?This past weekend, Stellenbosch 肆客足球 (SU) celebrated a remarkable milestone ¨C its tenth annual Homecoming Weekend for alumni, held from Thursday 11 September, to Saturday 13 September 2025.

A packed programme of events made this Homecoming unforgettable. Alumni travelled from near and far ¨C as far as New Zealand and Singapore, as well as the UK, USA, Canada, and Namibia ¨C gathering for a variety of activities, including residence and class reunions, to celebrate notable milestones and relive cherished memories.

Several significant anniversaries were marked as part of the festivities: the 100th anniversary of both the Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences and the Department of Agricultural Economics, the 120th anniversary of Harmonie Residence, the 70th anniversary of Simonsberg Residence, and an impressive 150 years of Maties Rugby.

100 Years of Pinotage

One of the standout highlights was the Matie Winemakers Showcase, celebrating a century of Pinotage. Over 20 top Matie winemakers presented their finest vintages, giving alumni the opportunity to savour some of South Africa's best wines. The showcase also featured a special performance by RAAF (Est¨¦ & Lourens Raaf), both proud Maties.

An alumnus from the Eastern Cape, who attended with several fellow graduates, said: ¡°It was incredible to experience the best of South African winemaking all in one place. We savoured wines from more than 20 top Matie winemakers and, of course, couldn't resist taking a few boxes home to share with friends. It was the perfect blend of tasting, reminiscing, and celebrating our Matie spirit."

Theatre Showcase and Matieland Concert

The celebrations began with the Theatre Showcase, directed by alumna and Fleur du Cap Theatre Awards winner Nicole Holm, celebrating the finest in Matie performing arts.

At the heart of Homecoming was the Matieland Concert, returning for another memorable evening at Endler Hall. Celebrated storyteller and musical icon Natani?l reflected: ¡°I looked forward to performing at Endler Hall, where I had my first shows ¨C and also my most hectic exams."

Actress and comedienne Margit Meyer-R?denbeck brought her Ouma alter ego to life, while performers including Suidooster's Dean Smith, the Maties Jazz Society, alumni vocal ensemble Lyrica Nova, soprano Sashon Johnson, and pianist Karen Petersen all received standing ovations.

Maties Rugby legacy and Springbok victory

From its first match on Die Braak to producing national and international players, the legacy of Maties Rugby was celebrated both on and off the field. The Springbok victory over New Zealand at the Cake Tin added extra excitement, with one spectator noting: ¡°The Danie Craven Stadium is where our players and these players here today learned their try-saving tackles."

Karen Bruns, Senior Director of Development and Alumni Relations, said: ¡°Ten years ago, Homecoming was a dream of bringing our alumni back to Matieland to see and experience Stellenbosch 肆客足球 today. This past weekend, walking across campus and seeing alumni laughing through reunions, residences marking remarkable birthdays, and Matie talent shining at the Winemakers Showcase, Matieland Concert and Theatre Showcase, it was clear how much the tradition has grown. Our 10th Homecoming wasn't just a milestone ¨C it was a celebration of the pride we share in calling SU home."

Marking his first Homecoming as Rector and Vice-Chancellor, Prof Deresh Ramjugernath added: ¡°I met so many members of the Matie community who continue to carry the spirit of Stellenbosch across the world. Whether they graduated last year or many decades ago, this was their moment to come home ¨C to reconnect, relive memories, and celebrate their journey as part of the Matie family."? 

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??Thirty-six years after his assassination, Anton Lubowski¡¯s life and legacy continue to inspire. On 10 September, Stellenbosch 肆客足球 (SU) and the 肆客足球 of Namibia (UNAM) co-hosted the seventh annual Anton Lubowski Memorial Lecture in Windhoek -? the first time since its launch in 2019 that the lecture has been held outside Stellenbosch.?

The memorial lecture was held both in person and livestreamed, paying tribute to the life and legacy of the Namibian advocate, former Simonsberg resident, Matie alumnus, and anti-apartheid activist whose principled defiance ultimately cost him his life.

The event was hosted in collaboration with SU's Development of Alumni Relations Division (DAR) and UNAM. Wife of the late Anton Lubowski, Gabrielle, and his children, Almo, Nadia and extended family, attended the event, along with a host of SU and UNAM alumni and current students, former colleagues, and friends, who filled the lecture hall.

