March | 2015 | FVZS Institute Blog | Stellenbosch University
31 March 2015, written by fvzs
Studenteleier Faith Pienaar gradueer; word vir SAWIP gekies
Outeur: Stephanie Nieuwoudt
Maart 2015 was ŉ goeie maand vir Faith Pienaar, ‘n studenteleier wat nou betrokke is by die Universiteit Stellenbosch se Frederik Van Zyl Slabbert Instituut vir Studenteleierskapsontwikkeling.
Op 26 Maart het sy gegradueer met ŉ graad in Wingerd- en Wynkunde, en het in dieselfde week gehoor sy is gekies om deel te wees van die Suid-Afrika-Washington Internasionale Program (SAWIP).
“Mense neem aan dat ek in amper al my klasse wyn geniet en dat my praktiese sessies verwyl word op van die mooiste​ wynplase in die Kaap. Sommige mense kan nie glo dat wat ek doen ŉ werklike wetenskap is en baie verder strek as net speels druiwe trap nie,” het Faith onlangs op die New World Winemaker se webtuiste geskryf.
Dié gegradueerde, wat nou ŉ nagraadse kursus volg in bemarking, sê sy het nog altyd ŉ belangstelling gehad in “hoe die grond lewe skep en die produkte wat uit die grond uit kom”.
Faith se ouma aan haar ma se kant was ŉ bestaansboer van mielies in Limpopo en tydens skoolvakansies het hierdie voormalige leerling van die Parktown High School for Girls per trein van Johannesburg gereis om saam met haar te werk.
“Om ŉ wingerd- en wynkundige te wees was ŉ ongewone keuse vir ŉ kind uit ŉ familie met geen belangstelling of begrip van goeie wyn nie,” sê Faith, wie se pa ŉ paar jaar terug oorlede is.
“My ma het my egter grootgemaak om my passie te volg en sy is ongelooflik ondersteunend.”
As ŉ nagraadse bemarkingstudent, sê sy dat sy passievol is daaroor om wyn en wynkennis aan swart verbruikers te bring.
“Ek wil ook help met transformasie. Ek het baie tyd op plase deurgebring, en terwyl sommige plase ongelooflik goed doen met die transformasieproses is daar ander waar niks gebeur nie. En natuurlik wil ek graag my eie wyn maak.”
Faith is, onder meer, ŉ koördineerder van die Universiteit Stellenbosch se Frederik Van Zyl-Slabbert Instituut vir Studenteleierskap se kortkursus Demokrasie en Burgerskap, en is dikwels ŉ spreker op studentepanele en ander openbare forums waar sy kwessies rakende transformasie en diversiteit bespreek.
“Toe ek ŉ kind was, was my ouers bewus van die politiek, maar nie aktief betrokke daarin nie. Ek het op die debatspan op hoërskool geleer hoe om te debatteer en om sake goed te deurdink. Ek kom uit ŉ veelrassige huis. Dit het my geleer hoe om die ruimte tussen verskillende kulture te oorbrug, en in die proses het ek geleer om ander mense en hulle standpunte te respekteer.”
Sy het verlede jaar, as ontvanger van die Abe Bailey-reisbeurs, besoek gebring aan die Verenigde Koninkryk.
“Dit was interessant om in ŉ vreemde omgewing oor Suid-Afrika te praat. Ek is positief uitgedaag en met my terugkeer was ek oortuig dat ek inderdaad ŉ belangrike rol in hierdie land kan speel. Ek weet ook dat as ek in die wynbedryf wil werk, moet ek Suid-Afrika en al sy gemeenskappe verstaan.”
Sy het aansoek gedoen vir SAWIP om haarself nóg verder as leier te ontwikkel.
