Maritime qualifications on the cards
and rebuild an engine that is typically found in common
day vessels of all kinds,” said Wärtsilä’s Greg Davids.
“Our contribution includes knowledge sharing;
provision of additional maritime modules and
equipment that is supported by 3D technology,
innovating and delivering a dynamic course.”
At December’s African Maritime Domain
Conference, maritime specialists, government and
educational institutions came together to discuss
and strategise the development of ocean governance
ASPIRE
ACHIEVE
POSTGRAD STUDIES
Future dreams and ambitions are inherent in every one of us, but our future
dreams are inspired by an initial individual aspiration, a starting point where
you look at yourself and say ‘yes I can, and I will achieve’.
www.nmmu.ac.za
Contact us today
Andrew Kock • 041 504 2162
[email protected]
8563
2
CELEBRATIONS:
10 years
facilities and technologies, superb libraries, WiFi on all campuses, a student-friendly transport
system, new residences and sports facilities,”
says Vice-Chancellor Prof Derrick Swartz.
NMMU’s vision is to be a dynamic African
university, recognised for its leadership in
generating cutting edge knowledge for a
sustainable future.
As a result, over the next few years and in
line with the university’s Vision 2020 plan,
NMMU will be embarking on a number of
groundbreaking initiatives:

Establishing a suite of maritime and marine
sciences programmes

Laying the foundations for a new medical school

Investing in interactive, “smart
How we g
campus” technologies and
raduate
Total = 62

Building new student
38
residences on campus
Science
Arts
Law
“Nelson Mandela Metropolitan
2.
12.53%
6
1%
University is destined to
13.6%
12.27%
become one of the finest
universities in South Africa and
15.21%
beyond. It continues to look
33.47%
to future planning and shaping today’s 12.03%
decision for tomorrow,”
says Prof Swartz.
4
ACHIEVEMENT:
Against the odds
5
S
With more than 320 postgraduate programmes across a vast selection of
disciplines and over 200 short courses available, NMMU offers what you
need to take a step closer to realising your ambitions.
THIS year Nelson Mandela Metropolitan
University (NMMU) celebrates its first decade
as a merged institution with a significant
increase in our graduate numbers.
Over 6000 diplomas and degrees will be
awarded at 13 graduation ceremonies in Port
Elizabeth and George from 10 to 20 April this year,
15 percent more qualifications than that of 2005.
And more will be awarded in December
when the university hosts its second summer
graduation as part of an ongoing bid to better
serve the needs of its students.
The Faculty of Engineering, Built Environment
and IT has the most significant increase in
graduates, with their total more than doubling
in the last ten years.
Leading the way with the most postgraduate
degrees this year is the Faculty of Business
and Economic Sciences with 508 graduates,
including 215 master’s degrees. The faculty
also boasts over 2000 graduates – the most
of NMMU’s seven faculties and translates to a
74 percent increase since 2005.
For the sixth consecutive year the Faculty
of Science has produced the most doctoral
degrees – 19.
“Since 2005 we have attempted to create
an environment that encourages creative and
innovative scholarships: modern teaching
iness & Econom
ic
HANDS-ON
LEARNING …
Vice-Chancellor Prof
Derrick Swartz (from
left), Wärtsilä’s Greg
Davids and School of
Engineering Director
Prof Dalenca Pottas,
at the handover of
a ship’s engine to
be used for teaching
within the School of
Engineering.
and contribute to the blue economy as outlined as
part of the first phase of Operation Phakisa.
NMMU’s business strategy in the next decade
and beyond is to develop a whole new range of
maritime and marine education and training,
research and engagement programmes with
the view to significantly upscale its strategic
support for this crucial sector. This strategy
includes systematically introducing a host of new
programmes over the next few years.
Ten years – we are growing
Bu s
THE donation of a R6.2-m state-of-the-art engine
by international Wärtsilä Ship Power group has
further positioned NMMU as an ideal institution for
offering much-needed maritime qualifications.
The donation forms part of a long-term sponsoringpartnership with the South African International
Maritime Institute (SAIMI) and NMMU.
