OnCampus

Issue 2 August 2015 For daily updates visit www.uwc.ac.za

Page 3 Page 4-7 Page 11 Page 12

New study Events PharmaSea project Water brings Africa
of obesity funded scours oceans depths and China together

Greening the Campus

Received the Outstanding Award for
UWCs Green Campus The UWC Recycling Initiative an Advanced University at the 2014
Initiative involves over collects an average of Association of College and University

2000
student volunteers.
70tons of
Housing Officers International,
Southern Africa Chapter African
Green Initiative conference.
recyclables each month and sells
the materials to recycling companies. UWC was chosen the Greenest
The reserve has
been receiving Campus in 2012 and 2014.

25%
of its power needs from a prototype
hydrogen fuel cell (HFC) generator
75% built and installed by Hydrogen
South Africa Systems Integration and
Technology Validation Centre (HySA
Systems), a project based at UWC.
840
tons
For the green award Universities were
assessed on energy efficiency, water
conversation, biodiversity and nature
reserves. green buildings, green
UWC Recycling Initiative purchasing, green programming,
has reduced UWCs
waste reduction and recycling, green
annual CO2 emissions
by about 840 tons. leadership and innovation.

I
n a world battling climate change,
energy shortages, habitat destruction
and pollution, it has become important
that universities serve as role models for
greening and sustainability.
UWCs Green Campus Initiative
involves over 2 000 student volunteers
in campus clean-ups, creating vegetable
and indigenous gardens at residences,
participating in formal green talks and
debates and hosting green/dark religious
services (that is, services conducted
without the use of electricity).
As a tertiary education institution, we
have a responsibility to lead by example,
says Saudiqa Yasin, Manager: at UWCs
Department of Infrastructure and
Engineering. How can we advocate being
among the forerunners in education,
developing future responsible leaders
and captains of industry and innovation,
without fully incorporating best practice
and actively working towards reducing our
carbon footprint?
The Universitys best practices are
reflected in a range of other green
initiatives at the main campus.
UWCs nature reserve conserves the
endangered Cape Flats Dune Strandveld
and the critically endangered Cape Flats
Sand Fynbos. Students are actively involved
in managing the reserve, eradicating alien
vegetation and maintaining fire breaks,
while staff educate the public about the
biological treasures in the reserve.
For the last few months, 25% of
the power the reserve needs has been
supplied by a prototype hydrogen fuel
cell (HFC) generator built and installed by
Hydrogen South Africa Systems Integration
and Technology Validation Centre (HySA
Systems), a project based at UWC. HFC
technology is pollution-free the only
emission is water!
The UWC Recycling Initiative collects
an average of 70 tons of recyclables each
month and sells the materials to recycling
companies. It has been estimated that over
the past four years, the UWC Recycling
Initiative has reduced UWCs annual CO2
emissions by about 840 tons.
UWC management, service providers,
media and students have proven that,
by working together, we can move our
campus into the future, says UWC Green
Team leader and Residential Services
Officer, Njabulo Maphumulo.
2 NEWS
UWC launches Fraud and Corruption
Prevention Policy
O
n 28 May, the University of the
Western Cape launched its Fraud and
Corruption Prevention Campaign.
All major University stakeholders were
invited to attend the launch ceremony at
the Life Sciences Auditorium on campus.
The launch included the signing of a
pledge committing all major interested
parties to uphold the integrity of UWC,
the implementation of the new Fraud
and Corruption Prevention Policy and the
initiation of a dedicated toll-free hotline.
Speaking at the launch, UWC Rector
and Vice-Chancellor, Professor Tyrone
Pretorius said, This launch is a sign of our
commitment to strengthening governance
and promoting transparency within the
institution.
UWC Executive Director of Finance and
Services, Abduraghman Regal, said, UWC
has a long legacy of being proactive in its
UWC takes pride in... Offering A Holistic Student Experience
Auditor-General of South Africa, Thembekile Kimi Makwetu, signs the pledge.
approach to any challenge. We will do so
now, once more, to bolster UWCs best
practices and actively promote a culture of
integrity.
In pursuit of these values, UWC has
developed a policy framework to prevent
fraud, corruption, theft and internal
irregularities. The Fraud and Corruption
Prevention Policy gives guidance on how
to deal with infringements, on the roles
and responsibilities of the policy drivers,
and on the administration of the policy.
As a call to action, UWC launched an
awareness campaign to introduce the toll-
free hotline that will enable all stakeholders
to safely report any University-related
incident of fraud, theft or corruption or
any other irregularity. The hotline will be
independently administered by auditing
firm KPMG, to protect the anonymity of
whistle-blowers. The service includes a toll-
Our Teaching & Learning Focus
free number, a secure e-mail address, a fax
number and a postal address.
The pledge has been signed by the
Vice-Chancellor, the Executive Director
of Finance and Services, the Chairperson
of the Audit and Risk Committee, the
Chairperson of the Universitys Council,
and the Chairperson of the Student
Representative Council.
All stakeholders, from students to
executive, have an integral role to play
in safeguarding the UWC brand, said
Prof Pretorius. Our I am UWC slogan
means we are all guardians of UWCs
reputation and its legacy, and I urge all
stakeholders to utilise the service to report
any irregularities.
More information pertaining to the
policy will be released as the campaign
unfolds.
Our Relevant Research & Innovation
 NEWS 3