An esteemed group of speakers included Professor Peter Katjavivi, the founding Vice-Chancellor of UNAM (1992-2003) and Speaker of the National Assembly of Namibia; Rosa Namises, Namibian politician and human rights activist; and Graham Hopwood, Executive Director of the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) in Windhoek.

The theme of this year's lecture - From Exposure to Action: Strengthening Systems in the Fight Against Corruption - connected Lubowski's values to present-day challenges.

Karen Bruns, Senior Director of DAR, reflected on how the memorial lecture series began. It was Lubowski¡¯s Simonsberg roommate, Charl Adams, who proposed the idea seven years ago. He believed that Anton should be remembered within the context of Stellenbosch 肆客足球, where he studied law. 

"When we spoke with Charl and later with the Lubowski family, we agreed on the importance of honouring the values Anton stood for - human rights, civic activism, and a deep and real sense of social justice. Each lecture has tried to reflect these values, and this year¡¯s theme is both relevant and pertinent."

¡°On the fateful evening of 12 September 1989, Advocate Anton Lubowski was gunned down outside his home," keynote speaker Prof Katjavivi reminded the audience. ¡°He was a comrade of unquestionable integrity, a dear friend who chose to join the cause of freedom at great personal cost."

Lubowski's life and untimely death were framed not only as part of Namibia's liberation struggle, but also within the wider Southern African story of resistance. Prof Katjavivi linked his assassination to those of Chris Hani, Ruth First, and Dulcie September.

¡°What happened to Anton should not be viewed in isolation. It is up to academic institutions like UNAM and others, both here and in South Africa, to ensure these stories are properly documented.

¡°As a human rights lawyer, Anton was fighting for good governance and social justice. This is his legacy. What would Anton have wished Namibia to be like today and tomorrow?"

Hopwood argued that Lubowski would have demanded bold reforms in managing and monitoring corruption and potential corruption. ¡°Anton Lubowski was an icon of the liberation struggle, and I believe he would have been at the forefront of the struggle against corruption in Namibia if he had lived beyond 1989."

He pointed to urgent governance gaps: ¡°We need workable systems of transparency. Beneficial ownership, whistleblower protection, and access to information -these laws exist on paper but have not been implemented. Without them, corruption festers."

Namises, a long-time friend of the Lubowski family, lamented the current situation not only in Namibia but also in Africa. She underscored that the fight echoes Anton's own fearlessness.

¡°This corruption is making our communities hungry. It is making our young people go into the dustbins, into the riverbeds. We need an anti-corruption commission that is truly independent, leaders who are accountable, and civic movements strong enough to hold them to it.

¡°He would have called people out and demanded a new movement. That is what we need - to refuse shortcuts, and to protect the soul of our nation."

¡°We indeed lost a brother, a son of the soil, and a comrade in the struggle," Prof Katjavivi said in his closing remarks. "But he will be remembered as a hero - one Namibia, one nation, built on the foundation of justice, inclusivity, equality, and fairness for all".??

• Photo:  Wife of the late Anton Lubowski, Gabrielle, and his children, Almo, Nadia and extended family, attended the event, along with a host of SU and UNAM alumni and current students, former colleagues, and friends, who filled the lecture hall.

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?In a landmark appointment coinciding with Cervical Cancer Awareness Month ¨C observed in South Africa in September ¨C Dr Robyn Adams of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at Stellenbosch 肆客足球 (SU) has been named South Africa's ambassador to the International Papillomavirus Society (IPVS). She joins an elite group of just 27 ambassadors worldwide, representing the country on the global stage for the next two years, starting at the 37th Annual Conference of the IPVS in Bangkok, Thailand in October 2025.

The IPVS brings together scientists, clinicians, public health experts, and advocates to advance knowledge about the human papillomavirus (HPV) and related diseases. The society promotes cutting-edge research, supports evidence-based prevention strategies like vaccination and screening, and leads global advocacy to eliminate HPV-related cancers. HPV is a common sexually transmitted infection with over 200 types, some of which cause genital warts and others that can lead to cancers such as cervical, vulvar, anal, and throat cancer.

