| New report showcases SU’s efforts to build “the Africa we want” | http://www.sun.ac.za/english/Lists/news/DispForm.aspx?ID=9906 | | New report showcases SU’s efforts to build “the Africa we want” | SU International | <p></p><p>In March 2023, to coincide with the celebration of 30 years of internationalisation at Stellenbosch University (SU), the institution officially launched its very first sustainable development annual report. </p><p>The report, <a href="https://susdev.sun.ac.za/sustainability-contributions/"><em>Sustainable development for the Africa we want 2021/2022</em></a>, was published in late 2022. It describes SU's contribution to sustainable development at both a regional and global scale in terms of the African Union (AU) Agenda 2063 and the United Nations (UN) 2030 Agenda respectively. </p><p><strong>Unplanned, but invaluable</strong></p><p>The publication is an unintended by-product of the work of SU International's SDG/2063 Impact Hub, which was established in 2021 to focus exclusively on the University's efforts towards sustainable development. (<em>More on the hub follows below.</em>) Shortly after its inception, the hub started engaging with environments across SU to identify the areas and sustainable development goals (SDGs) they were most active in through their research, teaching and social impact work. A working group with representatives from SU divisions such as Research Development, Information Governance, Information Technology, Social Impact and Facilities Management helped find and document University-wide contributions. <br> <br> Initially, the primary aim was to create a website showcasing SU's work per SDG and AU goal. The site, <a href="https://susdev.sun.ac.za/">https://susdev.sun.ac.za</a>, has since been set up and provides an overview of the University's efforts under each goal, institutional sustainable development champions, study options in the field of sustainable development, and general programmes promoting sustainable development at SU. However, the process uncovered a range of interesting stories and evidence, which warranted a dedicated publication listing the year's highlights. </p><p><strong>Structured reporting</strong></p><p>The report pairs each of the 17 SDGs with their corresponding AU goal(s) to provide a structured overview of the University's sustainable development work. Under SDG 2 (“Zero hunger) and AU goal 5 (“Modern agriculture for increased productivity and production"), for instance, it showcases the University's various food security initiatives, including #Move4Food and the Pantry Project, AgriSciences' Aquaculture and Sustainable Agriculture degree programmes, and the public lectures of SU's Southern Africa Food Lab.</p><p>Under the combination of SDG 6 (“Clean water and sanitation") and AU goal 7 (“Environmentally sustainable climate resilient economies and communities"), the report elaborates on the University's state-of-the-art greywater systems and water-savvy building practices and the work of the SU-hosted AUDA-NEPAD Southern African Network of Water Centres of Excellence (SANWATCE). </p><p>Featured initiatives under SDG 13 (“Climate action") and AU goals 6 and 7 (“Blue/ocean economy for accelerated economic growth" and “Environmentally sustainable climate resilient economies and communities") include the work of SU's School for Climate Studies, the Centre for Renewable and Sustainable Energy Studies, and the bold strategies in the University's Environmental Sustainability Plan.</p><p>Work on the second iteration of the report has already commenced. </p><p><strong><em>More about the </em></strong><strong><em>SDG/2063 Impact Hub</em></strong></p><p><em>Situated in SU International's Centre for Collaboration in Africa, the SDG/2063 Impact Hub seeks to promote the uptake of both the </em><em>AU Agenda 2063 and the UN 2030 Agenda </em><em>at SU and to introduce sustainable development literacy. To this end, the hub </em><em>raises awareness of existing SDG-related activities, creates partnerships for research and education, collects and consolidates data, measures SU's impact, and communicates this publicly. The ultimate aim is for the hub's work to support the University in becoming systemically sustainable.</em></p><p><br></p> |
| SU proud host of CliMigHealth’s African hub | http://www.sun.ac.za/english/Lists/news/DispForm.aspx?ID=9910 | | SU proud host of CliMigHealth’s African hub | SU International | <p><span style="text-align:justify;">T</span><span style="text-align:justify;">o add to its pioneering work to combat climate change and enhance resilience, Stellenbosch University (SU) is now also home to the CliMigHealth-Stellenbosch Africa Hub, the African arm of an international network hosted at Ghent University in Belgium. The launch of the hub took place at the newly renovated SU Library on Friday 24 March 2023.</span><br></p><p style="text-align:justify;">To mark the event, SU International hosted a high-level delegation from Ghent University and SU's School for Climate Studies, where CliMigHealth will be based. The Ghent delegation, including Ghent University's Vice-Rector Prof Mieke van Herreweghe and other dignitaries, were in South Africa as part of the broader national Belgian state visit. </p><p style="text-align:justify;"><strong>Platform for regional </strong>cooperation</p><p style="text-align:justify;">CliMigHealth is an acronym for 'climate', 'migration' and 'health'. This transdisciplinary, interuniversity initiative aims to generate knowledge on the interactions between these three areas. The vision of the project, founded in 2020 at Ghent University, is to better adapt to, mitigate and prepare for current and future effects of climate change, have a greater understanding of the role and impact of migration, and develop resilient, inclusive and responsive health systems. </p><p style="text-align:justify;">In addition to the African hub at SU, Latin-American and Asian hubs will be launched in the course of 2023 at Lancet Migration in Lima, Peru, and at the United Nations University's International Institute for Global Health (UNU-IIGH) in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, respectively.