New study of obesity funded

O
besity which can lead to many
health problems, such as heart
disease, stroke, diabetes and some
types of cancer is becoming a global health
epidemic and a societal problem that can
potentially undermine economic growth.
Understanding food choices and obesity
in adults and children can contribute
to enabling people to live a healthy
life and, ultimately, may assist societal
transformation and higher economic
growth in South Africa.
Thanks to a R1.5 million research
grant from the Programme to Support
Pro-poor Policy Development Phase II
(PSPPD II), a partnership programme of
the European Union, the South African
government and the DST-NRF Centre of
Excellence in Food Security at UWC, a
senior research team from UWCs Institute
for Social Development (ISD), comprising
Dr Mulugeta Dinbabo (team leader), and
senior researchers Dr Sharon Penderis and
Dr Razack Karriem, will conduct a study
to explore and quantify food choices
among the impoverished communities of
Khayelitsha and Mitchells Plain.
According to Dr Dinbabo, the study
will assess and quantify food choices
and Measured Body Mass Index (BMI) in
relation to peoples self-perceived health
status and actual BMI measurement
scores, using the 2013 National Income
Dynamics Study (NIDS) survey in South
Africa. In addition, the study will use
empirical field data in the two areas
identified for the analysis.
Dr Dinbabo notes that a major concern
is the dramatic increase in the prevalence
of overweight and obese children.
Obesity is on the rise in South Africa
and is among the highest on the African
continent, and affects all age groups and
social classes, he says. The challenge is
that the majority of citizens do not seem
to perceive obesity as a health risk or
problem.
Dr Dinbabo says the project is expected
to make a contribution to international
and national dialogue and collaboration
through conferences and workshops on
food choices and BMI, develop evidence-
based models for effective multi-level
intervention approaches in health
promotion practice across South Africa,
and empower ISD postgraduate students
in policy-oriented research methodologies.
The project will also contribute to the
production of research outputs, including
the writing of policy briefs for policy
makers, book chapters and peer-reviewed
journal articles in accredited journals.

Institute for Social Development researchers Dr Razack Karriem (left), Dr Sharon Penderis and Dr Mulugeta Dinbabo have been awarded a R1.5 million
research grant by the Programme to Support Pro-poor Policy Development Phase II.

Producing & Attracting Excellent Talent Sustaining Financial Stability Growing Our Profile Internally & Externally Sense-Making Through Leadership Development
4 EVENTS
UWC signs agreement with Asahi
and Meikai Universities in Japan
On a recent visit to Japan, UWCs Dean of
Dentistry, Professor Yusuf Osman, signed
an MoU with Meikai Universitys School of
Dentistry and Asahi Universitys School of
Dentistry, regarding future collaboration
and academic exchanges between UWCs
Faculty of Dentistry and the Japanese
institutions.
UWC Centre for Multilingualism
and Diversities Research launched
The official launch of the Centre for
Multilingualism and Diversities Research at
UWC in April featured academics reflecting
on the Centres research activities, artistic
performances and a panel discussion on
Multilingualism at the crossroads.
UWC takes pride in... Offering A Holistic Student Experience
Deans Merit Awards
Deans from UWCs Arts, CHS, Dentistry,
Education, EMS, Law and Science faculties
hosted their annual Deans Merit Awards
events where each facultys top students
received awards for their achievements.
World TB Day
UWC nursing students held an awareness
walk on World TB Day 2015 to deliver the
message that tuberculosis can be overcome
despite the stigma associated with the
disease.
Our Teaching & Learning Focus
PhD student attend Nobel
Conference
UWC astrophysics student Didam Duniya is
attending the 2015 Lindau Nobel Laureate
Meeting in July where he will engage with
some of the worlds most promising young
researchers and 70 Nobel Prize-winning
scientists.
LaunchLab Pitching Den
From 14 to 16 April 2015 business
entrepreneurs (both students and non-
students) had the opportunity to pitch their
business ideas at the LaunchLab Pitching
Den event that was held at UWCs Business
Innovation Centre.
Our Relevant Research & Innovation
 EVENTS 5

