Future Profile Alumni a New Generation Alumnus Leads the Way Find Your Old Friends University Page 3 at Missionvale Campus Page 6 Pages 9-11
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routes Alumni Newsletter Edition 2 • November 2007 Future Profile A new generation Alumni university Alumnus leads the way Page 3 at Missionvale Campus Find your old friends Page 6 Pages 9-11 We’re in your face … ‘Friendraise’ – the importance HAVE you sent someone a strawberry dipped in chocolate of Alumni remaining in touch recently? Poked a mate, mapped your favourite movie or, perhaps, even tossed a pig? If so, you’ve been introduced to ALUMNI are probably the ambassador programme to Facebook, a social networking tool that’s binding the world best advertisements a higher complement the Student together across cyberspace. education institution can have. Alumni Society activities; Today more than 40 million people make use of this social But celebrating alumni success improving the University Shop; networking revolution, be it for professional or personal goes way beyond the collection celebrating alumni success and reasons. The NMMU network has 2961 friends. It’s a number of newspaper clippings. It is getting more alumni directly that’s growing … like our own alumni network. There are important that we connect involved in university activities, 60 000 of you – but we haven’t found you all yet. with our alumni and share in including continuing their As you will read, staying in touch reaps rewards. their lifelong journey in some education. It’s almost three years since the merger, and NMMU is well meaningful way. A major advantage of this positioned to become a top-flight new generation university. The Alumni Relations Office’s Paul Geswindt office is the commitment and New generation universities, as outgoing NMMU Vice- strategic focus is to friendraise. beneficial relationship. Alumni support of the Convocation Chancellor Dr Rolf Stumpf points out, strive to “do things We would like our alumni currently serve NMMU as staff, representatives on Council and differently” in meeting the needs of today’s new generation. to remain connected to the governors, trustees, funders, the Alumni Executive Committee The Maths and Science Centre of Excellence at NMMU’s institution. We want to share in guest speakers and lecturers, members. The university’s Missionvale Campus is a case in point. the success, development and mentors and, importantly as executive management has Part of the ethos of this new type of university (one which experience of nearly ambassadors of the university. also agreed to fund this office puts paid to the traditional “ivory tower” approach to tertiary 60 000 NMMU alumni spread Each role is significant. making achievement of our education) is staying in touch, not just with the realities facing throughout the world. goals easier. This society today, but with those who have been a part of the NMMU can benefit includes developing “We would like our alumni to remain growth of the university. That’s you. from their experience a culture of service, a and feel connected to the institution. And so we bring you the second Routes – your official and expertise and, sense of pride and of We want to share in their success, alumni newsletter – in a bid to remain connected to you. as lifelong learners, belonging to NMMU development and experience.” Routes editor: Debbie Derry we can hopefully for today‘s students still contribute to too. your career development and Goals for this office include Brands exist in the hearts and Serving you on convocation advancement. improving communication with minds of people. Our people – The recent update of the and among alumni; establishing staff, students and alumni – are The man who was born in what was to become of the office alumni database will help us regional and international our best brand ambassadors. of the Black Consciousness reach more alumni via postal alumni chapters to promote The Alumni Relations Office is Movement in King William’s and electronic media but we relationship building and at your service. Town, now serves fellow NMMU need more personal contact networking opportunities; alumni on council. Cumngce Gawe (below) was also opportunities too. improving alumni membership Paul GG Geswindt the first black man to obtain a Giving and receiving recogni- benefits; establishing a bursary Senior Manager: qualification from the former Port tion are part of our mutually scheme; launching a student Marketing and Alumni Relations Elizabeth Technikon. He got four distinctions for his NDip Industrial Relations. A young Gawe had initially Prof Hugh Jeffery (above), a Contact us pursued a career in nursing past Dean of Engineering at the Vuyo Ntloko is your Alumni Relations Officer. before switching his interests former Port Elizabeth Technikon, Email: [email protected] Website: www.nmmu.ac.za/alumni towards