UJADVANCEUNIVERSITY OF JOHANNESBURG | NEWS MAGAZINE | ISSUE 1 | VOL 7

WINTER EDITION

REINVENTING LEGACY

Moving from the old to the new: see full story on the unveiling of UJ’s Soweto Campus on pages 19-23.

Heritage and legacy are closely intertwined.

We inherit the dreams and visions of the previous generations and the actions we take today and the choices we make determine the legacy that we will leave behind for the next generation.

During the recent celebrations of Heritage Day, I reflected on the reality that South Africa is still a country in transition. We, as a people, are shifting from the old to the new, day by day. Sometimes the process seems slow, often it seems stagnant, but the truth remains that we are moving forward, we are developing, we are advancing.

So whenever I have the privilege of interviewing the current students, staff and alumni of the University of Johannesburg (UJ), I am filled with pride at the role that UJ as a whole has played in shaping and moulding the lives of this nation’s new leaders.

People like Simba Mhere, a UJ accounting student, who dared to chase his dream and is now the new Top Billing presenter. UJ alumni like Antoinette Murdoch, who honed her unique talents at this great institution and is now positively impacting the people in her world.

A commemorative book was recently published, tracing the iconic legacy contained in the historic hallways of UJ history. We share the first chapter of this book and remember those who have gone before us to prepare the path of higher education we enjoy today.

The new, revamped Soweto Campus is also featured, marking the continuation of the legacy that is UJ. Our Faculty Feature highlights the way in which the Faculty of Education is ‘Rethinking Education’.

So as you explore the pages of our ‘legacy’ issue and share in the joyful work that is being done in taking our inheritance (both good and bad) and transforming it into a legacy that we can be proud to leave behind, our hope is that you too will be inspired to play your part, to do your bit, to share your voice and to be bold enough to ‘Reinvent Yourself ’.

What are you going to do with what you have been given?

Cheryl

Herman Esterhuizen Jan Potgieter Kopano Tlape Dr Xolela Mangcu Camilla Bath

Reinvent your legacy“Upon the

education ofthe people the fate of

this country depends.”

Benjamin Disraeli

{ CONTENTS MAY 2011 }

6-7

8-9

10-13

14-15

16-18

19-24

24-25

26-27

28-29

30-33

34-42

VICE-CHANCELLOR’S

MESSAGEBuilding a

lasting legacy

EDUCATION WATCH

UJ NEWS

SOCIAL ENTERPRISE

The new global economic driver

POSTGRADSPaving the path

to academiaUJ’s Postgraduate

CentreProfile:

Dr Shireen Motala

SOWETO CAMPUS FEATURE

New face of Soweto Campus unveiled

CAMPUS DEVELOPMENT

Dawn of a new Doornfontein Campus

PARTNERSHIPSMining the field of

dreams

ALUMNIAn artist in

an artist’s world

IN THE SPOTLIGHTKeep chasing

the dream

FACULTY FEATUREExecutive Dean’s MessageCatching the beat!Excelling in science education: the A-teamEducation psychology makes its mark on the Soweto CampusGrappling with social justice and an ethos of care through service learning in educationLeadership for learning on the Soweto CampusThe UJ Institute for childhood education on the Soweto Campus

43-55

56-60

61-64

68-69

65-67

70-71

72-78

UJ BOOKThe University for a new generation

LEADERSHIPLeaving a legitimate leadership legacywork-integrated learning

DISCOURSEAuthors of our fate – black politics and a quest for a usable pastWhat is the real value of higher education?

NEW GENERATIONNew multi-generational marketing campaign

SPORT PROFILEUJ J boasts ‘simply the best’ femalesoccer players

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENTIOWA strengthening its HIV/AIDS prevention benefitsUJ varsity cup squad joins forces with POWA

FACULTY NEWSRewarding women of excellencein engineeringSolid gold Emeritus ProfessorRocking future roadshowRadiography alumni reunionVenturing into French on Soweto CampusAbsa and UJ promote financialplanning excellenceSouth African AccountingHistory Centre launched UJ Graduates showcase collectionsat Joburg Fashion Week

EDITORIAL TEAMEDITORCheryl RamurathCONTRIBUTORSCamilla BathHerman EsterhuizenXolela MangcuPHOTOGRAPHYJan PotgieterKopano TlapePROOF READERSUJ Language UnitSarah BeswickCharmaine du PlessisLAYOUT & GRAPHIC DESIGNUJ Graphic StudioPRINTERSRemata ONLINE PUBLISHERSVu Media

EDITORIAL OFFICECORPORATE COMMUNICATIONInstitutional AdvancementUniversity of JohannesburgDoornfontein CampusPO Box 17011South Africa2028Tel: 011 559 6854Email: cherylr@uj.ac.za

6 | VICE-CHANCELLOR’S MESSAGE

2011 marks the 7th academic year of the University of Johannesburg and we were privileged to celebrate this year’s opening with the much anticipated unveiling of the new, revampedSoweto Campus.

This ambitious R450-million development was undertaken to further cement the University’s commitment to achieving academic distinction. The result is a bold and cosmopolitan campus custom-built to complement the strong developmental history of the Soweto community, and that ofthe University.

We are confident that this significant investment will consolidate UJ’s footprint in Soweto, and South Africa as a whole, and yield a premier and unique UJ campus. Our vision is that it will become the campus of choice for students seeking higher education and will be an engaging facility that will cultivate the rich intellectual and artistic talent that continues to emerge from this extraordinary place. This has always been our aim and we intend for the Soweto Campus to become UJ’s flagship campus.

This year we received more than 65 000 applications for new admissions compared with 28 000 last year, and a further 15 000 walk-in applications during the second week of January. All of these 80 000 applicants competed for 13 000 first-year places. 

These statistics reflect the confidence of the public in the University of Johannesburg and demonstrate that for many parents and students, UJ is the first choice institution, an emerging trend we are extremely proud of.

It also demonstrates the unfulfilled hunger for post-school education and we are keenly aware of our responsibility to educate this cohort and to prepare them for their role in building our nation. Through our broad and comprehensive range of more than 200 main qualification offerings, the University of Johannesburg is living the ideal that no-one with ability and determination who wants to further their education should be left behind.

UJ makes this dream possible. At UJ, students not only receive the highest academic learning and teaching experience but are also exposed to

commerce and industry. Our students come from all parts of South Africa, and we now have close to 2 500 international students hailing from52 countries.

Most of our students are enrolled in Management and Economic and Financial Sciences (21 500), demonstrating our responsiveness to the tremendous skills needs of Africa’s financial and economic sectors, followed by Engineering (7 400), Humanities (6 900), Education (5 000), Health Sciences (3 400), Science (3 200), Law (1 600), and Art, Design and Architecture (1 200).

We are also keeping a close eye on our highest purpose and ambitions as an academic institution. Our 2020 goals were endorsed by our Council last year and we are focusing our energies on developing these eight strategic thrusts:1. Sustained excellence of academic

programmes, research and community engagement;

2. A comprehensive institution recognised for the stature and quality of its scientific and technology programmes and its technology driven research;

Building a Lasting Legacy

UJ’s Vice-Chancellor, Professor Ihron Rensburg.

VICE-CHANCELLOR’S MESSAGE | 7

• Cultural diversity, stature, global reach and academic excellence.

• Sense of liberty, unity, a celebration of the human spirit, as well as a feeling of fresh new energy.

• Union and freedom – the freedom to live your potential and explore all possibilities (on academic, personal and

social levels) and inspire you to reach for the sky – to be ‘You. Unlimited’

• Open book – blank slate upon which students and staff may write the script for their own future.

• Book of knowledge – the continual developmentand renewal of knowledge, as well as the infinity of the

learning process.• The torch of learning – symbolic of diversity and the

comprehensive range of different qualifications offeredby the University.

UJ LOGO REFLECTS OUR CORE

LOGO SYMBOLISM

The two birds coming together and embracing an open book are emblematic of the union of the respected learning institutions into a powerful new entity. The

birds also represent the concepts of freedom – freedom at academic, personal and social levels; independence, success, dignity and mobility, all of which are the core

values of the University of Johannesburg. Our logo furthermore symbolises the accessibility of the University.

UJ is providing greater accessibility to higher education and a variety of academic and vocational programmes with

articulation possibilities between programmes. This also takes into account the essential interaction encouraged

between the academic learning environment and society, and supports the mission of the University, which includes

partnerships with communities. Furthermore, the ability of birds to adapt to their changing environ-ment should serve as an example for the institution, which will have

to keep up with the rapid and pervasive changes taking place in both higher education and society in general. The birds’ distinctive crown feathers declare their Africanness – the University of Johannesburg is a premier African city

university in the making.

3. Equivalence of all campuses, with dedicated initial focus on SWC and DFC;

4. An international profile of staff, students and scholarly output;

5. A brand that identifies UJ with relevant, accessible and excellent higher education;

6. Leadership that matters, in the institution and in civil society;

7. Supportive and engaged alumni who contribute to UJ’s resource base and reputation;

8. Resources that enable UJ’s fitness for purpose, support the achievement of the primary thrusts and facilitate a responsible and responsive institutional citizenship.

Some of the more specific institutional targets that arise from these strategic thrusts are:• Growing our postgraduate enrolment from 6 500

to 8 500;• Upping our Engineering enrolment by• 1 000 to 8 400;• Increasing our student success rates to 80% from

77% and total graduate output to 11 500 per year from 10 700;

• Upping our research output by a further 50% from its current base, which is already up 50% from the 2006 base;

• Increasing our international student enrolment from 2 500 to 5 000 and implementing a Study Abroad Programme;

• Establishing UJ as the country’s leading science and technology university, by focusing on upping the quality and value of our technological programmes, increasing applied research output and increasing the intensity of innovation and technology transfer;  

• Introducing innovative new programmes, such as the highly successful mining engineering affinity group, to grow our alumni base, new and old, especially now that we are in a much stronger position than in 2005.

UJ has come a long way since its inception in 2005 and over this brief span of just seven years has been steadily gaining momentum and increasing in stature. Our happy task is to continue to co-create the future of this great University with students, staff and stakeholders.

We appreciate the ongoing support of our UJ alumni and value their involvement in the institution. You serve as our ambassadors, as products of a system designed to bring out the best that you can be.

We encourage you to keep on rethinking, keep on reinventing and to keep on advancing in your chosen field of endeavour. Be all that you can be – You Unlimited!

8 | EDUCATION WATCH

education watchMore space, but not enough?

Higher Education and Training Minister Blade Nzimande started the year with a promise to students that there

would be greater access to tertiary institutions, and that government would also boost the National Student

Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS). Nzimande announced in early January that the number of places at universities,

colleges and other organisations would increase by 56%.

The minister also stated that an additional 100 000 spaces would be made available at institutions of higher learning this year, giving hope to prospective students wanting to

start or further their tertiary education.

165 000 places were made available at a first-year level in 2011, yet there were tens of thousands more applications

at institutions across the country because of last year’s better-than-expected matric examination results. National

examination standard moderator Umalusi had decided to adjust the results upwards, meaning that a greater

number of pupils obtained university exemptions. Many then unexpectedly descended on universities and colleges

nationwide, trying to register at the eleventh hour for degrees and diplomas.

A bigger slice of the budget pieDelivering his budget in Parliament in February, Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan substantially increased the country’s spending on higher education until 2014.

According to the budget, education and skills development would be government’s “first priority” over this period. Gordan dedicated R9.5 billion to the expansion of further education and training colleges, as well as skills development.

The minister said he was able to allocate more money to higher education because of an unprecedented agreement among all government departments to accept a 0.3% cut in their own budgets. That agreement saw an extra R6 million become available, which Higher Education Minister Blade Nzimande then allocated to further education and training (FET) colleges and the student financial fund.

Gordhan told parliament that the money earmarked for FET would increase enrolment at the institutions from under 200 000 in 2010 to around 315 000 this year.

NEWS FLASHESMore protests for free

educationThousands of students protested in

Tshwane in March, demanding tertiary education in South Africa be made available free of charge. Busloads of members of the

South African Students’ Congress (Sasco) marched from Pretoria City Hall to the Higher

Education Department’s offices. Sasco also insisted that all university mergers since 1994

be reversed, particularly the merger between Medunsa and the University of Limpopo,

where more student protests occurredearlier in the month.

African universities fare well compared to Western institutionsA new report on higher education and development in Africa suggests that the continent’s universities are not nearly as far behind their Western counterparts as was widely thought, according to University World News (http://www.universityworldnews.com/). The study was conducted at eight flagship institutions across Africa – two of them in this country. The Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University was used as a comparable body in South Africa, while the University of Cape Town was included in the research because of its position as Africa’s highest-ranking institution. The report, titled “Universities and Economic Development in Africa: Pact, academic core and co-ordination”, was co-authored by the director of the Cape Town-based Centre for Higher Education Transformation, Nico Cloete. It dispels the notion that African universities are dysfunctional, overcrowded and headed up by poorly qualified academics.

watcheducation

EDUCATION WATCH | 9

education watchSome progress in transformation

A Council on Higher Education consultation document, which will help the Higher Education and Training

Department build its quality assurance framework, has recently been circulated among several institutions for

comment, according to www.timeslive.co.za. The document was published in February and suggests that while there has been overall improvement in racial representation in the sector, there has not necessarily been an increase in

access to knowledge. In addition, standards remain low at some institutions.

The document highlights isolated problems including a lack of student support and poor quality lecturing,

but also describes the level of learning and teaching atthe majority of South Africa’s higher education

institutions as “excellent”.

It focuses on important issues the CHE believes must be addressed, including low throughput rates and achievement

levels that are still based on race. The report also raises concerns around the awareness of the needs of students

from disadvantaged backgrounds and the quality and presentation of academic programmes.

Student protests: a “worrying trend”Higher Education South Africa (HESA) has suggested a worrying trend may be emerging among students who embark on violent protests over university issues, disrupting classes and academic life. The most recent examples of the problem have unfolded at the Walter Sisulu University and the University of Limpopo’s Medunsa campus.

HESA has warned that students have a dangerous misunderstanding of the way in which these institutions operate. It is also concerned that protestors do not realise they are compromising their own quality of education, and that of others, by vandalising property and demonstrating on campus. “Worst of all,” argues HESA Chief Executive Officer Duma Malaza, “it makes it increasingly difficult for the sector to lobby Government for additional infrastructural funding when students show a blatant disregard for what little there is currently. These violent acts not only show a disregard for their present homes but jeopardise the possibility for future students to access higher education.”

South Africa’s vibrant higher education sector is in constant flux, and the first quarter of the 2011 academic year has already been marked by good news and bad. On a positive note, government announced plans for increased budgetary spending in the sector over the next three years, while also publicising an increase in the number of places at the country’s tertiary institutions. Yet still the demand for higher education could not be met and many prospective students had to be turned away from universities and colleges early this year.

Concerns have also been raised by the Council on Higher Education around the continual skewing of student successes along racial lines. Another problem facing tertiary education, highlighted by Higher Education South Africa, is the issue of violent student protests at various institutions.

NEWS FLASHES

education

Education gets another E+ on the CCR’s Human Rights’ Report CardThe Centre for Constitutional Rights (CCR) released its third

annual Human Rights’ Report Card in 2011, giving the education sector an E+. The ‘grade’ has not changed in the

last year and indicates the Centre believes education in South Africa is very poor but is getting better. The report card argues

that education in South Africa since 1994 has been “a disastrous failure” and highlights the fact that only 23.5% of pupils passed Grade 12 with marks good enough to get into higher education institutions.

10 | UJ NEWS

UJ NEWS

ACM Names Distinguished Members

for Computing Innovations

The University of Johannesburg’s Prof Tshilidzi

Marwala was recently recognised for pushing the

boundaries of the discovery and engineering progress in science

and technology.The Association for Computing Machinery (ACM), the world’s

largest educational and scientific computing society,

has named Prof Tshilidzi Marwala, Executive Dean of

the Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment at UJ,

as a Distinguished Member in recognition of his individual

contributions to practical and theoretical aspects of

computing that drive innovation and sustain economic

competitiveness. He is one of 47 recipients hailing from leading international universities and

industries.The 2010 Distinguished

Members include computer engineers and scientists

who represent academic and corporate institutions from a broad spectrum of countries

and disciplines. Nearly 40% of the 2010 honourees are from

non-North American countries, including France, Germany,

Italy, China, Taiwan, Singapore, Australia, India and South

Africa. The new Distinguished Members are recognised for significant advancements in

computing technology, which have dramatically influenced

progress in science, engineering, business, and many other areas

of human endeavour.

UJ Zoology Professor Elected to Department of Science and Technology’s Advisory CommitteeProf Victor Wepener, from the Centre for Aquatic Research in the Department of Zoology at UJ, has been elected onto the Department of Science and Technology’s Nanotechnology Health, Safety and Environmental (HSE) Advisory Committee. The purpose of the Nano-HSE Advisory Committee is to provide guidance on and to oversee the development of the National Platform, which will include:• Nano-HSE Research Agenda;• Human Capital Development

Plan;• Infrastructure/Technology

Development Plan.Prof Wepener’s involvement in this committee will further enhance UJ’s standing as one of the top research institutes in nanotechnology, specifically in the development of risk assessments of nanomaterials.

Professors Honoured by the Suid-Afrikaanse Akademie vir Wetenskap en KunsThe Suid-Afrikaanse Akademie vir Wetenskap en Kuns honoured two professors of UJ for their outstanding contributions and achievements in their respective fields of expertise.Prof Ben-Erik van Wyk of UJ’s Department of Botany and Plant Biotechnology has been awarded the Medal of Honour from the Faculty of Science and Technology. The Medal of Honour is awarded for contributions and achievements with respect to the promotion and development of a specific study field and is only awarded in extraordinary cases. Prof van Wyk received this prize in recognition of the work he has done in Namaqualand and in the Karoo on medicinal plants and in the conservation of indigenous knowledge about the uses of plants.Prof van Wyk has been affiliated to UJ (previously the Rand Afrikaans University) since 1984. He specialises in the classification and naming of plants (plant taxonomy) and is author of several books, mainly on medicinal plants and useful plants. He was also the recipient of the Suid-Afrikaanse Akademie vir Wetenskap en Kuns 2006 Havenga Prize for Biological Sciences.Prof Cedric Holzapfel, an Emeritus Professor in UJ’s Department of Chemistry, has been honoured with the MT Steyn Medal for Scientific and Technical Achievement for 2011.The medal is one of the most important awards bestowed by the Suid-AfrikaanseAkademie vir Wetenskap en Kuns for leadership at the highest level in an area of science and/or technology. This once-in-a-lifetime award, which is a fitting crown on an illustrious academic career, reflects Prof Holzapfel’s creative contributions towards the development, organisation and continual expansion of a branch or branches of science or technology, where such contributions have played a significant part in the advancement of science and technology and to the benefit of the country. Prof Holzapfel worked for the former Rand Afrikaans University as a Professor of Chemistry – a position he held until his retirement in 2002. He was intensely involved in the teaching and training of both undergraduate and postgraduate students, acting as supervisor for 35 MSc and 34 PhD students and published widely. His involvement also extended to numerous elements of the organisational and operational activities of the University. He held NRF research grants from 1984 to 2000 and held NRF ratings of A (1993) and A+ (1998) – a clear indication of his standing in the research community. 

UJ NEWS | 11

UJ NEWS

Dr Tobias Barnard Receives Excellence in Water Research AwardDr Tobias Barnard recently received the Excellence in Water Research Award for young researchers in the water sector. This annual award is jointly presented by the Water Institute of South Africa, the Water Research Commission and the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research. It is an acknowledgement of focused, productive, multidisciplinary research that is dedicated to the growth and intellect of the respective research disciplines and the betterment of science.Holding a PhD in Biochemistry, Dr Barnard heads up the Faculty of Health Sciences’ Water and Health Research Centre. Although a young researcher, he has a solid track record of achievements, including being awarded the Best Platform Presenter at the first regional conference of the Southern African Young Water Professionals that was held earlier this year. Barnard’s area of expertise is the molecular biology detection methods for bacterial pathogens. “The introduction of molecular-based technology, such as the polymerase chain reaction (PCR), has not only provided a faster way of analysing samples but also started focusing our attention on factors that would have an impact on the way we view our water quality,” says Dr Barnard.

SAAB BronzeMedal Awarded to Anthony MageeThe South African Association of Botanists (SAAB) awarded the SAAB Bronze Medal to Dr Anthony Richard Magee at a function in Grahamstown on Wednesday, 19 January 2011. The medal is awarded annually for the best PhD thesis in Botany in South Africa. Dr Magee graduated in 2009 with a thesis titled Generic Relationships of Selected African Genera of Apiaceae. The supervisor was Prof Ben-Erik van Wyk (Department of Botany and Plant Biotechnology, UJ), with Prof Patricia Tilney (of the same Department) and Prof Stephen Downie (University of Illinois, USA) as co-supervisors. In his thesis, Dr Magee showed that Africa is not only the ‘Cradle of Humankind’ but also the ‘cradle’ of large amounts of a cosmopolitan plant family known as the Apiaceae or Umbelliferae. Seven research papers on this work alone have already appeared in international journals. Dr Magee is currently working as a senior researcher at Kirstenbosch in Cape Town. He is a research associate of the Department of Botany and Plant Biotechnology and contributes to ongoing collaborative research work on the Apiaceae and other families. Dr Magee was recently appointed to the editorial board of the South African Journal of Botany – an international journal managed by Elsevier.

