In the heart of the Stellenbosch winter ¨C and at the start of the quiet pause of the 肆客足球's mid-year recess ¨C a global gathering of sharp legal minds brought energy and critical inquiry to campus.

From 30 June to 4 July 2025, Stellenbosch 肆客足球 (SU) hosted the Global Scholars Academy (GSA), a week-long residential programme convened by the Institute for Global Law and Policy (IGLP) at Harvard Law School, in collaboration with SU's Faculty of Law. It was the third time the annual event has been held in Stellenbosch ¨C and its largest yet.

This year's GSA brought together 80 early-career scholars from 42 countries for thematic discussions and writing workshops, guided by a global faculty drawn from leading universities across five continents. The 41 faculty members represented 24 institutions worldwide.

Participants ¨C selected through a competitive application process ¨C included advanced doctoral students, postdoctoral fellows and junior faculty working at the intersection of law, policy, inequality, and social transformation.

The Academy's goal is to support these emerging scholars in strengthening their research, building international networks, and situating their work within global conversations.

Platform for critical inquiry and connection

¡°What we're doing here is bringing people together in that early phase of their career ¨C when they're on their feet but still searching ¨C and building a network that can last for life," Prof David Kennedy, Director of the IGLP, said in an interview.

¡°The Institute was founded in 2009. We've since run workshops in Doha, Thailand, Madrid, Latin America ¨C and here in Stellenbosch. More than 2?000 scholars have participated so far," he noted during his opening remarks at the Stellenbosch Institute for Advanced Study (STIAS).

Prof Nicola Smit, SU's Acting Chief Operating Officer, welcomed participants and highlighted the shared values between SU's Faculty of Law and the IGLP.

¡°We mutually recognise the pressing need to strengthen the next generation of scholars and their academic institutions," she said.

¡°We also share a vision of deep and sustained collaboration among scholars from every continent ¨C committed to critical thinking, open to developing unconventional solutions, and capable of working across national and disciplinary boundaries."

Noting that 73% of this year's participants hailed from the Global South, Smit described SU's hosting role as meaningful: ¡°Our history is complex and intricate. But it is precisely our close involvement in our nation's past and our journey towards inclusivity that makes Stellenbosch an important gathering place for critical reflection and dialogue."

Unique model of peer learning

At the heart of the programme were intensive writing workshops. Participants submitted 8 000-word drafts, which were then workshopped in small groups facilitated by senior academics. No one presented their own paper at the outset ¨C instead, a peer introduced each work, sparking collaborative and constructive discussion.

This format, coupled with a strong emphasis on interdisciplinarity, encouraged participants to think across boundaries. Many came from backgrounds in sociology, history, economics, or the natural sciences, and used the Academy to explore how legal research intersects with other fields.

In addition, participants joined various streams ¨C thematic mini-courses curated by faculty. ¡°This week's discussions aim to foster meaningful exchanges about the types of problems we encounter today, their causes, and the various approaches to addressing them," Smit said.

Topics ranged from clinical education in the Global South, critical and social theory, and decolonisation in a multipolar world, to gender and poverty, social justice in global value chains, global political economy, law and economic development, and labour and trade in tension.

Emerging voices, real impact

For Mar¨ªa Ximena D¨¢vila Contreras, a Colombian lawyer and sociologist pursuing a PhD at the 肆客足球 of Texas, the experience had practical value. ¡°If I am able to communicate my work better, that means the communities I work with ¨C rural women navigating environmental risk ¨C will have a wider audience," she said in an interview.

Dr Jane Ezirigwe, a postdoctoral fellow at the 肆客足球 of Ottawa a?nd associate professor at the Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies, attended the Academy for a second time. ¡°The writing workshops are mind-blowing," she said. ¡°They help you focus your research and work faster."

Prof G¨¹nter Frankenberg, an eminent legal scholar from Goethe 肆客足球 Frankfurt, has participated in GSA gatherings for over a decade. ¡°This is the best part of my academic life," he said. ¡°The diversity you find in this group ¨C among both faculty and participants ¨C is unique. It's rewarding to impart knowledge, but I also learn a lot from others. This is how it should be."

A continuing legacy

This year marked the final GSA gathering in Stellenbosch ¨C but the organisers are exploring ways to sustain the initiative's legacy.

¡°It has been worth our while, through and through," Prof Juanita Pienaar, Acting Dean of SU's Faculty of Law, said in an interview. ¡°We've built up expertise and connections, and we are looking at ways to continue, even if on a smaller scale."

What began as a week of exchange and learning will no doubt continue as a network of shared purpose ¨C carried forward by scholars around the world.

* Desmond Thompson is a freelance journalist.?

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?When addressing social issues such as inequality, the climate crisis, or systemic injustices, conventional research methods can fall short of delivering real-world impact. This is where participation and transdisciplinary research step in, not only as buzzwords, but as necessary shifts in how we understand and produce knowledge.  

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?This year, Stellenbosch 肆客足球 (SU) celebrates a special milestone ¨C its tenth annual Homecoming Weekend, taking place from Thursday 11 September to Saturday 13 September 2025.

Karen Bruns, Senior Director of Development and Alumni Relations, reflects on how far the tradition has come. ¡°Ten years ago, our Homecoming Weekend began as a simple idea: to reconnect, reminisce, and celebrate the bond we all share as Maties. Today, it's a tradition that continues to grow stronger every year. This 10-year milestone is more than just a date. It's a tribute to the memories we've made, the friendships we've cherished, and the pride we feel in calling SU home."

It will also mark Prof Deresh Ramjugernath's first Homecoming as Rector and Vice-Chancellor. ¡°I'm looking forward to meeting the Matie community who continue to carry the spirit of Stellenbosch across the world," says Prof Ramjugernath. ¡°Whether you graduated last year or many decades ago, this is your moment to come home ¨C to reconnect, relive memories, and celebrate your journey as part of the Matie family."

A packed line-up of events promises to make this Homecoming unforgettable.

The Theatre Showcase will celebrate the performing arts with a production directed by alumna and Fleur du Cap Theatre Awards winner Nicole Holm, in collaboration with Drama Department lecturers Mmatumisang Motsisi and Schalk van der Merwe.

Golfers can look forward to the ever-popular Homecoming Golf Day, offering a relaxed and scenic setting at the Stellenbosch Golf Course, perfect for catching up with old friends and fellow alumni.

One of the highlights will be the Matie Winemakers Showcase, celebrating 100 years of Pinotage. More than 20 top Matie winemakers will present their finest wines in honour of this iconic varietal. Your ticket includes a tasting pass and a commemorative wine glass. Participating estates include Delheim, Kanonkop, Perdeberg, Die Laan, Bergsig, and Beyerskloof ¨C an opportunity to experience the best of South African winemaking, all in one place.

At the heart of the weekend, the Matieland Concert returns for another memorable evening in the Endler Hall. This year's line-up includes celebrated storyteller and musical icon Natani?l, actress and comedienne Margit Meyer-R?denbeck, acclaimed actor and singer Dean Smith, the Maties Jazz Society, alumni vocal ensemble Lyrica Nova, soprano Sashon Johnson, and pianist Karen Petersen.

Homecoming wouldn't be complete without the many residence and class reunions, where alumni gather to celebrate remarkable milestones. This year, we mark various significant anniversaries ¨C among them, the 100th anniversary of both the Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences and the Department of Agricultural Economics, the 120th anniversary of Harmonie, and an incredible 150 years of Maties Rugby.

Click here to view the full programme and book your tickets. Don't miss the chance to be part of this milestone celebration - because no matter where life has taken you, you'll always have a place to come back to.?

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Deputy Governor of the South African Reserve Bank (SARB) Fundi Tshazibana unpacked the role of central banks in addressing climate-related risks during a fireside chat recently hosted by the Bureau for Economic Research and the Department of Economics.

Tshazibana, who is also the CEO of the Prudential Authority and a member of the Monetary Policy Committee, entitled her presentation ¡°Green finance and the role of central banks¡±.

The economist, with extensive experience in public policy formulation and analysis having worked at National Treasury, the National Energy Regulator of South Africa and the International Monetary Fund, began by elaborating on how SARB perceives the financial risks posed by climate change.