“Elke lid van die SAWIP-span móét by ŉ Suid-Afrikaanse gemeenskapsprojek betrokke raak. Aan die einde van die jaar gaan ons vir ses weke Washington toe, waar ons internskappe sal doen in die privaatsektor of NRO’s. Hierdie professionele blootstelling sal ons die geleentheid gee om alles wat ons tydens ons werk met die SA-gemeenskappe geleer het verder toe te pas. Ek is opgewonde oor hierdie ongelooflike geleentheid om te leer van ander mense – hier en in Amerika. “
16 Maties part of international study programme
When highly creative thinkers and purely logical thinkers get together, things happen – interesting things. This rings true for the Think Tank which has been newly launched by Stellenbosch University (SU) and KU Leuven this year.
So says Marli Fourie, who is currently working on her master’s degree in Visual Arts at the US. She is one of 16 students from the US who were chosen to take part in the Think Tank.
“I wanted to be a part of this programme because it’s an opportunity to expand the knowledge I’ve gained from SU with international input. I believe I’ll gain a wider perspective,” she says. “The participants are students from almost all faculties of the US. It’s good that people from different disciplines are able to work together to form a bigger picture.”
In May 2014, the US strengthened their 20-year bond with KU Leuven with a preferential partnership – the first of its kind between the two institutions. The Think Tank is one of three collaborative projects.
With the Think Tank, students from SU and KU Leuven have to collaborate around the theme “The City of the Future”, looking for solutions to possible challenges in a future city.
At SU, the programme is being spearheaded by the University’s Frederik van Zyl Slabbert Institute for Student Leadership Development and Dr Johan Fourie, senior lecturer at the Department of Economics. The Centre for Student Affairs as well as SU’s Postgraduate and International Office are, through Huba Boshoff, co-ordinators of international exchanges, also involved with the project.
The programme kicked off in February when US students got together for a seminar. All the participants are top students in their respective departments and faculties.
According to Fourie, the seminars are being offered about twice per month and representatives are drawn from a variety of disciplines – including engineering, the world of business, politics, architecture, the environment and theology.
He explains that students get a chance to ponder the speaker’s presentation as a group. They also write a critical piece after each seminar, which is uploaded to the Bonfiire platform (www.bonfiire.com).
“Students are exposed to a variety of speakers. One of our speakers was Vuli Nyoni, a lecturer at the Department of Visual Arts. He has a completely different outlook on the city than I, as an economist, have,” Fourie says. “These contact sessions hold many benefits for students. They are not just forming academic networks among themselves, they are also forming connections with the speakers they come into contact with. As academics and students we sometimes move within a knowledge silo. These conversations also help to give us a wider perspective.”
It’s exactly the greater exposure that attracts Makoma Mabilo, an honours student (Political Science).
“I really wanted to work with people who think differently than I do. People who are schooled in other disciplines and who can help me to think in a new way.” she explains.
“We live in an increasingly multicultural community, and it’s vital that we learn about other disciplines. I don’t possess the perception of space and spatial dynamics that someone in the visual arts would. But as a social scientist I can bring new perspectives regarding behaviour and positive interaction to the table. We need different points of view to be able to tackle the challenges of a future city.
The students in Belgium and at Stellenbosch are divided into smaller groups, so that they are able to work on one of five subthemes, namely spatial planning, diversity, sustainability, system in and outputs and adaptability.
During the month of November, the US students will visit Leuven for two weeks. There they will have to work in cooperation with their Belgian counterparts.
Reinette Meiring, a master’s degree student in Sociology, says the main theme of “The City of the Future” fits in well with her interests and research fields.
“I look at the upgrading of informal settlements with a special interest in water provision and sanitation. I enjoy the interaction with students from different disciplines and I like the points of view of people who look at things in a different way than I do.”
Dr Leslie van Rooi, head of the FVZS Institute says the Think Tank is a wonderful opportunity for students.
“It’s a remarkable and enriching experience for the Maties student community.”