¡°Being appointed is a personal honour, but more importantly, it's a platform to shine a spotlight on cervical cancer in South Africa and amplify prevention efforts," says Adams. ¡°This comes at an exciting time as the Western Cape has recently transitioned from cell-based to HPV DNA-based screening, a major step forward. However, ongoing research, advocacy, and community engagement are crucial to ensure all women can benefit from this progress."

Adams says it is important for South Africa to have an ambassador at the IPVS because the country faces some of the highest rates of cervical cancer in the world, driven largely by the combined burden of HIV and HPV. ¡°Cervical cancer is the number one cause of cancer deaths in women in South Africa, despite advances in early detection and prevention. Women living with HIV are at a greater risk of persistent high-risk HPV infections and cervical cancer because of weakened immune systems." 

Adams plays an integral role in SU's Gynaecological Oncology Research Group under the leadership of Prof Hennie Botha, contributing to HPV-related research that informs cervical cancer prevention and screening. She is also developing her own research projects focused on implementation science and innovative screening strategies, including self-sampling and DNA methylation testing.

She explains that the DNA methylation marker test works by detecting specific changes in the DNA of cervical cells. These changes, known as methylation, occur when methyl groups or 'tags' are added to certain parts of the DNA. These 'tags', which act like switches, can affect how genes are activated to read the instructions in the DNA to make proteins that help the cells do their work.

Building on her PhD work, Adams' efforts align closely with the IPVS mission to advance scientific knowledge, support evidence-based prevention, and increase HPV awareness in South Africa.

During her two-year term, Adams will focus on strengthening HPV education and awareness across South Africa, engaging with schools and communities, while fostering global collaborations to improve prevention and treatment strategies. ¡°This role is about building bridges ¨C linking researchers, clinicians, and communities, and connecting South Africa's efforts with international advocacy," she explains.?

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???The #researchforimpact series aims to spotlight the research being done by the various teams of the Public Squares Initiative ?and its positive impact on society. In this addition, we explore the work of the Science for Justice (S4J) team.  Click here to view the members of this team.

The S4J team is focused on taking a "forensic identification think tank" approach to address the problem of high numbers of unidentified persons in South Africa's mortuaries. The team consists of members from various academic and industry backgrounds such as visual arts, clinical anatomy, forensic pathology, forensic anthropology, forensic odontology, and sociology. This transdisciplinary approach fosters innovative and effective solutions that aim to improve service delivery within the country's Forensic Pathology Services sector.

In their brainstorming session facilitated by Dr. Renee Goretsky (Specialist Research Grant Proposal Developer and Writer from Stellenbosch 肆客足球's Division for Research Development), the team identified several research projects that could involve using forensic facial imaging or forensic odontology to identify deceased people. Funding is required to bring these ideas to life and the funding strategies brainstorming session marked a pivotal step in turning vision into action. Multiple funding avenues were explored such as partnering with international institutions, local and international research grants, NGO and community trust funds, as well as industry funding.

Some of the key questions that directed the discussion were:

1. What complex, real-world problem are we addressing, and why is it important?

2. How does this problem transcend the boundaries of any single discipline?

3. Who are the key stakeholders affected by this issue, and how can their perspectives shape our research?

The process of identifying the unidentified is a powerful expression of social justice. It restores the dignity and identity of the deceased, allowing them to be remembered as a person and not only as a number or statistic. It brings closure to families, allows them to perform cultural rites, and relieves the anxiety and trauma associated with not knowing what happened to the deceased.

The S4J team also hopes that their ideas can be applicable to identifying missing persons in cases of mass armed conflict as well as identifying migrants who may not have any documentation or family members to assist in the identification process.

*Photo credits: microgen on iStock ?

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??Our #howto series aims to share the research tips and techniques presented in our workshops. In this edition, we focus on how you can write about your research to various audiences.  

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??The Development and Alumni Relations Division (DAR) recently hosted its annual capacity development programme to equip Stellenbosch 肆客足球 (SU) colleagues with the tools and insights needed to secure philanthropic income for institutionally approved projects.

This year's programme, entitled the Big Gift Fundraising in Philanthropy, took place from 1 to 5 September at the Alumni Clubhouse, Die Stal, in Stellenbosch and at the Biomedical Research Institute on the Tygerberg campus. The initiative brought together academics and Professional Administrative Support Services (PASS) staff from faculties, schools, departments and centres across the 肆客足球.