China Week at UWC

China Week was hosted in April by UWCs School of Natural Archbishop Thabo Makgoba donation
Medicine and the UWC Chinese Students Society. The aims of The Archbishop Thabo Cecil Makgoba Development Trust
the event were to encourage communication between UWC and contributed R30 000 to the Dentistry Faculty and R20 000 to the
Cape Towns Chinese community and to promote collaboration, Centre for Performing Arts at the University of the Western Cape
especially in terms of cultural exchange, education and economic in May.
enterprise.
BRICS agrarian and
food systems under
the spotlight at UWC
The Institute for Poverty,
Land and Agrarian Studies
(PLAAS) at UWC hosted an
international conference that
included discussions on BRICS
countries and regional agro-
food systems and BRICS in
relation to old and new hubs New Mellon Mays students welcomed at UWC
of global capital. The Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship Programme has
accepted three more students. The new members were welcomed
at a celebratory event where they were able to meet and interact
with previous fellows who have continued to pursue academic
careers.

PLAAS 20th Anniversary Energy Storage Innovation Lab launch

PLAAS recently celebrated its 20th anniversary by hosting the An Energy Storage Innovation Lab recently launched at UWC aims to
International Symposium on Agrarian Change in the 21st Century: cross the innovation chasm in advanced energy storage solutions,
Processes and Politics. providing reliable and cost-effective energy storage systems.

Producing & Attracting Excellent Talent Sustaining Financial Stability Growing Our Profile Internally & Externally Sense-Making Through Leadership Development
6 EVENTS
UWC Open Day 2015
UWCs annual Open Day took place on
9 May 2015 where information about
undergraduate courses, extracurricular
activities, applications, bursaries, loans,
selection processes and residence options
were provided to prospective students and
parents.
DCAS signs agreement with UWC
The Western Cape Department of
Cultural Affairs and Sport (DCAS) signed
a collaboration agreement with UWCs
Centre for Performing Arts to provide
skills development to members of projects
funded by DCAS.
UWC takes pride in... Offering A Holistic Student Experience
Substance Abuse Programme
Professionals and community workers
from the Western Cape recently graduated
from the annual Substance Abuse Training
Programme that was developed by the
UWC Community Engagement Unit and
first introduced in 2011.
Third International Symposium on
Electrochemistry
The Third International Symposium
on Electrochemistry, with the theme
Materials, Analytical and Physical
Electrochemistry Today (MAPET15),
was hosted at UWC from 26 to 28 May
2015. The multi-disciplinary symposium
brought together scientists who focused
on aspects of their research that
involve electrochemistry for analysis,
characterisation, synthesis or application
that serve to foster extensive scientific
interaction across disciplines.
Our Teaching & Learning Focus
Launch of fraud prevention and
corruption campaign policy
On 28 May UWC launched its Fraud
and Corruption Prevention Campaign to
promote its policy framework to prevent
fraud, corruption, theft and internal
irregularities. At the launch event, all
major UWC stakeholders signed a pledge
to uphold the integrity of UWC.
Rugby Sevens team scores in
international competition
UWCs Rugby Sevens team was placed
third in the international Centrale Sevens
tournament in France in May. The team
competed against some of the top
university sevens teams in Europe.
Our Relevant Research & Innovation