The engine will be used to facilitate teaching
within the School of Engineering.
The donation of the 11-ton engine follows two
maritime conferences and the launch of the South
African International Maritime Institute (SAIMI) last
year - all important stepping stones in developing
policies and building capacity towards unlocking
the huge economic potential of both the continent’s
and the country’s oceans.
The University also has the Research Chair in the
Law of Sea and Development in Africa.
The engine will give NMMU’s engineering students
the opportunity to learn the latest in ship engine
design and technology.
“Practical and theoretical knowledge can be gained
as students are taught to physically manage, dismantle
Along with the key partnership which broadly aims
to improve national competitiveness in the global
economy through improved science and technology
solutions, NMMU will receive state-of-the-art research
equipment valued at about R50m from Cisco.
NMMU researchers and students will also collaborate
closely with Cisco scientists on key research topics. Cisco
is recognised as a worldwide leader in IT, committed to
“connecting the previously unconnected”.
In essence, this is what NMMU is aiming to achieve
through their research into new generation optical fibre
communication as a faster, cheaper, more suitable
alternative to the present ADSL broadband connectivity.
The seriousness with which Government views the
importance of the broadband roll-out to all South
Africans by 2020 was highlighted in the recent
Budget where R1.1bn is being invested.
“Access to the internet should be like your access to
water and air – something that you don’t even have
to think about. If we want to be globally competitive
we need to ensure that our telecommunications
network is on par,” says NMMU head of the new
Centre, Prof Tim Gibbon.
NMMU plays an integral role in South Africa’s Big
Data science project, the SKA, as it is reliant on nextgeneration optical fibre communication systems
to transmitting terabits of data over thousands
of kilometres.
“The partnership with the DST and CISCO is a
tremendous coup for NMMU and the Eastern Cape,
and an exciting opportunity to produce South
Africa’s newest optical communication scientists,”
says Prof Gibbon.
April 2015 | Issue 21
A s pe ci al graduat i o n e di t i o n
He
alt
h
NMMU adds value to blue economy through research & teaching
Access to the internet
should be like your access to
water and air
ouch
g
eerin
ALUMNI EXCELLENCE … The
NMMU Alumni Awards
annually recognise alumni
who have gone the distance
and beyond in their various
fields, to the benefit of society
at local, provincial, national
and international level. At
the end of last year, the
Alumni Association Executive
Committee recognised (from
left) Dr Amber Anderson
(from left), Dr Hanningtone
Gaya, Nomkhita Mona,
Baxolil Mabinya, Nicholas
Hafner, Deon Schoeman, Tracy
Cheetham and Garret Barnwell.
the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research
(CSIR), SKA and Cisco when the Centre was officially
launched at NMMU on 26 March.
gin
Kilometre Array (SKA), as optical fibre forms “the
backbone” for aggregating tremendous amounts of
data gathered from what will be the world’s largest
radio telescope.
Department of Science and Technology (DST)
Minister, Naledi Pandor, formalised the key partnership
with NMMU, the National Research Foundation (NRF),
En
THE optical fibre research expertise of NMMU
has been recognised with the establishment of
the new Centre for Broadband Communication
– a key vehicle in shaping South Africa’s Internet
connectivity going forward.
Nowhere will NMMU’s role be more noticeable than
at the world’s largest science project, the Square
s
TESTING THE LIMITS … Mechanical Engineering’s Prof Russell Phillips
and Karl du Preez took engineering students to Verneukpan in the
Northern Cape to push a purposely-built solar vehicle’s speed to its
maximum. Gonzo, meaning bizarre or crazy, was built to test a standard solardriven platform without any battery storage. Testing the vehicle on the
barren planes of Verneukpan was to take full advantage of the high solar
radiation of the Northern Cape. With temperatures in the mid-thirties,
the vehicle reached speeds in excess of 40km/h. Valuable design
information was gathered and various improvements will be introduced.