The week-long programme, which combined group workshops with tailored one-on-one sessions, was facilitated by DAR and Graeme Byrne, a UK-based fundraising consultant, experienced trainer and founder of Lagotto Solutions.

Explaining the purpose of the programme, David Marupen, Director of Fundraising at DAR, emphasised the importance of embedding philanthropy across the institution.

¡°Fundraising is an institution-wide responsibility and our aim is to ensure that we as an institution become philanthropy fit. Given the constant changes in the philanthropic landscape and the challenges faced by higher education institutions, it is imperative that everyone understands their role in contributing to the financial sustainability of the 肆客足球."

Byrne agreed, stressing that the involvement of academic staff is essential.

¡°Big gift fundraising is a team sport. DAR cannot attract major philanthropy in support of the university's highest priorities, without working closely with the experts who lead this work."

He explained that the sessions aimed to demystify the process of asking for funding, particularly from South African corporates and foundations, which currently account for the largest portion of philanthropic support.

¡°Often the idea of asking someone for a large donation can feel intimidating. That's why we focused on building confidence, introducing the fundamentals of big gift fundraising and exploring how to approach prospective donors. We hope participants left inspired and with a better understanding of how to partner with DAR in this work."

Byrne added that it was encouraging to see academics embrace fundraising as part of their role.

¡°SU academic staff shape the 肆客足球's research, teaching and social impact. Their role in philanthropy is becoming increasingly central and preparing them for this is key to strengthening SU's fundraising capacity."

For many participants, the programme sparked new ways of thinking about funding opportunities for their work.

Dr Jana M¨¹ller, lecturer in the Division of Rural Health (Ukwanda), said the sessions revealed new possibilities for sustaining their community-focused initiatives.

¡°Much of our work is based in rural and low-resourced settings, where service learning and community-oriented primary care are central. Because of this, little time is available for major research grant applications. The DAR philanthropy sessions opened my eyes to opportunities that can support our social impact work alongside, but not dependent on, research outputs. I will definitely continue exploring these opportunities with DAR, whose team is incredibly open and accessible."

Dr Marna Lourens, Project Manager: Social Justice Law, said the programme reshaped the way she approaches donor engagement.

¡°The sessions underscored the importance of relationship-driven fundraising and building long-term partnerships with donors who share our mission. The emphasis on storytelling helped me craft a compelling narrative that connects our projects directly to social justice outcomes while demonstrating measurable change."

For Dr Marenet Jordaan, Senior Lecturer in the Department of Journalism, the programme was an eye-opening introduction to the world of fundraising.

¡°As an academic, I had little knowledge of the intricacies of fundraising, yet we are constantly reminded of its importance. The DAR team was eager to help with the 'choreography' of fundraising and addressed all my concerns. I will certainly collaborate with them in future."

Prof Nadia Mans-Kemp, Associate Professor in the Department of Business Management, said she gained practical insights that will guide her approach to donors.

¡°I learnt to tell the story of our research and community projects to the right people at the right time. I also learnt to take the needs of the philanthropist, the project team and the receivers of the gift into account before discussing the most appropriate gift."

She added: ¡°Together, we can secure funding that enables us to shape more sustainable life stories and transform livelihoods."??

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??Stellenbosch 肆客足球's Policy Innovation Lab has been awarded a R5 million (€250 000) grant, marking an important step in its integration of AI and digital tools to improve coordination, monitoring, and evaluation of policies, linked to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

This funding, the second grant from the Deutsche Gesellschaft f¨¹r Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH, will support the Lab's work in developing evidence-based solutions to some of the country's most pressing policy challenges. The Lab's second proposal for grant funding focused on ¡°enhancing evidence-based policymaking through policy dialogue and artificial intelligence".

According to the award letter, the grant recognises the Policy Innovation Lab as a pioneering initiative aimed at advancing responsible AI and transformative policymaking. ¡°We also wish to thank the Lab for its valuable role and contributions during SDGiI (the first proposal), which laid a strong foundation for this next phase of collaboration," noted Dr Ulrich Wehnert, programme manager of the Sustainable Goals Initiative.