UJ Lecturer Joins Rescue SA in JapanConnor Hartnady, a UJ lecturer in the Department of Emergency Medical Care in the Faculty of Health Sciences, joined the forty-member Rescue South Africa team that left for Tokyo on an aid mission in March, following news of the natural disaster. The team, which included doctors and paramedics, took along 15 tons of equipment and 1 200 litres of water. Rescue South Africa joined aid workers and rescue teams from around the world in response to the devastation caused by the earthquake and tsunami in Japan.The South African search and rescue team have had their hands full in helping search for survivors after Japan’s devastating tsunami. Together with their rescue dogs, they have helped pull survivors and countless dead bodies out of the rubble at Natori City, north of Tokyo. According to Craig Lambert, Head of the Department of Emergency Medical Care, “Whilst we train and prepare for disaster scenarios, no textbook or simulation can ever replace a real life experience.“Connor will be able to bring back to the staff and students in the Department his first-hand experiences of search and rescue within the context of a large-scale disaster and by doing so enrich the teaching and learning experiences of the students within the Department,” says Lambert.According to The Star, part of the team’s mission was to search for victims in a flooded rice paddy using inflatable rescue canoes, specialised crowbars and a search camera nicknamed “the mongoose”. “Rescue SA is the only team able to search in water, as other international teams don’t have the specialist equipment and skills needed,” said The Star reporter. “Divers cannot be used as the water is freezing and contaminated.” The gratitude from the locals for the team’s work is evident: “The team is often stopped, and though the language barrier makes communication difficult, hands delicately placed together and heads bowed say it all.”

Rescue South Africa is an official South African disaster response team and is made up of volunteer emergency response specialists from the South African public and private sectors’ emergency and ancillary services.

12 | UJ NEWS

UJ NEWS

UJ/SABCco-host 2011 Local

GovernmentElection Debates

In a series of 12 forty-eight-minute live episodes, UJ in association with SABC

news, hosted a 2011 local government election debate

programme, titled 2011 Election Debates, presented by

journalist Vuyo Mvoko. The first debate was broadcast

on Sunday, 27 February on SABC1. The show was

subsequently screened on a weekly basis between

18:30 and 19:30 on Sunday evenings and highlighted the various political party

leaders and political analysts, forming a platform where

political parties ‘convinced’ South Africans to vote

for them.

The SABC also provided platforms for citizens, as well

as political parties, to relay their campaign messages on national, regional and provincial programming,

on an equitable basis as prescribed in the ICASA

Election Regulations.The SABC will offer wide and balanced analyses of election

issues by a panel of election analysts and will broadcast

the results as the IEC releases them, in a way that will

inform, contextualiseand explain the results for

its audiences.

Pravin Gordhan Addresses Soweto’s Business CommunityFinance Minister, Pravin Gordhan, recently visited the Soweto Campus of the University of Johannesburg in order to address the Greater Soweto Business Forum. The event was hosted by the Soweto Campus’ Centre for Small Business Development and focused on the development of formal and informal small businesses. Gordhan explained the implications of his recent budget speech on the small business sector and scrutinised the financial and enterprise development programmes and highlighted tax relief measures.“South Africa needs to double the rate of its economic growth in order to create jobs,” said Gordhan. Hinting at the controversial New Growth Plan in creating jobs, he added: “What South Africa requires is to move out of this cycle of this 3% or 4% or 4.5% growth. We need to do something that will get us to 7% and sustain it for 20 years.”Gordhan addressed universal oil price concerns, stating that the Rand currencywas helping. “All governments are under pressure and we are fortunate in that the Rand became stronger at a time when the oil price [was] shooting up,” he said, adding thatthe strong Rand was a concern for manufacturers and itwas a challenge to “keep the balance right”.

JSE Partners with UJ in Proactive Monitoringof Financial ResultsSouth African market securities regulation, already judged the best in the world, is to improve further this year owing to the Johannesburg Stock Exchange’s (JSE) decision to monitor the financial statements of all listed companies proactively, in a bid to pick up on any non-compliance with globally recognised International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS). This means that all company results could be proactively reviewed and possibly investigated at any time. Under the new proactive review and monitoring process, the financial statements of every listed company will be reviewed at least once every five years, in addition to any other queries arising from public or other complaints. Previously, reviews were conducted on the JSE’s own initiative or upon the JSE receiving a query or complaint. This additional monitoring will give shareholders the benefits of a better regulated market. There are currently 406 companies listed on the JSE and this will mean that approximately 80 companies will be reviewed each year. The JSE will drive the process with the Financial Reporting Investigation Panel (FRIP) and the initial assistance of the University of Johannesburg. In due course, the review process may be expanded with the assistance of other universities. The FRIP, previously known as the GAAP Monitoring Panel (GMP), is an advisory panel of 16 accounting experts and was first formed in 2002 as a joint initiative of the JSE and SAICA. The role of the FRIP is to investigate and advise the JSE on alleged cases of non-compliance with financial reporting standards in annual and interim reports and any other company publications. The proactive monitoring of compliance with IFRS, the financial reporting standards set by the International Accounting Standards Board, is not new to the international landscape. “The steps the JSE are taking are due to the Exchange’s focus on protecting the interests of investors,” comments Russell Loubser, CEO of the JSE. “Additional monitoring will give shareholders the benefits of a better regulated market and underline the accolade recently received for the best exchange in the world through regulation in the World Economic Forum’s Global Competiveness Report 2010-2011. This is a tremendous place to have ended 2010, but the JSE will continue to strive for more,”adds Loubser. “Since its launch in 2002, the GMP has fulfilled a valuable role in the monitoring and compliance of IFRS standards. The FRIP will continue to play an important role as an advisory body to the JSE. The additional process in partnership with UJ enhances our ability to provide a fair and structured regulatory service to the market and issuers will find it’s a good way to ensure that they are complying with the reporting requirements,” states Loubser. 

“UJ is proud of its association with the JSE. Our involvement in the review process is possible because of the high level of scholarly activity performed by academics in the Department of Accountancy,” says Prof Angina Parekh, Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Academic at UJ.

UJ NEWS | 13

UJ NEWS

UJ hosts Inaugural 2011 Design Indaba Young Designers’ Simulcast

As the foremost creative event in the country, the iconic Design Indaba recognises every creative

discipline, from fashion design to architecture, film, new media,

graphic design, visual art, product design, interaction design and

everything in between and beyond. In 2011, for the first

time ever, Johannesburg-based young designers were also able

to experience the Design Indaba Conference, via a simulcast hosted

at the University of Johannesburg’sArts Centre Theatre on the Auckland

Park Kingsway Campus. Investing in design education

and promoting the future of the creative industries is one of the

Design Indaba’s key commitments. For this reason, the Young

Designers Simulcast (YDS) provides students and young professionals

with the opportunity to attendthe live broadcast of the main

Design Indaba Conference at a discounted rate.

With the support from UJ’s Faculty of Art, Design and Architecture,

YDS presented the live showcase over three days, allowing design

students and members of the public to soak up the inspiring line-up of international and local designers,

entrepreneurs and thought-leaders who comprised the star-studded

speaker selection at the 2011 Design Indaba Conference. They

included the likes of Alberto Alessi, Mark Shuttleworth, David Butler, Maarten Baas, Michael Wolff and

Robert Wong, among many others. UJ’s support for YDS is in

recognition of the downstream benefits of collaboration with the brand and the opportunity to tap

into global design leadership.

UJ hosts 23rd Colloquium of African Geology About 500 geoscientists representing 56 countries worldwide were gathered at the University of Johannesburg’s Auckland Park and Soweto Campuses from 7 to 15 January 2011, under the theme Together in Africa for a Leading Role in Geoscience. The Colloquium of African Geology is a major international biennial meeting that is organised under the auspices of the Geological Society of Africa. This was the first time that this event had been organised in South Africa and the sixth time in its history, since its launch in 1964, that it was organised on the African continent.CAG23 was the largest colloquium to take place in Africa and was on par with the largest colloquiums to take place in Europe, which were held in France and Germany. The scientific programme consisting of 14 scientific symposia, six workshops and two short courses took place at the Auckland Park Kingsway Campus of the University of Johannesburg, while the opening ceremony took place on the Soweto Campus. The Minister of Science and Technology, Ms Naledi Pandor, delivered a keynote address at this occasion. Prof Bruce Cairncross, HOD of the Department of Geology, UJ said, “The Colloquium was an overwhelming success and this was due to the efforts of the Local Organising Committee headed by Professor Hassina Mouri of the UJ Geology Department. Her team is to be congratulated on planning, organising and implementing an earth science colloquium of great stature, not only for the discipline, but also for the UJ Geology Department and the University as a whole.”

UJ Choir Takes on the Big Apple!The University of Johannesburg Choir, conducted by Renette Bouwer, was invited, through the recommendation of Karl Jenkins, to participate in a performance of Jenkins’ Stabat Mater at Carnegie Hall, New York. This concert was presented by Distinguished Concerts International New York, under the baton of Jonathan Griffith. Choristers from different, chosen choirs across the globe joined to form the Distinguished Concerts Singers International, for a performance at Carnegie Hall on Monday, 17 January 2011, accompanied by Distinguished Concerts Orchestra International.The UJ Choir’s USA tour took place between 6 and 20 January 2011 and the tour group consisted of 40 members. These singers also performed a variety of Western a cappella music as well as traditional African music at two concerts. The first took place on 9 January 2011 at the Greenville Community Church and the second performance at West End Collegiate on 13 January 2011.The UJ Choir has just released their latest CD, The Road Home, with a lovely mix of Western and African choral works. It was very well-received in the States. This CD can be ordered from Ehllené Bekker (ecbekker@uj.ac.za).

Comments about the CD and the UJ Choir in general from members of the other choirsIt has been a month now since our wonderful mutual experience, singing in Carnegie Hall, and I’m still floating a bit above the ground! I am a member of the Sno-King Chorale of Edmonds, Washington. When I asked you where I could order a copy (of the CD), you very graciously gave me one. I just wanted to tell you how much I am enjoying it; it is absolutely glorious! The arrangements are wonderful and your choir is extraordinary. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. I hope we can all keep in touch, and that we’ll meet again one day. Chris Johnson

My friend Joan McGowan and I really enjoyed meeting you and joining in [with] your post-concert concert. It was truly a privilege to sing with you both in the concert and at the party. The pure joy of being in your presence last night will stay with me forever... Thank you! Congratulations and best of luck to all of you.

I hope that someday your choir can come to Washington, DC and sing for President Obama and our city and national leaders. Most of all, the city’s youth would be so inspired by your talent and accomplishments. I will do some research on this and send it along to you ASAP. Lisa McQuail

14 | SOCIAL ENTERPRISE

The conference attracted social entrepreneurs and other industry players both locally and internationally. This year’s theme ‘Social enterprise as a catalyst for sustainable development’, focused on developing practical, ‘how to’ approaches that covered topics such as sustainability, performance and social impact.

Economic Development Minister, Ebrahim Patel, speaking at the official opening, called for a stronger support agency and training academies for social entrepreneurs, noting that social enterprises have the potential to contribute to the government’s drive to create five million jobs in nine years. In terms of the new growth path, government has set a target of five million new jobs by 2020.

“Social economy is one of the ‘job drivers’ on which the five-million jobs target

rests. The developmental returns of the social economy and social enterprise are enormous,” said Patel. “If South Africa’s social enterprise sector grew closer to the international norm, at least 260 000 new jobs would be created.”

Social economy refers to economic activities that are undertaken by entities such as co-operatives, mutual societies, voluntary and community organisations, union investment vehicles and foundations.

Patel said what the government sought to promote was a partnership with the University of Johannesburg based on “concrete targets” for establishment, growth in turnover and size of employment in social enterprises. Patel said it would require that the university become a partner in hands-on mentoring, support and training with social entrepreneurs.

Globally, social enterprise has grown from sporadic innovation in isolated organisations to a recognised cutting-edge field with its own body of knowledge and best practices. This major international conference presented a forum for learning, sharing, confidence building, clarification, problem-solving, peer-level networking and the advancement of the social enterprise movement and the social economy in Africa.

Businesses can help solve world’s social problems  “With the benefit of having served some time in the realms of social activism, politics and business, I can say with great confidence that I believe the solutions to the social, environmental and economic challenges of our time can only be realised through social enterprise,” said Jay Naidoo, one of

THE NEW GLOBALECONOMIC DRIVER

The Social Enterprise World Forum (SEWF) – the world’s premier event engaging social enterprises – was hosted by the University of Johannesburg through its Centre for Social Entrepreneurship and Social

Economy in the Faculty of Management.

Executive Dean of UJ’s Faculty of Management, Daneel van Lill, addresses delegates of the Social Enterprise World Forum, hosted recently at UJ.

Speaker

SOCIAL ENTERPRISE | 15

Anne Timms, Community Builder, Unity and Trust Cultivator:The Conference was a great networking and information sharing opportunity for people working in this space. It would be helpful if more information regarding Social Entrepreneurship, e.g. workshops could reach the NGO and Not for Profit sector. The issue of having to pay a conference fee meant that it excluded this sector and the grassroots people who are challenged with understanding what the difference is between NGO/NPOs and Social Enterprise/Entrepreneurship.Congratulations to the SEWF team for a professional and extremely successful Conference. See you in Rio in 2012!Lynda Smith, Wisdom Preserver and Connection Specialist, Refirement Network:Social Entrepreneurship is such a great fit in a Connection Economy. One is able to work in your area of passion and still remain sustainable. Hosting the Social Enterprise World Conference in South Africa ensures that this conversation becomes more mainstream, facilitating education and ensuring that more people can understand the concept and hopefully engage in that direction. Here at the tip of Africa, we have many social challenges that can and must be addressed by passionate social entrepreneurs both locally and with the help of our international friends around the world who care about humanity.Sunny Morgan, Social Entrepreneur:I found the conference very informative and it reinforced to me what the purpose of my life should be. I was glad to learn that the social enterprise space is alive in SA, although having said that I think that smaller enterprises were not really represented well enough. Not in the sense that they did not have a voice, just that they were not there in numbers.The trick to achieve engagement and involvement is however really very simple, we ought to link social good with reward, maybe even profit. The notion of social good and profit may seem strange and even incongruent to some, but as I listened to greater minds espouse this truth, I learnt that reward was the real lever that will unlock greater engagement.I surmise that in the coming years we may yet see a kinder face of capitalism and find that ordinary South Africans still have a capacity to deliver the truly extraordinary.

COMMENTS FROM DELEGATES WHOATTENDED THE CONFERENCE:

SEWF keynote speaker, Jay Naidoo,President of Gain.

the conference keynote speakers. Jay Naidoo is the founding general secretary of Cosatu and a former minister in Nelson Mandela’s cabinet.

“And this I say with confidence, as the chairman of the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (Gain), which began with a vision that social enterprises could leverage market forces to work for the poor. Since 2002, Gain has invested in, and partnered with, more than 600 businesses in 27 countries, reaching almost 400 million people with affordable, nutritious products through sustainable market-based approaches. Almost half of Gain’s beneficiaries are women and children.”

Naidoo added that in order to solve the pressing issue of global development, governments, private sector leaders and NGOs need to partner and begin identifying ways of building sustainable markets that work for the poor. “Each and every one of us should contribute to social improvements. I urge you to

support ventures here, in Africa, and around the world that apply business methods to achieve social missions and business success.”

Dr Mamphela Ramphele also delivered a keynote address. International speakers included Liza Nitze (US), Gerry Higgins (UK), David Lepage (Canada), Ethel Cote (Canada), Kevin Lynch (Mission Incorporated) and Jerr Boschee (SE Institute, USA).

Better to make a differenceIt is better to make a difference than to be rich. That is the basis of social enterprise, according to Dr Susan Steinman, head of the Centre for Social Entrepreneurship and Social Economy at the University of Johannesburg

Steinman said South Africa needed to stimulate social enterprises which focused on creating businesses for the primary purpose of social development.

“A social enterprise’s primary goal is its social purpose. The business

model must be financially stable and if surpluses or profits are made, they should be mainly re-invested into the social purpose,” Steinman said.

Brian Whittaker, CEO of Business Trust of South Africa, said part of the challenge going forward was reflected in South Africans’ dependence on grants. Whittaker, who also spoke at the forum, said the route out of this dilemma was in innovative entrepreneurial responses.

“If we are to rise to this challenge we need to restore the value of entrepreneurship, rooted as it is in the enterprising behaviour of individuals,” he said. “We need people who can invent solutions to social problems and who have the courage and commitment to drive them to fruition.

“The challenge is to restore the value of entrepreneurship, acknowledge its role in the social arena and build the institutional architecture that can draw entrepreneurs into social action,” Whittaker said.

16 | POSTGRADS

“We have adopteda simple formula:

find great scholars, give them lotsof money, get

the bureaucracy off their backs

and let them do their work.”

Paving the Path to Academia

At a recently held postdoctoral function hosted by the University of Johannesburg’s Postgraduate Centre, postdoctoral students were apprised of the tremendous benefits of postgraduate study afforded by the University.

UJ’s Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Research, Innovation and Advancement, Prof Adam Habib, highlighted the research support provided by the institution to postdoctoral fellows. “Our challenge is to create a new generation of scholars in such a profound way that society’s level of scientific knowledge will be positively affected. In order to achieve this, we have adopted a simple formula: find great scholars, give them lots of money, get the bureaucracy off their backs and let them do their work.”

Since the inception of UJ, the Research and Innovation Division has quadrupled research funds from R15 million to over R60 million and boasts incentive structures designed to ensure the highest research outputs.

“We want to respond to the national challenge for research by driving research capabilities within our institution and increase research output in an internationally competitive way,” said Prof Habib.

One of the reasons that postgraduate students are encouraged to further their studies at UJ is that the institution has made it a strategic priority to create a stimulating academic environment that is conducive to productivity.

Additional motivations include special teaching incentives and top-level recognition for hard work. The deans from the nine faculties create an enabling environment for postdoctoral students to thrive. In this way, UJ has been able to retain great scholarship. “We have purposefully initiated a drive to attract and keep research talent. Part of this research development drive includes the staff upliftment project,” added Prof Habib, “where

staff are provided with the support they need to take their academic qualifications to the next level.”

The newly developed Postgraduate Centre, launched last year, serves as a ‘one-stop shop’ for UJ’s postgraduate students, providing assistance and support where needed, as well as facilitating collaboration with other postgraduate students.

Habib also discussed the success of the New Generation Scholarship Programme, through which postgraduate students have obtained their PhDs and been offered a three-year employment contract at the University.

“We found the money to facilitate this new injection of academics into our faculties ourselves,” said Prof Habib. “We believe that if you want to attract quality academic people, you need to pay for it yourself. We made the first 26 appointments last year and obtained a total of 40 new staff.”

Focusing on the yields of the strategic postdoctoral programme, the numbers speak for themselves. From an initial complement of four postdoctoral students, there are now 56 students and numerous applications, pending budget availability.

post

grad

sUJ postdoctoral students who attended the special function hosted by the Postgraduate Centre.

Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Prof Adam Habib, addresses the postdoctoral audience.

POSTGRADS | 17

UJ’s Postgraduate CentreHeaded by Dr Shireen Motala, the Postgraduate Centre, which is part of the University’s Research and Innovation Division, is an exciting initiative to promote fundamental scholarship and sound intellectual engagement and to develop a new generation of scholars. “The University has been at the forefront of strengthening research and scholarship in all its aspects in the last five years,” said Motala. “The Centre, which will be responsible for the co-ordination, extension and enhancement of postgraduate support systems, will contribute to promoting an enabling environment to achieve these goals.”

The Postgraduate Centre will provide master’s and doctoral students, as well as postdoctoral research fellows, with the infrastructure and support to facilitate the education, training and continued development of their high-quality postgraduate studies. The Centre, which is located on the Auckland Park Kingsway Campus, has a staff complement of six and a state-of-the-art computer centre for postgraduate students.

Initiatives of the Centre include: running capacity-building activities with various partners (including the National Research Foundation); continuing with its dynamic postgraduate funding activities and seeking new opportunities with potential funders; providing a hub

for interfaculty and interdisciplinary research engagement; and hosting seminars to promote public intellectual engagement.

The Centre also assists the University in attracting, training and delivering quality postgraduate students; helps increase the numbers of students at master’s and doctoral level; and improves throughput.

Postgraduate students often need support in areas such as the preparation of a research proposal, applying for funding, project management, planning and managing budgets, research design, research methodology, report writing, participation in public debate, statistical analysis and scientific writing. It will provide a hub for interfaculty and interdisciplinary research engagement and hold seminars to promote public intellectual engagement in creating a knowledge-based economy.

There are three structural functional areas, namely: funding support, information services and research development. The funding area is responsible for the administration of all centrally managed postgraduate and postdoctoral opportunities.

As an indication of anticipated demand, during 2009, the University processed approximately 2 900 applications and over 1 000 allocations to students from a budget of over R20 million. The

budget is a combination of internal and external funding, with sources of the latter including the NRF, the Mandela-Rhodes Foundation, the CSIR, CANSA and UK Commonwealth schemes. The information service function acts as a call centre, with a person on duty at reception for a reasonable part of the day in order to provide both academic and non-academic information regarding postgraduate studies at UJ. Some of its key activities include:

• supporting the Social Science Research Methodology Winter School and co-hosting it with the Faculty of Education;

• working with the Academic Development and Support Centre to address the needs of quality supervision and mentorship among academic staff. A workshop facilitated by Prof Johan Mouton took place in March 2010;

• establishing a collaborative programme with the NRF in order to establish a writing workshop for Thuthuka grantholders;

• holding science workshops for research for the Health Sciences, Engineering and Science Faculties.

• holding a Research Day and postgraduate symposium which will showcase some of the high-quality postgraduate student research conducted at UJ.

Dr Shireen Motala with some members of the Postgraduate Centre team.

18 | POSTGRADS

Dr Shireen Motala was recently appointed as Director of the Postgraduate Research Centre: Research and Innovation at the University of Johannesburg. Her responsibilities include: leading the university-wide strategy for improving enrolment at a postgraduate level; providing research support for postgraduate students; and ensuring that throughput improves in the institution. In September 2010, she was appointed Associate Professor in the Faculty of Education at the Universityof Johannesburg.

The Minster of Higher Education and Training, Dr Blade Nzimande, also appointed Dr Motala to the Council on Higher Education.

Dr Motala will be providing advice to the Minister of Higher Education and Training on matters relating to the development of higher education in South Africa and will manage quality assurance and quality promotion in the higher education sector.

She previously held the position of Director of the Education Policy Unit at Wits University from 1999 to February 2010. Her academic qualifications are: BA (University of Durban-Westville), BSocSci Honours (UCT), MA (University of Warwick), PGCE (University of London) and PhD (Wits). She sits on the board of a number of policy research organisations, including the Centre for Education Policy Development and theSouth African Institution for Distance Education.

She is currently Chairperson of the Education Policy Consortium, which brings together policy research entities nationally.