</p><p style="text-align:justify;">By creating a platform for regional collaboration between universities, different disciplines and non-profit organisations, the hub will facilitate the sharing of findings specific to Africa. This will encourage the setting of regional priorities for climate-migration-health research and education, which, in turn, can be translated into community-based actions suited to local contexts and languages. </p><p style="text-align:justify;"><strong>Letter of intent formalises collaboration</strong></p><p style="text-align:justify;">At the launch, both Robert Kotze, senior director of SU International, and Prof Guido van Huylenbroeck, director of Internationalisation at Ghent, welcomed this new phase of collaboration between the two institutions and across the rest of Africa in order to tackle global and regional challenges. These sentiments were echoed by SU's Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Research, Innovation and Postgraduate Studies, Prof Sibusiso Moyo. </p><p style="text-align:justify;">Other contributors to the programme were Prof Guy Midgley, director of SU's School of Climate Studies, Dr Christan Lueme from SU's Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, and Dr Charlotte Scheerens, coordinator of CliMigHealth at Ghent. </p><p style="text-align:justify;">In addition, the event offered the School for Climate Studies, the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences and Ghent University an opportunity to co-sign a letter of intent to work together across disciplines and universities to mitigate some of the most pressing issues facing modern society. </p><p style="text-align:justify;"><strong>Exhibition showcases human element</strong></p><p style="text-align:justify;">The launch also included the photo exhibition <em>Strength and resilience in the Western Cape</em> by renowned South African photojournalist and visual artist Gulshan Khan. Her work highlights the impact of climate, migration and healthcare challenges on people's lives and, therefore, the urgent need for solutions. The exhibition will remain accessible to the entire SU community for an extended period. </p><p style="text-align:justify;">Link to photo album: <a href="https://stellenbosch.sharepoint.com/:f:/s/SustainableImpactReporting2/Erpsokq40n9Lk8z3zcrhScsBARbD_MJ0W74B0mKwu9dklg?e=vaeZT7">CliMigHeath launch pics</a> </p><p><br><br></p><p><br></p> |
| The University of Warwick visits Stellenbosch University | http://www.sun.ac.za/english/Lists/news/DispForm.aspx?ID=9660 | | The University of Warwick visits Stellenbosch University | SU International | <p>On 31 October 2022, Stellenbosch University (SU) received a delegation from the University of Warwick (UW). The delegation was led by Prof. Mike Shipman, Pro-Vice Chancellor (International). </p><p>The purpose of the visit was to discuss various topics, including: <br></p><ul><li>Multilateral collaboration: SU and WU take part in various shared networks (for example, Eutopia), and both hold memberships in networks which are engaging with one another on a strategic level (for example, ARUA and the Guild). </li><li>Funding opportunities for collaborative projects between SU and UW. </li><li>Virtual research workshops that will take place around shared areas of excellence. </li></ul><p>During the visit the delegation from UW also had the opportunity to engage with SU academic staff members from the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, School for Data Science and Computational Thinking, School for Climate Studies and the Department of Mathematics. In addition to these engagements, there were also engagements with the African Centre for Scholarship and the Centre for Collaboration in Africa. Part of the reason for these engagements, was to map and identify areas of overlap between the two institutions. </p><p>The delegation visit was also an opportunity to sign a Memorandum of Understanding between the two universities. Even though SU and UW have already collaborated on various levels with one another, there have been no formal agreement between the two universities. To formalize the existing collaborative activities the signing of a memorandum of understanding was the “natural next step”. </p><table class="ms-rteTable-default" width="100%" cellspacing="0"><tbody><tr><td class="ms-rteTable-default" style="width:100%;">Collaboration between SU and UW:<br><br>Collaboration between the two universities include existing co-publication and collaborative research projects, student programmes in the areas of undergraduate research and community engagement (for example, <a href="https://www.icurportal.com/">ICUR</a> and <a href="https://warwick.ac.uk/giving/projects/wia/">Warwick in Africa</a>) and shared network membership, for example the network Eutopia. <br><br>Both institutions are also respectively part of networks, the Guild and ARUA, which collaborates with one another in terms of certain areas of excellence.</td></tr></tbody></table><p>The memorandum of understanding makes provision for the following activities: </p><ul><li>Student Exchange</li><li>Joint Supervision </li><li>Joint research activities </li><li>Administrative and Academic Staff Mobility </li><li>Joint conferences, symposia and other academic meetings on subjects of mutual interest </li><li>Hosting of faculty members for teaching purposes (guest lectures, joined seminars, etc) </li><li>Virtual and Hybrid teaching collaboration </li></ul><p>The Memorandum of Understanding will be further supported by a student exchange agreement between the two institutions. </p><p>If you are interested to find out more about opportunities to become involved in the partnership between UW and SU, please reach out to Sarah van der Westhuizen (SU).</p> |
| SU honorary degree for Ghanaian higher education giant | http://www.sun.ac.za/english/Lists/news/DispForm.aspx?ID=9650 | | SU honorary degree for Ghanaian higher education giant | Corporate Communication & Marketing / Korporatiewe Kommunikasie & Bemarking [Alec Basson] | <p>Stellenbosch University (SU) bestowed an honorary doctorate on one of Africa's giants in higher education, Prof Ernest Aryeetey, at its December graduation. He received the degree Doctor of Commerce (DCom), <em>honoris causa</em>, on Thursday (8 December 2022) at an in-person graduation ceremony for the Faculty of Economics and Management Sciences.<br></p><p>Aryeetey, who hails from Ghana, was honoured for his discerning and innovative leadership in the higher education sector in Africa, his commitment to creating platforms to build research and innovation capacity on the continent and for sharing his expertise through his scholarly contributions. <br></p><p>In his acceptance speech, Aryeetey thanked SU for the honorary degree and said he is under no illusion about its significance. “I'm very much touched by the gesture and I'm very happy for the recognition of the work that we are all doing together in this region. I believe the importance of it will resonate around the region."<br></p><p>Aryeetey referred to the African Research Universities Alliance (ARUA) and emphasised the important role of higher education institutions in addressing the challenges Africa faces. <br></p><p> </p><p>“We strongly believe that in order to attain the Sustainable Development Goals, Africa needs to change the way it manages its economies. The only way you can do this change is by building the knowledge systems you require for that, and also using these more effectively."</p><p>He lauded SU for contributing much more to ARUA than was expected at the beginning.