Prof Willem Fourie, lead of the Policy Innovation Lab, welcomed the announcement, describing it as both a recognition of the Lab's potential and a call to action. ¡°We're grateful for the partnership with GIZ that enables us to deliver impact in close collaboration with the government."

The Policy Innovation Lab is housed within the School for Data Science and Computational Thinking, and forms part of the SU's broader commitment to research, innovation and societal impact. It works with experts from universities in South Africa and globally, alongside non-academic partners, to advance responsible AI and transformative policymaking. 

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??It's a well-known fact that foetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) in children is caused by mothers who drink during pregnancy. But it turns out that the father's drinking habits could also affect a child's growth and development.

A team of international researchers ¡ª including contributors from Stellenbosch 肆客足球 (SU) ¡ª found that a father's alcohol use may have a small but direct negative impact on a child's development by the age of seven. A father's drinking contributes to the harm caused by alcohol use during pregnancy.

The findings of their study* were published recently in the journal Alcohol: Clinical & Experimental Research.

The researchers analysed data from five studies on the prevalence and characteristics of FASD among Grade 1 learners in the Western Cape to explore whether a father's drinking affects children diagnosed with FASD. The children's biological mothers or legal guardians completed a questionnaire on the risk factors for FASD.

According to the researchers, there is a growing recognition that factors beyond pregnant women's drinking habits can affect their children's development. They add that increased attention is currently paid to the role of fathers, not only as a contributing factor to women's drinking habits, but also as an independent contributing factor to the growth and development of children.

¡°Our findings show that children whose fathers drank alcohol were more likely to be shorter, have smaller heads, and score lower on verbal IQ tests. It was also clear from the study that the highest risk to the child's development exists when both parents use alcohol during pregnancy. It also appeared that 'binge drinking' by the father, but especially by both parents, has the most detrimental effect on the child's development.

¡°Data analysis showed that between 66% and 77% of fathers of children on the FAS spectrum drank during their partner's pregnancy with the child in question. These fathers drank an average of 12 drinks per drinking day. The number of drinks that fathers drank per drinking day was significantly correlated with smaller head circumference in their children. Head circumference is used as a measure of brain development."

The researchers add that fathers who drank an average of five or more drinks per drinking day had shorter children with smaller head circumferences. These children also performed worse on measures in verbal intelligence tests.

¡°In general, it was found that the more fathers drank, the worse their children performed. However, it should also be noted that all these effects were observed in children whose mothers consumed alcohol during pregnancy."

They note that a father's drinking alone didn't increase the chances of a child being diagnosed with FASD. However, when the mother drank during pregnancy and the father was also a heavy drinker, the child was more likely to have the most serious symptoms of FASD.

¡°When looking at both parents' drinking patterns, the father's alcohol use alone didn't show a clear link to the child's physical or brain development problems. While both parents' drinking was considered, the main effects on a child's development and physical features were linked to the mother's alcohol use.

¡°Even after accounting for alcohol use by mothers during pregnancy, the father's drinking was still linked to lower child height, smaller head size and reduced verbal IQ. This suggests that paternal alcohol use may have its own, though limited, impact on a child's growth and development.

¡°Data analyses of children where both parents consumed alcohol during pregnancy had significantly negative effects on growth, head circumference, verbal intelligence and general birth defect scores than in children where neither parent consumed alcohol."

The researchers say that, while it is not yet clear whether the impact of a father's drinking on a child's growth and development stems from impaired sperm quality or other epigenetic influences (changes in how genes work that don't involve altering the DNA code itself), the father's role in the development of FASD cannot be overlooked.

• Source: May, P et al 2025. ¡°Does paternal alcohol consumption affect the severity of traits of fetal alcohol spectrum disorders?" Alcohol: Clinical & Experimental Research. DOI: 10.1111/acer.70105

*The study was conducted by researchers from SU, the Medical Research Council of South Africa, the 肆客足球 of North Carolina, the 肆客足球 of New Mexico, the State 肆客足球 of New York, Stanford 肆客足球, California State 肆客足球 and Sanford Health.?

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The official opening of the National Institute for Theoretical and Computational Sciences (NITheCS) headquarters at Stellenbosch 肆客足球 (SU) marks a milestone for South African science.

 The three-day launch programme (9¨C11 September 2025) brought together researchers, policymakers, students and international guests for a series of scientific focus area presentations, workshops and public events, including a hands-on machine learning workshop and a theatre production.