She was also the Chairperson of the UNESCO South African Commission from 2002 to 2006 and was the MEC appointee on the Gauteng Education and Training Council from2002 to 2005.

She has worked extensively in research and has provided leadership for regional and international partnerships, which has led to collaborations with universities across Africa and with northern partners. These include providing leadership to the Consortium on Transition, Equity and Access in Education – a multi-year research programme with the universities in Sussex, India, Bangladesh and Ghana. She has also been responsible for significant fundraising and for large research grants for the EPU – the most recent of which is large-scale funding from the Royal Netherlands Dutch Embassy for a research programme on Literacy, Numeracy and Quality in South African schools.

Her research record is substantial and includes books, editorshipof local and international journals and chapters in books. She has vast experience in all aspects of research, including research mentorship, management of research teams, quality assurance and working with peers in the research community. She hasalso served on various committees at Wits University, including the Faculty Research Committee, the School of Education Executive, the School of Education Research Committee, the Committee on Internationalisation in theFaculty and the HonoraryDegrees Committee.

PROFILE:DR SHIREEN MOTALADirector: Postgraduate Centre: Research and Innovation

There are three structural functional

areas, namely: funding support,

information services and research

development. The funding area is

responsible for the administration of all

centrally-managed postgraduate

and postdoctoral opportunities.

Dr Shireen Motala

SOWETO CAMPUS FEATURE | 19

NEW FACE OF SOWETOCAMPUS UNVEILED

The community of Soweto recently celebrated yet another historic watershed in its development history – the official rededication of the University of Johannesburg’s new flagship campus. UJ’s Soweto Campus was unveiled by Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe on 4 February 2011.

Behind the Soweto Campus’ sleek exterior are various venues and facilities resplendent in contemporary design and decor. Immaculately furnished and boasting state-of-the-art equipment, the Campus’ spacious venues combine aesthetics and functionality in perfect harmony.

“It is indeed a proud moment for the University of Johannesburg as we unveil and rededicate the revamped campus to the nation, staff and students and members of the Soweto and Johannesburg community,” said UJ’s Vice-Chancellor, Professor Ihron Rensburg.

“We are confident that this significant investment will consolidate UJ’s footprint in Soweto, and South Africa as a whole, and yield a premier and unique Campus of the

University of Johannesburg. This has always been our aim and we intend for the Soweto Campus to be our flagship campus.”

The ambitious R450-million development, which began on Youth Day in 2008, encapsulates the vision of the University to become an internationally recognised South African university that provides and expands academic and technological knowledge and skills with the aim of promoting growth and prosperity. Partnerships with industry also form an integral part of the University’s strategic goals.

Prof Rensburg acknowledged that this achievement would not have been possible without the ongoing investment by multiple partners, which comprise individuals and groups from the University, government and the private sector.

“We would like to thank everyone who has supported this ambitious goal by investing time, money, skills and commitment to this project of renewal which has culminated in a landmark intellectual hub that we can all be proud of,” Prof Rensburg said.

Historic moment: Prof Ihron Rensburg (Vice-Chancellor and Principal, UJ) , Kgalema Motlanthe (Deputy President of the Republic of South Africa) and Prof Roy Marcus (Chairperson: UJ Council) unveil UJ’s rededicated Soweto Campus.

20 | SOWETO CAMPUS FEATURE

visual feature

“University education, intellectual endeavour and world-class educational facilities are not only the preserve of the rich, but of all our citizens, including the poor and marginalised. This is a proud quality of the University of Johannesburg and its founding institutions: that we are determined that this University, like the name that it carries, will always strive to be diverse, inclusive and cosmopolitan,” continued Rensburg. “This is also why the University of Johannesburg and the Government of South Africa have joined hands to build a premier campus in the heart of Soweto.  

“To the Deputy President of the Republic, we again wish to reiterate

our gratitude to the Government for its support and investment in UJ. We also acknowledge the significant support that we have received from the Johannesburg Metro,” said Prof Rensburg. “We are keenly aware of our great responsibility to nurture and develop future leaders in the academic, professional and vocational domains and we acknowledge this sacred trust that has been bestowed upon us.” 

Unveiling the new campus, Deputy President of South Africa Kgalema Motlanthe addressed an auditorium filled with first-year UJ students and their parents, as well as guests which included UJ Chancellor Wendy Luhabe, UJ Council Chairman Prof Roy Marcus,

Winnie Madikizele-Mandela, Minister of Science and Technology Naledi Pandor, ‘People’s Poet’ Don Mattera and Kaizer Chiefs’ player Jackie Masike.

“Universities thrive in social milieus which are supportive and interactive at different levels. In the case of Soweto, the one evident benefit of this approach is that it helps ensure that key sites of struggle do not become marginal but central in the cultural, social and economic life of South Africa,” Motlanthe said.

“This Campus is a sign of the times, and, for that matter, a positive sign indicative of the determination of South Africans to break new ground in all key aspects of our existence.

SOWETO CAMPUS FEATURE | 21

“Equipped with modern educational facilities, this Campus will, I am sure, have a positive impact on the Soweto community and Gauteng province at large. At a time when all of us are seized with the pivotal task of bringing about economic growth, reconstruction and development in our country, investment in education assumes immeasurable importance.”

Motlanthe further pointed out the significance of remembering the old freedom fighters, who are recognised in the names of the Soweto Campus’ new spaces. “We could not be working for this integration of society and social coherence to underpin our national growth and development had it not been for the efforts, sacrifices and vision of some of these people who are today to be honoured by this great university,” he said.

Aligned with the University’s commitment to bringing the best the academic world has to offer to all UJ students, another important initiative for the Soweto Campus is the University’s partnership with Harvard University. This partnership involves a three-pronged project which incorporates an Education Leadership Institute, a Principal’s Network and a Leadership Development Programme.

The Educational Leadership Institute will become the intellectual home for a network of principals, education officials and academics to engage collectively with the many complex issues confronting education in our schools across the country and beyond.

A premier university made accessible to the Soweto communityThe vision for UJ’s refurbished Soweto Campus is that it will become the Campus of choice for South African students and will be an engaging facility that will cultivate the rich intellectual and artistic talent that continues to emerge from this extraordinary community.

The extensive R450-million redevelopment of this newly revamped Campus involved facility improvements, utility upgrades and the installation of high-quality information technology, new student residences, lecture halls, a student centre, law and health clinics, computer laboratories andsport amenities.

22 | SOWETO CAMPUS FEATURE

“The focus for the University is on enhancing academic space, expanding research capacity,

providing support systems to assist staff and students to achieve academic goals and improving the quality of student life,” says

Soweto Campus Director, Dr Joe Manyaka.

This has been translated in the form of primary academic offerings comprising management,

economic and financial sciences, education and humanities with leadership training as part

of the core curriculum.  Initially, two doctoral, three masters, one honours, five undergraduate

degrees and seven undergraduate diploma programmes will be offered. These programmes

will accommodate 7 000 students by 2013.

Other important dimensions of the academic and research rejuvenation at the Campus include

the relocation of the Faculty of Education and its Centre for Education Practice and the

establishment of the Centre for Local Economic Development. Community engagement and

renewal activities of the campus will be focused on the Maths and Science Centre, the Law

Clinic, the Funda Ujabule Foundation Phase School, and the Centre for Small

Business Development.

Other developments on the campus involve the construction of a bigger IT laboratory that will

house customer support services, computer training facilities and innovative workspaces

with 700 computers, a bigger library, new lecture halls and a legal aid clinic.

However, the Campus upgrading does not only focus on the academic aspects of student life. The development includes the building of sports administration offices, a sports clinic, a pavilion, two soccer fields, a cricket oval, four netball courts, an athletic track and a fully equipped gymnasium.

Commensurate with UJ’s commitment to its surrounding community, the Soweto Campus development aided local trade and industry by making use of contractors who agreed to utilise Soweto’s developing businesses, thereby creating work opportunities for the unemployed as well as providing construction skills training for unskilled workers from the Soweto community. The result was evident with R 37-million’s worth of  construction contracts being awarded to local community businesses.

Community outreach of this kind is significant, UJ’s Soweto Campus Director emphasised, because not only does it boost the local economy but it also fosters community engagement. “The direct involvement of the community of Soweto is key to building its own vision for the Soweto Campus. It is really important that we get people talking about, thinking about and getting excited about the developments. This is really the groundwork that will make

SOWETO CAMPUS FEATURE | 23

the Soweto Campus successful in the long run,”says Dr Manyaka.

“To celebrate the new life of UJ’s Soweto Campus, we resolve to continue to join forces in the ongoing march for freedom, democracy, human dignity, equality and the social and economic development and transformation of our land, our continent and our world,” said Prof Rensburg. “And as we move forward, we will honour the individual and collective efforts of self-sacrificing people who lived lives beyond their own vision. We deem it necessary to honour those who have gone before us – as it reminds us that we stand on the shoulders of giants.

“We are confident that our significant investmentwill consolidate UJ’s position in Soweto, and South Africa as a whole, and yield a premier and unique campus with its own distinctive brand and identity. The development and growth on the Soweto Campus will assist in building UJ as

the premier higher education destination in Africa,” addsProf Rensburg.

Honouring rich legaciesOn a visit to the revamped Soweto Campus, one of the noticeable features is the names of the various buildings, dedicated to the legacies of many of the struggle stalwarts. This has been a deliberate effort by UJ to remember those individuals, such as Antony Lembede, Enoch Sontonga, Bram Fischer, Ellen Kuzwayo and TW Kambule, who have helped make our country what it is today.

These great South Africans all lived selfless lives so that others could prosper. There is no greater honour to the freedoms that we now enjoy, than to recognise those who have gone before us by building on the legacy they have bestowed. UJ is committed to continue in a similar vein to push forward in breaking barriers to learning – on all levels.

24 | CAMPUS DEVELOPMENT

The developmental focus at UJ has now shifted to Doornfontein, where the UJ campus there will see an investment of close to R500 million in order to consolidate the Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment and the Faculty of Health Sciences on that campus and to provide state-of-the-art facilities.

Funding for the first phase of the redevelopment of the UJ Doornfontein Campus again comes from the government and UJ’s own reserves, but the University is reaching out to industry partners – particularly those engaged in the engineering and health science disciplines – to assist UJ in creating a world-class facility in the economic heartland of South Africa.

This article broadly outlines the vision of the regeneration project, while further details of the Doornfontein Campus will follow in future editions of UJ Advance. Situated in an improving city precinct, which received some R2 billion in investments prior to the 2010 Soccer World Cup, the Doornfontein Campus will become the academic technology hub for the city, the region and the country.

The Greater Ellis Park Precinct – Investment in the AreaRising out of the dust, the inner city of Joburg grew from a gold rush tent town in 1886 to the financial and commercial hub of Africa in just under a century. In less than two decades after its formal proclamation, the broad outlines of the inner city as we know it today were already well-established.

Once home to the stock exchange and numerous corporate head offices, the inner city went through a period of decline in the 1980s. Since then, however, it has turned the corner with revitalisation efforts from the public and private sectors gaining momentum. Undoubtedly the heart of Johannesburg, the inner city today is not only a commercial and economic hub but also the home of legions of people – both locals and foreigners. And, as a major cross-border centre with neighbouring African countries, it is estimated that some 900 000 people move in and out of the inner city daily – working and trading within its boundaries.

A key location and transportation hub, the inner city isthe biggest transport interchange in the country, featuring many different modes – car, taxi, bus and train, local, national and international.

It is also home to many large corporate institutions, mining houses and financial concerns, which anchor the city’s and the country’s economy. All of these aspects have added dynamism, colour and culture to an already cosmopolitan and vibrant place.

Barely taking time to draw a breath from the last campus revamp in Soweto, UJ’s Institutional Division is preparing for the next major overall – this time contributing to the great urban renewal programme of the City of Johannesburg.

UJ would like to invite industry players within the engineering and health science sectors to share this vision and encourage you to play a part in providing for the future technical and professional needs of your own businesses and our nation.

If you would like to become involved in this project, or would like additional information, please contact Marlette Compion-Venter, Development Office: Project Manager on 011 559 6245 or email marlettec@uj.ac.za

Dawn of a New Doornfontein Campus

CAMPUS DEVELOPMENT | 25

Iconic landmarks are found throughout the inner city: the Hillbrow Tower, the diamond-like building of Diagonal Street, the Carlton Centre, Constitution Hill and Nelson Mandela Bridge. And with its regeneration through the Inner City Regeneration Charter, more public open spaces and public art have seen the light. Today, Johannesburg’s core is truly becoming a walkable, green city.

The inner city is bound by Yeoville and Braamfontein in the north, Marshalltown and Benrose in the south, Vrededorp and Fordsburg in the west and Jeppestown, Bertrams and Troyeville in the east.

The Greater Ellis Park precinct has undergone a major upgrade, with the majority of work being completed ahead of the 2010 FIFA World Cup, with some R2-billion being invested in this ambitious precinct project.

The regeneration project is a multi-developmental project, focusing on education, sports and manufacturing across Ellis Park, Doornfontein, Bertrams, Bezuidenhout Valley, Troyeville, Judith’s Paarl and Lorentzville.

The project falls under the Johannesburg Development Agency (JDA), which is the City agency that

oversees the task of renovating the city and surrounding areas. The JDA develops projects that accelerate economic growth in the city.

Educational Precinct The educational precinct – located in Doornfontein and bordered by Saratoga Avenue, the railway edge, the Sivewright Expressway and Nugget Street – intends to focus on the City’s student population. There are an estimated 7 500 students in the area, who are attending the University of Johannesburg and the Central Johannesburg College.

Several key nodes have been identified: • The Expressway Galleria. This is

a large four-storey commercial development with A-grade retail and office space. This development will become the primary interchange between the sports and education precincts and an intermediate landmark, in tandem with the Ellis Park Beacon, between the stadiums and the University of Johannesburg’s Doornfontein Campus.

• The Ellis Park Beacon. This will be a waypoint that will demarcate the

entrance to the Ellis Park area. It will define architectural character in its construction and will be used to display information about the various events in the area.

• Alhambra Heritage Cluster. The Alhambra Theatre will be the flagship project of the Greater Ellis Park development initiative. Here, those buildings with significant architectural heritage value will be renovated, with a view to making practical and viable investments while maintaining the buildings’ architectural character.

• Beit Street Retail Strip. Regeneration plans include creating a dynamic 24-hour node catering to students and residents. The strip will be turned into a commercial high street that will house restaurants and a coffee shop. The University of Johannesburg will also have an entrance onto Beit Street.

Other plans for the precincts surrounding the greater Doornfontein area include manufacturing and sports precincts and a mixed-use precinct and general upgrading of the area, including the northern parts of Bertrams, Lorentzville, Judith’s Paarl and parts of Bezuidenhout Valley.

26 | PARTNERSHIPS

goldfields

Peter Knottenbelt, Head of the Mining Departmentat UJ’s Doornfontein Campus, provides an overview of

the current project. “UJ is currently catering to about 350 residential mining engineering students. There

is a lot of interest in the field, thanks to industry and university marketing of the various bursaries available for

undergraduate study,” he says.

In 2010, UJ’s Mining Department received 1 400 first-year applications, of which only 150 new students could be accommodated. “Young people feel that there are lots

of opportunities within the mining sector and particularly in the mining engineering field,” adds Knottenbelt. “The

type of student best suited to the industry should ideally be adventurous, have a desire for engineering as a career

and therefore have a solid foundation in science and maths, together with an understanding that they are entering a

production management type of career.”

“The industry is currently facing a skills gap crisis.The partnership with the University of Johannesburgwill help ensure that we create a pipeline of qualified

graduates who can benefit Gold Fields and the industry in general,” comments Nick Holland, Chief Executive Officer

of Gold Fields.

“South Africa’s brain drain has had a dramatic impact onthe mining industry, and core skills needed to sustain

the local mining industry have been lost, either through emigration or retirement.”

UJ is one of only four institutions in the country with mining engineering on offer. “Our focus is on producing

the more practical production management people for the mining industry, as opposed to other institutions that

offer science- based mining engineering activities,” says Knottenbelt. “That’s what makes us unique.”

The creation of laboratories is the first item on the development agenda. According to Knottenbelt, the funding

injection will enable the creation of new laboratories that will reinforce theoretical learning. This will focus on

reinforcing the engineering component that is particularly applicable to the mining operations.

UJ will be working towards introducing a new HEQF complement programme in the immediate future – Bachelor Engineering Technology (BET) for Mining. “In that particular programme, the academic component will not include industrial exposure, so the Gold Fields Mining Laboratories will create the space for some degree of hands-on laboratory work to compensate for the year that the student would ordinarily have spent on the mines,” Knottenbelt says.

The proposed generic mining engineering qualificationwill include production management theory and the Gold Fields funding will be used to develop this, as well as stimulate research within the sector. Also in the pipeline is the creation of a Chair of Mining Logistics, which will require the support of industrial engineering and management logistics.

“We have enjoyed a strong partnership with Gold Fields for many years,” says Knottenbelt. “They were the first people to bring funding to the former TWR in the form of a Gold Fields Computer Centre in 1989.”

The partnership has developed over all these years, with UJ leaning on the Gold Fields relationship for practical training of students, industrial visits and advice from training managers and executives.

“Many of our students are accommodated by Gold Fields mines for the Work-Integrated Learning training programme, and representatives of Gold Fields sit on our advisory committee. Whenever we’ve wanted something, Gold Fields has always been there for us,” Knottenbelt adds. Gold Fields take on a good number of UJ mining graduates from the diploma and BTech groups.

Even though Knottenbelt is headed for retirement at the end of this year, one can’t really douse the passion that he has for seeing the dream come alive. “I would still like to see the development of the laboratories, even after I retire,” he says. “We haven’t had labs before, so it will be interesting to see it develop over time and eventually have a marked impact on the quality of people being equipped for the mining industry.”

Last year, Gold Fields Limited (Gold Fields) announced a generous R8-million funding injection into the University of Johannesburg’s Mining Engineering Department over the next three years.

In terms of the 2010 sponsorship agreement, the University will receive a once-off capital injection of R2 million, followed by R2 million a year for three years. In return, Gold Fields is afforded naming

right status for the infrastructure that it sponsors, which includes a new mining laboratory. It will be the University’s first mining laboratory.

PARTNERSHIPS | 27

goldfields

MININGTHE FIELDOF DREAMS

28 | ALUMNI

ANTOINETTEMURDOCH

ALUMNI | 29

Murdoch sees the Gallery itself as a sanctuary that allows her to escape from the day-to-day tasks that come with her position, which sounds more glamorous than it is. She says she retreats into the back rooms to surround herself with the simple smell of art: “When I get bogged down by all the hard grafting of the job, it’s very nice to just go into the storerooms and remind myself of why I’m here – which is this awesome collection of artworks atthe Gallery.

 “We’ve got these most amazing, unbelievable treasures in this collection that most people in South Africa aren’t even aware of,” she enthuses. “We’ve got all the big European names like Picasso, Monet and Salvador Dali. A lot of the artworks you think you need to go to Europe to access can actually be viewed at JAG.

“We’ve also got a stunning South African component, which has been developed only in the last 20 to 40 years. That’s when we bought Gerard Sekotos, Irma Sterns and all the more well-known local pieces.”

Her favourite piece in the quiet, calm oasis she calls her office is an intriguing one: a Salvador Dali sculpture titled Lobster Telephone. The monochrome surrealist object, one of six all-white versions,sits on permanent display in the Gallery’s Foundation Room.

“It’s an old-fashioned telephone with a handpiece in the shape of a lobster,” Murdoch says, passion brimming in her warm, animated voice. “It’s an ivory-white colour and it’s just the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen. I can’t stop looking at it! It’s really worth a visit to the Gallery just to see that.”

The artist treasure trove Murdoch heads upboasts approximately 10 000 works, amassed over the last century. The collection includes valuable pieces by local and international artists and is housed in a national monument, divided intoover a dozen exhibition halls and several outdoor sculpture gardens.

“I have to pinch myself every now and then, tell myself not to lose focus and that I’m in one of the most beautiful buildings in the country. It’s almost 100 years old, you know; it was completed in 1915.”

Murdoch believes that she is lucky to have the “most awesome job in the country” and credits

the experience she gained at the Technikon Witwatersrand (now the University of Johannesburg) for putting her on the right career path. She completed a Diploma and a Higher Diploma in Fine Arts between 1992 and 1996, with the latter entailing both a written pieceand an exhibition.

“I still think I had one of the best educations. Really, we were so far ahead of other Joburg students. We were kind of kicked into the arts’ world because we were forced to hold an art exhibition in a commercial space. It helped us put our first foot in the door, an opportunity not offered by any of the other institutions. I’m eternally grateful for that because I see now that so many art students, after they’ve graduated, just sit around and don’t know how to take the next step.

“As an artist you can’t just go and apply for a job; you have to go and carve it out for yourself. The University gave us the support to take that first step. I believe my life started when I started studying. I was in awe of the lecturers and all the information I was given and what techniques I learned.”

Now 38 years old, Murdoch is a single motherof two young daughters aged 10 and 12. She is also an artist in her own right, having held many solo and group exhibitions over the years. The curator describes her own art as installational and sculptural. She eschews traditional mediums and methods, opting for more alternative ones in her attempt to get her message across.

She says her art deals mainly with women’sissues: “I don’t like to call myself a feminist, but I believe strongly in the liberation of women. Through my art I try to create a voice for women artists who’ve been neglected to a large extent, especially in South Africa.”

If Murdoch does feel the strain of working a high-profile job while supporting two children and trying to feed her own creative desires, she does not betray it.

“I believe we should sleep when we’re dead,” she says with a mischievous laugh. “We only live once and, for me, there’s just not enough time to achieve everything I want to do. I am incredibly driven, so I make time for what is important to me. A lot of people ask me how I find time to make art and the answer is, simply, between 12 and 3am.”

An artist in an artist’s worldChief Curator of the Johannesburg Art Gallery (JAG), Antoinette Murdoch, is passionate about art and artwork. So much so that she sometimes stays awake until the early hours of the morning, working on her own drawings and sculptures after a long day immersed in the nitty-gritty of heading up one of Africa’s finest collections. By Camilla Bath

30 | IN THE SPOTLIGHT

Your full name is Simbarashe – is there a particular significance to the name? My name means ‘Power of God’.