30 March 2015, written by fvzs
FVZS se Folkers Williams skryf vir Die Burger
Folkers Williams is een van die bydraers tot die FVZS Instituut se boek #Diskoerskafee – Denkleierskap vir die toekoms / #DiscourseCafé thought leadership for the future wat pas verskyn het.
Sy essay vir die boek, “Hoop vir die toekoms” – oor prof Russel Botman se nalatenskap ­ – is verwerk tot ŉ artikel wat vandag (24 Maart 2015) in Die Burger verskyn.
Die artikel kan ook aanlyn gelees word by http://www.netwerk24.com/stemme/2015-03-24-folkers-williams-hy-los-maties-met-s:
Folkers Williams: Hy los Maties met sê
Deur Folkers Williams, Dinsdag 24 Maart 2015 03:20
Saterdag is Huis Russel Botman, ’n nuwe universiteitskoshuis wat na die Maties se ontslape rektor genoem is, amptelik ingewy. Folkers Williams, ’n US-studenteleier, kyk na sy nalatenskap.
Prof. Russel Botman met sy inhuldiging as rektor en visekanselier van Maties. Foto: Denzil Maregele
Op 5 Julie verlede jaar het ons op Coetzenburg afskeid geneem van wyle prof. Hayman Russel Botman, rektor en visekanselier van die Universiteit Stellenbosch (US), wat onverwags in die vroeë oggendure van Saterdag28 Junie in sy slaap oorlede is. Hy was 60 jaar oud.
Aan die begin van my studentejare in 2010 het ek nie veel van prof. Botman geweet nie. By die gedenkdiens het ek egter bestek opgeneem van wat hy oor die jare vir my beteken het. Ek het gedink aan Botman se praatjie oor leierskap sowat twee maande voor sy afsterwe. Die geleentheid was ’n Dis­koers­kafee van die US se Frederik Van Zyl Slabbert-instituut vir Studenteleierskapsontwikkeling, en Botman was die geleentheidspreker.
’n Diskoerskafee is ’n soort sitkamergesprek waarheen denkleiers iets van hulself saambring en met toekomstige leiers van Suid-Afrika deel. Botman, wat in 2007 rektor geword en in 2012 vir nog ’n termyn aangestel is, het sy lewensreis met ons gedeel, asook sy sienings oor leierskap in die konteks van ons universiteit en die land.
Botman het beklemtoon die toekoms behoort aan ons, die jong generasie. Dit is elkeen van ons se verantwoordelikheid om beheer oor ons lewe te verkry en onsself as leiers te rig. Vir jong leiers is dit belangrik om te onthou dat alles tydelik is – selfs jy self. Daarom moet jy werk maak van wat jy wil bereik. Terugskouend was hierdie stelling van hom profeties.
Elkeen van ons moet ons roeping vind – dit lei jou in die regte rigting. Botman het gesê dit is belangrik om ’n verskil aan die samelewing te maak. Hierdie oortuiging het gestalte gekry in die US se Hoop-projek, wat in 2010 van stapel gestuur is. Dit is ’n stel ontwikkelingsdoelwitte en ’n universiteitswye ingesteldheid waardeur die US die samelewing van diens is.
Die universiteit het ook danksy Botman ’n nuwe strategiese raamwerk, Visie 2030, gekry, wat in 2013 deur die universiteitsraad aanvaar is. Dit sluit aan by die land se Nasionale Ontwikkelingsplan, en dit posisioneer die US as ’n inklusiewe, innoverende en toekomsgerigte instelling.
Hierdie visie het gekom ná volgehoue druk vir verandering en vooruitgang. Die wind van verandering wat in die vroeë 1990’s deur Suid-Afrika begin waai het, het ook in Stellenbosch ’n uitwerking gehad. Dít het in 2000 op die US se “Strategiese Raamwerk vir die Eeuwisseling en Daarná” uitgeloop. Hierin erken die universiteit sy “bydrae tot die ongeregtighede van die verlede” en verbind die instelling hom tot “gepaste regstellings- en ontwikkelingsinisiatiewe”.