The Gonzo team is challenging other universities to take up similar
projects and perhaps compete against each other on an annual basis.
nce
cie
Key partnerships towards connecting SA
An award-winning publication
SUCCESSFUL … Marshall Marsh is not
only a top South African wheelchair
tennis player; he is also NMMU’s first
disabled (double amputee) Human
Movement Science graduate. Read
story on page 4.
DEVELOPMENTS:
Maritime education
Reason to celebrate
FEEL it … we have hit the
10-year mark! Our staff
and students at NMMU
are in celebration mode
as we commemorate the
10th graduation since
the formation of our new
generation university.
It’s been a decade since we were so aptly
renamed Nelson Mandela Metropolitan
University - a name we proudly carry; a name
that speaks of stature and like our graduates
demands excellence.
We acknowledge the hard work and
dedication of our graduates and encourage
them to continue striving towards success.
In the words of our namesake shared in
2003: “There is no doubt in my mind that the
single most important factor for the future
of our country is education. We cannot be
a competitive and winning nation in the
modern world without education and training
of the highest quality.
Congratulations to all graduates who will
proudly cross the stage this April; continue to
uphold the name of your University by living
the values we hold dear.
Respect for diversity
Integrity
Excellence
Respect for the
natural environment
Ubuntu
Taking
responsibility
Editor: Lyndall Sa Joe-Derrocks
Lyndall. Sa [email protected]
NMMU – tel: 041 504 1111
George Campus – tel: 044 801 5111
E-mail: [email protected] • www.nmmu.ac.za
CELEBRATING … NMMU
staff show a united front
by wearing their 10-year
celebration T-shirts on T-shirt
Tuesday, one
of several
events held and
still to be hosted in making 2015
an exceptional year. Among
the staff enjoying the “gees”
are (from left) Arts and
Culture’s Lubabalo Matiwane,
Kelly Felix, Michael Barry,
Siyamthanda Spaji, Michelle du
Preez and Nicki-Ann Rayepen.
10-year celebrations provide opportunity to reflect & look forward
A decade of success
A NEW type of university and brand in higher
education; about 50 000 new graduates;
knowledge and research that has positively
impacted on society and a R2-billion investment in
new infrastructure …
These are just some of the many reasons for
celebrating the University’s 10th birthday.
In this time we’ve reached into
the hearts and minds of tens of
thousands of individuals with a
life-changing education experience
Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University (NMMU)
was established in 2005 from the merger of the Port
Elizabeth Technikon, the University of Port Elizabeth
and the Port Elizabeth campus of Vista University –
giving NMMU a foundation of more than a century of
higher education.
“In this time we’ve reached into the hearts and
minds of tens of thousands of individuals with a
life-changing education experience,” says NMMU
Vice-Chancellor Prof Derrick Swartz.
Among the highlights of the past decade are:
 The opening of the High Resolution Transmission
Electron Microscopy Centre in 2011 – the only facility
in Africa where scientists can view atoms to
complete high-end research
 The success of eNtsa, NMMU’s go-getting engin eering institute that has won national competitions
and oversees the national u-Yilo programme
focused on electro mobility technology research
 South Africa’s first Green Business School
 South Africa’s first Chair in Law of the Seas
and Governance
 Earth Observation Network (EON) and the new Earth
Stewardship Science
 The transformation of Bird Street Campus into a
postgraduate Arts hub
 Groundbreaking work by the Centre for the Advancement of Non-Racialism and
Democracy (CANRAD)
 Research work by the Centre for Integrated
Post-School Education and Training (CIPSET)
 The launch of the South African International
Maritime Institute (SAIMI)
 The success of so many students
Wheeling into success
Briefs
First master’s
NMMU Audit and Risk Practitioner
Mario Labuschagne (right) is the
first student at NMMU to complete
a master’s degree in Accounting
since the formation of the new
institution in 2005.
Prof Houdini Fourie and Prof
Miemie Struwig were the promoter and co-promoter
for his study titled “The role of the internal auditor
with specific reference to fraud investigation”.
Swiss collaboration
NMMU welcomed a high-profile Swiss delegation
recently in a meeting that may lead to international
collaborative projects.