You were just a year old when your family moved to South Africa. Describe your life growing up here? I still feel connected to Zimbabwe even though we moved to South Africa when I was a toddler. I went to a private Christian school here in South Africa and growing up, although I was an introvert, I always knew I wanted to be on stage.

It’s hard to believe that you were once shy, since it was your boisterous personality that prompted the encouragement of your friends to consider a career in the media industry. What helped you make that transition into your ‘true self ’ as it were when you were younger? It wasn’t easy for me but one day I realised that I have the power to change. I couldn’t keep being shy – I needed to step out of myself.

The truth is I eventually became sick of people not taking me seriously. I was only getting attention when I was on the sports field and I wanted to get attention for who I was.

So I decided to just face up to my fears and become the person I knew I was on the inside. I am not that shy person anymore!

IN THE SPOTLIGHT | 31

If anyone would have told the 22-year old, Zimbabwean born, UJ Accounting student that he would be the last man standing in a nationwide presenter search for arguably the most coveted lifestyle show in the country, he would have dismissed it as a big joke. Yet when the Top Billing judges called out Simba Mhere’s name, it was the moment that turned a daring dream into a wondrous reality. This charming, multi-talented and humble young man graciously carved out some precious time from his increasingly busy schedule to grant an interview to UJ Advance. Here is his truly inspiring story… by Cheryl Ramurath

When did you enroll for your BCom Accounting Degree at UJ? And why did you choose to study Accounting? My ambition was to become a Chartered Accountant. I knew that is a lucrative career and I have an entrepreneurial background, so I thought it was important for me to acquire practical business skills.

UJ has the best commerce faculty and I enrolled in 2007, working part-time to fund my studies. My original plan was to carry on with athletics after varsity, although athletics is a difficult arena to build a career.

Describe your experience of student life at UJ? I had an amazing first year. My friends convinced me to get involved in serrie (a cappella singing group) during first year and that was an interesting experience to say the least! My focus changed in second year though – you can’t be partying all the time.

UJ definitely keeps you in line and keeps you focused on your studies. The discipline instilled in first year is carried over throughout the duration of your studies.

32 | IN THE SPOTLIGHT

Is there anything in particular that you will always remember during your time at UJ? Just how friendly everyone is. There is no animosity between students and I have met so many people from UJ. Interacting with people gives you good networking opportunities and great connections for the future.Would you recommend UJ as a University of choice for future students? Definitely. Especially if you are not going to university just to party, UJ is a good place to learn how to have a good balance between your career and social life. It is a very organised university too; registration is done in just five minutes. Are you looking forward to graduation? Do you have any plans to do any postgrad study? Well, being selected as a Top Billing presenter has definitely opened new doors for me. I have a few last subjects to complete for my BCom Finance.I would like to do an MBA at some stage, as I have lots of business ideas I would like to explore in the future. What prompted your entry into the Top Billing Presenter Competition? At the time, I was contemplating the possibilities afforded to me by my accounting studies and started thinking about what would be the best job for me. My friends would often ask me why I was studying accounting. I knew that if I didn’t audition to be a Top Billing presenter, I would regret it. I was going through a bit of a rough patch at the beginning of last year and attended a seminar by Robin Banks. During his talk, he spoke about how “life is a menu – you get what you order”. I walked away from that presentation with a new perspective and felt like a different person. Top Billing has always been a dream of mine, something on my bucket list. Friends and family encouraged me to

audition but I didn’t think I was going to get it.

Take us though your experience during the audition process. When I went to the Joburg audition and looked back at the people in the queue, I saw people like Carly Fields and other TV personalities. I thought she’s got this already; this has been her career for her entire life. My sister Valorie came with me to the audition and we ended up having to sleep in the car. The next day, just before I was about to go in, I got a nose bleed from being so nervous! The Top Billing sound guy, Dennis, came up to me on the Sunday and said that everyone had an equal chance of being the next presenter. He encouraged me to just go in there and do my thing, to just forget about the screening and the judges, and just be myself, as the main quality they were looking for was uniqueness.It was a really nerve-wracking audition and I barely made it through the screening. There was a serious sifting process involved. You first had to go through a prescreening before you went through to the Top Billing judges.When I finally did present to the Top Billing judges, my audition lasted for about 10 minutes. I didn’t know it at the time but it was a good audition. A few weeks later, I got the call from Alan Ford telling me I made the Top 14. The first thing I thought about was all the people I saw standing in the line. I couldn’t believe that I was one of the finalists. Of course I was hoping that I would win the competition but it was not something I was expecting. We left for Mauritius (where the final leg of the competition took place) on my birthday. It was the first time I have ever been on a plane and the first time I had been overseas.

You mentioned in an interview that you feel that being the Top Billing presenter is part of God’s plan for your life. How has your upbringing, in terms of growing up with missionary parents, influenced your outlook on life? I don’t think that people should be embarrassed to talk about their faith. When I went into the competition, I was really apprehensive about entering. I kept repeating one of my favourite scriptures: “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me,” throughout the various stages of the competition.

There were so many times during the competition that I thought I wouldn’t make it. I would just pray and tell God: “I don’t know what to do, if this is your purpose for me, then it will come through.”

There were many moments during the competition that I thought it wasn’t going to happen. Every time I felt anxious and felt like there was no way I was going to get to the next round, I would just thank God for bringing me this far. Being a Top Billing presenter was a dream that I had had for so long and I am truly grateful to God for everything in my life.

I didn’t realise that during the competition, the Top Billing team were also looking at how you worked with people and the crew. I think that they were impressed by the way I carried myself for my age. I was often told that not many 22-year-olds dress and think the way that I do.

My parents still keep me grounded though, there’s no such thing as being a ‘star’ at home. You still have to do the things you did before. They have taught me that a person’s character is the most important thing in life. I also have a great group of friends who are a positive influence on me.

IN THE SPOTLIGHT | 33

What was your family’s reaction when they found out that you had won the competition? The support from my family has been amazing. When I first decided to audition, my mum told me to think of a link and then to practise in front of the family. They told me that if I didn’t audition, I would be stupid. They were also a great support through the various stages of the competition and when I found out that I had won, they helped to keep the news a secret until it was officially broadcast on air. Because the show was prerecorded, I was only allowed to tell my immediate family that I had won. My dad was away at the time and he was so sad that he wasn’t there to be with his boy to share in his moment. Judging from the overwhelming number of entries for the Top Billing competition, you are living the dream of thousands of young South Africans – how does that make you feel? It still feels a little overwhelming. I remember when I was standing in the massive audition line and a group of us were talking – everyone believed that it was their destiny. I’m still dealing with the reality of it.What is it like to work with the presenters you have looked up to for so long? The Top Billing platform is phenomenal. It’s amazing to realise that I am in the same group with them. It still feels surreal – the presenters have been helpful and welcoming. I was on the phone with Michael Mol the other day – he is so sophisticated and so funny. I was going through my

phone book and it was so astonishing that a whole new world has openedto me. It’s less stressful when I get in front of the camera now because you are not constantly thinking about the possibility of being eliminated. I still get nervous before a shoot though – which I think is a good thing because the moment you’re not, it shows a lack of passion.

How are you dealing with your newfound celebrity status? You do have to handle something like this with a lot of humility. Wherever I go, I need to represent the Top Billing brand, which portrays a certain kind of prestige and aspirational lifestyle. It’s a privilege to be in the public eye and while there are definitely perks that come with it, it’s also important to respect people who enjoy what you do when you are out in public. I have seen people who are unnecessarily rude – the world doesn’t owe you anything and it doesn’t cost you anything to be nice to people. I remember a personal experience I had with a celebrity I admired – he was so rude to my friends and I and I vowed to myself that if I ever got famous, I would never behave in that way. So I hear that your Facebook page is inundated with female fans professing their undying love for you. How are you handling all this attention? Or is it something that you are used to already? Yes I have been getting a lot of attention…old girlfriends suddenly remember me. It’s weird though because I am still the same Simba.

I have to ask the question – are you single? Describe your ideal woman? I am not going to comment on thatbut I will say that my ideal woman is someone who is not concerned with what I do but more concerned about the guy I am in person. I like the type of girl who goes the extra mile, who is down to earth. It’s thelittle things that count for me. I am a diehard romantic! There are many facets to Simba – love for numbers, sports, media – what would you describe as your primary passion? I am still exploring different areas. The Top Billing work is exposing me to numerous experiences and I have always been interested in advertising and graphic design. Do you feel that your time at UJ has better equipped you to deal with life in general? No doubt about it. In the real world, no one’s there to hold your hand. If you don’t pass, you will have to deal with that. It helped me to be more disciplined and focused. What, in your opinion, is the value of obtaining tertiary education? Once you have that piece of paper no one can take it away from you. It opens up your understanding and helps you grow many areas of your life. Any words of inspiration to young South Africans who are not sure that they are able to achieve their dreams? Even when I made the second round of the Top Billing auditionprocess, I didn’t think I was going to make it.My life serves as a good example that you should not let your upbringingor life situation stop you from always reaching higher. Despite the obstacles you experience along the way, just go out there and chase the dream.

Professor Amanda Dempsey, Executive Dean of UJ’s Faculty of Economic and Financial Sciences, gave Simba special permission to reschedule his examinations so that he could go to Mauritius to participate in the Top Billing presenter finals, on one condition – that he would win.

34 | FACULTY FEATURE: EDUCATION

Our learning programmes are situated on both the Auckland Park Kingsway Campus and the Soweto Campus. The Soweto Campus houses childhood education, educational leadership and management, educational psychology and programmes aimed at the professional development of teachers. On the Auckland Park Kingsway Campus, the Faculty focuses mainly on secondary-school education. Faculty postgraduate programmes on honours, master’s and doctoral levels straddle many areas, including information technology in education and science education, which are two of the strongest programme areas on the campus.

We are very proud of our community engagement initiative which was praised by the Minister of Education during its launch in 2008 as “almost certainly a first for an education faculty in this country”. This initiative is linked to partnership schools and is underpinned by a framework of social justice and ethos of care. The primary purpose of these partnerships is to provide service learning opportunities to our students, with a view to preparing them to become caring, accountable and critically reflective educational practitioners, while simultaneously serving the schools in which they are placed.

In addition to the research conducted in academic departments, Faculty research is housed in two research centres – the Centre for Education Practice Research on the Soweto Campus and the Centre for Education Rights and Transformation in the Research Village on the Auckland Park Bunting Road Campus. The latter focuses on educational

change, transformation and social justice in education, while the Centre for Education Practice Research serves as the research leg of the Faculty’s Institute for Childhood Education and as the home of the internationally accredited journal, Education as Change and the newly launched South African Journal of Childhood Education.

2010 saw the launch of two major programmes on the Soweto Campus – one in education leadership development, in collaboration with the Harvard Graduate School of Education, and the other in childhood education. The leadership programme led to the establishment of the Education Leadership Institute. The programme in childhood education resulted in the establishment of the UJ Institute for Childhood Education (UJICE) with the Funda UJabule training/research school, situated on the Soweto Campus, at its core. International collaborators of UJICE are Prof Max Bergman and colleagues from the University of Basel, staff from the Bankstreet College of Education in New York and Prof Catherine Snow, a renowned educational linguist from Harvard.

Our learning programmes, community engagement activities and research programmes bear testimony to our vision of an engaged and dynamic faculty – a faculty that advances education as professional practice and as a field of scholarly inquiry through excellence in teaching, exemplary and innovative research and dedicated community service.

FACULTY OF EDUCATION

Executive Dean’s MessageProf Sarah GravettA core value of the Faculty of Education is that a good education has the power to transform a human life. Students who study in this Faculty recognise the crucial role that education practitioners can play in building a more humane and just society. The Faculty’s dynamic learning programmes, into which community engagement programmes are integrated, are aimed at a socially sensitive and just practice of education. The Faculty’s research projects and community engagement programmes are aimed, ultimately, to enrich and transform the practice of education.

FACULTY FEATURE: EDUCATION | 35

The Faculty of Education’s attitude towards and philosophy of its teaching is captured in its mission statement as follows: “We are committed to the preparation of caring, accountable and critically reflective educational practitioners who are able to support and nurture learning and development in diverse educational contexts”. This teaching philosophy to a great extent summarises what the annual excursion for first-year Education (BEd) students and Postgraduate Certificate in Education students is all about.In the past, the excursion was held at Golden Gate. Last year in April was the first time that the excursion took place at Achterbergh.

Nearly 400 students attended the four-day excursion. In the beautiful surroundings of the Cradle of Human-kind, students engaged with the school curriculum, innovative teaching methods, such as De Bono’s Thinking Hats and the Jigsaw method and also made educational pledges thatsummed up their intended contribution to education in the future. After students had had a chance to reflecton their teaching philosophies, they made clay artefacts that symbolised their philosophies.

Judging from these students com-ments, the envisaged outcomes of the excursion were definitely met:

“I carry a great amount of knowledge and ideas away with me today. I was uncertain whether I had chosen the right course of study but now I am certain (after this camp) that I am meant to be a teacher.”

“The excursion made me realise how important we as teachers are and it assisted me in my personal growth, because knowledge is power.”

“I am inspired! I was a bit sceptical with the career I chose but now realise that I have made a wonderful and good choice.”

“I wrote my pledge and I want to stick to it. The ‘life lessons’ we had on the camp inspired me to be the best teacher possible.”

The annual excursion has become a strong research focus in the Faculty. Researchers such as Josef de Beer, Nadine Petersen, Helen Dunbar-Krige and Elizabeth Henning try to understand aspects of this excursion through a cultural-historical activity-theory lens, focusing on Achterbergh as a different activity system when compared with the normal lecture room. Drawing on students’ reflections, questionnaire data and focus group interviews, and using Veresov’s (2007)

notion of “dramatical collisions”, they highlight and explore the unforeseen dynamics and tensions created during the various social interactions between students. The researchers focus on how these interactions afford students the opportunity to live and learn together and to work co-operatively in a natural setting. Their major findings are:

1. The excursion provides a different learning environment for personal and professional development. 2. The nature of student-lecturer relationships changes. 3. Students learn how to negotiate rules of interaction in a culturally diverse grouping. 4. Students develop sensitivity for cultural diversity. 5. Students are exposed to different semiotic tools for teaching and learning. 6. Students envisage a professional trajectory.

These, the researchers claim, hold much promise for teacher education.

This year, the focus of the excursion will be an investigation of what makes Finland so successful when it comes to education. We will find out what we can learn from the Finnish system and focus on teachers’ agency, while incorporating something of Christa McAuliffe’s “I touch the future. I teach!”.

CATCHING THE BEAT!Investing in Our Students’ Professional Development

36 | FACULTY FEATURE: EDUCATION

FACULTY OF EDUCATION

Science Education in the last five decades has been characterised by three waves of curriculum transformation, namely: (a) a focus on science as disciplinary knowledge in the 1950s and 1960s; (b) science as relevant knowledge in the 1970s (with an emphasis on scientific literacy and a science-technology-society approach); and (c) science as imperfect knowledge, with an epistemological shift towards cognitive science and more constructivist approaches in the 1980s and 1990s. These international waves of change also affected the South African Science curriculum. In addition, in a post-apartheid South Africa, we were also tasked with carrying out a political agenda of truly inclusive education and giving marginalised learners a voice. The new Life, Physical and Natural Sciences curricula emphasise inquiry-based learning approaches and reflect on the true nature of science.

In a research study funded by the National Research Foundation (NRF), as part of the Faculty’s teacher development research niche area, the question was posed whether, 50 years after the introduction of more inquiry-based approaches, we are in fact moving towards the changes proposed by international and national trends. The study found that many teachers are still following ‘transmission of knowledge’ approaches and very little evidence of inquiry-based learning in the classroom could be found.

After the democratic elections in 1994, the Department of Education introduced a new curriculum, as well as an outcomes-based approach to teaching and learning. The new curriculum once again echoed the importance of inquiry-based learning and skills such as hypothesising, which are valued in the natural sciences. A recent report released by the Department of Education (Ministerial Task Team, 2009) indicates that many teachers do not implement the curriculum in a learner-centred way and marginalise scientific investigations in favour of transmission learning. This conclusion corresponds with the research findings of the two UJ researchers Josef De Beer and Umesh Ramnarain, who focused on the implementation of the new curricula in Physical and Life Sciences. One of the reasons for this state of affairs is that many teachers do not possess the necessary subject knowledge, didactic skills and pedagogical content knowledge. Thus, 50 years after this call for inquiry-based learning in South Africa, we are, to a great extent, still trapped in an educational system characterised by transmission-mode learning where laboratory work can be better described as ‘cookbook’ activities, rather than inquiry-based learning.

Many research studies show that occasional workshops (and other ‘shot in the arm’ approaches) have a limited impact on teachers’ classroom practices and professional development.

Excelling in Science Education: The A-Team

FACULTY FEATURE: EDUCATION | 37

An alternative is that professional development should take place within well-functioning communities of practice. A community of practice refers to the activity system in a particular school and how teachers’ professional development, resulting from initiatives by the management team but also professional association between science teachers (as colleagues), is achieved. The data from the NRF-funded study has shown that most of the teachers do not consider their own schools, or cluster groups, as useful communities/ecologies of practice that enhance professional development. Most of the teachers indicated that they support the colleagues in their schools mostly in administrative tasks and very little support is provided or received regarding professional development.

In response to all of this, the Faculty of Education launched a new programme, Excellence in Science Education, in Soweto in the second half of 2010. The focus of this longitudinal and systemic programme is to assist 28 Science teachers from the

larger Soweto region in their professional development. The aim of this project is that these teachers should be master teachers after three years and that they will be exemplary leaders in their communities of practice. This led to the project being dubbed The A-Team. During the launch of this programme, teachers came to know one another; the focus was on inquiry-based learning and the nature of science as a discipline. Over the next three years, these teachers will be participating in NextGen Edulink as an online community of practice – supporting one another in their development as master teachers. Their regular reflections will be read by two appointed mentors: Prof George Dawson, retired from Florida State University, Tallahassee, USA and his wife, Dr Joel Dawson, a retired Science teacher and ex-principal. These two scholars will scaffold learning and encourage and mentor The A-Team. There will also be monthly face-to-face workshops where problematic issues in the Science curriculum will be discussed.

George and Joel Dawson

38 | FACULTY FEATURE: EDUCATION

FACULTY OF EDUCATION

The Educational Psychology learning programmes – both at honours and master’s level – were identified as strong programmes in the Faculty of Education. They were also described as excellent programmes in the recent audit by the Professional Board for Psychology. These programmes are innovative and community-based academic and professional education programmes. In November 2010, the programmes moved from the Auckland Park Kingsway Campus to the Soweto Campus. Here, they are in close proximity to schools and their communities, where the professional services offered by staff and students in these programmes are urgently needed.

Community PsychologyA hallmark of the Educational Psychology programmes is their focus on community psychology, with the specific brief of therapy and counselling at grassroots level. Psychological practice in general is moving away from clinical, individual practice to a broader view of consultation that involves more people, settings and communities, in an overall ethos of care. The training of educational psychologists and counsellors in the Faculty prepares them for work on a broad social base. The staff and students in these programmes also do this by

providing support to school communities. This includes the design, implementation and management of psychological interventions in an ethical and culturally sensitive manner. The community psychology focus of the programmes was captured in the publication of a supplementary issue of the internationally accredited journal Education as Change in December 2010.

The community ethos and overall philosophy of the UJ Educational Psychology programmes have also been recognised as innovative and commendable at professional and academic conferences – both nationally and internationally. What contributes to these programmes’ excellence is that the majority of staff members are registered educational psychologists, with doctorates, who publish their research results regularly. Moreover, graduates from these programmes find their way into very rewarding work environments – from individual practices as educational psychologists, to work as learning support and life orientation teachers and school counsellors, to community and school/district resource workers, curriculum and policy researchers. All this contributes to the high standing that these programmes in Educational Psychology enjoy.

The 2011 honours’ and master’s Educational Psychology group

EDUCATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY MAKES ITS MARK ON THE SOWETO CAMPUS

FACULTY FEATURE: EDUCATION | 39

Research Research in the UJ Educational Psychology programme area has received recognition through funding partnerships. These include funding from the South Africa-Netherlands Research Programme on Alternatives in Development (SANPAD) for research on child-headed households and creative, expressive arts therapy. Findings from the former project, which is headed by Prof Jace Pillay as lead researcher, are beginning to show the struggle of educators to support youth and children in such households. The findings of this project will be disseminated at the launch of the Educational Psychology Learning and Research Hub on 23 June 2011 at the Soweto Campus. This Learning and Research Hub is situated in the special experimental classroom of the Educational Psychology group.

The second SANPAD-funded project on creative arts therapy, headed by Dr Elzette Fritz, focuses on the development of a framework for whole school-community counselling and therapeutic interventions. This work is aimed at supporting underprivileged schools and uses cultural and indigenous knowledge embedded in the rituals of dance, song, music and art. The findings from this study will inform the training module in one of the Educational Psychology programmes: namely, therapeutic interventions. It is hoped that by invoking insights from indigenous knowledge systems, the training programme will become more aligned with the mindset and cultural background of the diverse population of South Africa. This work will be included in three PhDs that are focused on creative, expressive arts therapy in 2013.

Some of the research programmes in the Faculty of Education on the UJ Soweto Campus are managed by the Centre for Education Practice Research, which is also situated on this campus. At the Centre, the Department of Educational Psychology is specifically involved in a longitudinal panel research project directed by Prof Max Bergman from the University of Basel, Switzerland, with Dr Helen Dunbar-Krige as the UJ counterpart. The research panel investigates young children’s development in longitudinal studies and is made up of various members from the Department of Childhood Education and the Department of Educational Psychology, who collaborate on topics related to child development. The focus of eight Educational Psychology master’s students in this research is on general cognitive development.

Collaboration and TrainingCollaboration with the Gauteng Department of Education (GDE) and school communities is an important aspect of our work. The Department of Educational Psychology, with the help of the GDE, currently offers four short-learning programmes on the topic of inclusive education. These were designed for teachers who want to increase their theoretical knowledge and practical skills in inclusive education and special needs education. The programmes focus on the identification, screening, assessment and support of learners who have special educational needs. These programmes also promote the notion of schools acting as centres of community engagement, where families who have children with special educational needs are supported. The project leader is Ms Jean Fourie.

Practical training in Educational Psychology is structured through the community engagement initiative of UJ’s Faculty of Education. The practical training is linked to students’ professional practice and is part of the service learning component of the curriculum. The aim is to expand this initiative, currently based on the Auckland Park Kingsway Campus, to the surrounding community of the Soweto Campus and to use the Learning and Research Hub on that campus to the benefit of the community.

As a part of the postgraduate programmes, students are required to do an internship. These internship programmes, managed by Ms Nadia Taggart, are approved by the Health Professions Council of South Africa’s Professional Board for Psychology. Interns are offered the opportunity to network with fellow students and professionals, to present their clinical case studies, to be trained in professional work and to be supervised by qualified and experienced professionals. The Department recently hosted its first of two breakfast meetings for interns and site supervisors at the Educational Psychology Learning and Research Hub on the Soweto Campus. The meeting was well attended. Site supervisors were represented by various people from the Department of Education District Offices, private practice and schools for children with special needs.

The move to the Soweto Campus came at a good time. There is now a window of opportunity to live the vision of creating an engaged and caring ethos from the set of programmes in the Faculty, close to the heartbeat of the city of Johannesburg in Soweto.

Here, they are in close proximity to schools and their communities, where the professional services offered by staff and students in these programmes are urgently needed.

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FACULTY OF EDUCATION

As part of the Faculty of Education’s integrated community engagement

strategy, we actively advocate the integration of service learning (SL)

into both our undergraduate and postgraduate qualifications, as an innovation in the preparation of teachers, school counsellors and

educational psychologists. It is part of the Faculty’s ethos that service learning

informs, enriches and transforms our collaboration with communities, as well

as research and education practicein the Faculty.

As a form of experiential education, service learning is a pedagogy used for teaching and learning, which promotes

student learning and development through active participation in service

experiences that meet actual community needs and that are co-ordinated in

collaboration with the school, university and community. The service activities

draw on the theoretical (academic) curriculum offered in the Faculty and

provide students with structured time to think about, discuss and write about

their actions, feelings and learning during the service activity and how

these relate to the academic curriculum. Involvement in SL is also meant to

foster civic awareness and a sense of social justice and care for others. It is

part of the Faculty’s efforts to develop students’ passion and idealism for

making a difference in the lives of those with whom they interact as students,

teachers, counsellors, educational psychologists and educational managers.

We argue that this form of SL recognises that, through reflection, students can

transform their service experiences into usable knowledge. The students also

learn (academically, cognitively,

Grappling with Social Justice and anEthos of Care through Service Learningin Education

experientially and reflexively) how to establish caring relationships with learners and practising teachers in the course of their service placements, so that learning moves beyond being a merely theoretical enterprise.

The Faculty of Education’s SL takes the form of a multi-tiered service and support system between Faculty students and staff and a number of local schools and community organisations.

It involves three levels of students – pre-service teacher education (BEd and PGCE), BEdHons school counsellors and MEd Psychology students. Practical examples of how the SL operates at the various levels include pre-service teacher education students offering between three and five hours of educational service per week, comprising tutoring, homework and learning support, teacher

support, reading pairs and crafting of educational artefacts, mainly in schools where this type of support is sorely needed. At BEdHons level, the school counsellors assess and counsel learners and provide teacher, learner, parent and community support. At MEd level, students offer counselling services on a rotational basis, as the need arises, through referrals by the school.

There is a new development in SL in the BEd Foundation Phase teacher education programme. Students in this programme will be offering services to both the Faculty’s training/research school (The Funda UJabule School) and the surrounding Soweto community.

The SL focus of the Faculty attests to our commitment to instil in students that education practitioners have a crucial role to play in building a more humane, caring and just society.

FACULTY FEATURE: EDUCATION | 41

In 2010, the UJ Faculty of Education, in collaboration with the Harvard Graduate School of Education (HGSE), launched an innovative education leadership development initiative on the Soweto Campus. The President of Harvard University, Prof Drew Faust, announced this UJ-Harvard partnership in November 2009 at the Soweto Campus. The first dimension of the initiative, the Principal Network, was also launched in November 2009. The Network draws on the HGSE experience of running a highly successful Principals’ Centre since 1987 for disadvantaged schools in the Boston area, which is grappling with similar educational challenges as their South African counterparts. Improving the quality of schooling is an urgent priority in South Africa. Many schools in the country face staggering challenges with scarce resources, fragile support systems and a pressing need to improve teaching and learning. While school improvement requires a multi-pronged approach, it is generally accepted that school leadership is crucial to any effective improvement strategy. It is also acknowledged that large-scale school reform that is to have lasting effects requires continued and informed support from the Department of Education District Offices.The Faculty of Education and HGSE collaboration draws on the distinctive qualities of the two institutional partners. Both institutions have solid track records in the field of educational leadership development. Both have credible long-term footprints in the communities in which they work. Both have strong relationships with educational authorities and both are passionately committed to

improving the challenged South African schooling system through combining their strengths.

The initiative is funded by both national and international sponsors, namely the Development Bank of South Africa, World Bank, First Rand Foundation and J.P. Morgan. Rafia Qureshi, from Corporate Philanthropy at J.P. Morgan, expressed the rationale behind their support of the programme: “Having seen many education projects across the world, I truly believe the Education Leadership Initiative is a unique model of addressing a very complex issue and its uniqueness lies not only within its holistic approach but also within the very important sharing of knowledge between the two universities”.

The ultimate goal of the partnership is to increase the capacity of South African school leaders in order to improve student achievement and opportunity – thus, the focus is on ‘leadership for learning’. The Faculty of Education and HGSE partnership aims to do this by raising professional standards for South African school principals, education officials and other education stakeholders.

The vision for the collaboration was to develop a permanent, self-sustaining Education Leadership Institute to be housed at UJ’s Soweto Campus. This vision became a reality with the establishment of the Education Leadership Institute at the end of 2010, coinciding with the visit of the Dean of the HGSE. The Institute started functioning in 2011 and will serve as a learning hub and supporting institution for the ongoing professional development of school leaders and education officials. The Faculty of Education and HGSE

collaboration, now linked to the Education Leadership Institute, focuses on building school leadership capacity by:• designingandimplementingleadership development programmes and short courses for leaders at school, district and provincial levels;• implementingaleadership-for- learning systemic intervention in the Johannesburg Central School District (mainly Soweto), including interventions focused on instructional leadership. This intervention is viewed as a pilot to be replicated in other districts at a later stage;• usingthePrincipalNetwork,which forms part of the Institute, to provide ongoing support and training for school leaders through online interaction and other professional development activities; • developingaresearchagendain educational leadership.The research projects and teaching cases developed through the course of the collaboration will become part of a national repository of scholarship and practice-based resources on effective educational leadership, to be housed at the Institute. These materials will become assets for all educators, both locally and globally, through a website sponsored by the Development Bank of Southern Africa. During the recent renovations of the Soweto Campus, UJ used two slogans to capture the vision for this campus: ‘leadership under construction’ and ‘leaders revealed’. The establishment of the Education Leadership Institute on the Soweto Campus serves as testament that the Faculty of Education, in collaboration with the HGSE, is living this vision.

Leadership for Learning on theSoweto Campus

Mr Bill Hagen (spouse of Dean McCartney); Palesa Tyobeka (Deputy Director General Basic Education), Laurel Neylon (Harvard Graduate School of Education), Sarah Gravett (Executive Dean: UJ Faculty of Education), Kathleen McCartney (Dean: Graduate School of Education), Rafia Qureshi

(Corporate Philantropy at JP Morgan), Liz Gipps (spouse of US ambassador), Jack Jennings (Harvard Graduate School of Education)

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FACULTY OF EDUCATION

Research and the Funda UJabule SchoolThe focus of research and development in childhood education is a groundbreaking, recent innovation on the Soweto Campus. Education for children from the area, coupled with longitudinal research on their learning and development, bring education science to the classroom and vice versa.

At the Funda UJabule School, children have the opportunity to learn in classrooms where their learning is studied systematically. This Gauteng Department of Education and UJ partnership school is now home to 169 children in Grade R and Grade 1. Their cognitive development, language development and also their growing understanding of mathematics and science concepts are studied over four years. In some of these studies, standardised instruments are used and in others the tools for assessing are custom-designed. This type of testing of pre-literate children is a first in South Africa. The findings on their overall development will give an indication of how young children transfer from home to school and what school does to enhance their learning. More importantly, though, it will give a broad picture of where the children are in terms of their cognitive, social, emotional and physical development, as well as their health, upon school entry. There are already surprising results in terms of their use of language when they come to Grade R.

The research is in panel format with 12 current projects and new ones being

introduced to include in household surveys. Leading projects are the longitudinal studies on children’s cognitive development, an ethnography of the first Grade R year and a study that captures relationships between teachers’ perception of and children’s performance on standardised tests. The work is co-ordinated by Dr Helen Dunbar-Krige, Prof Elizabeth Henning and Prof Max Bergman, who is a visiting professor from the University of Basel. Prof Catherine Snow, from the Harvard Graduate School of Education, is also an advisor to researchers in literacy education. A research group is going to study the Department of Basic Education’s literacy and numeracy workbooks for Grade 1 classes.

Teacher Development and Teacher EducationIn addition to the School and the research in UJICE, a teacher-in-service development project is envisaged for the School’s staff and other teachers in the area, as well as a community engagement project in which academic staff and students will run workshops for parents. The Institute sees this as a vital part of the development of healthy school communities and the advancement of young children.The Faculty’s 244 undergraduate students in the foundation-phase BEd programme do much of their practical work at the Funda UJabule School and in its related activities. They walk from the lecture hall to the research and training school and are in constant contact with children and teachers.

In collaboration with the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET)and funded by the European Union (EU), the Institute and the Department of Childhood Education have also embarked on studies of foundation-phase teacher education in a nationwide, inter-institutional programme that will be launched with UJ as the host in July 2011. This launch will be part of the first UJ Literacy Education Winter School, designed and developed in collaboration with the Harvard Graduate School of Education, under the leadership of Prof Catherine Snow, who is a visiting professor in the Faculty. This winter school is also supported by the DHET and is sponsored by the EU in its foundation-phase teacher-education development programme in South Africa.

Another research and publication venture of the Centre for Education Practice Research and the Institute is the new journal for the dissemination of research on the learning and development of young children. The journal will be funded for three years by the DHET-EU sponsorship and also by the ApexHi Foundation.

In the hub of activity at UJICE – in collaboration with the Department of Childhood Education and the Department of Educational Psychology on the Soweto Campus – academic staff, undergraduate students and postgraduate students are working together not only to serve a community of children, but also to look for hard evidence about young children’s learning and ways to improve and enrich foundation-phase teacher education.

The UJ Institute forChildhood Education

on the Soweto CampusIn August 2010, the Centre for Education Practice Research, the research leg of the UJ Institute for Childhood Education (UJICE), moved from the Auckland Park Kingsway Campus to the Soweto Campus. On the western side of the Campus is the Funda UJabule School, or the Little Pink School, as it has become known colloquially, which is a training/research school that forms the core of UJICE.

FACULTY OF EDUCATION

Research and the Funda UJabule SchoolThe focus of research and development in childhood education is a groundbreaking, recent innovation on the Soweto Campus. Education for children from the area, coupled with longitudinal research on their learning and development, bring education science to the classroom and vice versa.

At the Funda UJabule School, children have the opportunity to learn in classrooms where their learning is studied systematically. This Gauteng Department of Education and UJ partnership school is now home to 169 children in Grade R and Grade 1. Their cognitive development, language development and also their growing understanding of mathematics and science concepts are studied over four years. In some of these studies, standardised instruments are used and in others the tools for assessing are custom-designed. This type of testing of pre-literate children is a first in South Africa. The findings on their overall development will give an indication of how young children transfer from home to school and what school does to enhance their learning. More importantly, though, it will give a broad picture of where the children are in terms of their cognitive, social, emotional and physical development, as well as their health, upon school entry. There are already surprising results in terms of their use of language when they come to Grade R.

The research is in panel format with 12 current projects and new ones

being introduced to include household surveys. Leading projects are the longitudinal studies on children’s cognitive development, an ethnography of the first Grade R year and a study that captures relationships between teachers’ perception of and children’s performance on standardised tests. The work is co-ordinated by Dr Helen Dunbar-Krige, Prof Elizabeth Henning and Prof Max Bergman, who is a visiting professor from the University of Basel. Prof Catherine Snow, from the Harvard Graduate School of Education, is also an advisor to researchers in literacy education. A research group is going to study the Department of Basic Education’s literacy and numeracy workbooks for Grade 1 classes.

Teacher Development and Teacher EducationIn addition to the School and the research in UJICE, a teacher-in-service development project is envisaged for the School’s staff and other teachers in the area, as well as a community engagement project in which academic staff and students will run workshops for parents. The Institute sees this as a vital part of the development of healthy school communities and the advancement of young children.The Faculty’s 244 undergraduate students in the foundation-phase BEd programme do much of their practical work at the Funda UJabule School and in its related activities. They walk from the lecture hall to the research and training school and are in constant contact with children and teachers.

In collaboration with the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET)and funded by the European Union (EU), the Institute and the Department of Childhood Education have also embarked on studies of foundation-phase teacher education in a nationwide, inter-institutional programme that will be launched with UJ as the host in July 2011. This launch will be part of the first UJ Literacy Education Winter School, designed and developed in collaboration with the Harvard Graduate School of Education, under the leadership of Prof Catherine Snow, who is a visiting professor in the Faculty. This winter school is also supported by the DHET and is sponsored by the EU in its foundation-phase teacher-education development programme in South Africa.

Another research and publication venture of the Centre for Education Practice Research and the Institute is the new journal for the dissemination of research on the learning and development of young children. The journal will be funded for three years by the DHET-EU sponsorship and also by the ApexHi Foundation.

In the hub of activity at UJICE – in collaboration with the Department of Childhood Education and the Department of Educational Psychology on the Soweto Campus – academic staff, undergraduate students and postgraduate students are working together not only to serve a community of children, but also to look for hard evidence about young children’s learning and ways to improve and enrich foundation-phase teacher education.

The UJ Institute forChildhood Education

on the Soweto CampusIn August 2010, the Centre for Education Practice Research, the research leg of the UJ Institute for Childhood Education (UJICE), moved from the Auckland Park Kingsway Campus to the Soweto Campus. On the western side of the Campus is the Funda UJabule School, or the Little Pink School, as it has become known colloquially, which is a training/research school that forms the core of UJICE.

UJ BOOK | 43

UJ Book

WITH THANKS TO ELSABÉ BRINK

44 | UJ BOOK

Introduction

Johannesburg is undoubtedly the premier metropolis of Africa and the University of Johannesburg is one of its leading formal institutions. Johannesburg and UJ share much more than just a name, for both grapple with the technological, scientific, economic, social and political challenges that occur in this unique environment founded on the gold mining industry. With gold so central to the city’s fast-paced economy, mining becomes a metaphor for virtually every sphere of life, progress and the accumulation of wealth in Egoli (‘the City of Gold’).

Like miners of old, staff and students at UJ are continually honing their skills to mine seams of knowledge found below the surface of the wide range of disciplines. The UJ academic community identifies closely with the city in which it works and studies. A 2009 UJ student musical, celebrating Johannesburg, or ‘Jozi’ as it is often called, was evocatively named Jozi Ma Sweetie, a seeming contradiction in terms. Could a metropolis such as Johannesburg, with its short but tumultuous history of conflict and contestation, ever be sweet or endearing? This musical captured the spirit of UJ in its

Contemporary Johannesburg is the premier metropolis in Africa in terms of technology, wealth and racial complexity, as well as cultural practices and formal institutions…

UJ BOOK | 45

first years of existence. On stage, the students demonstrated how they were transcending racial divides and were redefining what it means to be South African in the early 21st century, within the context of the metropolis of Johannesburg – home to a myriad cultures, languages and peoples.

In overcoming the divisions and conflict that have formed an integral part of Johannesburg over the past 120 years, UJ paves the way. Its modernising experiment emerges by means of unification and not separation, as was enforced in the past. UJ’s three legacy institutions, the former Rand Afrikaans University (RAU), the Soweto Campus of Vista University and the Technikon Witwatersrand (TWR), formerly known as the Witwatersrand Technical College, existed in times of racial division, separation and segregation.

UJ emerged as a result of a state-imposed merger between its three legacy institutions – with seemingly more differences than similarities. All three institutions were born in times of conflict and contestation. The oldest merging institution, the Witwatersrand Technical College, with its roots in the 1895 Kimberley School of Mines, transferred to Johannesburg after the Anglo Boer War (1899- 1902). Its headquarters at the top end of Eloff Street in downtown Johannesburg were an imposing addition to a town emerging from its mining camp days.

The College’s educational ethos was deeply rooted in British Imperialism, its staff and its language of instruction were English and its policies admitted only those white students who were conversant in the language.

In the mid-1950s, half a century later, an Afrikaans language university was conceived to contest this ruling paradigm. Afrikaner Nationalism, which triumphed in the whites-only general election of 1948, sought to provide tertiary education to urban Afrikaans-speaking youth in their mother tongue. This idea came to fruition in 1968, when RAU opened its doors on temporary premises in Braamfontein. In 1982, Vista University admitted the first black students on urban campuses in black settlements across South Africa, including Soweto, the sprawling residential area east of Johannesburg. From the outset, these students became an integral part of the last two decades of struggle against apartheid.

The four UJ campuses where teaching and learning and research take place are located in Doornfontein, Auckland Park and Soweto. These campuses and their environs have a layered and rich history related to milestones in the evolution of Johannesburg: industrial upheavals, the struggle against apartheid, forced removals and redevelopment.

The four UJ campuses where teaching and learning and research take place are located in Doornfontein, Auckland Park and Soweto.

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UJ Book

The modern Doornfontein Campus arose at the end of the 1970s from the rubble of one of Johannesburg’s oldest suburbs. The Auckland Park Kingsway Campus is located close to Sophiatown, where people of various races were forcibly removed in the 1950s, with the area cynically being renamed Triomf (‘Triumph’). This Campus is sited in Rossmore, a small suburb that was almost obliterated when it had to make way for the new RAU Campus. The recently redeveloped UJ Soweto Campus incorporates the previous Vista University Soweto Campus, which was built in the late 1980s on a similar blueprint used for Vista campuses across the country.

Since 2005, the UJ campuses have become an instantly recognisable and respected part of Gauteng’s urban and cultural landscape.

In 2006, the City of Johannesburg celebrated its 120th anniversary and UJ commemorated its fifth anniversary in 2010. This may seem like a relatively short period for which to present a historical overview. However, in Johannesburg – a tent-and-tin town that became a city overnight – five years is a long time. Many of Johannesburg’s residents and UJ students can hardly recall when UJ was founded, its age or its precursors.

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The new University of Johannesburg opened its doors on 1 January 2005 and officially launched on 5 May of that year, with three tertiary education institutions being merged into one in an historical move that was to change the face of tertiary education in the province.

The oldest two foundation institutions were the Technikon Witwatersrand (TWR) and the Rand Afrikaans University (RAU) and the youngest was Vista University (Vista) with its Soweto and East Rand campuses. The process of the merger and creation of the University of Johannesburg,

appropriately named after the city where it is located, had much in common with the discovery of gold on the Rand, with untold resources waiting to be dug up.

Mining historian JRF Handley’s four stages in the discovery process of gold provide an analogy between the mining of gold and production of knowledge:• The first stage is initiated by a

“reconnaissance discovery” in which the presence of the mineral in an area is recorded for the first time. Often, discoverers are not privileged to witness the full effects of their finds.

The founding of a new institution of higher learning is not a once-off event, but a continuous, complex and at times difficult process, destined to extend over a long period and to shape the lives of generations to come.

The Founding of a University

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• The second stage is sparked by the first record of the presence of gold. In this stage, further searches are undertaken, the reef is evaluated, its potential value is determined and an indication is given of its extent.

• The third stage involves immediate exploration and development by prospectors, investors and scientists who invest, plan and bring the newly discovered gold reef to the initial production stage.

• The fourth stage represents a secondary development phase in which a new set of role players with expertise, capital and entrepreneurial spirit emerge to add resources in order to allow the existing operational gold fields to reach their full productive potential.

It is generally accepted that George Harrison and George Walker, two itinerant prospectors, were responsible for the reconnaissance of the outcrop of the main reef of the central Witwatersrand gold fields on a farm in Langlaagte in 1886.

However, it is not generally known that the Struben brothers mapped, evaluated and demonstrated the full extent and

potential riches of the newly discovered gold fields.

Pioneering mining magnates such as Cecil John Rhodes, JB Robinson and Barney Barnato founded mining companies such as Rand Mines and Gold Fields of South Africa in the 1890s. These magnates were quick to realise the potential of the gold fields. Huge mining companies, such as the Anglo American Corporation, initiated further research and funded the discovery of the immensely rich Free State and the Far East and West Rand gold fields during the 1930s and 1940s.

Parallels may be drawn between the processes of the discovery of gold and of creating a new university that would cater for the needs of a population requiring new educational opportunities. In 2001, the then Minister of Education, Kader Asmal, announced the proposed merger of higher education institutions, in terms of a new ambitious National Plan for Higher Education. In late 2003, the new names of the soon-to-be merged institutions were announced, which included the proposed University of Johannesburg.

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Like the two prospectors, Harrison and Walker, Asmal was not to remain involved in the process that he had initiated. Asmal had staked a claim on behalf of the people and it was to be left to the leaders of the three founding institutions – Connie Mokadi (TWR), Roux Botha (RAU) and Sipho Seepe (Vista) – to evaluate, map and plan the institutional “gold reef” that was to become the University of Johannesburg.

In the third stage, Mokadi, Botha and Seepe made way for the new UJ leadership – Wendy Luhabe, Roy Marcus, and Ihron Rensburg – to oversee “initial production”. These leaders and their teams have further developed and grown UJ to provide the skills, research and expertise required to serve the socio-economic needs in the fast-growing Johannesburg metropolis, which by 2005 was contributing 40% of the Gross Domestic Product of South Africa and housing 75% of the country’s corporate headquarters.

The Merged Legacy Institutions in 2004 On 1 January 2004, a year prior to the merger, the Soweto and East Rand Campuses of Vista University were incorporated into RAU and began to function as campuses thereof. With 2005 approaching, the Joint Merger Office oversaw a process in which a wide range of faculties, housed on five campuses dispersed across the Witwatersrand, were to be forged into a new entity – the University of Johannesburg. Numerous issues had to be addressed, ranging from a language policy and a fresh identity and brand to the formation of a new ethos.

Management and administrative issues that needed to be addressed to ensure a seamless, integrated higher education operation included provision of facilities of equal standard on all campuses, standardised software and hardware systems, documentation of and for students, access between campuses and an integrated access control system on all campuses.

A university for a new generationIn the business world, partners usually enter willingly into mergers, as they have the expectation of improved returns, growth and financial sustainability. In building the new South Africa during the post-1994 era, the newly elected government moved to rid the education system of its apartheid past and create a co-ordinated higher education system. Asmal’s National Plan for Higher Education aimed to dissolve inequalities along racial lines and incorporate education into the new technologically driven and information-based global economy.

In two instances – that of the future Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University in Port Elizabeth and the University of Johannesburg – mergers created so-called “new generation universities” that integrated university and technikon-type programmes for degree and diploma qualifications respectively. In line with its vision for the future, the government maintained that such institutions would concentrate on promoting and supporting access to higher education.

Importantly, the wider range of programmes on offer did not dilute the nature of either the merged university or technikon sections. It was maintained that such a convergence would embrace simultaneously all the attributes of a traditional university and those of a university of technology, plus unique properties emerging from a synergy between these pathways.

At the time, a stakeholder forum comprising representatives of the founding institutions set out to define this new relationship. The new University would offer a comprehensive range of educational programmes, a full spectrum of entry and exit levels and cross-fertilisation of academic and applied research. Academic and career-focused programmes would be integrated holistically, yet still allow for the kind of academic diversity much needed regionally and nationally.

The University ofJohannesburg is established

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Students would be able to migrate more freely from

one programme to another and, as the forum concluded,

traditional universities provide students with grounding in,

and an understanding of, the scientific principles embedded

in a specific discipline, while scientific research seeks to

expand and develop the boundaries of knowledge. Conversely, technological

programmes use scientific knowledge to the extent that

scientific principles can be applied to solve problems

and gain control of the environment.

Roux Botha, interim Vice-Chancellor, endorsed these

findings. “The decision to merge RAU and TWR had brought to

an end the history of two proud and leading institutions of

higher learning in South Africa, but it has simultaneously created the University of

Johannesburg, being stronger and better equipped to meet the challenges facing higher

education. This union of human and knowledge capital, the

synergies emanating from this juncture, the new opportunities

created by the merger, and the dedication and loyalty of staff

and students reflect the power of this new university.”

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The name of the new institution

The name of the new University was decided on after an intensive consultation

process among all stakeholders of the foundation institutions. Roux Botha,

then Rector of RAU, explained the reasoning behind the selection of the

name: “When we had to decide on a name during the merger, we did not have

to look very far, as the ‘University of Johannesburg’ perfectly symbolised the vibrancy, prosperity and leadership role

shared between the City of Johannesburg and the new, merged University. In an

international context the new University will also enjoy the recognition of being directly associated with one of the best

known cities in the world.”

Language policyLanguages are important in promoting

ideas, beliefs and values held by different people.

They are instruments that, among other things, give meaning to human rights,

transmit information and mediate between cultures.

Against this background, UJ decided to use and develop the Gauteng province’s four official languages – English, Afrikaans, Sesotho sa Leboa (also known as Northern Sotho) and IsiZulu – as primary languages for academic, administrative, communicative and marketing purposes. It was proposed that initially Sesotho sa Leboa and IsiZulu would be incorporated into the communications, business and academic support services of the University. Later, these languages would be incorporated on a phased and potentiality basis into the teaching and research programmes.

The new heraldryIn 2004, the Merger Office undertook an extensive branding exercise to develop a new, unique image for the merged institution. After extensive consultation, a new logo and corporate colours were decided on and formally launched in 2005.

The logo depicts two stylised hoopoes, facing one another, with their beaks and tail feathers touching around an open book that represents the knowledge to be gained by all associated with the institution.

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The birds represent the coming together of the two largest foundation institutions, RAU and TWR, while the graphic element between their heads symbolises diversity or comprehensiveness of the wide variety of qualifications offered by the University. The birds also embody the core values of the new University: freedom, independence, success, dignity and mobility. Their distinctive crown feathers declare their “Africanness”, while the burnt orange and golden yellow evoke the glittering mineral on which the City of Johannesburg was built.

UJ RootsThe founding of all educational institutions occurs within a socio-economic and political context. Whereas the primarily political motivation behind the proposed merger was to restructure the apartheid higher education system and to incorporate it into a competitive, globalised economy,

Ihron Rensburg, UJ Vice-Chancellor, shifted the emphasis in 2006 to the shared histories that would form the foundation of the new UJ: “We are always mindful that the new legacy that we are now building had its roots first set down at the beginning of the 20th century with the training of artisans and engineers for the mining industry at the Witwatersrand [Technical] College, one of the legacy institutions of the Technikon Witwatersrand. Thus, although we are a new University, many histories inform and shape the future that we are creating today. We accept the challenge of ensuring that the new University builds on these great teaching, research and innovation traditions, histories and cultures.”

Although the Vice-Chancellor stressed a common heritage between the UJ precursors, the political nature of the merger did not go unnoticed. A 2005 survey of academic staff during UJ’s pre-merger phase indicated that most staff responded that the merger was politically motivated.

UJ BOOK | 53

Yet, the founding of higher education institutions in South Africa based on a political agenda

has other historical precedents in South Africa. The oldest UJ precursor, the Witwatersrand Technical College, later TWR, was founded

in 1903 in response to the needs of Witwatersrand industries.

This institution was firmly rooted in the British imperialist educational model, with English as

the medium of instruction. Given the British conquest of the Zuid-Afrikaansche Republiek

during the Anglo Boer War (1899-1902), English-medium higher education was unfamiliar

and unforgiving territory for its prospective students: the children of Afrikaans-speaking

survivors of the war.

Almost 70 years later, in 1968, RAU was created with the distinct political agenda of providing a new generation of the Afrikaner community

with educational opportunities offered in its mother tongue. In 1982, as part of the apartheid social engineering agenda of the then Nationalist

government, Vista University was founded in acknowledgement of and response to the growing educational needs of the urban black population.

From its founding in 1919, the Afrikaner Broederbond regarded education as a principal

field of influence and control – so it is not surprising that their hand is evident in the

governance structures of all the UJ precursors. After the 1960s and the apartheid state’s

takeover of many of the Witwatersrand Technical College branches, Afrikaans speakers and

Afrikaner Broederbond members replaced the British colonial, English-speaking management

after its members had retired. At Vista, the opposite happened in the 1990s, when the old guard of Afrikaner Broederbond members and Afrikaans-speakers was replaced by an elected

black management structure. At the former RAU, the predominantly Afrikaans management

remained in place during its 37 years of existence.

Like UJ, the Witwatersrand Technical College and Vista were founded on the firm basis of a pre-

existing student corps. In the case ofthe UJ precursors, these students were mostly

registered in existing education programmes and provided a basis for the development of these

institutions. In contrast, RAU was founded with no pre-existing student base, but had to market

itself aggressively to attract a financially viable student body.

UJ and its precursors all aimed to accommodate a diverse number of previously disadvantaged

communities and catered for students who, within their family context, were the first

generation to enter tertiary education.

54 | UJ BOOK

During the 1920s, the Witwatersrand Technical College identified the need for technical training of a generation of white youth, many of whom had difficulty finding a niche in the world of work armed with what is today referred to as a Grade 8 education. RAU perceived a similar need in a generation of young Afrikaners who could not afford to leave home on the Witwatersrand to pursue a university education in their mother tongue elsewhere.

Vista University, with its decentralised campuses, was founded with the express aim of providing poor black students with a university education on their doorstep. Some interesting similarities and dissimilarities emerge regarding the funding of each of these institutions. Both the merger which created UJ and the founding of Vista University were state-funded. In contrast, in addition to state funding, the Witwatersrand Technical College was supported financially by Witwatersrand industries and local authorities who looked to the institution to provide the trained personnel they required.

RAU also received state funding, but only after it had raised substantial amounts of money from industry, business and local municipalities to prove that an Afrikaans-language university on the Witwatersrand was indeed a pressing need.

UJ BOOK | 55

56 | LEADERSHIP

A Legacy of FreedomPresident Abraham Lincoln’s leadership, through the painful trial of Civil War, saved the United States of America and ended the deplorable institution of slavery. In the War’s aftermath, Lincoln faced the challenge of rebuilding the South without restoring its system of white supremacy. Balancing goodwill toward freed blacks and a conciliatory stance toward the former Confederate states, Lincoln appeared to have the perfect temperament to ease the South through a time of healing and into a period of prosperityand equality.

Abraham Lincoln’s assassination plunged the fragile future of the South into uncertainty. His successor, President Andrew Johnson, continued policies of conciliation toward the Southern states, but he did not share Lincoln’s regard for black Americans. By pardoning key leaders of the Confederacy and placing power back in the hands of state legislators in the South, Andrew Johnson reconstructed the South’s oppressive system of white domination. Johnson’s personal racism and inept leadership were responsible for stunting the progress of the civil rights movement and perpetuating injustice in the South for another 100 years.

Abraham Lincoln’s tragic death followed by Andrew Johnson’s deficiencies in rebuilding the South is a testament to the Law of Legacy:

“A leader’s lasting value is measured by succession.”

Who knows how far or how quickly the USA may have progressed toward racial equality had Lincoln been able to pass the reins of the government to a like-minded leader?

Leaving a Legitimate Leadership LegacyJohn C Maxwell

As I begin this lesson, I would be remiss not to mention the tremendous contribution that my friend Dick Biggs has made in shaping my thoughts on succession. Several of Dick’s ideas are woven into this article.

LEADERSHIP | 57

Leaving a LegacyA turning point in my leadership

came when I began to understand the meaning of leaving a legacy. A catalyst

for me was a simple statement from management expert, Peter Drucker:

“There is no success without a successor.”

I had always wanted to create lasting value through my life and leadership,

so I decided to take seriously the cultivation of successors. I resolved

to produce leaders rather than attract followers and it’s one of the best

decisions I’ve made in my leadership. In this lesson, I’d like to explore

four aspects of shaping a legitimate leadership legacy:

1. Character2. Choices

3. Conduct4. Consequences

Character – Being and Becoming a Moral Example

The two words most commonly linked to character are integrity and honesty.

Integrity involves being true to oneself, while honesty means being truthful

with others. Each involves being real not fake, genuine not artificial, transparent

not deceitful.

You can’t spell integrity without the word grit which is defined as “a firmness

of mind” or “unyielding courage”. It takes a great deal of courage or grit to be true to self. In the end, though, it’s worth the effort because our legacies

are going to be greatly impacted by our integrity or lack thereof.

Choices – Thinking Clearly and Making Wise DecisionsCareful decision making requires a sense

of right and wrong, rooted in character. To make the right decisions consistently,

we can’t let external influence or peer pressure cause us to do something

wrong when our internal conscience is telling us to do what is right. To

violate conscience undermines our self-respect and shatters not only our moral authority, but our confidence as leaders.

This article is used by permission from Leadership Wired, GiANT Impact’s leadership newsletter, available for free subscription atwww.giantimpact.com.

We must also understand how pleasure and pain have an impact on our choices. In short, if we enjoy temporary pleasure with disregard for its harmful effects on us and other people, we’re going to suffer long-term pain. Leadership demands sacrifices for the near-term to receive lasting benefits. The longer we wait to make sacrifices, the harder they become.

Successful people make important decisions early in their life, then manage those decisions the rest of their lives.

Conduct – Doing the Right ThingsConsistently WellConduct is defined as “a mode of personal behaviour”. Only individuals can behave. The conduct of a company, government agency, sports team, or church is a reflection of the conduct of the individuals making up the organisation.

To shape the conduct of the individuals who follow us, we must be able to hold them accountable for their behaviour. But first, we must be held ourselves accountable. Author Chuck Swindoll says accountability is “a willingness to explain your actions”. If our actions are indefensible, we’ll be stripped of the real authority to exercise moral leadership. We must submit our behaviour to the scrutiny of trusted advisors before dictating the conduct of those we lead.

As leaders, we set the tone for the conduct of the individuals in our organisation. People do what people see. Conduct is learned through observation. As Dr Michael Guido says, “The world pays more attention to your conduct than it does to your creed.” As leaders, we teach what we know, but we reproduce who we are.

Consequences – Receiving theResults of Seeds that We SowThe success of my day is based on the seeds that I sow, not the harvest I reap. Too often, leaders bypass the process of sowing seeds in favour of shortcuts for results. Sadly, the end begins to justify the means and principles are tossed out for more expedient behaviour.

I’ve found submitting to the process of sowing the right seeds will meet with tremendous rewards – whether I see the fruits firsthand or not. Here are five reasons I believe in keeping my attention on sowing well rather than seeing instant results:

(1) The seeds I sow will determine the harvest I reap.(2) There is no reaping unless I have been sowing.(3) Sowers are committed to giving before receiving.(4) Sowers enjoy giving more than receiving.(5) Sowing daily into the lives of others will compound over time.

We spend our day either preparing or repairing. Preparing allows us to focus on today; while repairing forces us to clean up yesterday. Preparing invests for the future; repairing pays down past debts.

Preparing increases efficiency; but repairing consumes precious time. Preparing increases confidence; while repairing breeds discouragement. Cherish each day in order to grow and develop and avoid making mistakes which will return to haunt you. Remember: the secret of your success is determined by your daily agenda.

58 | LEADERSHIP

WORK- INTEGRATED

LEARNING

The University of Johannesburg offers a wide range of traditional higher education, professional and career-focused programmes, some of the latter

offered according to the co-operative education model, where classroom learning and practicals are complemented by structured, real-life experiential

learning. This is referred to as work-integrated learning (when learning occurs in an industry workplace) or service learning (when learning occurs in a

community setting).

PR students who participated in a community project and communication campaign for a non-profit organisation.

LEADERSHIP | 59

Work-Integrated Learning essential preparation for theworld of workThe University of Johannesburg offers a wide range of traditional higher education, professional and career-focused programmes, some of the latter offered according to the co-operative education model, where classroom learning and practicals are complemented by structured, real-life experiential learning. This is referred to as work-integrated learning (when learning occurs in an industry workplace) or service learning (when learning occurs in a community setting).

The aim of service learning components is to promote academic citizenship of our students. By ensuring a ‘best match’ between student skills, personality and company culture, the work-integrated learning placements often result in full-time graduate placements – a wonderful incentive for students and companies alike. Companies are also able to benefit by claiming tax rebates and grants from their Skills Levy contribution for participating in this education process. 

The Work-Integrated Learning (WIL) office resides in the Academic Services Unit of the Centre for Psychological Services and Career Development (PsyCaD). The current focus of the WIL office is to open doors for work- integrated learning in industry and to facilitate relationship building between the UJ subject expert (the lecturer) and his/her counterpart in the external partner company.

The WIL office serves as a one-stop-shop for companies seeking work-integrated learning students: locally, nationally and internationally. Graduate recruitment is facilitated by the Career Services Unit of PsyCaD. Companies are also invited to participate in the annual Graduate Recruitment Week.

UJ is a member of the Southern African Society for Co-operative Education,the World Association for Co-operative Education, and the South African Graduate Recruiters’ Association.

The following article is a case study conducted by René Benecke and Megan du Plessis, analysing the effects of practical learning on PR students within the WIL programme.

PUBLIC RELATIONS IN PRACTICEBy René Benecke and Megan du Plessis

Work-readiness skills are those skills that relate not only to the knowledge of a field or discipline, but also to the extent that a graduate has been prepared for the world of work. This includes career planning, decision making and job searching techniques such as resume writing, interview skills, letters of application and follow-up letters.

Additionally, work-readiness skills are those skills that are needed to enable a graduate to cope with the adjustment to the world of work and to recognise the responsibilities that are involved in keeping a job.

These skills include positive work habits and attitudes and behaviour such as punctuality, regular attendance, professional appearance, working well with others, completing tasks given, accepting constructive criticism from supervisors and co-workers and showing initiative and reliability.

The Department of Strategic Communication: Public Relations and Communication at the University of Johannesburg takes pride in its programme that is designed not only to deliver the level of knowledge, skills and competencies required from graduates, but also to provide them with an integrated learning experience that develops their coping and problem-solving skills and real world experiences that place them in the heart of the workplace and its complexities.When students first enrol for the Diploma in Public Relations and Communication, they often ask questions about the role and function that public relations practitioners play in the work environmentand how they will know that they are adequately prepared for whatlies ahead.

The staff in the Department understand the uncertainty that a young first-year student feels. As a result, we would like to share our answers to these frequently asked questions to explain how the department directly engages in work-integrated learning and work-readiness skills.

René Benecke and Megan du Plessis bring a practical work perspective to UJ’s PR students.

60 | LEADERSHIP

IS WORK-INTEGRATED LEARNING RELEVANT

TO MY LEARNING?Studies done in Australia (Dressler &

Keeling, 2004:225) indicate that there is substantial personal development in

students who are part of a work-integrated learning experience. The programme

offered by the Department of Strategic Communication: Public Relations and

Communication has proved to have a positive effect on student learning.

Students are able to identify the relevance of theoretical concepts by putting theory

into practice, thus demonstrating increased disciplined thinking, analytical thinking,

improved performance and increased commitment to their educational goals

(Orrell, 2001:3).

Work-integrated learning has also been linked to improved academic achievement

(Hughes & Moore, 1999). Studies have reported benefits which include a deeper

knowledge which is more than just “spitting out information” and “not taking the second

step” (Freudenberg & Lupton, 2005:10), which indicates that the work-integrated

learning experience increases students’ ability to transfer their knowledge from

theory into practical application. Separating theory and practice can lead to “passive” or “inert” knowledge with students finding it

difficult to transfer their knowledge from the education setting to the workplace. Having

concept knowledge is not the same as having hands-on knowledge, and by furnishing

students with tasks that are domain- and context-specific, and authentic and relevant,

the programme provides opportunities for them to link their university learning with

the workplace.

WHAT IS IN IT FOR ME?Apart from being a requirement to qualify with a Diploma in Public Relations and Communication, work-integrated learning has a positive effect on the students’ attitudes, behaviour and motivation. Harvey et al (1997) found that students who personally experience the workplace environment were able to gather a richer understanding of what the key attributes of success are, thus leading to a greater sense of self-confidence. Other studies have found that students can find a work-integrated learning experience positive and beneficial (Riggio et al 1994), all of which accrue to improve students’ motivation towards their studies and the possibility of greater student retention.

DOES THE WORK-INTEGRATED LEARNING PROGRAMME ADEQUATELY PREPARE ME FOR THE WORKPLACE? Here’s what some of our students had to say about their experiences:• “Integrated learning experiences are really

important. It prepares us for the real world. It shapes our characters and attitudes to correspond with what is expected of a professional person.”

• “I think it made me understand a lot more and it gave me a lot more insight into my profession.”

• “I think being taken out of your comfort zone to see how far you can push yourself is a good thing.”

In order to be prepared students, lecturers and project partners work together in a spirit of innovation and collaboration to achieve common goals and a shared vision of the future.

PR students serving as UJ Open Day marshals. PR students assisting with the 2011 SABC/UJ Local Election Debates.

DISCOURSE | 61

Authors of Our Fate – Black Politicsand a Quest for A Usable Past

In his book, The Age of Extremes, the historian Eric Hobsbawm observes that “the destruction of the past, or rather of the social mechanisms that link one’s contemporary experience to that of earlier generations, is one of the most characteristic and eerie phenomena of the late twentieth century.

“Most young men and women at the century’s end grow up in a sort of permanent present lacking any organic relation to the public past of the times they live in”. Interestingly, Hobsbawm’s lamentation is no different from that expressed by the American literary scholar Van Wyck Brooks at the turn of the nineteenth century.

Brooks was concerned that the United States had no past upon which to draw, or to put it differently, had not done much to document and learn from that past in building a new nation. Brooks urged Americans to look to literature and art as a way of excavating that history to use stories to give themselves a sense of intergenerational continuity. Thus during the depths of the Depression Franklin Roosevelt used the Art for the Millions programme to inspire creativity throughout the United States – particularly in small towns that were hardest hit by the Depression, including Harlem.

Writers such as Richard Wright came out of that experience of collective imagination. Alan Lawson described that period as “the most creative outpouring ever recorded in the history of the United States”.

Writers and artists have played a similar role in our own continent. In Anthills of the Savannah, Chinua Achebe, generally regarded as the founder of post-colonial African

literature, observes that “revolution may be necessary for taking a people out of an intractable stretch of quagmire but it does not confer freedom”. Or as he put it in one of his essays, ‘The Novelist as Teacher’, “I would be quite satisfied if my novels did no more than teach my readers that their past – with all its imperfections – was not one long night of savagery from which the first Europeans acting on God’s behalf delivered them”.

Achebe was not saying there were no political, moral or cultural contradictions in the African encounter with European modernity. If European writers said about Africans that “we paint them as black as they are”, Achebe countered by saying “we paint them as rounded and complex as they really are”. In Anthills of the Savannah Achebe captures the importance of storytelling in reclaiming history and revealing that complexity:

The sounding of the battle drum is important; the fierce waging of the war is itself important; and the telling of the story afterwards. But if you ask me which one of them takes the eagle-feather I will say boldly: the story. Because it is only the story that can continue beyond the war and the warrior. It is the story that outlives the sound of war-drums and the exploits of brave fighters. It is the story that saves our progeny from blundering like blind beggars into the spikes of the cactus fence. The story is our escort, without it we are blind.

SEK Mqhayi had made a similar observation about the past, “in all our training schools the history of only one nation is studied, the English; they are the only people with intelligence,

prudence, knowledge, they alone have national heroes, they have never been defeated by any other nation on earth”.