<br></p><p><strong>More about Aryeetey</strong></p><p>As a well-respected thought leader in higher education, Aryeetey has made an enormous contribution to the sector, not only in his home country of Ghana, but also across Africa.</p><p>Aryeetey is the founding secretary-general of the ARUA, a network of universities that focuses on building research capacity on the continent. Following its establishment, he spearheaded the identification of 13 research areas to facilitate interdisciplinary research collaborations and established 11 ARUA centres of excellence. This includes the ARUA Centre of Excellence in Energy at SU.<br></p><p>A professor of Economics and former vice-chancellor of the University of Ghana (2010–2016), Aryeetey has held academic appointments at the School of Oriental and African Studies (London) and at Yale University and Swarthmore College (both in the United States). His research focuses on the economics of development, and he is well known for his work on informal and microfinance in Africa. <br></p><p>Aryeetey is a member of the governing council of the United Nations University (UNU) and a former chair of the advisory board of the UNU World Institute for Development Economics Research (Helsinki). <br></p><ul><li><strong>Photo</strong>: Prof Ernest Aryeetey at the graduation ceremony. <strong>Photographer</strong>: Stefan Els</li></ul><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p><br></p> |
| Renowned Rwandan paediatrician now an honorary Matie | http://www.sun.ac.za/english/Lists/news/DispForm.aspx?ID=9635 | | Renowned Rwandan paediatrician now an honorary Matie | Corporate Communication & Marketing / Korporatiewe Kommunikasie & Bemarking [Alec Basson] | <p style="text-align:justify;">Stellenbosch University conferred an honorary doctorate on the distinguished Rwandan paediatrician Prof Agnes Binagwaho at its December graduation. She was awarded the degree Doctor of Science (DSc), <em>honoris causa</em>, in absentia on Tuesday (6 December 2022) at an in-person graduation ceremony for the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences.</p><p>Binagwaho was honoured for<strong> </strong>her visionary leadership as a national and global policymaker, her commitment to a stronger public health sector, her pioneering work advocating for the rights of people living with HIV and for leveraging her knowledge to launch scientific and citizen-centred endeavours in Africa and beyond. She has made remarkable contributions to improving the health and well-being of people in Rwanda and the rest of Africa. </p><p><strong>More about Binagwaho</strong></p><p>Born in Rwanda, Prof Agnes Binagwaho moved to Belgium as a child. Here she later obtained her medical degree and specialised in paediatrics before returning to her native country in 1996 – two years after the Rwandan genocide. She proceeded to hold several high-level government offices, including that of health minister.</p><p>She has been a tireless advocate for the rights of persons living with HIV/Aids and led the Rwandan National Aids Control Commission from 2002 to 2008. Under her supervision, the commission connected public, private and community sectors to provide better HIV care, resulting in a 44% decrease in HIV-related deaths, while new infections were halved.</p><p>During her time as health minister (2011–2016), Rwanda's health system improved significantly: The country achieved nearly universal coverage with a national community-health-based insurance scheme, significant decreases in maternal and neonatal mortality, increased life expectancy and high childhood vaccination rates.</p><p>She is the current vice-chancellor of the University of Global Health Equity, as well as a senior lecturer at Harvard. Binagwaho also serves as senior advisor to the director-general of the World Health Organisation and is a member of the United States National Academy of Medicine. </p><p> </p><p> </p><p><br></p> |
| Africa Regional Forum on Climate Change says ‘it’s time for Africa’ | http://www.sun.ac.za/english/Lists/news/DispForm.aspx?ID=9621 | | Africa Regional Forum on Climate Change says ‘it’s time for Africa’ | Mmanape Hlungwane | <p><span style="text-align:justify;">The Africa Regional Forum (ARF) on Climate Change was hosted at Stellenbosch University (SU) by our School for Climate Studies in collaboration with the Global Alliance of Universities on Climate (GAUC). The ARF provided an opportunity to learn more about the African Agenda for COP27, hosted in November 2022 in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt. The ARF was a five-day, interactive, hybrid conference that allowed multiple institutions and stakeholders to engage in climate change science and its applied social and policy implications for Africa. The Forum hosted a range of delegates from 45 different universities across Africa.</span></p><p style="text-align:justify;">As part of GAUC, Stellenbosch University's School of Climate Studies and SU were joined by 15 member universities from 6 continents, all dedicated to advancing climate change solutions. During the Climate-X launch other staff and students from GAUC were given the opportunity to virtually join the Stellenbosch delegates. The team later hosted an opening ceremony for the members at SU, which was performed by Prof Klopper, the Vice-Rector: Strategy, Global and Corporate Affairs. She extended a warm welcome to the delegates and noted that the ARF was excellent preparation for COP27. She emphasised the need to work together to advance the COP27 agenda and make Africa prominent in the role it has to play. She noted that the ARF, as the first on the continent and led by SU, is an important part of fostering and expanding the collaborative link between our African universities. Above all, it is consistent with SU's vision and mission of becoming Africa's leading research-intensive university, working in and for the continent.