive development aims to increase South Africans' access to food, healthcare, and education, among others.

Tell us more about your research and why you became interested in this specific field.

My research focuses on understanding the role and process of innovation in mitigating the severe consequences of wealth and income disparities. Despite a reduction in global poverty, wealth distribution remains extremely skewed: since 2015, the wealthiest 1% has possessed more wealth than the rest of the world combined, with 3,4 billion people living on less than $5,50 per day. This concentration of wealth and power in the hands of only a few significantly impacts resource allocation and represents a real threat to democratic regimes. The gap between the affluent and poor is expanding, a tendency accentuated by the Coronavirus epidemic, highlighting disparities in access to jobs, key services such as healthcare and education, and technology.

The poverty penalty is a well-known concept that describes how impoverished individuals may pay more to live, consume, and participate in a market economy. It can take several forms: the poor may have no access or access to lower-quality commodities that cost more than for the rich. High costs or poor-quality commodities have more immediate exclusionary repercussions, such as non-access or non-usage. Non-access can also occur from improper or inaccessible products. For example, medical devices regularly fall in disuse if maintenance is not possible or economically feasible. Healthcare, in particular, is also a category of service in which non-use is frequently not an option, resulting in a spending burden that may have catastrophic consequences. People may have to choose between the medical treatment of a family member and sending a child to school. Case in point, Oxfam says that healthcare expenditures globally cause 100 million people to become impoverished each year.

My research focuses on Innovation for Inclusive Development, which investigates the development of practical ideas to increase access, particularly to food, health, and education. By focusing on these areas, we seek to contribute to the groundwork for understanding how to promote more inclusive development that benefits everyone, particularly the most vulnerable. I am interested in this study area because I believe in using engineering and science to address significant issues. I want to help train a new generation of professionals working on addressing these difficulties.

How would you describe the relevance of your work, especially for a country like South Africa?

The relevance of my work hits home when you look at the challenging situations many South Africans face today. As of February 2024, according to Statistics South Africa, the country has an unemployment rate of 32,1%. This has the effect that many people 〞 around 28 million 〞 rely on government grants that don't stretch far enough, leaving many vulnerable to food insecurity before the month ends, especially with food inflation soaring at about 18%. For instance, one of our projects in this area is to work with FoodForward South Africa. This foodbank serves almost one million meals daily in South Africa through its network of beneficiary organisations. Our programmes here aim to develop a scientific basis for measuring and reporting the social, economic, and environmental impacts and quantifying, benchmarking, and reporting the reduction of carbon footprint and other pollutants. This helps to make the case for their work, hopefully creating new income streams through, e.g. carbon credits and also to make their operations more efficient and effective.

Regarding our healthcare focus, 71% of South Africans lack medical insurance. The public healthcare system is overstretched, with only one public health doctor available for every 2 500 people and one doctor in the private sector for every 500. Poor South Africans generally don't have access to good-quality healthcare. An example project here is to collaborate with Unjani Clinics, a private network of clinics, to understand better where to locate their following clinics and how they could scale their operations successfully. Also, we collaborated with Flemish partners to test a product and develop a business model for a passive cold chain technology that has the potential (thanks to built-in tracking and tracking technologies) to enable outcome-based models for the delivery of vaccines.

South Africa's education system is among the most unequal in the world, with a huge discrepancy in achievement between the top schools and the rest. This system is failing South Africa's children, where out of every 100 learners, only about 50每60 reach matriculation, and fewer still, around 40每50, pass. Only 14 out of every 100 learners proceed to higher education, leaving many without the skills and qualifications to escape poverty. Two examples of projects in our programme include infrastructure improvements in schools, such as installing more efficient lighting and a study to characterise the air quality of classrooms. We hope to help reduce schools' bills and to improve children's learning environments.

In summary, keeping these massive challenges South Africans face daily, my work aims to better understand how innovation can improve access to essential services like food, healthcare, and education. We're talking about real, practical solutions to tackle these deep-rooted issues. By understanding how to implement and then achieve scaling of innovative ideas successfully, we aim to foster a more inclusive development that benefits everyone, especially those who need it the most. The problems are enormous, but that's precisely why we are doing this work!

You have spent many years in the challenging environment of higher education. What keeps you motivated when things get tough?

My experience of my work environment is that it is super supportive and friendly. Work pressure will always be there and is part of life. It is down to planning, realistic to-do lists, good exercise habits, a great support system, and taking holidays when they are due.

What aspects of your work do you enjoy the most?

I love my job because I get to work with some of the best people in the field, doing things that genuinely have the potential to make a difference in the world. As my career has progressed, I've also had more and more chances to team up with experts from all over the globe (e.g. Brazil, USA, Sweden, Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, India). This drives our work forward and opens up many doors for our entire research group. It's pretty exciting!

You have made your mark in Engineering. What would your message be to other women in the engineering profession?

Take up space, don't hold back, and choose a husband who'll support you in everything you do 每 it's the most important decision you'll ever make.

Tell us something exciting about yourself that people would not expect.

I've recently embarked on a creative project to write and illustrate children's books using Generative Artificial Intelligence (GAI) with my son (turning seven) and daughter (turning five) as the main characters. These characters use engineering and science for the good of society. My primary goal is to foster a love of reading and work a life lesson or two into the story. For instance, my son takes on the role of a boy engineer who has constructed an aircraft (to touch the clouds), fixed a baker's oven (to help feed the town), and even built a space rocket (to save people on the international space station)! Through these narratives, I aim to nurture aspirations and spark creativity in my children. I'm eager to see how I can continue using GAI to help them learn and try to use it for their development.

How do you spend your free time?

I love spending time with my family and friends and sharing good times and plenty of laughs. Our social calendar is usually quite packed, which suits me perfectly 每 it's how I recharge and have fun!

• Photo by Ignus Dreyer (The Stellenbosch Centre for Photographic Services).

?

Page Image: