UCT News July 2014 From the Vice-Chancellor's desk Issue 01 Dear friends, colleagues, students and staff Fresh from hosting an enormously successful Africa Month, being crowned the Varsity Cup rugby champions and celebrating 20 years of Democracy with a memorable concert and commemorative event on our rugby fields, we are proud to congratulate the achievements of all of our June graduates. This June, we had a total of 1 508 graduates of which 110 were doctoral graduates. As many of our alumni have become leaders in their fields of expertise, we believe that our latest graduates will do the same. UCT reached a critical milestone in its admissions policy for 2016 when it was ratified in principle by Council earlier this month. The adjusted policy is expected to help advance the university's redress and diversity goals. I am pleased to introduce this first issue of UCT News. It is a regular publication that will keep you in touch with UCT's news and developments whether you are on campus or already out in the world making your mark. You can share it with colleagues and friends by forwarding it to them and asking them to subscribe to our two e- newsletters: UCT News and Research at UCT. Dr Max Price Vice-Chancellor Featured in this issue 1. Celebrating 20 years of freedom 2. Ikey Tigers take home the 2014 FNB Varsity Cup 3. UCT Council approves 2016 admissions policy 4. UCT Rejects SBux Scheme 5. Perseverance and hard work always win out Campus life 1. What does Democracy mean to you? 2. A new Carnegie cohort assembles 3. AWARD grows women in agricultural research 4. Medical students launch Inclusive Healthcare Innovation Celebrating 20 years of freedom 23 May 2014 The UCT community gathered on the Green Mile on Thursday, 22 May 2014, to celebrate twenty years of freedom in South Africa, and to commemorate the life and legacy of the nation's late great leader, Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela. Deputy Vice-Chancellor Professor Thandabantu Nhlapo opened proceedings with a call for "sombre reflection" – on the state of our society and the legacy of the fight against apartheid – before the evening's celebrations. UCT's Chair of Council, Archbishop Njongonkulu Ndungane received huge applause when he told the company that they were gathered "to honour one of the greatest men that ever lived: Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela". "We're gathered here after twenty years of freedom, and what a freedom it is," said Ndungane. "Here is a man that gave his life for the greatest cause – the liberation of humanity. "We take pride in his single-minded conviction that education is the greatest engine for self-development, where the child of a mine-worker can become the owner of the mine, and the child of a domestic worker can become a doctor, and the child of peasants can become the president of a great nation." The 20 Years of Freedom event served as an opportunity for the university to honour the late statesman by renaming Ring Road, which encircles Upper Campus, as Madiba Circle / iSekile kaMadiba / Madiba Sirkelpad. The university dedicated the road to Mandela instead of building a statue in his image, said Vice-Chancellor Dr Max Price, as the famous path was "an avenue that embraces multiple activities and people, that holds diversity in its arms, whose name will be frequently on people's lips as they move from venue to venue, and each time will remind people of the values for which Madiba stood". Twenty years can fly by in a heartbeat, as those who were around in 1994 can attest. With this in mind, the university had decided to capture a little slice of 2014 in a time capsule, explained Nhlapo, which would remind future generations of what twenty years of democracy meant for UCT. Objects such as the special Monday Monthly edition in commemoration of Madiba's passing, a rugby ball signed by this year's champion Ikey Tigers team, and a T-shirt from the university's "We Say Enough" march against violence were just some of the items that would be placed in the capsule for posterity. Celebration followed the official ceremony, with Vusi 'The Voice' Mahlasela's sounds reverberating through the crowd. He was followed by an energetic PJ Powers, joined on stage by the Indigenous Dance Academy from Tembisa. An all-star ensemble was completed by local acts Freshlyground and Mi Casa, who thrilled the crowd with smash hits and covers that had students dancing like exams were not around the corner. Despite the last note being belted out at 23h30 sharp, the concert had Capetonians buzzing well into the