</p><p style="text-align:justify;">The second day of the Forum began with a keynote address by the acting director of the School for Climate Studies, Prof Guy Midgley, who started the conversations on climate by discussing the potential non-linear adaptation costs. The Forum continued during the week with other exciting and productive panels and resolved to work towards establishing a body known as the African Universities Climate Network. This panel was dedicated to the idea of enhancing networks among Africans beyond those dedicated to climate change. Ms Simone Engelbrecht of the AUDA-NEPAD Centre of Excellence in Science, Technology and Innovation, in collaboration with SU, reiterated that the work on climate change by African scientists would benefit from designing an African model focused on utilising and showcasing African creators, holders, and communicators of knowledge, and the resources in a communal repertoire. </p><p style="text-align:justify;">The topic on climate was extended to panels such as the Periperi U live talk, youth engagement in climate science and policy, sustainable and renewable energy systems, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) implications on climate change, human health and climate change, and increasing African engagement in global assessment reports. The ARF received support from the South African National Research Foundation via the director who shared ways to acquire grants for research, but more important to emphasise the need for collaborations among Africans. Additional inputs and contributions came from the director of the School for Data Science and Computational Thinking that was established prior to the School for Climate Studies, for the purpose of creating a space to unite the best minds and thought leaders, academics, and policymakers in an interdisciplinary space. Students at the conference also received career, while SAFTA-nominated presenter Vicky Davis provided them with training in public speaking. She led delegates through a morning of tips and tools for delivering a presentation with confidence. The afternoon was used to work interactively on the delegates' presentation skills, providing feedback on their style, and how to improve message delivery. </p><p style="text-align:justify;">The <em>African Journal of Climate Studies</em> (AJOCS) was launched at the ARF. The journal is a step forward in documenting and portraying African climate-related work and connecting experts and students of climate studies. </p><p style="text-align:justify;">Ultimately, the ARF was a valuable opportunity for SU to host our African partners in person and virtually, and to emphasise the desire for African collaboration on climate change. <strong>Recordings of the ARF may be viewed/downloaded here:</strong></p><p style="text-align:justify;"><a href="https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/18CDSTq3zUpy5Io0VLVUUSUQd1ZviM4a-?usp=sharing">https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/18CDSTq3zUpy5Io0VLVUUSUQd1ZviM4a-?usp=sharing</a><br></p><p><strong><em>African Journal of Climate Studies</em></strong></p><p style="text-align:left;">Calls for submissions to AJOCS may be forwarded to the website <a href="https://eur03.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http://climatestudies.org/&data=05%7c01%7c%7c931ceb50b1b24499afdb08da97194586%7ca6fa3b030a3c42588433a120dffcd348%7c0%7c0%7c637988432087760544%7cUnknown%7cTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7c3000%7c%7c%7c&sdata=qtKEh7Be8wT3/VdHlaVJBXdnPk9JZYMrruPskBtY45g%3D&reserved=0">http://climatestudies.org/</a>, while calls for co-editors may be emailed to <a href="mailto:indexing@aosis.co.za">indexing@aosis.co.za</a>.<br></p><p><br></p> |
| Collaboration in Africa | http://www.sun.ac.za/english/Lists/news/DispForm.aspx?ID=9623 | | Collaboration in Africa | SU International | <p><span style="text-align:justify;">T</span><span style="text-align:justify;">he Centre of Collaboration in Africa (CCA) was involved in various activities during the latter part of the year, including supporting the School of Climate Studies in hosting the African Regional Forum (</span><a href="https://stellenbosch.sharepoint.com/:w:/s/CCATEAMSGroup/EZphWEuukmNGvTVKsnYcD8sBw1jXgeyxBSiYUjhfraa8PQ?e=TrQfZb" style="text-align:justify;"><strong>read more</strong></a><span style="text-align:justify;">). This reflection will feature some of the activities the CCA has been involved in, both regionally (SADC – Southern African Development Community) and beyond:</span></p><p><strong>The SADC Multi-Stakeholder Dialogue</strong> (Maseru, Lesotho – 5-7 September 2022)</p><p style="text-align:justify;">The SADC Multi-Stakeholder Dialogue is a biennial event organised by the SADC Secretariat that is traditionally presented as events driven by the water sector. It provides a forum for practitioners and other influencing sectors to have a dialogue on the pertinent issues that need to be addressed to deepen regional integration and address poverty in the region. The underlying objective is to ensure that the region unlocks the potential of sustainable water resources development in contributing to regional integration, poverty eradication and socioeconomic development. The theme of this edition of the event was, “Bolstering regional productive capacities for water, energy, food security and ecosystem resilience to achieve inclusive and sustainable industrial transformation". The objective of the dialogue was holistically positioned around the strategies and approaches, regional instruments, and the mobilisation of inclusive capabilities to support water, energy, food and the environment. Participants included senior officials from the water, energy and food sectors across all 16 SADC member states' regional institutions (named below), youth representatives, women groups, civil society organisations, the private sector, international cooperation partners (the Water Strategy Reference Group [WSRG] and other financing partners), government ministries responsible for economic planning, and selected utilities and regional agencies from the water, energy and food sectors. Dr Nico Elema represented the CCA through the Southern African Network of Water Centres of Excellence (AUDA-NEPAD SANWATCE). AUDA-NEPAD SANWATCE is a network of higher education and research institutions conducting high-end scientific research and capacity development in water and related sectors, to achieve a positive impact on societies (<a href="https://www0.sun.ac.za/international/news/au-nepad-southern-african-network-of-water-centres-of-excellence.html">read more</a>). </p><p style="text-align:justify;">Member states' regional institutions: SADC Secretariat (Industrialisation Strategy [IS]; Policy, Planning and Resources Mobilisation [PPRM]; and the Food, Agriculture and Natural Resources [FANR]). Regional and Pan-African institutions: SADC Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (SACREEE); Centre for Coordination of Agricultural Research and Development for Southern Africa (CCARDESA); Regional Energy Regulators Association of Southern Africa (RERA); River Basin Organisations (RBOs); African Development Bank (AfDB); the Food, Agriculture and Natural Resources Policy Analysis Network (FANRPAN); International Water Management Institute (IWMI); Climate Resilient Infrastructure Development Facility (CRIDF); and the African Union Development Agency – New Partnership for Africa's Development (AUDA-NEPAD).