Change the world

April 2019

Presidential Commission on Fourth Industrial Revolution (Published April 2019)
 
 
Prof Chris Adendorff (from left), Alumnus Baxolile Mabinya and Adjunct Professor Andile Ngcaba.
 
Professor Chris Adendorff of the Nelson Mandela University Business School, who specialises in Future Studies has been appointed by President Ramaphosa to the Presidential Commission on the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR). Two other members included on the Commission are connected to our University, Alumnus, currently a Director at a digital technology company, Deviere and 2014 Alumni Rising Star Award recipient Baxolile Mabinya and Adjunct Professor, Andile Ngcaba. 

Baxolile completed his Master’s in Commerce: Computer Science and Information Systems (cum laude) in 2007.

 

 

All about businessc(published April - Nelson Mandela University)
 
 
Computing Sciences’ Prof André Calitz graduated with his DBA in 2010 and now his son Martin followed in his footsteps with an MBA. 
 
 
Martin’s treatise focused on residents’ perspective of Nelson Mandela Bay as a sustainable city. 
 
He also has a BA, BCom and BCom Hons (Computer Science and Information Systems) from Mandela University. 
 
Prof Calitz’s wife, Prof Margie Cullen is also an academic at the Business School. 
 

Following in parents’ footsteps (Published April - Nelson Mandela University)

 
Prof Vaughan Oosthuizen of the Biochemistry and Microbiology Department and his wife, Helena of the Education Faculty, have a reason to be proud. 
 
 
Their daughter Delia Oosthuizen graduated with a BSc (Biochemistry and Microbiology), cum laude. Both Vaughan and Helena graduated from UPE in 1987 with BSc (Biochemistry) degrees.
 
Vaughan continued to complete his PhD in Biochemistry and Helena an MSc in Zoology.
 
“She is following in Dad’s footsteps… and beating his grades comfortably, says Vaughan.
 
Delia plans to complete a PhD as well.
 

First cum laude (Published April - Nelson Mandela University)

 
Richard Zinn, son of Deputy Vice-Chancellor Teaching and Learning Prof Denise Zinn, and Allan Zinn, Director of Canrad, is the first student to graduate cum laude in the MA Health and Welfare Management (Coursework) programme. 
 
 
His treatise focused on managers’ perceptions of rehabilitation services in a district health system.
 
 
 
 
 

Medical Laboratory Science graduation focus (Published April - Nelson Mandela University)

 
 
Fourteen students of the first cohort of the four-year BHSc: Medical Laboratory Science (BHSc: MLS) professional degree graduated this April. 
 
 
Mandela University is only the second tertiary institution nationally to offer the BHSc: MLS professional degree.
 
Work opportunities for this degree are in pathology, medical and forensic laboratories, food industries, as well as the medical research field. 
 
Together with this group, one of their lecturers Mariaan Buckle graduated with a Master’s of Health Sciences in Medical Laboratory Science cum laude, and her research was on the integration of blended learning technologies into Anatomy and Physiology.
 
Mariaan’s research, which coincided with limited classroom exposure during the #FeesMustFall (FMF) protest movement in 2016, illuminated many major issues regarding connectivity, e-readiness, unequal access to online learning, the importance of security features for online summative assessments, the usefulness of commercial web-based learning programmes and the compounding effect of the FMF movement during the period the case study was conducted.
 
“Students are more than just a number, underpins my teaching philosophy,” says Mariaan who was also the Health Sciences Faculty Excellent Teacher of the Year in 2018.
 

Leading the way with supervision (Published April - Nelson Mandela University) 

 
Business Management’s Prof Miemie Struwig has a reason to be proud.
 
Two of the doctoral graduates that she supervised are now the supervisors of a master’s and a doctoral graduate. Prof Struwig calls these graduates her “grandchildren” and on top of it, is the fact that all the role players are women.
 
 
Left, Prof Miemie Struwig and Drs Apio Anywar and Heidi Janse van Rensburg and right, Dr Amanda van den Berg, Rize van Rooyen and Prof Struwig. 
 
Prof Struwig and the Business School’s Dr Heidi Janse van Rensburg jointly promoted a doctoral candidate, Apio Anywar, whose research has developed a set of sustainability ratios that companies can use to measure their sustainability performance.
 
Development Studies’ Dr Amanda van den Berg is the other academic with whom Prof Struwig supervised master’s graduate Rize van Rooyen, whose treatise dealt with the systematic review of rural health development research in South Africa. 
 
“I am extremely proud of the empowerment of women these two academics who completed their PhDs as my students and who are now producing their own women students”, Prof Struwig says. 
 

New interdisciplinary masters’ degree graduates (Nelson Mandela University)

Deputy Director: Web Systems & Development Dr Thomas Hilmer (far left) was one of four students to graduate with the new MPhil in IT Governance.

His research focused on a strategy to improve the maturity levels of IT Service Management in Higher Education Institutions in South Africa.

The MPhil in IT Governance started in 2017 and was fully subscribed in its first year with 25 students registering, says School of ICT’s Prof Rossouw von Solms (left).

“This block-release master’s programme focusses on the field of IT governance which proved to be critically important in all modern enterprises.

The degree is jointly offered by three faculties, Engineering; the Built Environment and IT, Business and Economic Sciences and Law due to the multi-dimensional nature of the field.

“Although this part-time offering should take on average three years to complete, four students have managed to complete the MPhil in IT governance in two years, Prof Von Solms says.

 

Staff graduating this April (Published April - Nelson Mandela University) 

 
Congratulations to our staff, including a number of new doctors, who have studied long and hard after hours to improve themselves and plough back new knowledge into their students and the university.
 