¡°We are not the drivers of environmental policy in the country, but we are focused on the risks associated with climate change. South Africa experiences severe droughts about once every 20 years. Our estimate is that the inflationary impact of that would generally amount to a 10% impact on food prices and an overall inflation of 3%.¡±

¡°If we look at the floods that we experienced in KwaZulu-Natal in 2022, the estimated economic costs of that were sitting at about R54 billion and that¡¯s not including the insurance-related costs. So, you can already see, from a central banking point of view, that there are risks and that there is a price attached to it.¡±

¡°So, what I am trying to illustrate through these examples, is that what is different about climate-related risks is that they can be multi-faceted ¨C they can have an impact on inflation, credit risk exposures and insurance claims. They can even have an impact on things such as tourism numbers as we saw in Cape Town with the drought (during the 2016-2018 period).¡±

She says SARB has implemented various measures within its mandate to address climate-related risks.

¡°We have had to think about different modelling tools that we could utilise. Normally we use standard macroeconomic metric models, however, with the multifaceted climate-related risks we face, we have to think about other types of tools. You have to think about how you could use, for example, more general equilibrium models and more dynamic models. It is important to think how to better utilise things such as supply tables and how do you integrate data from different sources. How do you, for example, utilise information from meteorologists and what does that look like and what does that mean?

¡°We¡¯ve also developed scenarios to help us estimate potential damage from physical risks of climate change and what that might look like. Other work that we¡¯ve embarked on is to better understand the climate-related risks for the financial sector as a whole, and this year we¡¯ve put out our first climate risk scenario common stress test where we allow all the banks to tell us how they would respond to a climate stress test.¡±

Tshazibana also expounded on the work SARB has been doing as part of the Network for Greening the Financial System ¨C a group of central banks and supervisors that share best practices and contribute to the development of environment and climate risk management in the financial sector.

¡°We have banded together to develop long-term climate scenarios to estimate potential damage from physical risks of climate change and what it might look like. We then took this work further to also include short-term scenarios. The third pocket of work we were doing was for the central banks themselves to reflect on how they can become cleaner and greener. Some of the work we¡¯ve done has been useful for national

governments when thinking about climate finance and what it could look like.¡±

Sophia du Plessis, Associate Professor and Chair of the Department of Economics, commended Tshazibana for her work at the SARB in addressing climate-related risks and its impact on the economy.

¡°It is really important for us as a country to tackle it now and to mitigate future risks which, if left unattended, could prove costly in the long run. We have to make sure that if those risks should materialise that we are prepared for it.¡±

She added that there are clear advantages to engagements like these where government officials present policy issues they face to the academic community.

¡°One key benefit is that both researchers at the 肆客足球 and our students can hear firsthand what the issues are and consider them as potential research topics. We pride ourselves on conducting research with social impact and a closer connection with policymakers can inspire meaningful and relevant research. Another advantage is that such engagements foster a two-way flow of information where academics gain insights which policymakers also benefit from.¡±

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The Bureau for Economic Research (BER) and the Department of Economics recently hosted a presentation by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) which focused on the main findings and recommendations of the 2025 OECD Economic Surveys Report for South Africa.

Working with over 100 countries, the OECD is a global policy forum that aims to establish evidence-based international standards and to find solutions to social, economic and environmental challenges. Its core aim is to shape policies that foster prosperity and opportunity and that is underpinned by equality and well-being.

The OECD Economic Survey of South Africa, which was officially launched and presented to the National Treasury in Pretoria on 5 June 2025, considered the input of government, the private sector and academics. It covers the macroeconomy as well as public finance and structural issues. The report also looked at South Africa¡¯s electricity sector and the country¡¯s transition to the green economy.

Lilas Demmou, head of the South African desk at the OECD, delivered the presentation entitled, ¡°Boosting growth on the path to decarbonisation¡±.

¡°South Africa is navigating several challenges with the most important one being to boost growth,¡± said Demmou. ¡°The country¡¯s economic growth has been disappointing, averaging 0.7% over the last decade. This has not been enough to lift the GDP (gross domestic product) per capita which has stagnated along with poverty and inequality. Another important consequence of low growth is that SA has among the lowest employment rates and the highest unemployment rates. This means that many South Africans struggle to find labour market opportunities.¡±

She added: ¡°In the survey we look at policies to boost growth and growth potential by focusing on three main areas ¨C infrastructure which is the key foundation for growth, business dynamism and job creation/access to jobs. We also focus on the electricity sector because it is a key element of growth as businesses cannot operate without electricity.¡±

According to Demmou the survey recommends several broad areas of action to boost growth.

¡°The first is to strengthen the fight against corruption. The second is to create fiscal space. Public debt, which has risen from 31.5% of GDP in 2010 to a projected 77% of GDP in 2025, is very high so you need to create fiscal space. The third is to establish a pro-competitive framework in infrastructural networks which will enhance business dynamism. The fourth is to strengthen pro-workers urban and transport policies to connect workers with jobs and labour market institutions. These action steps would contribute to increased investment in infrastructure, private investment, job creation, skill matching and provide the foundation for economic and productivity growth.¡±

Craig Lemboe, Deputy Director at the BER, said the OECD Economic Survey is extremely relevant and timely and adds to the growing calls for a reconsideration of the path towards economic prosperity in South Africa. ¡°A path which is considerably different from the one we have seen over the last decade or so and which looks like it is leading to doom.¡±

Luiz de Mello, Director of the Economics Department of the OECD which is responsible for economic surveys, said the reason for compiling the South African Economic Survey is twofold.

¡°One is to better understand the SA economy ¨C what is driving it and what challenges it is facing. The second is to take this information to a forum where all the member countries get together to exchange experiences and good practices and then to bring all this analysis back to South Africa in the hope that it will inform its policy debate.¡±

In addition, the 2025 OECD Economic Survey of South Africa projects that real GDP will grow by 1.3% this year and 1.4% in 2026. Unemployment will remain elevated, at close to 32% in 2026. Inflation is projected to decline to 3.2% in 2025 before increasing to 4.2% in 2026 as economic activity gains momentum.

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???You are invited to attend the second quarterly Teaching-Learning-Assessment seminar of 2025, offered by the Division for Learning and Teaching Enhancement (DLTE).

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Synopsis

Biography of speaker

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?You are invited to attend the lunch time Auxin session offered by the Centre for Teaching and Learning.?

Speaker: Delecia Davids 

Topic: Learning to Let Go: Pedagogical Courage and Uncertainty with Escape Room Pedagogies

??Date: 22  April 2025

Time: 13:10-14:10 

?Venue: MS Teams: Join the meeting now

Summary of the Auxin:

This presentation offers a reflective examination of a (virtual) escape room intervention in a teacher education module. The escape room aimed to foster student engagement and creativity by inviting them to navigate open-ended digital tasks and co-construct meaning within playful yet professionally grounded scenarios. However, it quickly evolved into a powerful pedagogical provocation highlighting the productive tensions of uncertainty, courage, and collaboration in higher education teaching, learning and assessment. This design destabilised traditional pedagogical authority and assessment expectations, echoing Barnett's (2007) call for higher education to prepare students for the unknown. The intervention required students to navigate ambiguity, make collective decisions, and creatively respond to unfamiliar challenges. It also fostered assessment as learning, prioritising reflection and transformation over correct answers, allowing students to take on a more agentic role in their learning. For educators, it offers a provocation to view pedagogical experimentation as a form of inquiry and courage, seeing uncertainty as fertile ground for growth.?

Delecia Davids is a lecturer and early career academic at the Faculty of Education at Stellenbosch 肆客足球. As a Mandela Rhodes scholar, Delecia completed her master's in education policy studies with a thesis on the agency and place-attachment practices of student leaders. She is currently a PhD candidate and her research explores preservice teachers' digital agency through a sociological and sociomaterial lens.

Contact person: Simbongile Ntwasa at sim@sun.ac.za

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?You are invited to attend the lunch time Auxin session offered by the Centre for Teaching and Learning.

Speaker: Benita Bobo

Topic: Gamification and social media as a catalyst for student learning and engagement?

??Date: 13 May 2025

Time: 13:10-14:10 

?Venue: MS Teams: Join the meeting now?

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?Summary of the Auxin:

How do you keep 10 000 first-year students, who are 'forced' to do a compulsory module engaged? How can you leverage on digital tools to promote the attainment of module learning outcomes, graduate attributes, and critical cross field outcomes? One possible answer is using gamification and social media to keep students engaged while learning.

Gamification is the incorporation of game-like elements in learning activities, with the aim of increasing student engagement and learning. It draws on self-determination theory, which highlights the importance of autonomy, competence and relatedness. By providing clear goals, immediate feedback, and opportunities for social interaction, gamification can enhance students' sense of agency and engagement within large, impersonal classes.

In this presentation I also highlight how I draw on social constructivism as a learning theory and transformative learning as a pedagogical approach to frame the creation of authentic learning experiences. Social constructivism posits that learning is most effective when students actively construct knowledge through interaction and collaboration within authentic contexts. Transformative learning theory further supports this approach, emphasising the importance of critical reflection, which can be stimulated through interactive activities.

I ask the following question to promote reflection and discussion amongst attendees: how can academics leverage on gamification and social media platforms to enhance their teaching, learning and assessment? It is hoped that this presentation will spark interest and discussion and generate ideas on how academics may consider doing this in their own disciplinary contexts. 

Benita is a Senior Advisor at the Centre for Teaching and Learning. Prior to this she has worked as a lecturer and coordinator for institutional General Education modules, as well as a Psychology lecturer and coordinator for institutional Service-Learning modules. Her teaching is grounded in the constructivism and social contextual learning theories. As such, she believes in drawing on the lived realities of her students in her teaching. 

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Establishing robust systems to monitor and analyse genetic information from pathogens helps South Africa to quickly detect and track changes in viruses proactively. This allows for faster responses to outbreaks and enhances pandemic preparedness in the country and the entire region.

On 24^th of June, the new phase of the Genomic Surveillance Project - a major public health collaboration to scale up monitoring and analysing genetic information from pathogens ¨C was officially launched in Cape Town. It is a collaboration between the Centre for Epidemic Response and Innovation (CERI) at Stellenbosch 肆客足球 and the Deutsche Gesellschaft f¨¹r Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) as part of the GIZ SAVax Programme. SAVax is co-funded by the German Government, the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), and the European Union (EU) and implemented in partnership with the South African Department of Health and the Department of Science, Technology and Innovation. The funding is part of the Team Europe Initiative on manufacturing and access to vaccines, medicines and health technologies in Africa (MAV+), which aims to bolster local vaccine and pharmaceutical manufacturing capacity and access to health technologies on the continent.

The new phase of the Genomic Surveillance Project will build on existing progress with additional funding of ZAR 9 million, bringing total investment in the partnership to ZAR 12 million. This funding is important to continue genomics surveillance for the most important pathogens, including respiratory pathogens of pandemic potential like Avian Influenza H5N1 and potential new coronaviruses.

This collaboration shows the strong partnership between South Africa, Germany and European Union in cooperating on science for global health security and pandemic preparedness. Through capacity building measures and increased data sharing, national and regional data repositories and networks can be built and fostered. The partnership therefore reinforces a shared commitment to scientific excellence, equity, and proactive epidemic response across Africa.

The launch event at the CERI Headquarters on Stellenbosch 肆客足球's Tygerberg Campus included a tour of laboratories, a panel discussion and a grant award ceremony attended by senior officials and dignitaries.

Mr. Fulgencio Garrido Ruiz, EU Deputy Ambassador to South Africa, emphasised the importance of South Africa as a strategic partner: ¡°We are delighted to expand the collaboration with South Africa". To support pandemic preparedness and equity across the African continent, the Team Europe Initiative MAV+ mobilizes resources among EU member states. In South Africa the European Union through MAV+ has mobilized already over 700 Mio EUR of which 10 Mio EUR so far support research infrastructure.

Garrido stated: ¡°There is one aspect at the core of the approach which is research and development. A robust local research framework that enhances self-sufficiency and empowers nations to respond independently to health crisis."

Emphasising on the importance of the Team Europe Initiative MAV+ Sven Hartwig, Deputy Consul General to the German Consulate General in Cape Town stated: ¡°It is an honour for the German cooperation to contribute to the Team Europe Initiative MAV+ and to work alongside dedicated partners like CERI."

He also emphasised the importance of collaboration for global health: ¡°This launch highlights that surveillance for pandemic preparedness relies on partnership and collaboration between the public and private sectors, academia, and civil society. Germany is therefore particularly proud to continue supporting genomic surveillance and remains steadfast in its commitment to share global health goals."

Dr Anban Pillay, Deputy Director General from the National Department of Health underlined the importance of this partnership and the new programme by stating: ¡°The work of CERI and the 肆客足球 of Stellenbosch foster a culture of collaboration."

Claudia Aguirre, head of the GIZ SAVax programme underlined the strong partnership with CERI, which has started in 2023. Looking ahead she stated: ¡°In this new collaboration these capacity building efforts will be expanded. We look forward to supporting CERI in its journey to develop science on the African continent and contribute to the development of solutions by African scientists for Africa".

¡°This partnership exemplifies how science, government, and international cooperation can come together to strengthen public health systems and respond more effectively to epidemic threats," said Professor Tulio de Oliveira, Director of CERI. ¡°This is especially important for respiratory pathogens and new pathogens like Mpox, which have pandemic potential. The economic cost of a pandemic is so large that preventing it is a very wise and cost-effective investment".

During the first phase of the CERI project (2023-2024) the initiative sequenced over 1,000 pathogen genomes, trained over 50 African scientists, and enhanced data-sharing protocols to improve outbreak response capabilities.

In the second CERI project phase (2025-2026) efforts are underway to expand genomic surveillance for respiratory pathogens like influenza, RSV, H5N1 avian flu, and emerging COVID-19 strains, while promoting the integration of genomic data into public health policy. South Africa is a key player in global biosecurity, with becoming the second Southern Hemisphere country after Australia to provide real-time genomic tracking of winter disease pathogens. Furthermore, efforts are focused on strengthening laboratory infrastructure and testing in under-resourced provinces while supporting the training and career development of scientists at Historically Disadvantaged Universities in South Africa.

肆客足球 CERI
The Centre for Epidemic Response and Innovation is a world-leading research centre at Stellenbosch 肆客足球 focused on using genomics and data science to track and respond to infectious disease outbreaks across Africa.

• Media Contact at CERI: Maambele Khosa maambele@sun.ac.za
• Media contact at GIZ SAVax Programme: Katja Fuehrer katja.fuehrer@giz.de
• Media Contact at EU Delegation: Frank Oberholzer Frank.OBERHOLZER@eeas.europa.eu

Caption:

Sven Hartwig - the Deputy Consul General to the German Consulate General in Cape Town; Dr. Anban Pillay, Deputy Director General - Department of Health; Fulgencio Garrido Ruiz, Deputy Ambassador of EU Delegation, to South Africa; and, Prof. Tulio de Oliveira, Director - Centre for Epidemic Response and Innovation

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?Final-year MBChB student at Stellenbosch 肆客足球 (SU), Kayla Lourens has been recognised as one of South Africa's top final-year medical students, earning the Young Doctors Merit Award at the National Medical Awards, held during the recent 2025 Smart Health Summit gala evening in Pretoria.

The award, presented by the Alliance of South African Independent Practitioners Associations (ASAIPA), recognises final-year medical students across the country who excel in academics, leadership, and community engagement. Lourens shares the 2025 top honour with Estiaan Mellet from the 肆客足球 of Pretoria.

A standout student at SU's Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Lourens is no stranger to accolades. Last year she received the 肆客足球's prestigious Rector's Award for Leadership and was also awarded honorary colours for leadership, culture, and service at SU, as well as a merit award for her contributions to the Tygerberg Student Union.

With a strong interest in cardiovascular medicine, Lourens has complemented her academic achievements with rich international experiences, including a German Summer School at the 肆客足球 of T¨¹bingen and a clinical elective in acute cardiac care at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago. She also represented Friends of Doctors Without Borders at the MSF Southern Africa General Assembly in Harare.

Leadership and community service have remained central to her student journey. Lourens has chaired the Tygerberg Societies Council, the SU Medical Orchestra, and Friends of Doctors Without Borders, while also serving on key governance bodies such as the Tygerberg Student Representative Council and the Academic Affairs Council.

Reflecting on her ambitions, she says she is committed to patient-centred care and hopes to contribute to a more innovative, equitable and compassionate healthcare system.

¡°I believe that the future of South African healthcare relies on young doctors who are willing to stand up ¨C not just to critique the system, but to be part of its transformation."

Lourens added that the ASAIPA Young Doctors Merit Awards resonate with her because it recognises more than academic achievement. ¡°It celebrates the kind of doctor I strive to become ¨C a doctor who leads with empathy, uplifts communities and uses every opportunity to grow and give back."

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??Sport plays a vital role in building relationships, bridging historical divides, and bringing about social change ¨C and nowhere is this better demonstrated than in the story of rugby in South Africa. The image of Nelson Mandela cheering on a nearly all-white Springbok rugby team at the 1995 Rugby World Cup, in a moving gesture towards national unity in the early days of democracy, will forever be etched in the minds of sports lovers.

In June, 22 rugby-playing students from the 肆客足球 of Virginia (UVA) were able to relive, and learn from, South Africa's national experience of rugby through a Summer School programme entitled Game Change: Race, Rugby, and Reconciliation in South Africa at Stellenbosch 肆客足球 (SU).

The intensive course, which ran from 8 ¨C 22 June, is one of SU International's tailored programme offerings and forms part of an emerging series at UVA, which explores the links between sports and global politics. The programme was part of SU International's offering to develop and host tailored short programmes for international partners on demand.

The students ¨C all players from UVA's men's and women's rugby club teams ¨C attended lectures and visited some key historical sites. They watched the Maties Men's and Women's rugby teams in training, joined training sessions and played rugby with various local teams.

The hands-on programme had, as its goal, to examine the role of rugby in politics, national identity, reconciliation and transformation in South Africa, both during and after apartheid.

The lectures were presented by local historians, sociologists, political scientists and athletes. Students learnt about the country's history and culture and visited communities which use sport to bring about social integration.

The students' field visits included a visit to the District Six Museum, which presents the memories of communities affected by forced removals during apartheid; the Langa Dompas Museum, which showcases the history of Langa township. They went up the iconic Table Mountain, and visited the Grootbos Foundation in Gansbaai, which works to conserve the unique Cape Floral Kingdom and uplifts local communities through sport.

Their rugby-related activities included visits to the Vusa Rugby and Training Academy which works to empower young people in Langa through sport, academic support and mentorship. The students also played a rugby match against women's and men's teams from 肆客足球 of Western Cape (UWC).

Emily Mellen, Global Communications Officer in the Office of the Vice Provost for Global Affairs at UVA, said a key goal of the programme was to highlight the role of sport in global diplomacy, and to explore how universities can be involved in this.

¡°Diplomacy is built on relationships, and relationships are built on shared emotions. Sports provide the space for shared emotions to develop and provide the ground on which to build connections into further diplomatic relationships over time."

Ms. Mellen said UVA is building further collaborations in South Africa with a range of institutions, including UWC, UFS, and SU.

Students interviewed said they found the lectures professional and compelling, particularly the parallels between South Africa and the United States in terms of race relations. A highlight, they said, was gaining diverse perspectives on history and politics, and being immersed in the culture, including the country's strong rugby focus.

Olivia Allen, a fourth-year neuroscience student, said the summer school exceeded her expectations and changed her perspective. ¡°Visiting the Vusa Academy in Langa was a highlight. It was fascinating to see children playing rugby at such a young age. It's been great to see how tight South Africa's rugby community is, and the impact it's had on the country."

¡°South Africa's story on rugby and reconciliation will stay with me. There are many inspiring sports stories about individuals, but this rugby story saw so many people coming together. The 1995 World Cup was a time when people put aside their prejudices and came together. It's so inspiring."

Media student Katherine Delaney enjoyed learning about how rugby became a political tool in South Africa. ¡°I also loved hearing about the social habits of South Africans. Elements of the culture kept jumping out at me. For example, in Langa, our tour guide told us it's a sign of respect for children to receive gifts with two hands. I found that a precious piece of culture."

Computer science student Patricio Anduaga said as somebody who grew up loving rugby, it was ¡°wonderful to be immersed in a culture so heavily surrounded by rugby.

¡°My highlight was our match against UWC. Their team beat us, but they did it with such respect, even though they were way more skilled than we were. They treated us like brothers afterwards."

Kinesiology student Dylan Kirk enjoyed observing the interactions between diverse South Africans. ¡°They're so open to talking to each other. In America, you stick to your clique. Here, the people are constantly branching out and listening to different perspectives."

Coordinator: Short Term Mobility and Affiliates at SU, Zandelie Trollip, said beside the academic content, SU offers a full-service experience, including accommodation, meals, lectures, venues, cultural and academic excursions, airport transfers, and round the clock support.

¡°These programmes are designed to foster a truly transformative student experience.

¡°They are primarily intended for students from the sending institution and are often co-taught by faculty from both institutions. By immersing students in the South African context, these programmes aim to broaden global perspectives, deepen intercultural understanding, and strengthen long-term institutional partnerships," she said.

Ms Trollip said the collaboration with UVA aligns strongly with SU's internationalisation goals and commitment to global engagement with local relevance.

¡°It reflects our shared academic interests in issues of race, reconciliation, as well as our shared passion for sport. Hosting the Game Change programme supports SU's goal of offering inclusive, immersive, and socially impactful learning experiences." 

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Stellenbosch 肆客足球 (SU) researchers are playing a leading role in a global trial investigating the use of artificial intelligence (AI) to improve tuberculosis (TB) diagnosis. The project aims to develop and test an algorithm that will enable healthcare workers at primary care facilities to detect likely TB cases using a handheld ultrasound device and smartphone.

¡°TB remains the world's deadliest infectious disease, yet it is massively underdiagnosed," explains Prof Grant Theron, professor in Clinical Mycobacteriology and Epidemiology at SU and the trial coordinator. ¡°A major challenge is that we often test the wrong people at the wrong time. Many patients undergo unnecessary testing, while others who desperately need it never receive proper screening. There's an urgent need for accessible, affordable, and scalable diagnostic tools for TB triage."

The project, titled 'Computer assisted diagnosis with lung ultrasound for community based pulmonary tuberculosis triage in Benin, Mali and South Africa' (CAD LUS4TB), involves a consortium of 10 health and research institutions across Africa and Europe. The European Union's Global Health EDCTP3 Joint Undertakings has provided €10 million (over R200 million) in funding.

The study will include 3 000 adult patients to investigate ultrasound-led TB recognition using AI in TB triage and management. The goal is to improve access to TB screening that can rule out TB disease among symptomatic adult patients at the primary healthcare level.

"Point-of-care lung ultrasound employs sensitive, handheld imaging devices capable of detecting body abnormalities, including those characteristic of TB," Theron explains. "Previously, this technology was limited by the need for specialised expertise to interpret images. However, AI now offers unprecedented opportunities to automate image classification, allowing minimally trained health workers to quickly and easily determine which patients require further testing. CAD LUS4TB therefore introduces a much-needed, specimen-free diagnostic test in the fight against TB."

In collaboration with European partners, SU will also develop and validate the machine learning algorithms with the involvement of Prof Thomas Niesler's Digital Signal Processing group in SU's Faculty of Engineering. Researchers will develop the novel algorithm to be compatible with portable ultrasound devices that connect to smartphones. The technology will automatically assess ultrasound images for TB indicators and will be packaged into a user-friendly mobile application for widespread deployment.

The project begins on September 1, 2025, under the co-leadership of Dr Veronique Suttels from The Swiss Federal Technology Institute of Lausanne Laboratory for Intelligent Global Health and Humanitarian Technologies, and Prof Ablo Prudence Wachinou from the National Teaching Centre for Pneumology & Tuberculosis in Benin.