Mqhayi, like Fuze, concludes with a call for historical consciousness: “the strange thing about all this is that this man who knows nothing of his own nation still aspires to be his nation’s leader. It is true that history repeats itself. How then can a fellow who knows nothing of the past gain any inkling of things present and future…how would a stupid leader go about leading…young men must study history, so that talk proceeds from fact and is not plucked from air, so that no one listens”.

There is of course the oft-repeated argument that we live in a different world, and that this focus on the past is an academic indulgence. But is it really? First, almost everything that we do is history from the moment we have done it – it belongs in the past.

Public policy itself is based on what has gone on before it. We are able to draw on past policy performances to evaluate whether policies have worked or not. Take for example the role that history plays in planning. It is when we view human beings as historical agents that we begin to see why technocratic solutions tend to disappoint us.

Human beings are driven not simply by calculable, quantitative desires but also by emotions including the collective unconscious that resides in the history of individuals and communities. This is what Pierre Bourdieu called their habitus. It is this psychological, cultural, social and political make-up that renders it impossible to reduce how we may act in the future into a quantifiable prediction.

“Public policy itself is based on what has gone on before it.”

62 | DISCOURSE

Planning is informed by politics of a given era, and we would be fooling ourselves to

think we could impose our policy solutions on the unborn. Or as Hobsbawm puts it,

the value of the historical method lies in the fact that: “historians’ forecasts, retrospective

though they may be, are precisely about the complex, all-embracing reality of human

life, about the other things which are never equal, and which are in fact not other things,

but the system of relationships from which statements about human life in society can

never be entirely abstracted”.

The challenge is not the quantitative resolution of abstract statistical formulae

but whether we can develop the social culture that will make it possible for future

generations to be able to deal with problems as they emerge. This will no doubt require

investments in specific policy areas such as education and health – which we must

quantify. However it is not the quantification that will determine the effectiveness of our

solutions but whether the people we seek to engage are willing to take those solutions up.

DISCOURSE | 63

“The fact that nations – and their values – are often regarded as glorious and futures as innocent, does not make that process of

imagination less real.”

We also know that an unaccountable leadership is likely to generate political resistance – as has happened in countries as culturally different as Zimbabwe, Tunisia and Egypt. Historical consciousness thus helps us to become better citizens and agents. The reason the black consciousness movement was effective in mobilising thousands of young people in the 1970s was not so much that it offered them the promise of a better life under a new black-led government.

It was powerful because it roused among young people a new sense of identity and out of that identity a new political culture. And as psychologists such as Erik Erikson have noted, it is a sense of collective identity that gives rise to culture, and not the other way round, giving rise to what some scholars call culture making. This is the idea that people can rely on their cultural resources not only to cope with the exigencies of everyday life but also to construct alternatives.

Let us examine one cultural ethic that the movement emphasised – an ethic that is often lost in the preoccupation with the movement’s position on race. The ethic of self-reliant development has a long precedent in the black community. Some of its earliest articulations go back to life on the Kimberley diamond mines, and the role played by early African intellectuals in black communities.

In a brilliant doctoral dissertation, Moshe Ncilashe Swartz describes this cultural ethic as ‘aesthetic relational values’, and traces its origins to the mythologies of ancient Egypt and Ethiopia. The point he makes is that in order to survive African people developed political and cultural identities that reinforced not only belief in themselves but also a capacity to

view the world as centred around the concept of self-reliant development.

In many respects then the idea of a cultural aesthetic that has been passed from generation to generation is an artificial one. This idea of an immemorial past – and an eternal future – has always been central to the construction of nations. The fact that nations – and their values – are often regarded as glorious and futures as innocent, does not make that process of imagination less real.

But as Benedict Anderson points out, all nations are ultimately imagined – artefacts of our imagination that are no less real because they are imagined. They are the products of contradictory processes of remembering and forgetting – and sometimes outright denial. As Anderson puts it: “communities are to be distinguished not by their falsity/genuineness, but by the style in which they are imagined”.

Style is the operative word for me here. If it is true, as Ashu Varshney argues, that nation building is a process of selective retrieval – picking from the past that which can be of use today – to what extent has South Africa lived up to that process in building a new national identity?

I would say hardly. While some of the values of our struggle were incorporated into our constitution no-one can seriously argue that the process of nation building here has had any serious cultural dimension – in fact the Department of Arts and Culture is regarded as a junior ministry here. Compare and contrast that with the exalted position of the ministry of culture in France. This lack of a cultural ethic (not in the primordial sense of traditions and customs) has led to a political and development culture in which government is the

service provider and citizens are passive consumers of services – very little sense of the kind of communal agency that one would have witnessed with the black consciousness movement of the 1970s or the Art for the Millions programmes of Depression-era America.

There is an interesting story that comes from India. After independence Prime Minister Nehru offered the long-time community activist Kamaladevi Chattopadhay a cabinet position. Kamaladevi turned the offer down (perhaps fearing that she would be trapped in building Nehru’s ‘temples of the modern age’).

Instead she asked for government support to set up the All India Handicrafts Board. She travelled the length and breadth of India identifying indigenous artists and promoting their work through development centres, exhibitions, academies and emporiums. A federal co-operative brought the products to the cities. Today Indian handicrafts and arts constitute a major part of the country’s exports.

The lack of this cultural dimension has also meant that the past is viewed in highly skewed political terms. In war the victors write history in their own image, hence Hobsbawm’s observation that “those who were on the losing side or associated with it were not only silent and silenced, but virtually written out of history and intellectual life except in the role of ‘the enemy’ in the moral world drama of Good versus Evil”.

Unfortunately this has been the fate of the black consciousness movement in South Africa, despite the valuable contribution that some of its central principles could bring to public policy and community development.

64 | DISCOURSE

At the heart of this exchange lies the most important debate on the future of higher education: relevance versus (what some writers call) graduateness — the employability potential of graduates in the 21st Century.

The case for the first option – relevance – has all the promise of successful public policy. Tertiary education is best when it immediately and visibly equips the student for the world of everyday work. For policymakers who must justify public expenditure, the value of higher education is easily demonstrated through a neat and perfect fit between what is studied and immediate post graduation employment.

[There is] little wonder, then, that the discourse of relevance often shrinks towards a narrow vocationalism. An immediate consequence is that non-vocational courses, especially in the humanities, have become an embarrassment — easily ignored, decried or dismissed with a kind of medievalism because so-called experts are said to know what the economy will look like when the graduate turns 64.

But there are social and economic limits to this kind of thinking. While obviously appropriate to professional and vocational disciplines, it offers no conceptual space for the many forms of study that do not have a neat fit between degree and profession. More alarmingly, it mistakes or misunderstands the value of graduateness in contemporary times.

Of course, the professions want universities to train their graduates, but they want more than this. A

recent survey, for instance, suggests that “employability skills were more important than the specific occupational, technical or academic knowledge/skills associated with the graduate’s degree”. And just what are these “employability” skills? Graduates themselves identified the advantages “in terms of writing, analysis, problem-solving and presentation skills”. In a related study, businesses identified these as “persuasiveness, conceptual thinking and confidence”. Why this shift in thinking?

It is clear that the paradigm of what constitutes work has made an epochal shift. So, for instance, who would have predicted that the gaming industry would so quickly grow to be bigger than Hollywood, and that its centre would be outside the US? Or who could have imagined that service call centres would become so important and that they would be scattered across the planet? This suggests that there are shifts not only in innovation and development associated with the creative economy, but that geography is no longer a reliable predictor of economic success.

What does this mean for South African higher education? Every reader of these pages knows that SA’s economy is dominated by mineral extraction, which places it at the mercy of global commodity prices. But the country’s talented citizens excel in a host of areas outside of mining. The challenge of local higher education is to draw all these areas of excellence towards the waves of economic development that cannot as yet be seen.

Put in a colloquial phrase, if SA is to prosper deep into this century, its graduates must be able to think outside the box. This is the intrinsic appeal of graduateness: the transfer of professional skills beyond their intellectual moorings into the ever-changing world of work.

So while the case for graduateness seems fuzzy, it is only because thinking about higher education is trapped in narrow economistic logic. After all, what immediate economic value can be placed on studying the esoteric (literature), the critical (philosophy), or even the long- forgotten (history or classics)?

But the true measure of the study of these (and similar) disciplines is that they foster engagement with the world of ideas that lie beyond the work day world. And yet, the true measure of graduateness is not found in mastering the minutiae of the discipline itself, but is to be found in the roundedness and perspective brought to those who can place any issue into an historical perspective, who can understand an argument, who can arbitrate between differing opinions and who can write a good sentence.

So, the central question of tertiary education should be: Should it be aimed only at filling jobs? Every thoughtful reader knows the answer.

– Vale is Professor of Humanities at the University of Johannesburg. Higgins is Professor of English at the University of Cape Town.

(Published online: Business Day, 3 March 2011)

What is the Real Value of Higher Education?

PETER VALE AND JOHN HIGGINS

A prominent South African was recently introduced to a gifted postgraduate student inthe humanities. After the initial pleasantries, the prominent asked the gifted:

“Will your degree get you a job?”

NEW GENERATION | 65

The rich legacy of the University of Johannesburg has, as its foundation, three previous institutions each withits own unique student body to be stitched together with the current student population.

This has often posed a challenge of market positioning and as the UJ brand has evolved and gained strength over the past five years, there is now a distinct strategic directive towards acquiring a level of stature and respectability that is usually associated with institutions of higher education.

The Marketing and Brand (M&B) Department of the Advancement Division was tasked by UJ Management to begin a three-year process of departing from the market perception that UJ is the ‘cool new kid on the block’ to a more serious market position, while still retaining its youthful and energetic brand reputation.

The 2011 campaign is the first move in this direction of an institution aimed

at conveying stature to all of its target audiences. In previous advertising campaigns, UJ would segment their advertising per market, using a very funky and cool visual element to speak to potential students while using more serious, intense content to appeal to postgraduates, parents and alumni. 2011’s campaign, however, would aim to adopt a brand positioning that would hold appeal across the board to all target segments - which was not an easy task.

Tomorrow Today Training, a consulting company that specialises in adapting their expert knowledge of Generation Theory to assist organisations in strategising effective generational communication, provided important insight to the M&B team.

According to Tomorrow Today, Generation Theory examines different generation’s value sets and how they relate to the world. While Generation Theory doesn’t explain everything about who we are, it does give us some insight into ourselves and the people

around us and assists those in various sectors with trends and predictions which allow us to form, consolidate and better understand our relationships and interactions. In the case of UJ, it allowed the M&B and HKLM (UJ’s advertising agency) teams to better understand how to relate to different market segments with a single-minded message.

Generational theory explainedThe basis of Generational Theory is to understand how people have changed over generations. Generations can be segmented into Pre-modern, Modern and Post modern. Pre-modern generations (1930 -1949) are the GI (General Issue) and Silents who grew up in an industrial social system that was based on religion, defined culture and strict family and community structure. They therefore don’t like to be challenged and they don’t like change. They are reserved, loyal and cautious and like security and stability.

NEWMULTI-GENERATIONAL

MARKETINGCAMPAIGN

66 | NEW GENERATION

NEW GENERATION | 67

Modern generations are the young Silents and Baby Boomers (1950 – 1969), whose realities are based on science, logic and intellectual intelligence. They want their questions answered by scientific facts and they must be able to understand everything. They are generally optimistic, image conscious, status orientated, have grand visions and currently ‘run the world’. They love talking and collaborating and shopping but hate paying off debt.

Post modern generations are the Generation Xs (1970-1989) and Ys (1990 – 2005). These generations were the first to be exposed to 24-hour media and can be seen as quite pessimistic, specifically the X Generation. They have lost faith in the environment (which is in constant flux), organised religion (not spirituality), their Baby Boomer parents who were out working while they grew up, unreliable and capitalist driven governments, as well as their fellow human beings. The only thing these generations trust is technology (largely in the form of social media).

These generations feel this way as a result of constant media exposure and conflicting messages – everything is so transparent and exposed; there are no age restrictions and anything can be investigated or questioned (think

of Google). These generations have grown up with instant gratification, a disposable world and therefore don’t believe in permanency, which is why they cannot commit to anything easily.

What sets Gen Xs and Gen Ys apart is that Gen Ys, also called Millennials, are more optimistic than Gen Xs, who are more individualist and who work merely to live and not for the greater good. Gen Ys have been born into a world where they have inherited a number of problems. They are globally aware and realise they will have to fix these problems because there is no one else who will, so they bring a Boomer edge to this day and age – wanting to collaborate to find solutions for the greater good. Gen Ys have very high self-esteem, are high achievers, and are tolerant, caring, honest, independent and optimistic. They have an innate sense of entitlement to freedom, choice, change, experiences, fun, skills – and they always have an opinion. They have always been empowered and included and thrive on diversity because they need change and they don’t see it as a barrier. For this reason they are always engaged and continually exposed to media, so it’s imperative that organisations and brands are positioned in a way that captures their attention.

Considered campaign constructionAs the UJ 2011 campaign needed to resonate with all of the above-mentioned generations through one message, the M&B advertising research on the 2010 campaign found that the adverts which appealed the most across all these generations, and that met the UJ institutional imperatives, were those of the Soweto Campus campaign. A key image of this campaign included a boy being built out of books overlooking the Johannesburg and Soweto skyline with the copy: “Leaders under Construction”.

Focus groups, hosted in conjunction with UJ and HKLM, helped to pin down the specific appeals to the respective target audiences. A visual representation of the inspiration behind the Soweto Campus campaign was developed, which formed the basis of the 2011 campaign.

The new campaign builds on the fundamentals of the previous Soweto campus brand application and establishes the University within the context of the Johannesburg skyline, while cleverly working in all aspects of university life, piquing both undergrad and postgrad aspirational study interests.

So make sure you keep your eyes open forthese new ads on billboards and street poles.

You can also visit the UJ website (www.uj.ac.za),the UJ mobi site (go2UJ.mobi) and UJ Facebook fanpage.

NEW MULTI-GENERATIONAL MARKETING CAMPAIGN

68 | SPORT PROFILE

sport

Women’s soccer in South Africa, although on a slow development track, is alive and kicking at the University of Johannesburg. Three of its female senior team players are also on the national Banyana Banyana squad. They took some time out of their studying and training to share their love of the game.

Amanda Dlamini, (22), studying Road Transport ManagementA few of my friends and I were planning to come study at the University of Johannesburg because we knew it was one of the best universities. I was living in Johannesburg at the time and was looking for a change of scenery. In the end, I was the only one amongst my friends that ended up here – and I am very happy that I made the move.

I started playing soccer ‘by accident’ around the age of 11, playing with my male cousin. I would fill space in the team whenever they needed someone and eventually I started to prefer playing soccer with the boys. They usually play with a tougher edge than the girls and I think that improved my game.

A friend of mine told me about the ladies team at UJ and it was love at first sight.

Playing for the national team is a huge privilege, and I hope that I am a good role model for other aspiring female soccer players. I know that UJ’s development team also look up to us and I feel so happy waking up in the morning and appreciating the gifts I have been given. The love of the game is the passion that drives you to do your best.

I was called up for the national team in 2007. An important element of our fitness is our eating habits. When we go to the national (soccer) camp, our diet consists of mainly veggies and chicken and no red meat. It does get tough sometimes but you need to discipline yourself.

I started out studying human sports management in my first year, but ended up failing my course. It was an eye-opener for me and the UJ staff helped me to find a more suitable course. I am now studying business integration, which is a more flexible programme. I can now keep up with my assignments, research and exams while still maintaining my training.

I am the only person in my family to take up sport professionally. At first,

UJ BOASTS ‘SIMPLY THE BEST’ FEMALE SOCCER PLAYERS

“A friend of mine told me about the ladies team at UJand it was love at first sight.”

SPORT PROFILE | 69

my mum was totally against me playing football. When I left my home town to pursue it, she realised it was my passion and then was fully convinced when I made the provincial and national team. Her support has been amazing and makes things easier. Soccer has become a medium of communication in the form of socialising. When you are really going through a rough patch and you go through training, it helps to keep things in perspective. Soccer is a lifestyle and we all share a deep love for the game. It breaks all barriers – there is one ball and 11 people and you make a lot of friends. Yola Jafta, (19), currently studying Sports ManagementSoccer has always been in my family, it’s almost like a family sport. My mother plays netball and my father also pursued sport professionally. I come from quite an athletic family and the support is great. When I was 13, my uncle started a girls’ soccer team. I started playing soccer with boys at 11, so when I started playing with the girls, I found it a little boring, as they generally play a muchslower game. I lived at the national team academy (under 20 team). It’s great that your love of sport is encouraged. It’s also an honour to play for the national team. I joined UJ when I was recruited from Tukkies by UJ scouts and

made the senior team when I got here. They do offer a lot of support and understand the pressures we face in terms of juggling our academic and sporting programmes. It is true that female soccer teams are not treated equally and it’s hard to land sponsors. Also, senior male players receive higher salaries, although I have to say that with increasing publicity, things are getting better. Sasol has really been supporting SAFA. Ultimately, it’s not about the fame or the money but it’s about the game. The goal you set for yourself is linked to the team dream which should be based on your love for the game. I love winning and sharing in the team spirit and I think everyone hates losing. If you’re a sports person, you understand that there can only be one winner, so you learn to be a good loser. As women in the national level, we didn’t have lots of sponsors but it’s up to us to leave a positive legacy. If we create a name for a team and we consistently achieve, we give potential players a reason to look up to us. Nthabeleng Modiko, (24), completed BCom Accounting and is currently studyingDiploma of BankingI had heard about the women’s development soccer team at UJ and applied to study there. During that time, I was spotted by UJ recruiters. I wanted them

and they (UJ) wanted me, so it was a win-win situation. Playing sports has always been in my family. We have an active family. My parents started to play professionally and my father took it further. The UJ football management team tries with all its might to have us at the fields and the classes. We have training three times a week and try to keep a healthy lifestyle. The passion I have for the game is like food to me – it’s what drives me to keep playing with conviction, knowing that I am representing our team and our country. UJ is different. It has givenme a window to experience so many things.I am currently working and I love both soccer and accounting. I wouldn’t want to lose one over the other. In the future, I want to be called “that financial director who plays for the national team”. What I love most about UJ sports people is that we are one big family. Everyone knows everyone – when the girls are playing, the boys are there to support and vice versa. We respect each other. UJ is number one in terms of coaching, in terms of constantly improving the female team. We are the reigning champions for Gauteng provincial nationwide, we are just the best!

Amanda Dlamini Yola Jafta Nthabeleng Modiko

70 | COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

This was mentioned at a forum held at the University of Johannesburg’s Doornfontein Campus recently, focusing on A Broad Overview of HIV Counselling and Testing and Its Benefits. The forum highlighted issues around HIV testing and counselling at schools and tertiary institutions, as well as the results of reckless behaviour leading to HIV transmissions.

The forum revealed that results found in recent testing surveys show that new HIV infections have halved in babies and children, due to preventing mother to child transmissions (PMTCTs), and in teenagers and youths practising safe sex. The act of practising safe sex by using condoms doubled, with a small reduction in multiple sex partners. This was found among school learners, youths, some sex workers and in hostels – with many people getting tested for HIV. However, it was highlighted that new couples that become more committed to each other stop using condoms and that they should get tested if they wish to have unprotected sex.

Problems found in most cases of new HIV infections were due to people having more than one sexual partner and people consuming alcohol and taking drugs. It was found that girls tend to have sex for gifts or cash (transactional sex) and that

the highest number of practices of unsafe sex was among unemployed youths and taxi drivers.

Other health problems mentioned were that people did not disclose their HIV statuses, even though it would get them support, and that people, especially men, came for treatment too late. Also, most people struggled with their workloads and were spending more money on healthcare.

However, Dr Floyd, who was invited as a keynote speaker at the forum, highlighted that the tuberculosis cure rate had increased to 82% in Gauteng – although there were problems – and this was seen as a major accomplishment.

According to Dr Floyd, solutions that could work to reduce new HIV infections in the youth included: educating people about changing sexual behaviours; the media playing a role in changing social norms and attitudes through programmes such as Soul City and others; life skills training and health services such as PMTCTs, male medical circumcisions and post-exposure prophylaxis, among other things.

The forum was organised by the Institutional Office for HIV and AIDS (IOHA).

IOHA Strengthening ItsHIV/AIDS Prevention Benefits

There will be more male circumcision clinics nationwide in 2011 aimed at reducing newHIV and AIDS infections in South Africa, according to Dr Elizabeth Floyd, Director of the

Multi-Sectoral AIDS Unit: Department of Health.

Images from the Art for Aids International collage-making training workshop.

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT | 71

UJ Varsity Cup Squad joins forceswith POWA

On Wednesday 19 January 2011 the UJ Varsity Cup Squad began the day with a mission. However, they were not

looking to score a try but rather to score points in the fight against women abuse by using available funds for community

investment to upgrade a women’s shelter in Vosloorus.

In support of the People Opposing Women Abuse (POWA) initiative, UJ students Quintin Minnaar and Yssel Swanepoel

headed up the community outreach project and approached the shelter’s manager for a list of their most important needs.

The enthusiastic rugby players grabbed brooms, mops, tools and various other cleaning and repairing materials and headed

off in buses to do their bit for charity. Not even a 6am fitness session and Johannesburg peak hour traffic could dampen

their altruistic spirits.

The boys were soon in action; unpacking the new beds, painting the interior and offloading toys to add some colour

and fun to the lives of the women and children finding refuge at the shelter. The UJ team also focused on toys that could be utilised for counselling sessions with the children if required.

In line with the UJ Varsity Cup Squad’s mission of quality of work and determined focus, the squad started by cleaning walls and then split up into teams. While some cleaned the premises others painted, renovated doors, replaced broken items or fixed leaking toilets. 

The rugby boys were dedicated to the task at hand and didn’t stop until everything was finished.  Some even took the time to play soccer with some of the children. Within a space of four and a half hours, the Vosloorus POWA shelter was equipped with new beds, freshly painted rooms, properly locking doors, new bibles and a lot of wonderful toys! 