Botman se aanstelling as rektor in 2007 is as ’n voortsetting van hierdie reis beskou. Sy inhuldigingstoespraak het die koers aangedui – dat die US ’n “multikulturele universiteit met ’n pedagogie van hoop uit Afrika” moet word.
Botman het ’n beroep op ons as studente gedoen om eendag die nasie in die geheel te dien en te lei, nie net ’n bepaalde deel nie. Om dít moontlik te maak, streef die US inklusiwiteit na ten einde studente op die werklikhede van ons land en vasteland voor te berei, het hy gesê. Daar bestaan onder studente die idee van Stellenbosch as ’n “lugborrel” – ’n kunsmatige omgewing waarbinne ’n mens nie heeltemal in voeling met die buitewêreld is nie. ’n Mens raak vasgevang in ’n borrel wanneer jy net op jou eie omgewing fokus. Deur belangrike gebeure in die buitewêreld raak te sien, kan jy jou isolasie beëindig – en dan moet jy dit in jou eie kring van toepassing maak.
Daar is egter nóg ’n manier waarop jy die borrel kan laat bars: met skerp denke. En die beste slypsteen is blootstelling aan ’n verskeidenheid mense en idees, het Botman beklemtoon. ’n Mens word juis intellektueel op universiteit gestimuleer omdat dit ’n plek van uiteenlopende denke is. Studente moet bemagtig word om hul eie gesprekke te hê waar groei kan plaasvind.
Botman kan beskou word as een van Suid-Afrika se klassieke leiers uit die era van die stryd teen apartheid. Hy het verdeeldheid teengestaan deur versoening na te streef. Hy het gekom uit ’n generasie wat verdrukking beleef het, maar desondanks ’n toekoms van bevryding vir almal voorsien het. Sy visie was een van liefde en vrede.
Namate ons dieper die 21ste eeu inbeweeg, raak dit al hoe belangriker om krities oor ons rol in die samelewing te besin en verandering te omhels. Botman se visie sal die grootste impak in die komende jare hê wanneer studente wat daaraan blootgestel is, die beroepswêreld betree en tot die ontwikkeling en groei van die land begin bydra.
Die nalatenskap van Botman kan gesien word in die instelling wat die US in die 21ste eeu geword het – ’n plek wat nie net gegradueerdes van die hoogste akademiese gehalte oplewer nie, maar ook mense wat van die wêreld ’n beter plek wil help maak. Hy het vir Suid-Afrika gewys dat jy nie uitnemendheid hoef op te offer as jy ’n omgewing transformeer nie.
Onder Botman het ’n Matie iemand geword wat uitgedaag word met vrae oor inklusiwiteit, diversiteit en ontwikkeling. Hier word ons geleer om nie selfsugtig te wees nie, maar eerder ons maatskaplike rol in die land, op ons vasteland en in die res van die wêreld te verstaan.
Daardie leerproses vind nie net in die klaskamer plaas nie, maar ook daarbuite – in koshuise en ander studente-omgewings waar tradisie altyd ’n groot rol gespeel het om gevestigde patrone gewoon te reproduseer. Nou word nuwe tradisies geskep om ’n toekoms tot stand te bring wat anders as die verlede lyk.
Dít gebeur enersyds namate die US se studentebevolking meer divers raak, bestaande uit jongmense wat reeds oor kleur- en taal- en kultuurgrense heen aan mekaar blootgestel is teen die tyd dat hulle op universiteit aankom. Maar andersyds is daar ’n doelbewuste poging op institusionele vlak om ’n positiewe omgewing vol groeigeleenthede te skep.
Dít sien jy van die begin af wanneer nuwelingstudente op die kampus verwelkom word. Daar word al hoe meer wegbeweeg van ’n outoritêre stelsel na een van individuele vryheid waarbinne jy ’n sê het.