</p><p><strong>The Ministerial Meeting on Integrated Early Warning and Early Action System Initiative in Southern Africa </strong>(Maputo, Mozambique – 5-9 September 2022)</p><p style="text-align:justify;">At the invitation of the African Union Commission (AUC), in collaboration with the SADC Secretariat, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and other key technical partners, the CCA, represented by Mr Carinus de Kock, participated in the Ministerial Meeting on Integrated Early Warning and Early Action System Initiative in Southern Africa. This was the first of a series of early warning conferences at ministerial level across the African continent, starting with the SADC region. The conference aimed to seize evolving political moments following the adoption of the Africa Institutional Framework for Multi-Hazard Early Warning and Early Action, the inauguration of the Africa Multi-Hazard Early Warning and Early Action System (AMHEWAS) Situation Room, and the recent announcement made on 23 March 2022 by the United Nations Secretary-General, His Excellency António Guterres, calling for a new initiative that will provide every citizen on the planet with early warning systems to reduce vulnerabilities and improve preparedness and response to natural hazards in the next five years. </p><p style="text-align:justify;">Early warning systems allow people to know that hazardous weather or climate events are on their way, and inform the possible actions of governments, communities and individuals to minimise impacts. These systems are, however, inadequate in the region. Efforts are therefore needed to tap into the WMO and other partners' supportive frameworks to enable effective forecast and prediction systems that will provide information and warnings to disaster management institutions, decision makers, and citizens in general to take appropriate actions to safeguard life, property and development gains. The CCA hosts the “Partners Enhancing Resilience for People Exposed to Risks'' (PeriperiI U) secretariat. Periperi U is a platform for university partnerships to reduce disaster risks in Africa with a special focus on advancing university action on risk and vulnerability reduction in Africa (<a href="http://www.riskreductionafrica.org/about.html">read more</a>).</p><p style="text-align:justify;"><strong>The second offering of the Future17 SDG Challenge </strong>(Stellenbosch, 27 September 2022)</p><p style="text-align:justify;">Stellenbosch University's (SU's) SDG/2063 Impact Hub held a contact briefing session for students selected to participate in the second offering of the Future17 SDG Challenge (Future17) on 27 September. The student-centred offering is led by a consortium of universities from four continents: the University of Exeter, the Chinese University of Hong Kong, the University of São Paulo and Stellenbosch University (<a href="/english/Lists/news/DispForm.aspx?ID=9235">read more</a>). This is the first Sustainability Literacy programme offered at SU that focuses on the sustainable development goals (SDGs) and the Agenda 2030 in its entirety. There has been an increase in student and staff interest in Future17, with more than 50 students and 12 mentors participating in this second offering. The course, which started in August, is set to run until December, with the induction phase of the course being finalised this week. This will be followed by group collaborations on a project partner-initiated sustainability challenge between 10 October and 2 November, where students will engage with peers from participating universities. Successfully assessed projects will be certified by QS World Rankings and SU.</p><p style="text-align:justify;"><strong>18</strong><strong><sup>th</sup></strong><strong> Session of the Africa Working Group on Disaster Risk Reduction </strong>(Algiers, Algeria – 4-6 October 2022)</p><p style="text-align:justify;">The African Union Commission (AUC) and the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) convened the 18<sup>th</sup> session of the Africa Working Group on Disaster Risk Reduction. The session was held in virtual format under the theme “From commitments to action – Enhancing anticipatory action in Africa through effective implementation of the Africa Multi-Hazard Early Warning and Early Action Programme". The session reviewed progress and concurred on a way forward to accelerating the implementation of recommendations from the 17<sup>th</sup> session held in March this year as well as priorities and commitments in the Nairobi Declaration and the Africa Common Position to the Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction as related to the theme. The session also provided an opportunity to exchange experiences, lessons and best practices in disaster risk reduction, including anticipatory action and multi-hazard early warning and action systems, through field visits as well as marketplace and lightning talks. The director of Periperi U, Dr Nico Elema, participated in person in these proceedings. </p><p style="text-align:justify;"><strong>23</strong><strong><sup>rd </sup></strong><strong>WaterNet/WARFSA/GWP-SA Symposium </strong>(Sun City, 19-21 October 2022)</p><p style="text-align:justify;">The 23<sup>rd</sup> WaterNet/Water Research Fund for Southern Africa (WARFSA)/Global Water Partnership (GWP-SA) Symposium was jointly convened by the International Association of Hydrological Sciences (IAHS), AUDA/NEPAD Southern African Network of Water Centres of Excellence (AUDA/NEPAD SANWATCE), and the local organising committee led by the North-West University. These symposia have been held annually in the continent's Eastern and Southern African regions for the past 22 years to promote interaction among policy makers, academics, practitioners from water and related sectors, and cooperating partners. This year's theme was “Integrated Water Resources Management for Sustainable Development in East and Southern Africa". The Secretariat of the AUDA-NEPAD Southern African Network of Water Centres of Excellence (AUDA-NEPAD SANWATCE), hosted by Stellenbosch University, was represented by Dr Nico Elema and Mr Carinus de Kock of the CCA and Mr Renoir Hindley of the SU Water Institute. The trio chaired, presented and reported on the work undertaken within the AUDA-NEPAD SANWATCE at different sessions of the symposium. </p><p style="text-align:justify;"><strong>Volta River Authority Delegation </strong>(Stellenbosch, 17-21 October 2022)</p><p style="text-align:justify;">A six-person delegation from the Volta River Authority (VRA) in Ghana visited Stellenbosch University from 17 to 21 October. The VRA is a public institution established in 1961 to generate, transmit and distribute electricity under the Ghanaian Volta River Development Act. Following various amendments (relating to the Ghana government's power sector reforms of 2005), the business dynamics of the VRA changed from operating in a monopolistic environment to operating in a competitive one, as a result of the acceptance of independent power producers on the Ghanaian energy market. In view of the current business trends in the energy sector, the VRA considers innovation and creativity to be strong pillars for driving its business sustainability after 61 years of successful