early hours of Friday morning, with #UCTFreedomConcert trending on Twitter in the Mother City. Story by Yusuf Omar. Image by Nardus Engelbrecht. ^ Back to top Ikey Tigers take home the 2014 FNB Varsity Cup 7 April 2014 Rugby fans were left with an overwhelming sense of 'sjoe' as UCT claimed the 2014 FNB Varsity Cup trophy in surreal circumstances. The Ikey Tigers came back from eighteen points down to claim a 39-33 victory over NWU-Puk with a converted try in the dying seconds of the final at the Fanie du Toit Stadium in Potchefstroom on Monday night. The spine-tingling action justified the pre-match fanfare many times over. Warren Brosnihan summed up the festive atmosphere after being caught "busting a move" to some pre-match tunes by his co-host: "I have a head like a sewing machine, but I'm no singer, or no dancer!" UCT put the pedal to the metal from the first whistle and soon turned their territorial dominance into points. Centre Huw Jones screamed past Puk defenders to finish off a flowing backline move that stretched the home barricade past breaking point. Flyhalf Dean Grant's touchline conversion-attempt bounced off the upright, leaving UCT 5-0 ahead. Three penalties The home side soon turned on their own afterburners, forcing UCT onto the back foot and winning three penalties into quick succession. But despite an early warning from the referee to keep their discipline, the Ikey defence held firm. Pukke were eager to give the ball air, to the equal delight of home fans and Ikey defenders, who responded with some thunderous tackles But the pressure told in the 14th minute when Puk flanker Rhyk Welgemoed recovered from one of those monster hits to bulldoze his way over the try line to level the scores. Captain Tiaan Dorfling held his nerve with his conversion, giving NWU-Puk an 8-5 lead. The deficit was stretched a few minutes later. Wing Luther Obi's pace was enough to round off another phase of powerful play by Pukke. Dorfling's acute attempt was wide, but the home side still took a 13-5 lead into the first strategy break. Pukke kept up the heat after the pause, but better breakdown play from the visitors and a stunning clearance kick from Grant took the game all the way back into the NWU 22. With the momentum his side's way, scrumhalf Liam Slatem gave his backs quick ball to attack the try line, but sterling defence kept them at bay. That passage at play did not end without casualties, though. Dorfling's game ended early when he had to be stretchered off after appearing to tear knee ligaments in his left leg while making a try-saving tackle. Ikey rugby at its regal best Richard Stewart was having none of it, though. The Ikey winger gratefully latched on to a pass from his fullback Ross Jones-Davies to score his side's second try. Jones-Davies's pass was the sixth in a lethal counter-attack that started some 70m out. This was Ikey rugby at its regal best. The gap was narrowed to 13-10, and the wind was back in UCT's sails. Slatem lead his backline across the width of the pitch, and only ill-discipline tripped up the team as they edged towards scoring a third try. The momentum was constantly shifting and Obi was a constant thorn in UCT's side with his speed and quick hands. But it was scrumhalf Dillon Smit that stunned Ikeys with a searing counter-attack that ended with him dotting down under the poles. But the 'try' was disallowed when the referee called play back for an earlier foul, sending Pukke centre Johan Deysel to the sin bin in the process, much to the home crowd's irritation. UCT came within inches of making the extra man count only for flank Jason Klaasen to lose the ball over the line under a heavy tackle. But the number that counts is the one on the scoreboard, and Puk hooker Armand van der Merwe added five more with a bullocking try, leaving a dazed Slatem in his wake. The home side kept playing the numbers game, though, and moments after Deysel returned to the pitch, Pukke lost another man as tighthead prop Lucky Ngoama was shown yellow for a cynical foul. Yellow card Ikeys needed no second invitation to turn on the style and made steady yards with some slick handling and disciplined rucking. And the powerful pack inflicted maximum damage. They drove over the try line from an attacking line-out, and Klaasen made no mistake this time as he grounded the ball. Grant, so reliable with his kicking throughout the tournament, missed his third attempt of the evening, leaving a five-point gap between the teams going into the final twenty minutes. UCT also lost a man when wing Lihleli Xoli was shown a yellow.