UWC hosts another successful race
UWC hosted its annual Fast and Flat 10km
Road Race on 30 May 2015. The race
attracted large numbers of athletes.
Lifetime Achievement Award for
Prof Bharuthram
Professor Rameshwar Bharuthram, who
currently serves as Executive: Special
Projects, is the recipient of the 2015
Department of Science and Technology
(DST)/SARIMA Award for Exceptional
Leadership in Research Management.
Producing & Attracting Excellent Talent
EVENTS
Thought Leadership Series on the
Digital Economy
UWC kicked off the first instalment of its
Thought Leadership Series on the Digital
Economy. The public seminars aim to
provide critical information pertaining to
the utilisation of digital platforms to grow
businesses.
New President of Convocation
Peace builder and community activist
Mlungisi Noludwe, who graduated with
a BA degree from UWC in 1998, was
elected as the new President of UWCs
Convocation at the Annual General
Meeting on 6 June 2015.
Sustaining Financial Stability Growing Our Profile Internally & Externally
7
UWC and Missouri Plant Science
Symposium
Researchers from UWC and the University
of Missouri came together to discuss
cutting-edge plant science research as a
means to mitigate the effects of climate
change, at the first University of the
Western CapeUniversity of Missouri Plant
Science Symposium, held at UWC from 15
to 17 June 2015.
UWC hosts third Annual Youth
Indaba
Youth from disadvantaged communities in
Cape Town gathered at the third annual
Youth Indaba at UWC on 20 June 2015 to
discuss solutions to the challenges facing
South Africas youth.
Sense-Making Through Leadership Development
8 UWC Green Initiative

The Plant Science Symposium attracted delegates from UWC and the University of Missouri, Prof Julian May of the CoE-FS set the tone
as well as the University of Pretoria, the University of Cape Town and Stellenbosch University, for the symposium, painting a picture of food
among other institutions. security in South Africa.

UWC-Missouri symposium showcases

cutting-edge plant research
T
he Universities of the Western
Cape (UWC) and Missouri (MU)
co-hosted the first UWC-MU Plant
Science Symposium (15 to 17 June 2015)
at UWC to discuss cutting-edge plant
science research that aims to mitigate the
effects of climate change. The event was
organised with support from the Centre of
Excellence in Food Security (CoE-FS), which
is co-hosted by UWC and the University of
Pretoria.
Under the theme Sustainable Food
Security and Environmental Ecosystems
for World Prosperity, the more than 30
presentations at the symposium focused
on the abiotic and biotic stresses that
plants are subjected to, and how these
affect food security and environmental
sustainability. Some of the stress-causing
factors are drought, heat, salinity (salt
levels) and bacteria.
With its track record in plant science
specifically around major Missouri crops
like maize and soybean MU is keen
to identify areas where that knowledge
can be applied to a broader canvas.
Professor Robert Sharp, director of MUs
Interdisciplinary Plant Group (IPG), says
collaborations such as the one with UWC
allow scientists to draw greater attention,
on an international scale, to issues of
food security and water scarcity. This is
an opportunity to link up with colleagues
in other countries in this case Southern
Africa and to put our minds together and
make more rapid progress in this regard.
It was a chance to bring people in
these highly specialised fields to one place
to talk about a very important topic, says
Professor Julian May, co-director of the
CoE-FS, who provided delegates with an
overview of the food security landscape in
South Africa and the broad range of work
supported by the Centre. International
partnerships are important to what were
trying to do in the Centre of Excellence.
They allow us to bring in resources that
are not necessarily available to South
Africans.
UWC and MU have a relationship
that dates back nearly 30 years. But the
collaboration around plant science offers
a host of new prospects for joint research
ventures, networking and exchange
opportunities for scholars and graduate
students from both universities, according
to Professor Ndiko Ludidi, group leader of
the Plant Biotechnology Research Group
at UWC. It allows the universities whose
work in the field overlap and complement
each other to jointly address a major
global concern.
So if we bring those commonalities
together and, of course, our different
levels of expertise and different
approaches, we can really advance plant
science research to new levels, says Prof
Ludidi. The kind of impact we can make
in science and in society in general would
benefit substantially from this kind of
international collaboration.
Aside from scientists from UWC, MU
and the University of Pretoria, colleagues
from CoE-FS collaborating institutions
such as Stellenbosch University and the
University of Cape Town also participated
in the symposium.