operations. In this regard, the VRA has several subsidiaries including education, health, hospitality, agriculture, lake transportation and electricity distribution companies. The purpose of the visit was to (i) engage and discuss SU innovation programmes and approaches to support industry innovation; (ii) share lessons and discuss models suitable for the VRA's innovation programme, which incorporates management and industry work processes; and (iii) visit successful innovation projects/companies. Ms Norma Derby (Programme Manager: Africa Partnership Development) and Ms Simohn Engelbrecht (AUDA-NEPAD Centre of Excellence for Science, Technology and Innovation [CoE-STI] Project Coordinator: Innovation Upscaling) of the CCA received and hosted the delegation and covered the various activities associated with their visit. </p><p style="text-align:center;"> </p><p style="text-align:justify;"><strong>ARUA Data Gathering and Benchmarking Project Workshop </strong>(Stellenbosch, 1-4 November)</p><p style="text-align:justify;">The African Research Universities Alliance (ARUA) was inaugurated in Dakar in March 2015, bringing together sixteen of Africa's leading universities spread across ten African nations. It is a network of universities from different countries and different historical backgrounds, but with a common vision. The network is generally about expanding and significantly enhancing the quality of research done in Africa by African researchers.</p><p style="text-align:justify;">ARUA's vision is to make African researchers and institutions globally competitive while contributing to the generation of knowledge for socioeconomic transformation in Africa. This requires that the ARUA network collect and track data on the developments within its partner universities. Stellenbosch University participated in a workshop in Ghana on data collection from 24 to 28 May 2022, recently (August 2022) hosted ARUA collaborators from Uganda and Mauritius, and had various online meetings (14 July 2022, 25 July to 2 August 2022) to share its practices and systems for data collection. </p><p style="text-align:justify;">Dr Elema also represented the Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Research, Innovation and Postgraduate Studies, Professor Sibusiso Moyo, at ARUA's deputy vice-chancellor (DVC) meeting in Accra, Ghana. The meeting saw the congregation of deputy vice-chancellors (and/or their representatives) of ARUA member institutions between 19 and 23 September. Although covering other business, the meeting follows the ARUA Secretary-General, Professor Aryeetey's visit to Stellenbosch University and other member institutions in August (<a href="https://arua.org.za/stellenbosch-university-prepares-for-clusters-of-excellence-with-the-guild-universities/">read more</a>). Dr Elema's visit also allowed for a meeting with the University of Ghana (also an ARUA member institution) and the South African High Commission in Accra, where they could build on existing partnerships as well as promote mobility and exchanges. </p><p style="text-align:justify;">From these collaborations it became clear that common practices and a shared system for the collection, management and analysis of data on ARUA universities and their research will strengthen collaboration and management of the network. SU proposed several contributions to the ARUA project, but decided on contributions to strengthen the data management capacity and has allocated time for activities geared towards the ARUA project. These efforts have culminated in the hosting of the Data Gathering and Benchmarking Project workshop, which apart from serving as an opportunity for reporting on SU's progress on the tabled proposal and following up on consultations and discussions, offered guidance on the availability of data and the data required for the new system, and initiated the development of the data management system as well as the compilation of a data definitions document.<br></p><p style="text-align:justify;"><br></p><p style="text-align:justify;"><strong>Contributions to the Sustainable Development Agendas: The SDG/2063 Impact Hub</strong></p><p style="text-align:justify;">The Sustainable Development Goals Impact Hub (SDG/2063 Impact Hub), founded in late 2021 and located within the Centre for Collaboration in Africa (CCA) at Stellenbosch University International (SUI), aims to ensure that the sustainability goals of both the UN Agenda 2030 and the AU Agenda 2063 are reached through <em>international collaborations.</em> The SDG/2063 Impact Hub will address the two agendas collectively as there is a high level of alignment between the two, to further advance sustainable development in South Africa and on the continent.</p><p style="text-align:justify;"><strong>Periperi U</strong> as a collective, through its work in risk reduction and early warning systems, will further contribute to sustainable development on the African continent by supporting the UN's SDGs 13 and 15 (Climate Action/Life on Land) and the AU's goals 6 and 7 ('Blue' or ocean economy for accelerated economic growth/Environmentally sustainable climate resilient economies and communities).</p><p style="text-align:justify;">Through the work of <strong>AUDA/NEPAD Southern African Network of Water Centres of Excellence</strong> (AU/NEPAD SANWATCE), SU and our partners will contribute to SDGs 6, 13 and 14 (Clean Water and Sanitation/Climate Action/Life below Water) and the AU goals 5, 6 and 7 (Modern agriculture for increased productivity and production/'Blue' or ocean economy for accelerated economic growth/Environmentally sustainable climate resilient economies and communities). </p><p style="text-align:justify;">Overall, SDG 17 (Partnerships for Progress) and Goals 9, 19 and 20 (Key continental financial and monetary institutions established and functional/Africa as a major partner in global affairs and peaceful co-existence/Africa takes full responsibility for financing her development) offer an opportunity for SU to <strong>strengthen our collaborations </strong>on the continent (and beyond), educate our students, build synergies, and contribute to sustainable development in an impactful way. <br><br></p><p style="text-align:justify;"><br></p><p style="text-align:justify;"> <br></p><p><br></p> |