This was a great opportunity to give back to the community and to demonstrate that the sometimes mean-looking, brawny rugby boys really do have hearts of gold!  The counsellors, social worker and residents at the shelter were deeply appreciative of the unexpected gift.  They will hopefully attend every one of our home games now as they definitely feel part of the UJ family!

It’s not every day that a budding sports’ team gets to flex their muscles off the field – and in support of a good cause to boot.

72 | FACULTY NEWS

Faculty NewsThe University of Johannesburg, in partnership with Group Five, successfully launched an inaugural, national competition for Excellent Women in Engineering and Technology last year.

The purpose of the competition was to acknowledge and recognise the contribution that women are making in the engineering and the built environment sectors in the country.

The competition criteria consisted of two dimensions: technical contribution and personal attributes. Nominations were requested in three categories, namely:• Excellence at sector level;• Excellence at company level;• The most promising young woman

engineer or built environment professional.

A total of twelve short-listed candidates were invited to the annual WiEBE Summit which was held on 25 August at the Johannesburg Country Club. The winners were selected after in-depth interviews with the short-listed candidates. Mr Bheki Zulu, Chief Executive Officer of the Council for the Built Environment, and Ms Isabella Makuta, Group Five Communications and Corporate Affairs Director, announced the 2010 winners and handed over the prizes at the summit.

Each winner received a full bursary from the Council of the Built Environment. The winners can give the bursary to a student of their choice provided that the student studies Engineering and the winner commits to mentoring the student throughout their academic career.

THE WINNERS IN EACHCATEGORY WERE: 1. Excellence at Sector Level: Danai Magugumela: CEO BKS (Pty) Ltd. Danai holds an MSc in Civil Engineering and is the Chief Executive Officer of BKS Group (Pty) Ltd, a multidisciplinary engineering firm that employs some 850 people, deployed in 22 offices throughout Africa. Her focus is on strategic management and leadership in BKS, dealing directly with skills shortages, human capital management, growth, global competitiveness and implementation of BKS’s annual business plan.

2. Excellence At Company Level: Madeleen Engelbrecht: Traffic And Transportation Engineer Arup. Madeleen holds a BEng (Hons) in Civil Engineering: Transportation and has been involved in various disciplines within the consulting civil engineering industry including traffic and transportation engineering, public transport planning, special event

transport planning, microsimulation modelling, road planning and design, contract documentation, storm water drainage, road rehabilitation, road management systems, materials investigation and infrastructure management systems. Over the past 11 years Madeleen has focused on traffic and transport engineering related work, mainly for new developments and public transport related planning.

3. Most Promising Young Engineer or Built Environment Professional: Faith Mokhonoana: Design Engineer ESKOM. Faith holds a BSc in Electrical Engineering and joined Eskom’s Power Delivery section in 2006 as an Engineer in Training. She is currently a Design Engineer for Lines Engineering. She is also registered with the Engineering Council of South Africa as a Candidate Engineer and submitted her application for registration as a Professional Engineer at the end of 2010.

The UJ-Group Five competition will be held annually, and will continue to recognise the contribution that women make to the built environment sectors in South Africa. The next leg of the competition will be launched at the end of April 2011. For more information, visit: www.wiebe.co.za

REWARDING WOMEN OF EXCELLENCE IN ENGINEERING

FACULTY NEWS | 73

WINNING GEOLOGY PHOTOGRAPH

Prof Bruce Cairncross, Headof the Department of Geology,

won first prize at the 27th Annual Tucson Gem and Mineral Show Photographic Competition held in Tucson, Arizona in February. He entered a picture he took of

a macro specimen of topaz on quartz, measuring 16cm, from

Pakistan.

A panel of judges decides on photographs of mineral specimens

in various categories including microscopic crystals and macro

specimens.

Should you happen to visit the Chemistry Department at UJ chances are that you will see a head of white hair bowed over a piece of paper shoulder to shoulder with a postgraduate student, while an animated discussion is underway, accompanied by many scribblings on said piece of paper. Prof Cedric Holzapfel (he of the white hair) is an Emeritus Professor in the Department and a well-respected mentor for students and staff alike. His career and the history of the Chemistry Department are interwoven to such an extent that it is difficult to separate the two.

Prof Holzapfel started his academic career at Stellenbosch University, where he obtained his

BSc (1955) and MSc (1957) degrees with distinction. He then enrolled for a PhD at the University of Manchester and again graduated with distinction in 1962. On his return to South Africa he joined the CSIR as a researcher, but left in 1970 to take up an appointment as Professor of Chemistry at the then Rand Afrikaans University, a position he held until his retirement in 2002. He was intensely involved in the teaching and training of both undergraduate and postgraduate students, acting as promoter for 35 MSc and 34 PhD students and publishing widely.

Professor Holzapfel held NRF research grants from 1984 to 2000 and held NRF ratings of A (1993) and A+ (1998), a clear indication of his standing in the research community.

Holzapfel was directly involved with the activities of the South African Chemical Institute (1980 – 2000), amongst others, as member of the editorial board and assistant editor of the South African Journal of Chemistry. Prof Holzapfel had formal associations with SASOL (1997 – 2008), AECI (1990 – 1998) and the CSIR (1995 – 2005) as Chemistry Advisor. He has played a vital part in furthering collaboration between the Department of Chemistry and various industry partners, the obtaining of research grants and securing grants for upgrading of scientific equipment. Since his retirement as full professor in 2002 he has continued to be involved with teaching and research on all levels at the request of the Department of Chemistry.

It is clear that Professor Holzapfel played a vital part in the establishment of the Department of Chemistry and the Institution as a noteworthy player in the national and international field of Chemistry. He is still held in the highest regard by peers and ex-students alike and is consulted on a daily basis by both industrial companies and confused postgraduate students. He has made an invaluable contribution to the chemical industry in this country by mentoring excellent synthetic organic chemists who currently form the core of many research and development groups, as well as the management of various companies, and indeed departments at many universities.

It is a privilege to still have him associated with the Department of Chemistry and to be able to benefit from his wisdom.

CHEMISTRY IN THE LIMELIGHT“Drying of organic solvents: quantitative evaluation of the efficiency of several desiccants” by DBG Williams and M. Lawton was one of the ten most read articles in the highly acclaimed journal, The Journal of Organic Chemistry.

This honour was also bestowed on the article “Mild water-promoted selective deacetalisation of acyclic acetals” by DBG Williams, A. Cullen, A. Fourie, H. Henning, M. Lawton, W. Mommsen, P. Nangu, J. Parker & A. Renison, which was published in the highly praised journal Green Chemistry.

DBG Williams is a Professor in the Department of Chemistry who specialises in synthesis and catalysis.

SOLID GOLD EMERITUS PROFESSOR

74 | FACULTY NEWS

DEPARTMENT OFGEOGRAPHY, ENVIRONMENTAL

MANAGEMENT ANDENERGY STUDIES

The Department of Geography, Environmental Management and Energy Studies (GEMES)

boasts FOUR postdoctorate fellows (under the mentorship of Professor Harold Annegarn):

Dr Olusegun Oguntoke, from the University of Ibadan, Nigeria, will be continuing his research on the health implications of wind-blown mine

tailings dust in Gauteng.Dr Godfrey Chikowore, Director of the University of Zimbabwe’s Institute of Development Studies, as well as an honorary professor at the University

of Ghana, is currently pursuing research in development studies with a bias in socio-economic

geography and regional economic co-operation and integration. He and Professor Annegarn are co-authoring a book entitled: Theory and Practice

of Regional Economic Co-operation and Integration in Developing and Developed Countries.

Adeline Ngie, a GEMES Honours student, delivered a paper at the Multidisciplinary

International Symposium on the 50th anniversary of the Independence of Cote D’Ivoire. Her paper

was entitled: “Colonialism or Postcolonialism: An overview of the Energy, Agrofuels and Land

Situation in Sub-Saharan Africa”.Liz Block, lecturer in the Department of

Geography, Environmental Management and Energy studies, has been invited to contribute

an encyclopedia article for the new Springer International Encyclopedia of Quality of

Life Research.Two Geography students, Walter Mashaba and Gwen Raphasa, attended the Habitable Planet

Student Workshop at the University of Cape Town. This workshop was organised by the African Centre

for Climate and Earth System Science (ACCESS) and focused on the evolution of planet earth’s

glorious diversity of flora and fauna including the conditions required to maintain these favourable environments. The workshop also focused on the human-environment relationship in the past and present to investigate the impact of future global

warming and climate change, with emphasis on the difference human actions and the choices we

have, can make.At last year’s South African Geography Student’s

Conference hosted by Rhodes University’s Geography Department, several of our honours

and master’s students presented papers and two of them, Jaco Immelman and Jared Bell, were

identified as winners of the best conference presentation in their sections.

Gone are the days when high school learners used to struggle to obtain information when contemplating tertiary education options. Aside from the jam-packed schedule of school visits and participation in career days across the country, the Student Marketing Department at the University of Johannesburg (UJ) has also been collaborating with the innovative Rockin’ Future Roadshow, hosted by 3RC (Three Ring Circus) in conjunction with corporate sponsors.

As the only tertiary institution participating in this trendy student canvassing road show, UJ has been able to secure a strong presence at these events, which primarily focus on grade 12 learners. Instead of the usual format of formal presentations, the aim of the Rockin’ Future Roadshow is to create a fun, lively atmosphere in which to engage with learners.

3RC organise the dates, times and agenda of each event, which works off an entertaining platform comprising MCs, music, student dance-offs and exciting competitions and giveaways. An average of 25 exhibitors are given two minutes to

pitch their product to the high school learners and after the entertainment portion of the programme, learners are given time to walk around the hall and talk to the various organisations represented, where they gain invaluable information on career and study opportunities.

The Rockin’ Future Roadshows are held in the Johannesburg, Pretoria and East Rand areas during the first half of the year. Weekly competitions are also run on Facebook every week and information on all participating institutions is posted on the Facebook site. Learners are also given the Future Guide magazine that contains further information on participating exhibitors.

UJ student marketers are constantly aware of the need to speak the same language as the learners and to share the message that UJ really is a “rocking place for a rocking future”. Feedback over the last three years of being involved in the roadshows has really been phenomenal and has created a platform for learners who know very little about UJ to have their questions answered in terms of making their choice of university.

UJ is a “rocking place for a rocking future”

FACULTY NEWS | 75

CHIROPRACTIC PROGRAMME RECEIVES

INTERNATIONAL ACCREDITATION

The Department of Chiropractic’s MTech qualification has been awarded full international accreditation by the International Council on Chiropractic

Education (CCE). The process to obtain accreditation has taken the

Department of Chiropractic a gruelling three years.

Part of the process included the submission of a self-evaluation

portfolio aligned to the European Council for Chiropractic Education (ECCE) criteria. The self-evaluation

portfolio was accepted in 2009, and a four-day panel evaluation (composed of selected members from the ECCE)

on verification was conducted in September 2010. This evaluation

was then submitted to the ECCE for consideration for accredited status

and served at their Council meeting in Brussels on 12 November 2010, where

the Department was agreed that the MTech Chiropractic should receive

accreditation.

The Head of the Department of Chiropractic, Dr Chris Yelverton,

says, “The Department has invested a considerable amount of time and

effort into achieving this accreditation, and the staff should be commended

on their diligence and hard work in achieving this mile stone. The

Department would also like to thank the Dean of the Faculty of Health

Sciences, Prof Andrè Swart, for his commitment and support throughout

this process.”

RADIOGRAPHY ALUMNI REUNIONThe Department of Radiography held its first African Alumni Reunion on 8 October 2010. The event took place at Kenya’s Elementaita Country Lodge and was attended by Ugandan, Rwandan and Kenyan alumni.

“The evening was characterised by an enormous sense of pride in and gratitude towards UJ for the quality of education that the alumni received. All our alumni have been able to secure quality employment after obtaining their degrees. UJ iswell-known in Africa amongst the radiography community and is held in high regard,” says Barbara van Dyk, Head of UJ’s Radiography Department.

“The alumni who attended could not thank us enough for remembering them and honouring them in such a public way. My sincere thanks to UJ’s Alumni Office for sponsoring this event in part and my thanks also go to Prof André Swart, Executive Dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences and Ms Jenny Motto, Vice-Dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences, who gave the Department support and encouragement for this initiative,” comments van Dyk.

The programme included an opportunity for two alumni, Mr Stephen Bule (Uganda) and Mr Charles Kello (Kenya), to share their UJ experiences with the guests. Ms Jenny Motto shared the history and humble beginning of the UJ liaison on the continent and how it bloomed in subsequent years. Ms Motto had been Head of the Department of Radiography since 1987 and in April 2007 she took up the position of Vice-Dean in the Faculty of Health Sciences.

From left: Jevas Kenyanya (Kenyan alumnus), Tracy Pieterse (UJ Radiography Lecturer) and Antony Mamati (Kenyan alumnus) and his wife, Emily.

UJ’s Public Law lecturer, Mispa Roux, was recently announced as the winner of the “First-time Presenters” prize at the South African Law Teachers Conference held in Stellenbosch.

The Society of Law Teachers of Southern Africa (SLTSA) hosts a conference every eighteen months. The purposes of the SLTSA are to promote research and teaching in the field of law, to further the professional interests of its membership and to act, as far as possible, as the common voice of legal academics.

The University of Johannesburg participated in this event and no less than 18 colleagues of the Faculty of Law presented papers dealing with various legal subjects.

AWARD-WINNING PRESENTER

76 | FACULTY NEWS

Since 2010 the Faculty of Humanities has offered French as an ancillary subject to students within the BA Public Governance and Management qualification. This additional language option addresses the need for French language skills within municipalities and government departments, as since 1994 South Africa has become a second homeland for many residents from African Francophone countries.

In 2010 the first group of students enrolled, followed by another very enthusiastic group of 14 students in 2011. Their lecturer, Aurélie Regnier, is as French as you can get, and lectures at UJ in terms of a co-operation agreement with the Alliance Française. Aurélie has done a master’s in teaching French as a foreign language at the University of Bordeaux (France) and says she thoroughly enjoys teaching UJ’s students on the Soweto campus. Students studying French have four lectures a week and one practical in one of Soweto’s state-of-the-art IT laboratories, where they do interactive exercises on French websites. The aim of the course is to

acquire the four basic language skills, namely speaking, listening, reading and writing, in French.

PUBLIC LECTUREThe Faculty of Humanities recently hosted Hein Marais for the launch of his new book. In South Africa Pushed to The Limit he examines how the ruling African National Congress replenishes its power – in an analysis that unearths the hidden reasons behind Jacob Zuma’s rise, the enduring pull of nationalism, and the unfolding struggles over belonging and identity.

In his lecture “Song and Dance: Power, Consent and The ANC under Zuma, and Beyond”, Marais examined questions like; how does a ruling party preserve its authority and legitimacy in one of the most unequal societies on the planet, with more than 30% unemployment and the world’s worst AIDS epidemic? And how does it do so in an impressively democratic system?

For more information on the lecture, please email Leonardo Snyman lsnyman@uj.ac.za.

From left: Peter Todd, Managing Executive at ABSA Insurance and Financial Advisers with the Jigsaw group members - winners of the Best Financial Plan competition.  

ABSA AND UJ PROMOTE FINANCIAL PLANNING EXCELLENCEFinal-year BCom (Finance) students at the University of Johannesburg (UJ) were able to put theory into practice through an Absa-sponsored initiative that promotes excellence in financial planning.

“We are delighted to partner with UJ in this exciting project.  We strongly believe that we need to do more to ensure that we produce well qualified financial planners in this country to meet customers’ needs for financial advice,” says Peter Todd, Managing Executive at Absa Insurance and Financial Advisers (AIFA).

The students’ work was recognised and celebrated during a special awards’ ceremony at the FADA Auditorium, Bunting Road Campus on Thursday 21 October 2010.

“We appreciate Absa’s efforts and commitment to filling the skills’ gap within the financial planning environment.  We believe that Absa’s decision to sponsor the best financial planning initiative makes a huge difference in the lives of the students and encourages excellence,” says Professor Els, Head of the Department of Finance and Investment Management at the University of Johannesburg.

Absa has been sponsoring the event for the past two years and will continue to do so for the next few years.

VENTURING INTO FRENCH ON SOWETO CAMPUS

Hein Marais with Chris Landsberg, Professor of International Relations at UJ.

FACULTY NEWS | 77

The first of its kind in South Africa and on the African continent, The South African Accounting History Centre (SAAHC) was officially launched on the 10th of February at the University of Johannesburg. At the launch, Professor Wiseman Nkuhlu, the first black Chartered Accountant to qualify in South Africa, said that the proud tradition of the profession must be recognised for the role it played in the development of the modern economy and society in the country. The Department of Accountancy has pioneered the establishment of a Centre dedicated to the study of Accounting History in South Africa in 2010. The aim is to broaden the scope of accounting education in South Africa by facilitating study into the development of the discipline, the profession and the techniques of Accountancy in the Department. The Director of the SAAHC is an Economic and Business historian, Professor Grietjie Verhoef, who is also the Vice-President of the International Economic History Association.

The study of Accounting History is a growing international field of scholarly enquiry. The research addresses questions on the development of the accounting profession, the

professionalisation of the accounting profession, the development of accounting practice and the sustainability thereof in changing environments. The World Economic Forum’s recognition of the leading position of South African auditing standards, as well as stock exchange compliance with international standards, highlights the outstanding role of the accounting profession in South Africa, as well as globally.

The SAAHC succeeded in securing the tender for the publication of a book for the South African Institute of Chartered Accountants (SAICA) on the development of the accounting profession in South Africa. This million rand project will investigate the emergence of the various accounting organisations in the four former British colonies and the consolidation of power between the profession and the state. The growing literature on the accounting profession in the British Commonwealth calls for the systematic presentation of the unique South African contribution to the development of an accounting arena in the British Commonwealth and the impact that had on local professional

autonomy. “The leading role of SAICA in international accounting standard setting, especially with respect to sustainability reporting, is testimony to the global leadership of the South African accounting profession,” says Prof Alex van der Watt, the Head of the Department of Accountancy. “The SAAHC will explain this global leadership by reflecting on the emergence of the profession through dynamically changing times in South Africa.”

THE ACADEMY FOR INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY CELEBRATEITS 40TH ANNIVERSARY

SOUTH AFRICAN ACCOUNTING HISTORY CENTRE LAUNCHED

On 28 October 2010 the Academy for Information Technology celebrated its 40th Anniversary with a breakfast event at the School of Tourism and Hospitality. The event was attended by many alumni students as well as ex staff members.

The Department of Computer Science was formally established by Rand Afrikaans University in June 1970, and took in its first students at the beginning of 1971.The first Chairperson of the Department was Prof Andries van der Walt, from the Department of Mathematics. The first lecturer appointed, and the second staff member of the Department, was (now Professor) Basie von Solms who started on 1 October 1970.

At the end of 1977 Prof van der Walt left for the University of Stellenbosch, and he was succeeded by Prof von Solms.

Over these 40 years the Academy has delivered a very large number of graduates and postgraduates in the field of IT – skilled people who are now working all over the world. The Academy has established an enviable research record amongst its international peers, and is continuously disseminating its research results at international conferences.

As from 2011 the Academy will again change its name and will from 2012 be known as the Academy for Computer Science and Software Engineering (ACSSE) of the University of Johannesburg.

78 | FACULTY NEWS

University of Johannesburg Fashion Design graduates, Chantelle Nascimento and Nkoshikhona Nkala, recently showcased their Autumn/Winter 2011 collections at Joburg Fashion Week. 

Both graduates showed their work as part of a new Joburg Fashion Week initiative by AFI called Fastrack which gives new up-and-coming talent a platform to show their designs. Fastrack is also aimed at inspiring the next generation of design talent where the AFI provides tickets and transport to the shows for design students from various institutions.

Chantelle Nascimento finished her BTech Degree in Fashion Design at UJ in 2010. Her current range, titled “A City Girl’s Guide to Fun”, is inspired by bustling Jozi life.  “The concept combines flamboyance and femininity. It is a fusion

of the features that a city girl encapsulates: she is fun, flirty and the ideal ‘social butterfly’ – making the perfect Joburg Girl,” says Chantelle.

Another UJ-trained designer who is part of the Fastrack developmental platform, Mr Nkoshikhona Nkala, finished his UJ National Diploma in Fashion Design in 2010.  Within his label, Konda, his current range is semi-formal menswear, suited for the ‘vibey’ working class gent.  His theme is “Colour your Soul”, and the inspiration is his life experiences, fusing rural and city life.

“Being one of the 16 selected Fastrack designers has been a great experience. As part of Joburg Fashion Week the initiative allows me to showcase the elements of the ‘rural migrant’ within my menswear range,” says Nkoshikhona.

UJ GRADUATES SHOWCASE COLLECTIONS AT JOBURGFASHION WEEK

My Reflection (acrylic on canvas) by Siyasanga Madyibi, completed as part of her BTech Fine Art Degree at the University of Johannesburg.

FINE ART LECTURER AND GRADUATE SHOW THEIR TALENT IN CAPE TOWNWork from renowned South African artist and lecturer at the University of Johannesburg, Kim Berman, is currently being exhibited as part of Painters Who Print at Cape Town’s South African Print Gallery and recent UJ Fine Art graduate, Siyasanga Madyibi, has been invited to show her work as part of KR!SP at Art B Gallery, also in the mother city.

Painters Who Print is a travelling exhibition, celebrating some of the artists who have worked at The Artists’ Press. “Over the past twenty years of pioneering lithography in South Africa I noticed that artists who are primarily painters tend to make the most exceptional prints,” says Mark Attwood of The Artists’ Press. Kim Berman is one of the participating artists with her work focusing on landscapes.

KR!SP, an exhibition by emerging artists sponsored by the City of Cape Town, showcases young graduates and emerging artists from well-known art training institutions. The paintings of Siyasanga Madyibi, a fourth-year student at UJ, were among the artworks selected for the show. “Siyasanga’s work is beautiful and it was so well received – she really is one of the stars of this show,” says Nikita Campbell, Art B Gallery Co-ordinator.

The Painters Who Print exhibition ran at The South African Print Gallery at 109 Sir Lowry Road, Woodstock, Cape Town.

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