UWC takes pride in... Offering A Holistic Student Experience Our Teaching & Learning Focus Our Relevant Research & Innovation
 UWC Green Initiative
Cape Flats Nature Reserve serves as
outdoor classroom
T
he University of the Western Cape (UWC) recognises the
need for young people to learn about the ecology of the
Western Capes dwindling natural areas.
The Universitys 32-hectare UWC-Cape Flats Nature Reserve
protects one of the most important floral conservation sites in the
Cape Lowlands, where only small fragments of strandveld and
coastal fynbos are formally conserved.
The reserve consists of three major floristic regions vlei, flats
and dunes with around 220 recorded indigenous plants species.
Animals present in the nature reserve include grysbok, mongoose,
several reptiles and over 100 bird species.
Aside from being used as a base for ecological training,
environmental education and research by university students
and researchers, the reserve also helps schools to educate their
learners outside the classrooms, through its environmental
education programme. Rather than describing examples of nature
Learners experience hands-on instruction in science and conservation education at the UWC-Cape Flats Nature Reserve.
Producing & Attracting Excellent Talent Sustaining Financial Stability
9
in the classroom, educators can now use the reserve to enable
learners to see and touch what would otherwise only be observed
in textbooks.
Learning programmes at the reserves Environmental Education
Centre are designed to comply with the school curriculum. The
Centre, facilitated by Environmental Education and Research
Support Officers Laurenda van Breda and Phoziswa Mpangela,
accommodates approximately 50 learners at a time. Many
of the schools involved in the programme are in previously
disadvantaged communities.
Mpangela says the schools apply at the nature reserve and all
grades and types of institutions are welcome, including childrens
homes, crches, old age homes, centres for juvenile offenders,
primary and high schools. The programmes are presented at no
cost to participants.
Growing Our Profile Internally & Externally Sense-Making Through Leadership Development
10
Members of the University of the Western Cape Young Environmental Africans project helping out at the Masikhanye food garden in Khayelitsha.
Young Africans raise environmental awareness
I
t takes the collective efforts of
many stakeholders to achieve an
environmentally-friendly campus that
meets the high standards reflected in the
University of the Western Cape being
frequently recognised as one of Southern
Africas greenest campuses.
One such stakeholder, the student-
run Young Environmental Africans (YEA)
project, promotes environmental education
and action across all faculties of the
Institution.
In 2014, YEA partnered with the
Geography Department to conduct a survey
and raise awareness about the importance
of the environment and joined Students
Against Fracking in an anti-fracking
campaign.
Geography students also conducted
a survey across campus and hosted the
first Greener Grass Summit, that brought
UWC takes pride in... Offering A Holistic Student Experience
UWC Green Initiative
together student groups interested in
sustainability and environmental awareness.
They also found time to engage in
community outreach through participation
in a social upliftment project at the
Masikhanye food garden in Khayelitsha.
This active student organisation has
been involved in community outreach
programmes where members teach
communities about the importance of
establishing sustainable community
recycling schemes.
President of the Young Environmental
Africans, Usomeleze Fitoli, says the
organisation promotes the protection of the
environment not only for its aesthetic value
but for its ability to sustainably improve the
lives of people through social and economic
empowerment.
We aim to encourage public
engagement and participation in
Our Teaching & Learning Focus
environmental issues and to show how they
affect the socio-economic issues in society.
Volunteering at a food garden
established by pensioners who share
our environmental integrity values was a
pleasure. The lessons learnt there were
about unselfishness and the value of good
old-fashioned hard work.
The food garden has the ability to
remain organic and productive. The
garden also provides local businesses with
vegetable stock, he says.
He adds that YEA plans is to support all
green initiatives at UWC, raise awareness
among the student body as a whole
(including about water and electricity
use), continue to lobby for environmental
education as an inter-disciplinary course
throughout all faculties and promote green-
friendly transport.
Our Relevant Research & Innovation
 UWC Green Initiative 11

PharmaSea project scours oceans depths

T
he University of the Western Cape is one of
24 institutions around the world taking part
in the European Union-funded PharmaSea
project. The 9.5 million four-year project searches
for organisms that could fuel new drug discoveries.
Led by Professor Marcel Jaspars of the University of
Aberdeen, the project focusses on biodiversity research
and bioprospecting for pharmaceutically useful
compounds.
The project will collect samples in some of the
hottest, deepest and coldest places on the planet,
including mud and sediment from deep ocean
trenches, using strategies commonly used in the
salvage industry to reach samples 6 000 metres deep.
It will then attempt to grow unique micro-organisms
in the collected sediment and isolate novel drug-like
molecules that may be useful in the development of
medical drugs (including new antibiotics) or cosmetics.
The project hopes to discover and develop new
pharmaceuticals from marine sources such as bacteria,
deep-sea sponges and fungi, for the treatment
of central nervous system diseases, inflammation
PharmaSea Arctic collection in 2009 led by project leader Marcel Jaspars.
and infection. Researchers will employ classical
microbiological isolation techniques, as well as modern
metagenomic technologies, to screen for and isolate
novel microorganisms associated with South African
marine sponges and sea squirts, and to identify new
drug-like activities produced by these microorganisms.
The goals are to deliver one or two drug candidates
with some preclinical evaluation carried out on them,
so that the whole package may be attractive to
pharma, in addition to a number of unique compounds
with associated potent and selective bioactivity that
can be forwarded via other mechanisms.
The researchers from UWC are led by Professor
Marla Tuffin, the Director of the Institute for Microbial
Biotechnology and Metagenomics at the Faculty of
Natural Sciences, and the Dean of Natural Sciences,
Prof Mike Davies-Coleman.
Most of the invertebrate species that have
been sampled to date are from Algoa Bay. These
invertebrates are new to science.