industry, specifically and a member of various Tel: 041 5043935 Goodyear, where he rose through professional engineering bodies, Postal: Alumni Officer, Marketing and Corporate Relations the ranks. has contributed much to the PO Box 77000, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University He has been active in politics, fields of mechanical engineering Port Elizabeth, 6013 rising to the position of mayor of and education. Uitenhage and ANC treasurer for He has been President of the the province. South African Institution of He is the National Chairman of Mechanical Engineering since the Read Educational Trust, Vice- 2005 and is still actively involved “There is an air of vibrancy and excitement about Chair of the NMMU Council and a in various initiatives with the NMMU, perhaps because it’s a new creation. This director of several companies. He Engineering Council of South is married with four daughters. vibrancy makes it possible for NMMU to create a Africa (ECSA). new type of university … (and offers) a chance of Prof Jeffery obtained his first qualification (NDip Engineering) making a new history, identity, culture and sense in 1964. Some 23 years later in of community within the university – one that is the midst of a fulfilling career progressive, cosmopolitan, non-racial and democratic within both academia and in its outlook.” industry, he received his Masters in Technology. He is an Honorary Fellow of PROF Derrick Swartz will be the new NMMU Vice-Chancellor from January 2008. He will be joining SAIMechE, and a member of the university after eight years as the Vice-Chancellor of Fort Hare where he has been credited with both the Institute of Professional the university’s academic renewal and financial turnaround. He was awarded South Africa’s highest Engineering Technologists and the Chamber of Engineering order, the Supreme Order of Baobab – Gold Class in 2005, for his collective achievements at the Technology. historic Eastern Cape university. 22 Connected to you View farewells as new opportunities, says VC GOODBYE should not mean farewell Vista University and PE Technikon. “We have formed some excellent forever when it comes to leaving your But now, with the merger complete, partnerships this year, many of them university. Instead, it should signal an he says it’s time for him to move on. with alumni, in business, industry and opportunity for new relationships with Goodbye, however, will not mean a research. It’s a win-win situation for your alma mater. everyone.” That’s the message from NMMU “Moving on does not have to An optic fibre project with Telkom, Vice-Chancellor and CEO Dr Rolf mean the end. We can - and the many maths and science initiatives, Stumpf who himself will be retiring should - stay in touch.” the pebble bed reactor research from the newly-merged university at and various motor manufacturing the end of the year. complete severing of ties with NMMU. programmes are cases in point. “We have such opportunities as This should not be the case for its Another success for 2007 has been people prepares for a new chapter in his alumni. Since we are so new, we have students either. the university’s financial turnaround. life, he is personally confident of NMMU’s the opportunity to grow new things and “Moving on does not have to mean From inheriting massive debt with the future. create a new generation of alumni.” the end. We can - and should - stay in merger, NMMU had slashed its long-term ”I hoped to deliver a merger with as Similar opportunities arose with the touch.” debt by two-thirds. little human fall-out as possible and to 2005 merger enabling NMMU to create a For Dr Stumpf, 6, staying in touch will “We’re not a wealthy institution but put procedures in place to ensure a solid better institution for a new generation of hopefully come in the form of consulting we now have solid financial backing future for those who work and study here. students. or project work, and certainly via to provide better opportunities for our “I am grateful to NMMU staff during “The merger gave us an unbelievable friendships formed during his more than students and academics.” the merger and look forward to growth of opportunity to start over and re-brand five years at the Eastern Cape’s largest A further vote of confidence in the the next generation of NMMU alumni.” ourselves as a university. It’s been higher education institution, first at UPE future of NMMU came in the form If he has any regrets, it’s that he did a hard, but wonderfully, exciting time,” and then at NMMU. of a R30m cash injection from the not make enough time to get to know says the man who oversaw the coming For others it can, for example, come government. more people better. together of the former University through formal partnerships as is already As this man with a head for figures (he It’s something he’s not going to let of Port Elizabeth, the PE campus of the case within NMMU.