 
 
 
Staff doctoral graduates include, from left, Christiaan Pretorius; Lynn Jonas; Agnes Ndung'u, André Hefer, Ronald Leppan, Vuyani Matsha, Mark Kramer and Jan van der Berg.
 
Staff graduating this April at Nelson Mandela University include: 
 
PhD Applied Mathematics Christiaan Pretorius 
 
PhD Business Management Jan van den Berg
 
PhD Construction Management Andre Hefer
 
PhD Education Lynn Jonas; Vuyani Matsha; Nomawonga Msutwana
 
PhD Human Movement Science Mark Kramer
 
PhD Applied Informatics Ronald Leppan
 
PhD Labour Relations & Human Resource Management Jennifer Bowler; Agnes Ndung'u
 
PhD Mechanical Engineering Davies Tsikayi  
 
PhD Nursing Science Nadine Rall
 
PhD Social Development Professions Zurina Abdullah; Razia Lagardien
 
MA Counselling Psychology Bongani Malahle
 
MA Industrial and Organisational Psychology Yolande Holloway cum laude
 
MA Media Studies Anoushka Pannel
 
MA Psychology Research Bianca Smith
 
MBA Margot Collett; Christa Esterhuizen; Ntembeko Jafta 
 
MCom Economics Corean de Bruyn
 
MHSc Medical Laboratory Science Mariaan Buckle cum laude
 
MPhil IT Governance Thomas Hilmer
 
BA Hons isiXhosa Nozuko Rhayi
 
Postgrad Dip Business Administration Yolandi Kock
 
BA Psychology Lorna van Wyngaardt
 
B Psychology Registered Counsellor Marlize Jansen Van Vuuren; Nomawethu Matyobeni
 
LLB Vinolia Malematse; Inga Mbewana; Zimbini Mnono
 
Adv Dip Business Studies Management Practice Monica Tshangana
 
Dip Management Chantelle Ball 
 
Dip Public Relations Litemba Ndendela 
 
Dip Tourism Management Kororo Makubalo 
 
Higher Certificate Veldfire Management Sonia Roets cum laude
 
 

 

Engaged at Grad (Published April)

 

#EngagedAtGrad2019 - Congratulations to Ukukhanya Myeza and Nandise Tiyo on their engagement. Myeza surprised his future wife after her graduation ceremony on Monday,at the Madibaz Sports Centre when he got down on one knee and popped the question. The photos below show the excitement, happiness and of course... the ring. Alumni Relations wishes you both well on your new adventure.

 

 

 

Not even the sky is the limit for Zimbabwean graduate (Published April - Nelson Mandela University) 

They say it is impossible to shoot two birds with one stone, but a Nelson Mandela University graduate has managed to defy the odds, excelling in both his studies and sport. In April, Madibaz football striker and former captain made history as the first player to be capped in a red gown, graduating with a PhD in Chemistry.

Zimbabwean-born, Cloudius Ray Sagandira, had a passion for football from a young age. His family had a strong belief in education so a career in football alone would be hard to convince them.

 

Read full story at: https://news.mandela.ac.za/News/Not-even-the-sky-is-the-limit-for-Zimbabwean-gradu

 

A celebration yolwimi lwenkobe at Mandela University (Published April - Nelson Mandela University) 

 
The year 2019, declared the International Year for Indigenous Languages by UNESCO, has seen the seventh Doctor of Literature (DLitt) degree in isiXhosa where the thesis written entirely in the language, conferred at Nelson Mandela University last week – ten years since the first.
 
 
Last week, Dr Zoleka Hempe was conferred a DLitt, with her study looking into the state of mind – through acts, signs and habits – of various characters in selected isiXhosa literature before and after killing people.

 

 
 
 

Graduation a bittersweet moment for student who lost mom (Published April - Nelson Mandela University)

 
As an emotional Ncebakazi Siziba crossed the graduation stage to a standing ovation and cheers from the audience, she could not help but shed a tear and say a silent prayer to continue making her late mother proud.
 
 
Siziba, who graduated a Bachelor of Social Work, was one of 391 students who were conferred their qualifications in the Faculty of Health Sciences’ schools of Behavioural Sciences and Lifestyle Sciences on Friday morning (12 April).
 
The moment, however, was a bittersweet one for her as she so wished her mother Nowinile Siziba – who was killed in a car accident in February – was there to witness the fruits of her hard work.
 
 

Pursuit of excellence pays off for Mandela University blind students (Published April - Nelson Mandela University)

 
Just over a year ago – fresh into his honours course and with a newly obtained postgraduate certificate in education – he threw in the towel because of what he described as a “very difficult” undergraduate journey.
 
 
The plan? To pursue an opportunity to fulfil his lifelong dream of teaching and exposing his pupils, particularly the differently abed, to the array of opportunities that have seen him continuously climb to greater heights.
 
When that did not pan out, Mount Frere-born Avukile Jeke “conceded defeat”, resumed his studies and soldiered on.
 
 
 
 

Mandela University graduates called on to advance democracy and social justice (Published April - Nelson Mandela University) 

 
“What will you do with your education from Nelson Mandela University to change the world – for your family, your community, your profession, your country? What contribution will you make towards Africa’s growth and development that leads to a better life for all?”
 
This question by Chancellor Dr Geraldine Fraser-Moleketi calls on new graduates to go out into the world and change it – as the institutional tagline charges – by doing their bit to strengthen democracy, equality and justice in their respective career paths.
 
 
The Chancellor was addressing more than 650 graduands – including honorary doctorates Dr Vuyo Mahlati, Ms Sibongile Mkhabela, Prof Morgan Chetty and Rev Frank Chikane – as she opened the morning and afternoon sessions on Friday.