IMBM PharmaSea researchers (from left) Relebohile Matobole, Lucas Black and
William Mavengere examine their equipment.

Producing & Attracting Excellent Talent Sustaining Financial Stability Growing Our Profile Internally & Externally Sense-Making Through Leadership Development
12 UWC Green Initiative

Water brings Africa

and China together
A
s developing regions, Africa and China have similar water
concerns. Water consumption shot up as the regions
enjoyed more than a decade of economic growth.
But now water shortages are threatening economic growth.
According to the World Bank, this will cost China about 2% in
GDP growth every year. At the same time, the United Nations
Organisation believes that Africa currently lacks the institutional,
financial and human capacities for managing water. South Africa
is fast approaching physical water scarcity, defined as having
Prof Yongxin Xu is looking forward to another productive ChinAfrica
inadequate water resources to meet demand.
Water Dialogue Forum as UWC prepares to host the third meeting in the
The ChinAfrica Water Dialogue Forum, the timely brainchild of series in August 2015.
Professor Yongxin Xu, the UNESCO Professor of Hydrogeology
at UWC, was established in 2013. Prof Xu imagined the annual
forum as a platform that would bring together scholars and
researchers from Africa and China to address concerns about the
looming global water crisis. While many international conferences
debated and discussed the issue, he wanted the Forum to
look specifically at water resources in the context of economic
development.
The purpose of the Forum was to exchange science and
technology information as well as experiences shared by other
developing regions, says Prof Xu. Africa and China have many
similarities as developing regions, and have so much to share.
The inaugural Forum in 2013, held at UWC in collaboration
with South Africas Council for Scientific and Industrial Research
(CSIR), was themed Sustainable Utilisation of Water Resources
in the Developing Countries. That was also the title of the 2014 Prof Yongxin Xu (right) and UWC colleague, Dr Thokozani Kanyerere,
will help direct the discussion when UWC hosts the third ChinAfrica
conference, staged in Guilin, China. This years meeting, to be Water Dialogue Forum.
held at UWC from 17 to 19 August, will discuss Development and
Management of Water Resources in Africa and China. In the meantime, the IRCK has signed a Memorandum of
The Forum has sparked numerous exchanges and Understanding (MoU) with the CSIR for the further study of karst
collaborations. In 2014, UWC masters student Tebogo Madlala water. A new MoU between the Institute and South Africas
attended the International Training Course on Karst Ecosystems Water Research Commission like IRCK a Forum partner will be
and Geomicrobiology at the International Research Centre on signed at the August Forum at UWC. The MoU concerns ways to
Karst (IRCK) in Guilin (karst refers to the geological feature and implement the groundwater protection measures proposed for
source of groundwater characterised by rock tower formations South Africa.
associated with underground drainage systems like sinkholes and Overall, says Prof Xu, the Forum is going from strength to
caves). strength. In addition to attracting large numbers of high-level
Another masters student, Sibongile Manamathela, was invited delegates from Africa, China and elsewhere, UNESCO and the
in 2014 to present at the International Conference on African national Department of Water and Sanitation will also participate
Agriculture, Rural Development and Sino-African Cooperation in in the August meeting.
Nanjing Province, China. This kind of capacity building is very Everyone is taking this collaboration very seriously, and the
important for research, says Prof Xu. prospects for it look good, says Prof Xu.

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 NEWS 13

Can businesses afford not to go digital?