The delegation included Swiss federal councillor
Doris Leuthard who heads up the Federal
Department of the Environment, Transport, Energy
and Communications and several representatives of
Swiss business organisations.
The visit follows the implementation of a two-year
health research project with the University of Basel
starting this year, involving certain physical fitness
interventions at schools in the metro.
AIMING HIGH ... Bongeka Mbonisweni, who is graduating with her BCom degree cum laude, gets a lift from her classmates and fellow
graduates (from left) Lyn van Rooyen, Nikky de Ridder, Hilton Sansom, Kirsty-Lee Fouche, Danie Strydom, Andrea Ward and Andrea van
Rooyen. They form part of the biggest contingent of Vice-Chancellor’s Scholars yet to graduate from NMMU.
Achiever aims to help others
GROWING up in the impoverished Ibisi township,
Umzimkhulu, in rural KwaZulu-Natal, Bongeka
Mbonisweni, 21, could quite easily have fallen through
this country’s education cracks.
However, her grandfather, a retired school teacher,
insisted she attend the better pre- and primary schools
in nearby Harding, even though it required an hour’s
round trip by local transport every day.
“My grandfather wanted to invest in my education.”
For high school, she worked hard as a boarder at
Kokstad College.
This solid foundation would stand her in good stead:
her top school results saw her sailing into university – a
rare achievement in Ibisi – with the vast financial needs
SCHOOL of ICT’s Prof Paula Kotzé
of her BCom (Chartered Accounting) degree covered by
(left) is the 2014 winner of the
several bursaries.
IFIP TC13 Pioneers in HumanBesides being a recipient of the university’s
Computer Interaction Award as
prestigious Vice-Chancellor’s Scholarship, Mbonisweni
one of the greatest contributors to
was accepted for the Thuthuka programme, and
the development and
is also sponsored by Investec. In April, she will
growth of
obtain her BCom degree cum laude.
the field of human-
Now completing her Honours degree, she is
computer interaction.
on the verge of stepping out into the world
Seventeen nominations were
of work, with a vision to ultimately plough
d
considered by the committee.
back into her community, and ensure that
e
t
c
e
conn
Prof Kotze is also the only person
other children in rural areas get the same
NMMU is
outside the US and Europe ever
opportunities she did.
elected to serve on the Executive
Mbonisweni is one of 15 Vice-Chancellor’s
Committee of ACM SIGCHI.
Scholars graduating this year – the largest
International acclaim
cohort yet to graduate – with nine coming from the School
of Accounting.
She said her undergrad years were filled with
opportunities for growth, including having to cope with the
pressure of meeting the high academic standards needed to
retain her various scholarships.
“However, that being said, the unwavering support that I
have received from all three programmes – particularly the
VC’s Scholarship Mentoring and Leadership Development
Programme – has propelled me to achieve academic
excellence and develop myself beyond the classroom.
“The leadership programmes were as vital to my
development as the academic support I received.”
JOINT CELEBRATION … Brothers Stefan (left) and Liaan
Buys are looking forward to celebrating their graduation
this year. Stefan 30, a project engineer at S4 Integration,
completed his MBA, his third qualification at NMMU,
while Liaan, 23, receives his first qualification, NDip Civil
Engineering. Liaan is currently working in the Northern
Cape on a wind turbine project for Murray & Roberts, while
working towards his BTech. Both brothers credit their father
Prof Fanie Buys, lecturer in the Department of Quantity
Surveying at NMMU, as a positive role model for education.
WHEN Marshall Marsh, 26, crosses the stage at
Graduation he will do so as NMMU’s first disabled
(double amputee) student to receive a degree in
Human Movement Science.
As a two-month old baby, Marshall not only lost his
mother in a tragic house fire but his legs were so badly
burnt, they were amputated. He spent a year recovering
in the Red Cross Children’s Hospital, in Cape Town..
However, what could be seen as pure tragedy, opened
up a world of opportunity for Marshall.