 Funded by the Department of Science, Technology and Innovation (DSTI) via the National Research Foundation (NRF), NITheCS is the first of South Africa's new national research institutes. This initiative complements the South African Research Chairs Initiative (SARChI) and Centres of Excellence (CoEs), consolidating efforts into larger, integrated entities aligned with the 2019 White Paper on Science, Technology and Innovation and the DSTI 2022¨C32 Decadal Plan.

NITheCS unites South Africa's 26 public universities and the African Institute for Mathematical Sciences (AIMS). Its main hub is at SU, and it operates through five coordinating nodes ¨C at the universities of Cape Town, KwaZulu-Natal and the Witwatersrand, as well as Nelson Mandela and North-West universities.

With mathematics as its foundation, NITheCS spans disciplines from astronomy and astrophysics to bioinformatics, data science, climate change modelling, quantitative finance, statistics and theoretical physics. Its network has grown to 400 associates nationwide.

Building capacity through collaboration

DSTI Deputy Director-General Imraan Patel described South Africa's science system as a ¡°gem", and said science, technology and innovation must sit at the centre of government, industry, education and society. He stressed that the goal is not ¡°small islands of excellence" but large-scale programmes that multiply impact.

SU Vice-Chancellor Prof Deresh Ramjugernath said NITheCS positions South Africa at the forefront of global science. ¡°This hub is set to become a beacon of collaboration, outreach and innovation. It will inspire new research directions, engage young scientists, and expand our networks both across Africa and globally."

NITheCS Director Prof Francesco Petruccione said: ¡°Today is a milestone, because it's not just about cutting the ribbon to our new offices, but about sharing our vision." He described the institute's ¡°pan-disciplinary" approach as starting with real-world challenges and drawing in whichever disciplines are required.

The launch programme showcased ten flagship research areas ¨C from quantum technologies and machine learning to climate modelling, complexity in biological systems and Afrocentric health.

Prof Langa Khumalo, Chief Director of the South African Centre for Digital Language Resources, emphasised the importance of ensuring African languages are not marginalised. The centre's work with NITheCS is aimed at developing infrastructure, datasets and tools to allow these languages to participate fully in science and technology.

Supporting the next generation

Petruccione described NITheCS as ¡°a village to raise the next generation of students who will become the leaders of tomorrow."

Hybrid programming schools run with the Centre for High Performance Computing have already trained more than 800 students from nearly 50 institutions across Africa, said its Director, Mervyn Christoffels.

 In 2024, NITheCS' online training offered specialised courses to 67 postgraduate students from 17 institutions. Its South Africa Theory and Computational School has become a world-class platform, preparing students for advanced research and global competitiveness.

From 69 applications, 23 students were selected for the 2024/25 NITheCS internship programme, hosted at various universities as well as the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research.

Engagement activities during 2024 included 39 colloquia, 15 schools and mini-schools, 67 seminars and webinars, 11 workshops and two masterclasses. In the same year, NITheCS awarded MSc and PhD bursaries totalling R4,8 million.

New frontiers of discovery

NITheCS grew out of the earlier National Institute for Theoretical Physics, with its transition beginning in 2020/21. In 2023, the DSTI and NRF approved the Stellenbosch-led consortium to host the new institute.

Prof Sibusiso Moyo, Deputy VC for Research at SU, congratulated everyone involved ¡°for the vision and energy in building this broad platform."

Guest speakers at the launch included Dr Maria Schuld, a researcher at Canadian company Xanadu, who argued that disruptive science requires freedom: ¡°Greatness cannot be planned ¨C the important thing is to follow a strong mission, a North Star."

Prof Matthias Troyer, Corporate Vice-President at Microsoft Quantum and an SU honorary professor, outlined how combining AI, high-performance computing and quantum computing is radically speeding up discovery.

Platform for the future

The new NITheCS headquarters in SU's Merensky Building provide offices, seminar rooms, student spaces and meeting facilities ¨C but speakers emphasised that the institute's impact will not be measured in bricks and mortar.

As Patel put it: ¡°We need to show the strength of our system by addressing the key societal challenges we face as a nation." He emphasised the idea of a ¡°social licence to operate" ¨C ensuring that institutes like NITheCS maximise their developmental benefits.