T
he University of the Western Cape
hosted the first instalment of its
Thought Leadership Series on
the Digital Economy in May. The public
seminars are aimed at providing critical
information on the use of digital platforms
to grow businesses.
This series follows up on the report
released last year by UWC, Stellenbosch
Business School (USB) and Ikamva National
eSkills Institute (iNeSI), entitled Strategies,
Practices and Skills for Competitiveness
in the Digital Economy: A Perspective on
Large Companies in South Africa.
The report and the seminars focus on
the relationship between people and
technology, and how this can be improved
to unlock opportunities for growth in the
digital economy.
As Western Cape iNesI Hub Director
and UWC lecturer, Dr Leonora Craffert,
explains: We are amidst a paradigm
shift, and we need to equip ourselves and From left to right: Professor Kobus Visser, Prakash Patel and Dr Leonora Craffert attended the
our institutions for the digital economy. opening of the Digital Economy seminar series.
The objective of the series is to provide
a platform for discussion, exploration platforms while others are failing due e-skills, accessibility, affordability and
and learning between the world of work to their incapacity to keep up with the infrastructure, says Patel.
(business) and the world of enquiry growing digital sphere. Africa has the potential to play a
(academia) to engage with this new set According to Patel, what the digital large role in the digital economy, says
of challenges and opportunities. We owe economy is depends on who you ask Professor Kobus Visser, Dean of the Faculty
this to current and future customers and everyone will have a different definition. of Economics and Management Sciences
employees. Whatever the definition, the emergence at UWC. However, we need proactive
The first seminar, entitled WT# is the of the ever-expanding digital sphere has engagement between key role-players
Digital Economy, was well attended by led to changes in the way we do business. business, academia, government, etc. to
business leaders, government officials For example, Patel explained that there ensure that we all are kept abreast on
and members of the UWC community. has been a distinct shift from traditional how to stay current and competitive. We
Prakash Patel, a seasoned tra-digitalist marketing, especially with the emergence cannot afford to stagnate.
and now Chief Digital Officer for Fogg of digital platforms such as Facebook and Issues to be addressed at future
Experiential Design CT was the keynote Twitter, where people are engaged in seminars include what skills are required
speaker at the event. sharing information. Marketing today is a of graduates and employees to remain
Points of discussion centred on the conversation, a dialogue and a sharing of part of the digital economy, what is meant
emergence of the digital age, what the experiences. by new business models for the digital
digital economy really is, what digital To be part of the digital economy, economy, and innovation in and for the
means for business and how some businesses/organisations need the digital economy.
businesses are growing using digital following: people with the right

Producing & Attracting Excellent Talent Sustaining Financial Stability Growing Our Profile Internally & Externally Sense-Making Through Leadership Development
14
Fracking in the Karoo
T
his year, the enabling legislation to allow fracking to begin
in the Karoo was passed in South Africa. In his State of
the Nation Address, President Jacob Zuma stated that the
manufacture of shale gas could be a game changer for the South
African economy.
Hydraulic fracturing, commonly known as fracking, is the
process of drilling far below the earths surface before pumping
a high-pressure solution of water, sand and chemicals directly
into the shale rock below to fracture the rock and release the
natural gas trapped in the rock. The gas is released into the water
solution and travels up the drilled well pipe to the surface where it
is separated from the solution. The gas is then used as an energy
source.
The impending fracking in South Africa has created conflict
between economists and environmentalists. Environmentalists are
concerned about the contamination of the ground water aquifers,
located in the layer just above fracking sites, through exposure to
shale gas and the chemicals contained in the water solution. They
have also raised objections to fracking on the basis that it would
cause adverse landscape and environmental changes to the Karoo.
For example, large amounts of water have to be transported to
the fracking sites to be used in the fracking process. Some of this
water will be left behind in the wells while some will be stored in
surface pits.
Many geologists and economists would like fracking to take
place in South Africa, believing that the economic benefits of
UWC takes pride in... Offering A Holistic Student Experience
NEWS
fracking would far outweigh the possible environmental effects.
According to Dr Mimonitu Opuwari of the Department of Geology
at the University of the Western Cape, fracking would not only
bring billions of rands in revenue but would create 300 000 new
employment opportunities in the country.
Dr Opuwari says that while there would be geological changes
to the Karoo, the geological changes will be confined to the
mined parts of the Karoo and the gas mined will be a clean source
of new energy. In the long run the environmental benefits gained
from the use of this clean source of shale-gas energy will far
outweigh the damage that will potentially be done to an area of
the Karoo landscape.
UWC Geology masters student Jade Holtman says that the fears
of water contamination that environmentalists raise are based
on contaminated water found by some farmers in the United
States of America, but these contamination levels were very low.
He also says that the water solution currently being employed is
environmentally friendly and contains no chemicals.
Looking to the future, Dr Opuwari explains that fracking is
still years away as there are many processes that must first take
place before fracking can begin. What needs to happen first
is a study on the social impact of fracking that will engage the
local communities, before the exploration phase can begin. Dr
Opuwari also notes that the USA and China have been fracking
for years and anticipates that South Africa will benefit from their
knowledge and technological advancements.
Our Teaching & Learning Focus Our Relevant Research & Innovation
 SPORTS 15