The CAD LUS4TB consortium focuses on generating population-specific evidence and advocating for the integration of computer-assisted diagnosis (CAD) using AI to support the implementation of lung ultrasound in healthcare policy. 

Caption : A doct?or at the national teaching hospital for pneumology & tuberculosis in Cotonou, Benin performs a tablet-connected ultrasound on a symptomatic patient. CAD LUS4TB investigates AI-assisted image analysis to enable early detection of tuberculosis.

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When Professor Louis Jenkins received an email announcing he'd won a prestigious international award for 'Excellence in Health Care', his first instinct was to delete it. The message seemed too good to be true ¨C surely it was spam. But when he finally investigated further, this professor in Family and Emergency Medicine at Stellenbosch 肆客足球 discovered he had indeed been selected for the Africa Five Star Doctor Award from the World Organisation of Family Doctors (WONCA).

¡°I was blown away," Jenkins admits.

The WONCA Five Star Doctor Award represents the pinnacle of achievement in family medicine, recognising doctors who excel across five critical domains: Care Provider, Decision Maker, Communicator, Community Leader, and Manager. These criteria, developed by Dr Charles Boelen during his 30-year tenure with the World Health Organisation, define what makes a truly exceptional physician in the modern healthcare landscape.

Jenkins' nomination came from Professor Bob Mash, Executive Head of Family Medicine at Stellenbosch 肆客足球, though Jenkins himself remained modest about his chances. ¡°I have so many amazing colleagues working across Africa that I didn't think too much of it. I'm surprised and humbled."

As the regional winner, Jenkins will represent Africa at the WONCA World Conference in Lisbon this September, where he'll be considered for the global Five Star Doctor Award while presenting his research to an international audience.

A passion for family medicine

Jenkins' passion for family medicine stems from its unique position at the intersection of comprehensive healthcare delivery. ¡°It's a place where you get close to the people you're involved with in their lives from birth to death," he explains. ¡°You're with people when they are born and when they are dying; you're involved in dealing with emergencies, chronic diseases and socio-cultural issues such as gender-based violence. You also do procedures and surgery."

This breadth of practice reflects Jenkins' belief in the critical role family physicians play, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. In Africa, family physicians serve as expert generalists capable of surgical, obstetrical and anaesthetic procedures while leading community-oriented primary care initiatives and training healthcare teams. It's a discipline that transcends traditional professional boundaries, requiring practitioners to be equally comfortable in operating theatres and community health centres.

Transforming medical education and healthcare systems

Jenkins' research interests focus on transforming medical education and healthcare systems. He's currently leading efforts to implement Work-Place Based Assessments (WPBA) in South Africa's postgraduate medical education system. This innovative approach captures learning and assessment data through e-portfolios over three to four years, moving away from traditional examination-based evaluation toward real-world competency assessment.

¡°In postgraduate medical education, there has been a global move towards WPBA, where registrars are assessed in the workplace," Jenkins explains. His work involves developing Entrustable Professional Activities (EPAs) ¨C specific tasks that registrars must master before being trusted to perform them independently.

Impact of his efforts

The impact of Jenkins' mentorship extends far beyond South Africa's borders. He has supervised over 26 registrars completing their MMed research degrees, covering diverse topics from palliative care and tuberculosis to theatre efficiency and healthcare worker resilience. Through the African Research Collaboration, he's helping develop emerging family physicians across the continent.

One area particularly close to Jenkins' heart is palliative care research. ¡°We are doing extensive research on how to improve home-based palliative care in communities," he notes, addressing a critical gap in healthcare delivery for patients with life-limiting conditions.

Jenkins' commitment to healthcare system improvement operates at multiple levels ¨C from local management to national policy. He believes family physicians' broad perspective positions them uniquely to understand and improve complex healthcare systems. ¡°The work of family physicians covers so many aspects, so their voices are increasingly being heard in understanding complex-adaptive systems to improve overall healthcare for patients in their communities."

Outside medicine, Jenkins finds balance through gardening on his smallholding outside George, where he particularly enjoys planting trees. He's also an avid reader of biographies and history, and treasures time with his wife and two daughters.

Reflecting on his recognition, Jenkins remains humble: ¡°There are many exceptional doctors caring for communities and working very hard in Africa. I don't know how one can single out one colleague. None of us can work properly without a whole team of colleagues carrying one another."

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??For over two decades, South Africa has grappled with challenges in its public administration, particularly at the senior leadership level of directors-general (DGs) and heads of department (HoDs). A recent roundtable hosted at the Presidential Guesthouse in Pretoria brought this issue to the fore with renewed urgency and a clear commitment to change.

The roundtable, convened by the Presidency, focused on strengthening the political-administrative interface ¨C a persistent source of tension and dysfunction in public sector leadership.

Stellenbosch 肆客足球's (SU) Policy Innovation Lab works closely with the Presidency to explore ways in which digital tools and artificial intelligence can contribute to renewal. ¡°We are grateful for the continuing opportunity to unlock the intellectual resources at SU in service of an improved public sector," said Prof Willem Fourie, Chair of the Policy Innovation Lab. Fourie presented the key take-aways at the final session of the roundtable discussions.

In preparation the Lab, located in the School for Data Science and Computational Thinking, convened a series of webinars on topics related to this event. ¡°The webinars provided a strong platform for open and honest discussion on how to identify and address some of the main challenges faced in public administration," said Monique Bennett of the Lab and organiser of the webinars.

The challenge of instability

At the heart of the discussions were the draft findings of a report by the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC) on its study titled ¡°Synthesis Evaluation of State Capacity".

The HSRC's evaluation paints a sobering picture. High turnover among senior leaders, often driven by politicisation and unclear legal frameworks, undermines continuity and weakens institutional memory, which could potentially disrupt service delivery. The resultant instability is further compounded by a lack of clarity on the roles of executive authorities and senior administrators.

Opening the dialogue, Minister of Public Service and Administration Inkosi Mzamo Buthelezi acknowledged these challenges and called for decisive steps to professionalise the public service. In his keynote address, Deputy President Paul Mashatile emphasised the need to establish trust, continuity and competence at the highest levels of government administration.

The roundtable included a presentation of the HSRC's findings by Prof Narnia Bohler-Muller and advocate Gary Pienaar, who underscored the urgency of implementing structural reforms. Chief among the report's recommendations is the establishment of the position of a Head of Public Administration (HOPA) ¨C a central figure to oversee the career progression, accountability and performance of DGs and HoDs, thereby insulating these roles from undue political interference.

Echoing these concerns, Prof Mashupye Maserumule, an expert in the field of governance and public administration, highlighted that South Africa's constitutional and policy architecture already provides the tools for a professionalised, accountable public administration. However, he cautioned that the persistent gap between policy design and implementation has allowed instability at the political-administrative interface to persist, undermining governance despite well-intentioned frameworks.

Good practices

The roundtable featured several case studies, including a presentation by former Minister of Trade and Industry Prof Rob Davies on stabilising leadership in developmental states. Another session explored intergovernmental collaboration for service delivery, reinforcing the value of alignment and shared accountability across different spheres of government.

Breakaway sessions later in the day focused on practical themes such as building robust regulatory frameworks, strengthening leadership and skills development and addressing the high turnover. These discussions paved the way for concrete suggestions on how to improve recruitment processes, how to expand mentoring and induction programmes, and how to better incorporate ethical leadership principles like ubuntu into civil service training.

From dialogue to implementation

As South Africa strives to build a capable, ethical and developmental state, leadership stability remains a central concern. The reforms proposed in the HSRC report that were reinforced at the May roundtable, represent a bold yet necessary shift in the governance landscape.

¡°We look forward to strengthening our collaboration with government departments and hope to support reforms that are both ambitious and grounded," Dr Itai Makone, researcher at the Policy Innovation Lab, reflected on its involvement.

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Prof Willem Fourie, Chair of SU's Policy Innovation Lab, spoke at the high-level event attended by members of the Presidency, ministers and directors-general.

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?Men's Mental Health Month draws to a close on Monday, 30 June. In an opinion piece for the Cape Argus, Mandisa Mashaba from the Division of Health Systems and Public Health writes that South Africa is facing a mental health crisis, and men are at the centre of it. She says society can better support men's mental health by creating space for them to feel, break, and rebuild¡ªwithout shame, and with support.