His grandmother, Margaret, who was a domestic
worker at the time, quit her job to raise Marshall and his
older brother, Marvin, who were left orphaned by the fire.
“I am the first graduate in my family and am
grateful that God has spared my grandmother to see
this day. She can see how all her sacrifice has paid
off,” says Marshall.
Marshall had a full bursary to study Human
Movement Science at NMMU and praises the
institution, particularly the Disability Unit, for the help
he received throughout his studies.
In 2006, Marshall attended Northern Lights School
in Cotswold where he participated in numerous
sports like powerlifting, wheelchair basketball
and swimming. Teacher and tennis coach Eugene
Stallenberg saw his potential and encouraged him to
try wheelchair tennis.
“I fell in love with tennis because of the opportunities
it gave me. I’ve travelled to Korea, Sri Lanka, Russia,
England and the Netherlands – countries I would never
have visited otherwise,” says the Uitenhage resident.
Marshall is currently ranked at number three in
South Africa in wheelchair tennis among more
than 400 players.
“I am very competitive and now with more time
on my hands I will be able to work towards my goal
of being number one.”
Marshall is currently training for at least two-anda-half hours, six-days-a-week to compete in the
2016 Paralympics in Rio.
“It’s been a great experience training Marshall, I
appreciate his compassion for others, his outlook on
life is inspiring. It is not easy being a disabled person
in South Africa but Marshall is something special,
NMMU can be proud,” says his coach for the last five
years, Hennie de Klerk.
Hennie accredited Marshall’s tennis success
to NMMU’s tennis court upgrade which is now
completely wheelchair friendly.
“From the toilets to the entrance gates we have had
a R1m upgrade,” says Hennie.
Marshall and Hennie also run two to four wheelchair
tennis clinics annually, coaching between 30 and 40
high school pupils.
Marshall even met his wife Janine “on the court”.
Janine’s cousin, who also plays wheelchair tennis,
introduced them. They have two children - four-year
old Jamie-Lee and five-month-old Janay.
Marshall is currently unemployed but recently
obtained his driver’s licence to make himself
more employable.
“I want to train disabled people to become physically
fit. I’d like to teach them how to play wheelchair tennis
too. I want to show them it can be done,” says Marshall.
TOP OF THE TOPS … The NMMU Madibaz cheerleading
squad won the first national cheerleading championships
in Potchefstroom, run in conjunction with the inaugural
tournament of Varsity Cricket. The NMMU Samsung
cheerleaders are made up of 24 talented young men
and women who perform funk, contemporary modern
and hip-hop dance styles, and, in addition, have added
gymnastics to their routine. They are choreographed by
Arts and Culture’s Nicki-Ann Rayepen. The squad includes
Tazminne Jansen (from left), Kelly Murphy, Lwando Joko
and Zoleka Ngebetsha pictured with the trophy.
Briefs
International voice
NMMU Choir Conductor
Junita van Dijk (left) has
been selected to serve on
the International Federation
for Choral Music (IFCM)
Artistic Committee for the
World Choral Symposium in
Barcelona, 2017.
This committee consists of six people, three
from the Barcelona region and three from
around the world, who decide which choirs
and lecturers to invite to the Symposium.
40 years 40 nurses
THIS year NMMU’s Nursing Science Department
turns 40 and is celebrating the occasion with an
exhibition which tells the life stories of 40 devoted
nursing graduates, many of whom still have
strong links with the university.
The “40 years, 40 nurses” exhibition pays
homage to the nurses, outlining where they
came from, why they chose nursing, where
their careers have taken them, and how they
have made an impact, locally, nationally
and internationally.
First female
FOURTH-YEAR Law student
Hlomela Bucwa (right)
was recently inaugurated
as NMMU’s first female
Student Representative
Council (SRC) President
since NMMU began in 2005.
“It is symbolic that in 2015, a woman is
chosen to lead. We are still far from being an
equal society. If we look at Africa as a continent,
women in general are not positioned to lead,
so this is a good sign,” said Deputy ViceChancellor Institutional Support Dr Sibongile
Muthwa at the inauguration.