UWC footballers named in Team SA

S
ummer Universiade, the World
Student Games, is the pinnacle of
sporting participation for university
athletes, coaches, managers, medical and
technical staff.
So it meant a great deal when five UWC
footballers women footballers Vuyo
Mkhabela, Nelly Mamabolo, Thalea Smidt
and Thembi Kgatlane, as well as Thapelo
Sixishe (mens team) were named in the
South African team to compete at this
years event in Gwangju, South Korea,
from 3 to 14 July 2015. Newly appointed
UWC Director of Sport Administration,
Mandla Gagayi, was appointed as the
Deputy Head of Delegation.
The Universiade, organised by the
International University Sport Federation
(FISU), is an international sporting
and cultural festival which is staged
every two years in a different city.
It is regarded as second only to the
Olympic Games. Participation in the
competition is particularly important to the
University as it speaks to the Institutional
Operating Plans objective of the holistic
development of students and of leadership
development.
Gagayi, an assessor for University Sport
South Africa, says the selection of students
is good for the University. This affirms
our efforts and also acknowledges our
contribution, as the University, to the
bigger picture of sport development in
the country, he says. Every selection,
tournament at the University Sport South
Tapelo Sixishe has been selected as the only
male footballer to participate in the UWC team
at the World Student Games.
whether in Banyana Banyana or a
university sport national team, is an
indication of our universitys potential to
develop athletes. Just imagine how many
more national athletes we would produce
with the right resources.
The students were elated with the news
and said their selection is proof that UWC
is on the right track in terms of sports
development, particularly in womens
football, and will motivate more students
to take part in sport.
This shows the hard work that UWC
put into sports, and Im very proud and
happy to represent my university, says
Mamabolo, a second-year BA psychology
student who hails from Limpopo.
Although she was named the player of the
Africa Club Championships late last year,
she didnt take anything for granted at the
trials and her hard work paid off.
For Smidt, a first-year BSc Biotechnology
student who is from Strandfontein, Cape
Town, selection to Team South Africa
was a dream come true. I waited for
this opportunity for long. Its an honour
for me as I worked hard to get this
breakthrough.
Mkhabela, who is doing a Postgraduate
Diploma in Sports Development and
Peace, has been a member of the national
team in the past and was happy to
maintain her position. Its very exciting, it
really shows that my performance has not
dropped and that I have been doing well.
The only male athlete selected from the
University, Sixishe was as thrilled to be in
the team but noted that they faced a big
challenge because we have a point to
prove as we have not participated in the
last five years.

UWC MEDIA OFFICE

Do you have any important UWC stories to share? Do you know of an event on campus that youd
like to see featured? Have you heard of UWC alumni whove done amazing things, which you think
the world should know about? Or maybe you have a few suggestions, comments or questions about
something in this newsletter? Whatever the case may be, the UWC Media Office would really like to
hear from you.
Just email us at ia@uwc.ac.za, call us at 021 959 9525, or drop by our offices.

CONTRIBUTORS
Nastasha Crow Nicole Isaacs Asiphe Nombewu
Myolisi Gophe Nicklaus Kruger Luthando Tyhalibongo Nickay Photography
Producing & Attracting Excellent Talent Sustaining Financial Stability Growing Our Profile Internally & Externally Sense-Making Through Leadership Development
 16
The Jakes Gerwel
Education, Endowment
and Development Fund

Driving Equal Access to Success

Golf Day
Fundraiser

Evident from developed nations, access to the higher education system

has played a critically important
role in the economic development of the country.

- Jakes Gerwel

R20 000 donation per team

Included in the donation:
Green fees
Halfway house
Prize-giving dinner
Complimentary gift
Waterholes

Donations are tax-deductable and all proceeds go toward the

Jakes Gerwel Education, Endowment and Development Fund
for student bursaries.

Date: 18 August 2015

Venue: Wanderers Golf Club, Gauteng
Contact: Marlene Scholtz
021 959 2482 or
mscholtz@uwc.ac.za

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Offering A Holistic Student Experience with SAfm& and
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FROM HOPE TO ACTION THROUGH KNOWLEDGE.
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