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

?Mandisa Mashaba*

Suicide rates are often used to show how serious mental health challenges are in a country. In 2019, the World Health Organization reported that South Africa was among the 10 countries with the highest suicide rates globally, with 23.5 suicides per 100,000 people. In that same year, South Africa was ranked the third highest in Africa¡ªrecording 13,774 suicide deaths, the majority of which were men (10,861 compared to 2,913 women).

More recently, suicide rates in the country rose by 18% in 2021, showing that the problem is getting worse, especially for men. According to World Population Review, South Africa continues to rank high in global suicide statistics. These numbers tell us something serious: South Africa is facing a mental health crisis, and men are at the centre of it. Yet we rarely ask: what does mental illness look like in men? Or more urgently: what keeps them from seeking help before it's too late? These are important questions to consider as Men's Mental Health Month draws to a close on Monday, 30 June.

My interest in men's mental health started at home. Growing up as a Black girl in a traditional Christian household, I noticed how emotions were treated differently based on gender. My brothers were taught to be tough, never cry, and always "man up." In contrast, I was allowed to show my feelings, cry when needed, and speak when overwhelmed. This double standard influenced how we each dealt with pain. It became even more personal when a cousin, a quiet and bright young boy in Grade 11, took his own life. Instead of understanding what he was going through, many believed he was possessed or that it was due to witchcraft. We were told not to talk about it again, but I wanted to learn more.

Years later, while doing my Master's degree, I analysed stories submitted by South African men to Men's Health South Africa. These weren't research reports¡ªthey were real-life stories. Men talked about experiencing mental health challenges such as depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, eating disorders, and more.

What stood out was not just what they said, but how they said it. Many described using humour, work, sports, isolation, or drinking as ways to cope. Most only sought help after a suicide attempt or hitting rock bottom.

One man wrote, ¡°I thought depression happened to people who were mentally weak. Not to young men like myself who are in the prime of their life and career." That mindset¡ªone that equates mental illness with weakness¡ªwas common across the stories.

What kept many of these men in the stories I read from getting help? It came down to how society defines masculinity. We teach boys from a young age to be strong, to never cry, and to hide their pain. This becomes a script they follow into adulthood, even when it harms them. But strength doesn't mean silence. In fact, silence is part of the problem.

Men's mental health issues don't always present as sadness. Frequently, they manifest as emotional withdrawal, working excessively or engaging in risky behaviours, sudden outbursts of anger or numbness, or reliance on alcohol or drugs to cope. These behaviours are not accidental; they reflect what men believe they are permitted to feel.

But here's the good news: some men are changing that narrative. In the stories I read, a few men openly sought therapy, spoke to loved ones, or found healing through fitness, spirituality, or the support of friends. They showed that healing is possible when vulnerability is allowed.

So, what can we do as a society to better support men's mental health?

We need to meet men where they are. That means offering support in ways that feel safe. Workplaces can provide private mental health check-ins. Communities can use gyms, barbershops, or churches to start conversations.

We must teach boys that feeling emotions is not a weakness from a young age; therefore, schools should include emotional literacy in their curriculum. We also need to show that seeking help is a form of strength. If men can be heroes at work and in their families, they can also be brave enough to ask for help.

Finally, not all men are the same. Men¡ªregardless of their identities, backgrounds, or life experiences¡ªdeserve support that recognises and responds to their individual needs.

In South Africa, some organisations are already doing this work. For example, the South African Depression and Anxiety Group (SADAG) offers, 24/7 free mental health support at 0800 567 567.

If we want men to thrive, not just survive, we must create space for them to feel, break, and rebuild¡ªwithout shame, and with support. Let's not wait for another tragic loss. Let's do more than raise awareness. Let's act by starting to listen, talk, and show up for the men in our lives.

*Mandisa Mashaba is a research assistant in the Co-CREATE Health Hub (Co-Creative Research for Equity and Transdisciplinary Knowledge Exchange), within the Division of Health Systems and Public Health at the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences at Stellenbosch 肆客足球.

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?YOUTH MONTH

This Youth Month, we're celebrating students who are driving positive change on campus, in their communities and beyond. Through their leadership, compassion and commitment, they are helping to build a better future for South Africa. These profiles highlight the impact and energy of a new generation of changemakers at Stellenbosch 肆客足球 (SU).

When people ask Lihle Baleka what he studies, he replies: ¡°I'm studying the future." A second-year student in sustainable development at SU, he is a young man of many talents and passions. He has made a name as a leading voice for women's rights, queer empowerment and environmental justice. In his free time, he gives expression to his love for music as an enthusiastic member of the SU Chamber Choir.

Baleka grew up in Uitenhage in the Eastern Cape in a household led by women of remarkable strength. ¡°My mother and grandmother shaped me to be the person I'm today. I'm very grateful to them," he says.

That foundation of love and resilience, coupled with the pain of being bullied for his queerness, propelled Baleka toward a path of advocacy and leadership. ¡°At school, the stigma of being queer was a lot. The non-stop insults made it difficult to accept myself," he recalls. ¡°I remember one day having an epiphany ¨C I was scared to be who I am and to live my life to the fullest, but the people I was afraid of were living their best life. I realised I was closing myself off in a cocoon and I needed to get out and also live my best life.

¡°I began to critically examine the gender roles that often limit and harm us. For instance, I challenged some of my family members on the assumption that pink is for girls and blue is for boys. It's problematic to impose certain behaviours or expectations on children simply based on their gender."

Speaking up, showing up

Baleka currently serves as the Women and Queer Empowerment Portfolio Manager on the Student Representative Council (SRC) and chairs its corresponding committee. These roles have given him a platform to challenge outdated norms and amplify the voices of those too often silenced.

¡°It's not enough to talk about equality. We must actively create spaces where marginalised voices are heard," he says. One of the issues he is tackling is the persistent misogyny on campus. He says it's problematic that some student leaders in male residences never show up to join efforts to mobilise for women's rights and protest against femicide in South Africa. ¡°Yet they expect a home-cooked meal from a woman at the end of the day. That is not leadership, that is patriarchy," he insists.

Through public dialogues and curated events, Baleka fosters difficult but necessary conversations about toxic masculinity and gender-based violence. A powerful example was his recent facilitation of a documentary screening of Alison, based on the brutal 1994 attack on Alison Botha.

¡°It was very graphic, but I feel strongly we shouldn't shy away from the unseen reality of gender-based violence," Baleka says of the documentary. ¡°One of the HC members in the Dagbreek male residence came to me afterwards and thanked me for organising the screening. We need more such events where we address the uncomfortable truths about GBV," he insists.

Sustainability with soul

Baleka's activism extends to ecological justice. As Secretary of EcoMaties, he helps promote a holistic understanding of environmental sustainability informed by deep ecology ¨C a philosophy that sees all forms of life as intrinsically valuable. ¡°Sustainability isn't just about recycling," he explains. ¡°It's about understanding our interconnectedness with each other and the planet."

Baleka also served as a mentor for the Aurora Commuter Student Community, where he guided newcomers through personal and professional challenges and helped them grow through the powerful exchange of diverse lived experiences. This journey enriched his leadership skills and deepened his commitment to empathy, empowerment and community-building.

Though soft-spoken, Baleka leads with unwavering conviction. He draws energy from mentors and role models, both personal and global. Among those he admires is Meaza Ashenafi, the Ethiopian human rights lawyer who helped redefine sexual assault laws to better protect young girls. But Baleka's most enduring inspiration remains closer to home. ¡°My mother never had the chances I have. She was forced to live in the shadows of men. I fight for her, and for women like her."

Inspiration from his roots

When things get tough, Baleka reminds himself how far he's come. ¡°I look back to my hometown where so many boys fall into drug and substance abuse, and I feel deeply grateful for the opportunities I have to make something of myself. The hopes and prayers of my family keep me going. When I'm down and out I picture myself on a soccer field and I look back at my family cheering me on."

The most rewarding part of his journey at SU is knowing people believe in him and that his efforts to make a difference are seen.