NITheCS is designed to meet that challenge by consolidating capacity in the basic sciences, fostering supervision and mentorship, strengthening historically disadvantaged institutions, and creating opportunities for young researchers.

?¡°The real challenges of NITheCS are not technical, they are human," Petruccione concluded. ¡°We need to change our mindset, put ego aside, and work together. If we join forces, we can solve big challenges."

 Photo: The name of South Africa¡¯s new National Institute for Theoretical and Computational Sciences in lights at the launch in Stellenbosch. PICTURE: Nina Laubscher/SCPS?

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Women's Month is usually a time to reflect on South Africa's progress in addressing gender issues, and on how much remains to be done. But now, as the country turns to celebrating Heritage Month, two postgraduate researchers at Stellenbosch 肆客足球 (SU) are pushing these conversations further.

Lesedi Itumeleng Mashego and Thabolwethu Tema Maphosa are master's fellows at the Centre for the Study of the Afterlife of Violence and the Reparative Quest (AVReQ), led by Prof Pumla Gobodo-Madikizela. Both are pursuing MA degrees in Psychology, and their research sits at the cutting edge of how gender and identity are understood. Mashego interrogates black womanhood through mother-daughter narratives; Maphosa uncovers how liberation leaders defied stereotypes of black manhood.

Together, their work enters into dialogue about strength, vulnerability and what it means to repair humanity across generations.

Questioning the 'strong black woman' trope

Mashego was born in Pretoria and raised on the East Rand. Her father, Mpho, is a pharmaceutical director; her mother, Monica, a professional nurse specialising in midwifery, who often works 12-hour shifts in an overburdened public hospital.

¡°She'd come home exhausted and still get household chores done," Mashego recalls. ¡°At the time, I thought that's just what mums do. Later I realised how taxing it must have been for her."

None of the women in her family showed the other side of that endurance ¨C the cracks, the exhaustion, the limits. It left Mashego with a gnawing question: Is the 'strong black woman' identity chosen, or imposed?

She wanted to know what lies beneath this label. ¡°We celebrate it, but my research asks: What does that strength cost? What does it mean for the individual woman and for society?"

So, she is making that the focus of her master's study. She is interviewing black women aged 18 to 29 about their relationships with mother figures. She calls her approach an ¡°empathetic critique" ¨C not dismissing strength but asking what it costs when women are only appreciated for their ability to endure.

Her scholarship is ¡°very personal," she says. ¡°As I've grown, I've come to see my mum not only as my mother but as a human being with her own limits. That realisation shaped my work."

Women's Day in South Africa goes back to the pivotal moment on 9 August 1956 when around 20,000 women marched on the Union Buildings in Pretoria to protest apartheid pass laws. Their rallying cry was ¡°Wathint' abafazi, wathint' imbokodo" ¨C you strike a woman, you strike a rock.

But Mashego is wary of this metaphor. ¡°A rock is a thing, something you can chip away at, reduce to rubble. It carries the idea that black women can endure anything. But we can break. We should also be seen as soft and gentle, as human beings who need care and protection."

She connects this to South Africa's wider crisis of gender-based violence. ¡°We have a history of violence, and violence against black women in particular. Think of the rape of women who were slaves in the Cape. That history has been normalised, carried through colonialism and apartheid, right into the current era."

Mashego's research also intersects with the xenophobic politics of today. Sparked by stories her mother shared from her work with patients, she did her honours on pregnant migrants from the rest of Africa who are scapegoated in a health system under strain.

She considers the anger expressed through Operation Dudula ¨C a vigilante campaign that has mobilised protests against foreigners ¨C misdirected. ¡°To bar women from medical care because they are immigrants is inhumane. The problem lies in policy and provision, not with the patients."

Her feminism, she stresses, is not about pitting women against men. ¡°I grew up with a loving father and supportive brothers, and I have a caring partner. I know not all men are violent. But many women face violence. What we need are honest conversations between black women and black men, because both carry histories of violence. Without that dialogue, the cycle will continue."

Her message to young women? ¡°Embrace softness. It can coexist with strength. Don't let society harden you. Treat yourself with the same grace you give others."