| SU students attend Ghana to the World programme | http://www.sun.ac.za/english/Lists/news/DispForm.aspx?ID=9438 | | SU students attend Ghana to the World programme | Mmanape Hlungwane | <p><span style="text-align:justify;">Stellenbosch University (SU) International's Centre for Collaboration in Africa (CCA) afforded three SU students the opportunity to participate in the Ghana to the World (GTW) summer school hosted by the University of Ghana (UG) on 30 June and 1 July 2022. UG is one of SU's comprehensive African bilateral partners.</span></p><p style="text-align:justify;">The GTW programme allows students to learn about Ghana and West Africa while they participate in fun activities hosted on the UG campus. Telling West Africa's story from the perspective of Ghana, the programme promotes cross-cultural immersion and engages students from across the world in conversations on Africa-centred issues. </p><p style="text-align:justify;">Activities were divided into three components: an elective course or research project to spark conversation on Africa-specific topics, volunteerism to expose students to the Ghanaian community setting, and a cultural experience with visits to historic sites and attractions. This year, the volunteerism component took the form of a collaboration with the non-profit ActionAid Ghana, which works to reduce poverty and advance social justice and gender equality in the West African nation. GTW participants were able to assist at a workshop that supported community leaders to end violence against women and girls in their immediate environment. The students also attended a special Children's Parliamentary session to mark the International Day of the African Child. </p><p style="text-align:justify;">GTW lectures covered topics such as African history, the diaspora and Ghanaian public health care, as well as Twi language classes. Experiential learning experiences included visits to cultural sites such as the Assin Manso Slave River site, where participants learned about the infamous trans-Atlantic slave trade, and the Elmina Slave Castle, which was one of the most important stops on the slave trade route. </p><p style="text-align:justify;">Students also got to visit the bustling Makola Market and Kakum National Park, explore the Ghanian capital city of Accra and sample the local cuisine. </p><p style="text-align:justify;">“Ghana to the World was a fun, enriching and intellectually stimulating experience, and I would recommend it to anyone," says one of SU's participants, Stefni van der Walt. “The organisers made sure that we got to know the Ghanaian culture through food, dance and many other valuable experiences, which made the trip an unforgettable adventure!" </p><p style="text-align:justify;">For more on other summer programmes that SU participates in, visit:<a href="/english/SUInternational/current-students/attend-a-partner-summer-school">http://www.sun.ac.za/english/SUInternational/current-students/attend-a-partner-summer-school</a>.<br></p><p><br></p> |
| SU Museum wins award for promoting multilingualism | http://www.sun.ac.za/english/Lists/news/DispForm.aspx?ID=9247 | | SU Museum wins award for promoting multilingualism | Corporate Communication and Marketing/Korporatiewe Kommunikasie en Bemarking - Sandra Mulder | <p>Stellenbosch University Museum has been awarded the 2022 National PanSALB (Pan South African Language Board) Multilingualism Award for using and promoting multilingualism at a higher education institute.<br></p><p>The SU Museum accepted this prestigious award at a PanSALB ceremony in Johannesburg on 15 June. SU and two other universities, the University of Venda and Unisa's Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) division, were the nominees for this award in the education category.<br></p><p>This award, among others, recognises the SU Museum's commitment to marketing its programmes as wide as possible to cater for its diverse audiences and make the Museum inclusive. The Museum presents all its marketing communication in English, Afrikaans and isiXhosa.<br></p><p>The PanSALB award will now hang next to the Museum's other two awards received in 2018 – the Cultural Affairs Award for “Best Museum Promoting Social Inclusion" and the Sustainable Development Award from the Cape Winelands District Municipality.<br></p><p>Thrilled and excited about this award for promoting multilingualism, Bongani Mgijima, Director of the SU Museum, revealed that the Museum had decided years ago to have programmes in line with the University's Vision 2040 and be more socially inclusive while promoting community involvement.<br></p><p>“To achieve this and broaden the Museum's social impact in the community, we decided to circulate all the museum's marketing collateral in English, Afrikaans and IsiXhosa since these are the main languages spoken in the Western Cape," said Mgijima.<br></p><p>With the Museum's enhancement of multilingualism and social inclusion, the Museum was a strong candidate for this PanSALB award to individuals, institutes or organisations that excelled in the “promotion, protection and preservation of all official languages including Khoi, Nama and San languages as well South African Sign Language". <br></p><p>Besides the Education category, the other award categories were Language and Literature, Language Activist Award, Media, Youth, Government or Public Sector, Technology and Business, Music, Translation and Interpretation and the Chairperson's lifetime achievement awards.<br></p><p>Except for SU Museum's multilingual marketing material, it also has other programmes promoting diverse cultures and languages like the African Drumming Tuesdays, which enables tourists and locals to learn the skills of playing the African drum.<br></p><p>Additionally, the Museum has active public educational programmes to attract diverse audiences. The Access to Visual Arts programme is the Museum's flagship social impact programme aimed at school learners, paying for students from disadvantaged schools to be able to broaden learners' access to the University Museum and introduce learners to art. <br></p><p>The Wednesday Art Walkabout is an initiative of the University Museum to educate and share its art collections with the public, while the Just Conversations series focuses on key issues such as intergenerational struggles, identity, silences in African history, the role of archives and museums as it relates to social justice to name but a few of the issues that activists, academics, and practitioners will discuss.<br></p><p>Last but not least, the Ubuntu Dialogues Project, a collaboration that centres around transnational dialogue and engagement among students, faculty and community partners in South Africa and the United States. <br></p><p>According to Mgijima, the circulation of marketing collateral by the Museum in the three national languages is testimony to the Museum's commitment to market its programmes as wide as possible to cater for its diverse audience and make the Museum more inclusive to all.<br></p><p>For more information on the University Museum's programmes, visit: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/UsMuseum">https://www.facebook.com/UsMuseum</a></p><p>Main picture: Museum staff with the PanSALB award.<br></p><p>Photo: Sandra Mulder<br></p><p><br><br></p> |