His advice to fellow students? Start small. Ask questions. And don't be afraid to ruffle feathers. ¡°The system won't change unless you push it to. When you're fighting for a good cause, it's good to be a rebel."

PHOTO: Stefan Els
GRAPHIC: Geola Bergman ?

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?Micro, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (MSMEs) Day was celebrated on Friday 27 June. In opinion pieces for the media, experts at Stellenbosch 肆客足球 focused on some of the key issues that must be addressed to help MSMEs in South Africa thrive and contribute to job creation and economic growth. Click on the links below to read the articles as published.

• ?Alvira Fisher (Survival is not enough: Why SA's SMMEs must learn to let go of old habits ¡ª Business Report)
• Goosain Solomon (Why business incubations often falter ¡ª Cape Times)
  
• Dr Armand Bam (Small business, big future: What will the economy do for entrepreneurs? ¡ª Business Report)

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A decade ago, Stellenbosch 肆客足球 (SU) LaunchLab was officially brought to life inside what was once a dusty furniture repair building. Today, the thriving SU business incubator has helped launch more than 35 spinout companies, attracted millions of rands in investment, and helped countless entrepreneurs grow their businesses - rightly earning its title as the top university incubator in Africa by 肆客足球 Business Incubator Global (UBI) from 2017 to 2020.

In a celebratory event marking this milestone, over a hundred stakeholders gathered to reflect on the journey, honour the people behind it, and look ahead to LaunchLab's next decade of innovation.

Through keynote reflections from Brandon Paschal, Deputy Director of Spinouts and Funds and Manager of LaunchLab; Anita Nel, Chief Director Innovation and Commercialisation; Prof. Stan du Plessis, SU's Chief Operating Officer, and a lively panel moderated by Prof. Deresh Ramjugernath, SU's Rector and Vice Chancellor, the evening traced LaunchLab's evolution from serendipitous coffee chats to a full-scale entrepreneurial ecosystem. The event also formally introduced the LaunchLab CERIBIO, a brand-new biotechnology laboratory built to accelerate Africa's next generation of biotech startups.

Prof. Du Plessis, the evening's guest speaker, recounted the 肆客足球's innovation journey. Having served on LaunchLab's board since its inception, Prof. du Plessis noted that "in ten years, we've achieved more than what was even possible at Wharton in their early years."

Sharing his final address as COO of SU at the, Prof. Du Plessis reflected on the ten-year journey from an economic perspective. Drawing on ideas from Thomas Hobbes and Karl Marx, he emphasised the importance of creating spaces like LaunchLab, where innovation can flourish through structure, freedom, and creative enterprise. He also paid tribute to Paschal, recognising his commitment and hands-on leadership in shaping the incubator's culture and guiding its ventures forward.

¡°We celebrate your outstanding first decade, LaunchLab, and we expect an even more astonishing second decade," he said. Prof. Du Plessis' legacy, like that of the incubator he helped guide, is one of bold vision and quiet resolve.

Taking the stage together, Nel and Paschal delivered a dual keynote that captured both the heart and the hustle behind LaunchLab. While Anita reflected on its improbable beginnings - pleading for seed funding and advertising the incubator on Facebook with the caption ¡°Incubator open, anyone can come" - Brandon delved into the statistics and outcomes that followed, acknowledging the startups that filled the space, the millions raised, the global partnerships formed, and the ideas that turned into investable businesses.

Nostalgia aside, the duo revealed much about the deliberate choices, scrappy beginnings, and sheer determination that have shaped LaunchLab into what it is today.

¡°What surprised me most over the past ten years?" said Nel, ¡°is that it's never about processes or money alone, it's always about the people. People are what made all of this a success." Gesturing towards the entrepreneurs in the room, she advised, ¡°we must never stop supporting them, because a win for them is a win for us all."

Paschal, whose leadership and vision have been central to LaunchLab's evolution, delivered a candid reflection on their ten year journey, reminding the audience that the heart of incubation isn't found in flashy headlines but in the daily grind.

He traced the timeline from the LaunchLab's occupancy in 2015, featuring CubeSpace's first built-in cleanroom, and ButtaNutt's bold leap into incubation, after selling R300 000 worth of nut butter at the Slow Market, through years of collaborative innovation with corporates like Mercedes-Benz, ATTACQ, and Santam.

By 2019, LaunchLab had been named Africa's top university incubator by UBI Global for the second time, launched the Stellenbosch Network, and saw its spinout portfolio surge. Then came the quiet grind of 2020¨C2023, following the COVID-19 pandemic, the launch of the 肆客足球 Technology Fund (UTF), and a shift from a private entity back into SU's internal structure. All of this was strategically designed to refocus on the success and growth of SU's portfolio companies.

However, 2024 and 2025 marked a significant step forward. Paschal proudly shared how SU LaunchLab, in partnership with Stellenbosch Network, began curating industry-specific innovation networks through events like Cape Agritech Connect, helping startups find customers and build meaningful partnerships. He announced that the Instant Startup, which was first piloted in 2021, has now been licensed internationally. Meanwhile, the UTF II has officially launched, following the successful deployment of Fund I, and is ready to fuel a new generation of spinouts with critical early-stage capital.

"Ten years in, we're still learning, still iterating, but the impact is undeniable," said Paschal. ¡°The numbers speak volumes, with over 400 businesses supported, R857 million raised by incubatees and spinouts, and an estimated R1 billion in revenue generated by incubated companies in 2024 alone. But the true legacy lies in the community LaunchLab has cultivated," he concluded.

LaunchLab CERIBIO: Africa's Biotech Launchpad

The evening's second act proved LaunchLab's unofficial mantra of ¡°just doing it" is alive and well. With a ceremonial snip of a red ribbon, SU unveiled LaunchLab CERIBIO, a biotechnology laboratory and incubator created in partnership with the Centre for Epidemic Response & Innovation (CERI).

The LaunchLab CERIBIO is a state-of-the-art laboratory and co-working space equipped for molecular biology, enzyme production, and diagnostic prototyping, paired with LaunchLab's signature business building support.

The lab is not a nice-to-have; it was identified as a need for early-stage biotech ventures that currently face two critical barriers: the high cost of lab infrastructure and the lack of skillset to commercialise research. Flagship SU spinouts Fluorobiotech, Biocode Technologies, and Phagoflux will be the first residents, sharing equipment and expertise while pioneering advancements in diagnostics, enzyme manufacturing, and autophagy therapy.

Prof. Tulio de Oliveira, Director of CERI and SU's School for Data Science, noted that while South Africa excelled in genomic surveillance during the COVID-19 pandemic, it lagged in accessing locally produced diagnostics and vaccines. ¡°CERIBIO is how we change that narrative by producing African-owned biotech IP at industrial scale."

Prof. de Oliveira recalled how an unplanned office relocation near the SU LaunchLab triggered a chain reaction. ¡°What started as coffee catch-ups turned into an entire ecosystem," he said, describing how early conversations with Dr. Richard Gordon soon evolved into a shared ambition to build a biotech innovation engine for the continent. ¡°LaunchLab provides the perfect environment for valuable partnerships, attracting funders and a determination that refuses to wait for perfect conditions before taking action."

That readiness to do, rather than merely discuss, is shared by Este Burger, CEO of Biocode Technologies. Speaking on the panel discussion led by Prof. Ramjugernath, Burger described bringing to market a novel blood test that detects vascular damage in long-COVID patients even when standard diagnostics miss it.

¡°We're able to commercialise cutting-edge SU research because LaunchLab and Innovus believed in us long before anyone else did," she said. ¡°Anita and Brandon gave us the network, the lab benches, and the confidence to push global health impact from right here in Stellenbosch."

Echoing that theme of confidence was Chiedza Vushe, Chair of Matie Entrepreneurs and founder of FineApple Pixels. Vushe told the audience how a single email she sent, after hearing a speaker from LaunchLab during Industry Week at SU, had rewired her aspirations: ¡°I stopped seeing myself as just a student and started acting as an innovator."

Commenting, Prof. Ramjugernath noted that Vushe's testimony crystallised SU's ¡°transformative student experience" mandate by giving young talent the mindset, the mentors, and the means to create jobs and narrow inequality.