Die US se Visie 2030, wat onder Botman beslag gekry het, skep ’n nuwe raamwerk vir studente. Ons word aangemoedig om beheer oor ons eie lewe te verkry en kritiese vrae te stel. Die blootstelling aan ’n verskeidenheid mense en idees op die kampus laat ons besef dat diversiteit tot innovasie lei. Namate ons wêreldburgers word, besef ons dat wat ons vandag doen, bepaal hoe môre gaan lyk – as die mensdom, nie net enkelinge nie.
Ons ontdekkingsreis het reeds begin. Leiers soos prof. Russel Botman het die weg gebaan. Nou is dit ons verantwoordelikheid om ’n beter toekoms te skep – met behulp van die soort integriteit en deernis wat hy geopenbaar het.
■ Hierdie artikel is ’n geredigeerde weergawe van Williams se essay in ’n nuwe boek, DiscourseCafé – Thought Leadership for the Future / #Diskoerskafee – Denkleierskap vir die Toekoms deur Rapid Access Publishers, ŉ druknaam van AFRICAN SUN MeDIA. Die boek kan bestel word by http://bit.ly/diskoerskafee
■ Williams het ’n BA (menslike hulpbronbestuur) aan die US verwerf. Hy is tans ’n programkoördineerder aan die US se Frederik Van Zyl Slabbert-instituut vir Studenteleierskapsontwikkeling.
26 March 2015, written by fvzs
Year Beyond programme gives hope in broken education environment
The Western Cape’s Year Beyond Programme will help learners to fulfil their dreams of a better life, writes Jethro Georgiades.
As a student teacher at an under-resourced school on the outskirts of Stellenbosch in 2014, I came to a few realisations. We have a particular set of issues that are particularly difficult to deal with. I saw learners who face a daily struggle to stay ahead and to get the attention they need to succeed at school. They come from poor backgrounds where parents are caught in a desperate struggle to survive from day to day. Often these parents show little interest in the lives of their children within the school set-up. These parents are also often struggling with socio-economic problems including alcohol and drug abuse and domestic violence. The result is that the children come to school with a great lack of interest in learning.
Last year the Western Cape government, under the stewardship of Premier Helen Zille, launched the pilot of The Year Beyond Gap Programme. This programme aims to keep vulnerable children busy after school and give direction to their lives by ensuring that they receive guidance in subjects like maths and science.
This year the programme was rolled out to 16 primary and high schools in Khayelitsha, Delft, Mitchell’s Plain, Gugulethu, Mannenberg and Heideveld. A number of partners are involved including Action Volunteers Africa as the primary implementing partner which also manages the programme, the Shine Centre, Ikamva Youth, the Click Foundation, Formula-D, iSchools Africa, Fundza, Siyavula, Kidz who Code and ORT-SA. Involved government departments are the Department of Education and the Department of Cultural Affairs and Sports.
Recently graduated students as well as matriculants who want to take a gap year while “giving back to others” had to go through an application and selection process to become part of the Western Cape initiative. I believe this programme is an important vehicle that can help give direction to those who are unsure about making an important life choice right now. As volunteers these young people are working with learners at underperforming schools where Mass Participation, Opportunity and Access, Development and Growth (MOD) centres will be established. In the process the learners benefit and the volunteers learn from those they assist while their leadership, teaching, mentoring and communication skills are honed.
While the situation at many of these schools are far from ideal, I saw teachers at the school I was at, doing their utmost to give children the attention that they do not get at home. But these teachers and schools simply do not have the resources, the time and manpower to reach all learners who need intervention.
Teaching at this school, gave me a perspective on where we really stand as a country in terms of, not only the implementation of our education system, but also the effectiveness or even relevance of the education system.
We have a system that functions perfectly in the right environment. However, when dealing with learners from a volatile environment, the system simply is not effective because in these environments we have realities that are so changeable, that one never knows what will happen from one day to the next.