| First cohort of Future17 initiative complete course | http://www.sun.ac.za/english/Lists/news/DispForm.aspx?ID=9235 | | First cohort of Future17 initiative complete course | Corporate Communication and Marketing/Korporatiewe Kommunikasie en Bemarking - Sandra Mulder | <p>A diverse group of 130 international students from Brazil, China, the United Kingdom and South Africa has made history by completing the <a href="/english/SUInternational/future17-sustainable-development-goals-programme">Future17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Challenge short course</a> – a first of its kind for Stellenbosch University (SU).<br></p><p>This course was hosted by the SDG/2063 Impact Hub at Stellenbosch University International (SUI). The Impact Hub aims to promote the United Nations' 2030 Agenda and its sustainable development goals (SDGs), alongside the African Union's Agenda 2063 for a prosperous Africa within the context of international higher education. <br></p><p>The 38 SU students who formed part of the cohort celebrated their achievement informally at an event hosted by SUI in Stellenbosch on 9 June. This special gathering of SU students preceded the official global celebration on 13 June. The other participants were from the <a href="https://www.exeter.ac.uk/about/transforming-education/without-borders/future17/">University of Exeter</a><span lang="EN-US" style="text-decoration:underline;"> (UK)</span>, the <a href="https://www.cuhk.edu.hk/english/index.html">Chinese University of Hong Kong</a> and the <a href="https://www5.usp.br/english/institutional/">University of São Paulo</a> (Brazil). </p><p>The SU group, comprising final year undergraduate as well as postgraduate students, were praised for the innovation, commitment, professionalism and outstanding ambassadorship for SU that they displayed since the launch of the course in March. <br></p><p>The prestigious three-month Future17 SDG Challenge Course is unique because it is driven by a consortium of universities from four countries, assisted by global challenge partners. The aim is to educate and equip students with the knowledge and skills to find innovative ways to turn sustainable development goals into reality, said Corina du Toit, Programme Manager: SDG/2063 Impact Hub, and academic lead for the course.<br></p><p>Among the guests at the SUI celebration was Dr Nico Elema, Director of the <a href="/english/SUInternational/Pages/Centre-for-collaboration-in-Africa.aspx">Centre for Collaboration in Africa</a> at <a href="/english/SUInternational/Pages/default.aspx">SUI</a>. He shared his reflections on the programme and congratulated the students and mentors for overcoming the challenges of the new course, as well as streamlining the processes for the next cohorts. “You have walked the journey with us, we figured out things, and we all learnt many lessons. So, thank you for contributing positively and being ambassadors for the University. You made us proud."<img src="/english/PublishingImages/Lists/dualnews/My%20Items%20View/Future17SDG_2.jpg" alt="Future17SDG_2.jpg" class="ms-rtePosition-2" style="margin:5px;width:500px;height:333px;" /> </p><p>Commenting on the effectiveness of the programme, Dr Munya Saruchera, senior lecturer and interim Director of SU's <a href="https://www.aidscentre.sun.ac.za/">Africa Centre for HIV and AIDS Management</a> in the World of Work, added: “I think the coming together of different universities reflected the microcosm level of how different countries can work together on this global agenda (SDGs). It was interesting how the mentors and students from different cultures and environments engaged effectively." </p><p><strong>Educate and equip</strong></p><p>These SDGs are at the heart of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development – the blueprint for partnerships, peace and prosperity for people and the planet – adopted by all United Nations (UN) member states. (For more information, visit the <a href="https://www.undp.org/sustainable-development-goals#:~:text=The%20Sustainable%20Development%20Goals%20%28SDGs%29%2c%20also%20known%20as%20the%2cpeople%20enjoy%20peace%20and%20prosperity.">UN's Agenda 2030 and the SDGs</a>.)</p><p>Aligned with the 2030 Agenda, the Future17 Course focuses on the UN's SDGs, adopted by 195 UN member nations in 2015, as a framework to help find solutions for the global and interdisciplinary challenges we face while building participants' key employability, critical thinking, hybrid and remote working, and presentation skills. Participants used collaborative and innovative ways to approach challenges, working with the partner universities and mentors assigned by the different institutions.<br></p><p>The SDG challenge partners comprise organisations like NGOs, institutions and companies that conceptualised challenges for the course. Challenges included creating a digital strategy to promote the SDGs to university students, doing market research for urban farms, or recycling soap from hotel chains to create jobs for communities, said Du Toit. <br></p><p>She praised the students for their performance with the assignments. “I sat in on many presentations and was very impressed by the professional standard and quality of work put forward by your groups. Considering that this was a pilot project, we were unsure what to expect – and you certainly helped set the bar very high for the next offerings." <br></p><p>At the SUI celebration event, students had the opportunity to share their course experience with the guests. Encapsulating all the students' experiences, <strong>Sharon Sambaza</strong> (LLM) said: “The Future17 short course was nothing short of a roller coaster, and it was quite an enjoyable ride! I chose to enrol in the course because of my keen interest in issues relating to sustainable development and engaging in a learning experience with students in various parts of the world. My experience during the course was both challenging and rewarding. We learned interdisciplinary concepts crucial in finding innovative solutions to problem-solving, such as design thinking and prototyping."</p><p><strong>Jack Potter </strong>expressed his gratitude for being exposed to the course: “By doing this course, I was exposed to tasks and engagements that I otherwise would not have been. I could learn from and work with people from around the globe who all share a like-minded passion for sustainable development. In the coming years, I will apply this newly gained knowledge practically in conserving wilderness areas and protecting wildlife." </p><p> </p><ul><li><a href="https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=Azv6pjwKWEKEM6Eg3_zTSOvhNUaFqrJNn9eINYP9sBBURU9PSlM2VkRFQ1BFRzlXS0NOQ1VOMUhSRi4u">Applications</a> for the next round of the Future17 short course can be submitted until <strong>25 July 2022</strong>. For more information about the course, click <a href="/english/SUInternational/future17-sustainable-development-goals-programme">here</a>.</li></ul><p> </p><p><strong>Photographer: </strong>Stefan Els<br></p><p> </p><p><br></p> |