Excavating tenderness in black masculinities

For Maphosa, the other side of the coin is rethinking what it means to be a black man. His master's explores ¡°post-patriarchal masculinities" through the lives of liberation leaders Robert Sobukwe and Joshua Nkomo.

Sobukwe is usually remembered as the uncompromising founder of the Pan Africanist Congress in South Africa; Nkomo as a nationalist leader in Zimbabwe. But Maphosa searches for moments when both stepped outside the mould.

He says Sobukwe once wrote to a friend that he was ¡°not in the emotional space" to read a novel she had sent him in prison. And that Nkomo wrote of sharing his wife's tears at being excluded during independence celebrations.

¡°These moments show a tenderness that is rarely acknowledged," Maphosa explains. ¡°Patriarchy tells men emotions are weakness. But here were leaders whose vulnerability was also part of their strength."

That has personal resonance for him. ¡°I grew up as a very emotional child, the last-born, connected to my feelings," he says. ¡°I was often bullied, and at some point, I learnt that as a man I wasn't supposed to cry. But for my mother, crying was never a problem. She always said, 'If you cry, your heart becomes lighter'."

Maphosa's father died when he was ten. He grew up especially close to his mother, Mildret. When she lamented having been given only an English name, not a Ndebele one, he gave her a second name: Gugulabazali, meaning ¡°the one treasured by their parents."

It was his brothers, pooling their resources, who made it possible for him to go to university in South Africa ¨C an opportunity he says he could never have imagined as a child growing up in a Bulawayo township.

Being in South Africa is complicated for Maphosa. ¡°I have a sense of connection ¡­ until I produce my passport," he says. Xenophobia has not targeted him directly, but it makes him anxious about his academic future. He has found solidarity in the shack dwellers' movement Abahlali baseMjondolo, which rejects colonial borders.

Maphosa has published poetry in Medium and is also an imbongi (praise poet). He thinks culture is dynamic, not static. ¡°Colonisation tried to arrest us in a single image. But being an African is not one thing. I refuse the single story."

His honours thesis at the 肆客足球 of Cape Town was on men and emotion ¨C how they deal with breakups. He coined the concept of ¡°patriarchal surveillance": the way men always feel watched, even when no one is there, and conform to rigid codes of masculinity.

Now, for his master's, he asks whether moments of political upheaval can open space for alternative masculinities ¨C not the dehumanising ¡°icon-messiah" or rebel, but the ordinary uMuntu (person).

He says his supervisor at SU's Department of Psychology, Prof Kopano Ratele, has become ¡°the father figure I never had." This mentorship sharpened his resolve to imagine alternative masculinities.

Maphosa's scholarship is inseparable from his life. ¡°I can't be writing about tenderness and then be emotionally abusive to others. Even with my friends ¨C men, women, queer people ¨C I try to model a post-patriarchal framing."

His message to young men? That another world is possible. ¡°Patriarchy isn't inevitable. I think the assumption that our cultures are inherently patriarchal is wrong."

Parallel struggles, shared themes

Placed side by side, the two studies mirror one another. Mashego interrogates how women have to be strong but are nonetheless made to suffer; Maphosa interrogates how men are locked into heroism that paradoxically constrains them. Both want to salvage humanity from gender roles imposed by tradition.

?AVReQ, they both say, gives them a sense of belonging. ¡°Here you're not treated as a junior fellow," says Maphosa. ¡°People respect your ideas." Mashego agrees: ¡°It can be isolating to do a master's, but here people check in on you as a person, not just as a student."

Both have already stepped into leadership. Mashego has served on house committees and the SRC, and has won prestigious scholarships. Maphosa has presented internationally and published in the British Journal of Social Psychology.

What unites them is a determination to move beyond critique to imagination. Mashego envisions a feminism that affirms softness as much as strength. Maphosa insists that alternative masculinities can be excavated from history and embodied today.

Maphosa recalls Steve Biko's words in I Write What I Like: ¡°In time, we shall be in a position to bestow on South Africa the greatest possible gift ¨C a more human face." 

• AVReQ is launching a new interdisciplinary MPhil in Violent Histories and Repair in January 2026. The closing date for South African applicants is 31 October.
  
   
• CAPTION: Lesedi Mashego and Tema Maphosa. PICTURES: Ignus Dreyer/SCPS?

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