I had experiences of students coming to class after domestic incidents at home and even after facing a shack fire the night before. They came to school simply because they had nowhere else to go. The school offered a safe haven. This speaks to what sort of esteem these learners hold their schools in.
When I asked learners if they wanted to obtain tertiary education, the answer was always a resounding “Yes”. Once it was explained that being accepted for tertiary education required hard work and dedication at school, many of them would get a look of determination and declare that they were willing to put in the effort. However, others lost hope immediately and they also lost all interest in the discussion.
The determined learners would ask many questions about what they could do to be accepted. It made me realise that many of these learners have the will to succeed, but they need an intervention of sorts to ensure they get the relevant guidance and development to be able to achieve their dream.
I believe the Year Beyond programme which gives learners more focused guidance, will open up a host of opportunities. Through shared stories, a better understanding of our realities in relation to others and how we can use this to build our future as a nation is indeed a recipe for success. I don’t for one second think that it will solve all the issues we face, but it is a noteworthy step in the right direction.
The curriculum which guides the volunteers has been developed by Stellenbosch University’s Frederik Van Zyl Slabbert Institute for Student Leadership Development (FVZS Institute) which trains the volunteers in leadership skills through 40 contact sessions broken up into three separate short courses over ten months. The courses draw on elements of existing FVZS Institute short courses. Themes covered include self-understanding, social innovation, understanding others and team dynamics, responsible citizenship, ethical leadership and leading in Africa. If, as a society, we move to a position where we that find value in serving others and realising the personal development journey, we will be moving in the right direction.
We need leaders in this country who are ethical, future-focused and hell-bent on serving society as servant leaders. We need canny leaders with charisma that are geared to getting the best out of our people and our country. The Year Beyond Programme teaches and inspires both those on the “receiving” end and those who commit themselves as volunteers.
Jethro Georgiades is a programme coordinator at the Frederik Van Zyl Slabbert Institute for Student Leadership Development at Stellenbosch University.
25 March 2015, written by fvzs
New Rector values communication
Professor Wim de Villiers, newly appointed rector of Stellenbosch University, has vowed to be an “approachable” leader, and take the time to converse with students and attend student events.
Making good on his promise, he said this as he was talking to a group of students at the most recent FVZS Discourse Café, on March 4 2015.
This Discourse Café marked the first public appearance of the rector-elect and his first interaction of this type with students at Stellenbosch University.
The event was held at Metanoia residence, and Prof De Villiers was fascinated by the new building with its large (mixed) student cohort. “This did not even exist when I was a student here!” he remarked, using it as a proxy to show how much, indeed, things have changed over the last 35 years. “Do not be afraid of the unknown and things that make you uncomfortable. Change is an ever constant.”
De Villiers started the discussion by sharing a few lesson he has learned over the course of his academic career, including the importance of mentorship, and the need for research to be relevant and applicable.
Being a physician-turned-academic-turned-manager, De Villiers often used metaphors of the medical science to illustrate his points. “One should always look at the whole patient, not the hole in the patient,” he repeated after one of his own mentors. He also paraphrased a well-known medical saying, into “the interest of the student is the only interest,” thereby proclaiming his committal to “student success” above all else. “I would like to really focus on identifying people with potential,” De Villiers said in relation to student applications.
De Villiers warned that he will be rather “disappointing” during his first six months in the Rector’s chair. He plans to at first “say very little, and listen a lot”, in an attempt to “gage the heartbeat” of Stellenbosch University.
He spoke at length about the academic potential of the university, and of his plans to have Stellenbosch University “skyrocket” up the international university rankings, where it currently holds a position under the top 300 universities worldwide.
Perhaps the biggest outcome of Professor De Villiers’ meeting with students at Discourse Café was that students could get the sense that he is committed to speaking to them and hearing about their problems, while he could clearly see why it is necessary to do so.
Prof. De Villiers will assume office on 1 April 2015