Closing the panel, Prof. Ramjugernath reminded the attendees that universities often wrestle with their role in economic development. ¡°Some may argue it isn't our job," he said, ¡°but tonight proves otherwise. What we build here, the companies, careers and solutions ¨C it reverberates through the economy and into communities."

LaunchLab now enters its second decade with two clear assets: a proven record in nurturing deep tech ventures, and a brand new biotech engine ready to propel African science onto the world stage.

For Anita Nel, the task is as bold today as it was in 2014: ¡°We started by asking: Why don't we have an incubator? Now the question is: How far can we go?"

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Every year, the world generates around 40 million tons of electronic waste (e-waste) - the equivalent of throwing away 800 laptops every second (according to The World Counts). As the digital landscape continues to expand, so does the need to manage digital waste responsibly. At Stellenbosch 肆客足球 (SU), the Information Technology (IT) Division is actively working towards more sustainable practices by finding practical ways to reduce e-waste, while supporting the 肆客足球's broader commitment to sustainability.

Clive Layman, a technical support specialist from the End User Support team at the IT Division, says IT does not work in isolation when addressing e-waste - it actively collaborates with departments across campus. ¡°When equipment reaches the end of its usable life, the IT Division must help departments dispose of it correctly. This involves ensuring equipment is decommissioned securely and then properly recycled or repurposed," he says. 

Old hardware - like computers, hard drives and memory - is handled through secure processes. Hard drives are removed and physically destroyed to protect sensitive data. A specialised company collects these components, using tools like hammers and piercing devices to render the drives unreadable. These drives are then sent for secure recycling. This process ensures that sensitive data cannot be recovered and that e-waste is kept out of landfills. 

Students and staff can also make use of yellow bins that are available at the IT HUB and the ITC main building in Hammanshand Road where smaller items like batteries, used phones or any small electronic devices can be put in for disposal. Staff members can also bring home electronic equipment that is not in use anymore to the ITC main building for disposal.

With the introduction of new operating systems like Windows 11, the IT Division often evaluates older devices brought in for upgrades. In some cases, older laptops may not meet the minimum system requirements to run newer software efficiently. Before proceeding with an upgrade, the team considers several factors, including the age of the device, long term performance expectations and replacement costs.

If the device is unlikely to handle the new software smoothly, the IT team may recommend a device replacement instead of a software or hardware upgrade (costs versus upgrades are key). This not only ensures a better user experience but also helps prevent unnecessary digital waste down the line caused by continued reliance on outdated equipment. ¡°Just because an older laptop can technically be upgraded, doesn't mean it should be. Continuing to use a device that struggles with newer software leads to inefficiencies, frustration and often a shorter device lifespan. The IT Division helps users make informed decisions to avoid these pitfalls," says Layman. 

Beyond physical hardware, the IT Division is also looking at digital clutter - data waste. Departments and individuals are encouraged to regularly clean up digital storage. This includes deleting old or unnecessary files, backing up critical data securely and avoiding the buildup of redundant copies. 

Staff and students are guided to remove old files when systems and devices are decommissioned and back up important data in a secure location. There have been cases where departments failed to secure data properly before equipment was written off - highlighting the need for better awareness and communication around digital responsibility. Whether you are a staff member or student, you can contribute to reducing digital waste by regularly decluttering your digital storage, ensuring old devices are disposed of through the proper channels, and being mindful of what you save and how long you keep it on your device. 

Through collaboration and awareness, the IT Division's goal remains clear in this regard: to not only reduce e-waste but to handle the university resources responsibly and securely to reduce its digital footprint - one hard drive, upgrade and file at a time.

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Three outstanding members of the Stellenbosch 肆客足球 (SU) community were honoured at the prestigious Cape Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI) and Cape Higher Education Consortium (CHEC) Innovation Awards, held at Cape Town City Hall on Tuesday, 10 June 2025.

Anita Nel, SU's Chief Director of Innovation and Commercialisation, Mike-Alec Kearney, CEO of SU spinout company CubeSpace, and Prof Johann Kirsten, Director of the Bureau for Economic Research, were recognised as leading innovators in the academia category.

Celebrating excellence

Nel received the award for her exceptional leadership in managing the 肆客足球's vast innovation ecosystem. She oversees a portfolio of 35 spinout companies, hundreds of patents, SU's Technology Transfer Office, the SU LaunchLab business incubator and the Institution commercialisation office, SUNCOM. Under her guidance, the 肆客足球 has successfully commercialised numerous technologies, building a successful platform that fosters entrepreneurship, innovation, and real-world impact. 

Kearney and his team of CubeSpace, which specialises in building advanced control systems for satellites, were celebrated as the most successful spinout company among the four Western Cape universities. The company currently serves more than 250 customers across 30 countries worldwide.

Prof Kirsten was recognised for leading the Karoo Lamb Consortium, a 20-year initiative that culminated in the official protected status of Karoo Lamb as South Africa's first Geographical Indication. The Consortium operates as a non-profit company and showcases the intersection of innovation, tradition, and regional identity in South African agriculture.

The CCCI and CHEC awards recognised innovators across various sectors of society ¨C academia, business, and public office. They honoured men and women who continue to push boundaries in the pursuit of progress and highlight the importance of innovation in driving economic growth and reducing poverty. Innovation were celebrated across the categories of academia, industry, business and public office.

¡°Innovation is as much about attitude as it is about technical expertise," said John Lawson, CEO of the CCCI. ¡°It's a mindset that focuses on solutions. The more we innovate, the more we actively shape the future we want to see."

Prof. Eugene Cloete, a board member of the Chamber and the Chief Executive Officer of CHEC, said these awards celebrate what becomes possible when academia, government, and the private sector come together. ¡°Universities are the engines of research, knowledge and fresh thinking. The private sector brings speed, skill and courage to take risks, and the government provides a platform for policy, investment and support to turn innovation into impact. This year, we received a remarkable number of high-quality innovations across all categories, a key indication that innovation is alive and thriving in the Western Cape."

The event underscored the need for collaboration between academia, the private sector, and government to foster innovation and create a competitive, inclusive economy.

Attending the whole event, Western Cape Premier Alan Winde and Cape Town's mayor, Gordon Hill-Lewis, both highlighted the importance of continuous innovation, collaboration and recognition in driving regional development and job creation. They emphasised the importance of facilitating stronger connections and collaborations between universities, academia, businesses and government to enable and support innovation in the region.?

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As the first semester draws to a close and Stellenbosch starts to fall into its annual winter sleep, several Stellenbosch 肆客足球 students are preparing to take the next exciting step in their academic journeys - an international exchange semester at one of our prestigious partner institutions around the world.

During the second semester of 2025, a total of 67 BCom (International Business) students will be embarking upon their exchange semesters. This, the biggest group of students who will be departing from Stellenbosch since the start of the degree in 2016, is more than three times larger than the first cohort of 22 pioneering students who bravely set off to study abroad in 2018.

Their journeys will take them to 38 universities located in 16 different countries, spread across five of the seven continents (everywhere except Africa and Antarctica - for now?).

As always, Europe remains the most popular destination, attracting 52 students. The Netherlands leads the charge with 18 students, followed by Germany (7), Belgium and Italy (6 each), France and the UK (4 each), Switzerland (3), and Austria and Denmark (1 each).

Further afield, Asia will host seven of our students - four in Japan, two in Turkey, and one in Hong Kong. North America is home to five placements, with three students headed to Canada and two to the United States. Two students will be traveling all the way down under to Australia, while one adventurous student decided to select a more exotic location, heading to Brazil in South America.

The international exchange semester is a cornerstone of the BCom (International Business) degree, designed to expose students to different cultures, business environments, and ways of thinking. From Europe and Asia to the Americas and Australia, our students will be representing Stellenbosch 肆客足球 on a global stage while gaining invaluable academic and personal insights.

Beyond academic enrichment, the exchange semester offers our students the opportunity to develop a global mindset, strengthen their intercultural communication skills, and build international networks that will serve them well into the future.

We wish our students safe travels and enriching experiences abroad. Travel safely, embrace the unknown, and soak up every moment - your global classroom awaits. We look forward to welcoming you back with new perspectives, fresh ideas, and many, many stories to share!

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