DAAD Information Centre Johannesburg, edition 01 | 2014
newsletter
In this issue:

DAAD & the
year ahead

Scifest

University
visits

New DAAD
staff

INISA
Student
Grant

Call for
workshop
scholarships

Scholarship
holder news

Adverts

Useful links
Publisher:
Deutscher Akademischer
Austauschdienst e.V.
(DAAD)
Kennedyallee 50
D-53175 Bonn
Contact:
Tel: 011 717 9334
Email: [email protected]
3151 Senate House
East Campus
Wits University
DAAD South Africa in 2014
Dear colleagues and friends,
Dear DAAD scholarship holders and alumni,
People tend to say, the year starts fast, possibly too fast and before
you know it, it’s almost over. My first South African autumn felt a bit
like that. We were sitting in the outside area of Wits Club for a
scholarship holders meeting with Mr Cay Etzold, the regional director
for southern and eastern Africa, and the hazelnuts dropped on our
table and onto the floor. Autumn takes place in September/October in
Germany; during this time you sit down and think about what you accomplished in the year, collect your (hazelnut) accomplishments like
the squirrels and make plans for the rest of the year.
Right now, it is still only the beginning of the year and I would like to use this newsletter as an
opportunity to welcome everyone in the New Year of 2014. I hope it has begun with a lot of joy and
passion and I hope everyone has plans and energy left to accomplish more – or at least enough
hazelnut cake for motivation.
Full of energy and keen with motivation, this aptly describes the new scholarship holders of the
African Centre for Migration Studies and the Centre for Human Rights who we had the pleasure to
meet in two semester opening sessions. With aspiring projects ahead, a degree in reach, and the
long history of high quality research on their CVs, these scholarship holders will not only change the
South African environment, but are likely to follow their predecessors into CEO and government
positions all over the continent.
During university visits to Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, Fort Hare University and Rhodes
University in the Eastern Cape, we had the pleasure to meet many potential scholarship holders.
During these visits we also took the time to evaluate current projects and to meet alumni from
different programmes, thus sustaining the anticipated lifelong relationship. DAAD was also part of the
Scifest in Grahamstown, the biggest science show in the whole of Africa with over 65,000 visitors in
only one week. Meeting colleagues in research, learning about current and future technologies and
anticipating collaborations were just a few of the benefits of a participating in the German Corner
during that week.
The DAAD Information Centre in Johannesburg also had the pleasure of welcoming two new faces to
the team: Sarah Künne (DAAD language assistant) and Anne Buslay (Kulturweit volunteer). (More
about these two new colleagues further on in the newsletter).
continues page 2
DAAD IC Johannesburg
newsletter
With this new staff and the expertise of our experienced staff, we are looking forward to a year ahead with change and
challenge, meetings and accomplishments, bringing the best of two science worlds even closer together, maintaining the
established, long lasting and sustainable partnership and common research on eye level.
An early highlight for the year will be the upcoming Africa Strategy Conference in Johannesburg. This event will bring
together partners from all over Africa with colleagues from the central office in Bonn with the purpose of setting the DAAD’s
agenda for its future activities in the whole of Africa.
A personal highlight will be the annual DAAD-NRF In-Country scholarship holders meeting in June. We are also very much
looking forward to a Research Lecture Series taking place later this year in Durban, Cape Town and Johannesburg. The
lecture series will focus on the latest research and collaborations in the fields of Renewable Energy, HIV/Aids and migration.
In German, we say: You cannot harvest in autumn if you don’t sow the seeds in spring.
Let us collect the nuts, but not get too comfortable in our nests.
Let us seed and harvest in a prosperous year – and enjoy the way.
Welcome 2014!
DAAD South Africa events
Scifest
The South African National Science Festival took place from 12 to 18 March
in Grahamstown where the DAAD South Africa had the opportunity to greet
many of the more than 65 000 visitors at their exhibition booth. The DAAD
exhibition formed part of the German Cluster exhibition stand, which also
hosted three Science Slams and brought a performing physicist to the event.
The German cluster was headed up by the German Embassy and included
various German companies, government, academic, and development
organizations. The DAAD provided sensory games under the motto, “with
DAAD Germany makes sense”.
Visitors could touch, smell and see German science, culture and language
and try their luck in
guessing what they
© GIC Africa
were touching,
smelling or seeing. This proved very popular with the children
of all ages who participated with great enthusiasm in order to
win numerous give-away prizes.
DAAD Alumna, Janet Viljoen, participated in the Science
Slam competition, coming in second to winner, Devon
Coetzee, from the University of Cape Town. The Science
Slam is an innovative and interactive science communication
format that allows young, promising scientists the opportunity
to present their latest research in a concise, easy-tounderstand and fun way.
Meet and Greets
© GIC Africa
The DAAD South Africa kick-started the year with several
meet and greets in order to get to know their new scholarship
holders and to network with their alumni. The first meet and
greet was held at Wits university in the School of Languages,
DAAD IC Johannesburg
newsletter
Literature & Media Studies. German students studying at Wits were also invited, as well as South African students with
an interest in Germany and the German language. DAAD South Africa director, Philina Wittke, advised students to
consider conducting part of their studies in Germany in order to bring back their valuable experiences to South Africa.
She encouraged students to be curious and go out and gain intercultural knowledge, adding that the bonus of a trip to
Germany, and making friends with Germans, means making friends for life. The special Valentine’s Day themed meeting
strengthened the presence of the DAAD at Wits, its host university. A second meet and greet was held on the occasion
of the DAAD regional director for South and East Africa, Mr Cay Etzold’s visit to the DAAD Information Centre. Students
in the In-Country programme, students at the African Centre for Migration Studies (ACMS) and previous winter-school
scholarship holders had the opportunity to chat with Mr Etzold over tea at the Wits Club. The DAAD also attended the
opening ceremony of the Centre for Human Rights
(CHR) at the University of Pretoria. The incoming
2014 students introduced themselves in traditional
dress making for a festive melting pot of intercultural
exchange. The DAAD took the opportunity to meet
with the 13 new DAAD scholarship holders at the
centre. The DAAD also met with students, alumni
and the 2 new DAAD scholarship holders during a
separate meeting at the ACMS.
University Visits
DAAD South Africa recently conducted university
visits in the Eastern Cape at Nelson Mandela
Metropolitan University, Rhodes University and the
University of Fort Hare. Each event allowed the DAAD team to introduce themselves and to provide information on what
the DAAD is, as well as our scholarship programmes. A popular question of late has been “how do I get to Germany”,
the DAAD team describes step by step the process from introducing Germany as a
country in the heart of Europe, to how to find a suitable university and course of study.
A range of important points to consider before embarking on a study trip to Germany
such as ‘how will I finance my studies?’, to ‘what is the weather like?’ are all answered
during our presentations. The information sessions also serve to inform academics and
university management on the funding opportunities available through the DAAD.
During the visit to Rhodes University, the DAAD team also took the opportunity to host
an alumni meeting in order to engage with alumni, scholarship holders and all
interested students. Students who had already been to Germany were able to
exchange their experiences with some of those who were interested in spending a
research stay in the country. A highlight of the meeting was DAAD-NRF In-Country
scholarship holder Christel Hansen’s presentation on her recent excursion to
Antarctica, where she did research for her PhD in Geomorphology. While listening to
the presentation in the hot Grahamstown weather, these icy pictures wowed the
audience. Even more impressive were her findings which she may present at an
upcoming international conference on geomorphology in Australia.
Antartica pictures courtesy of Christel Hansen
DAAD IC Johannesburg
newsletter
New DAAD teaching assistant for Wits German
Department
Sarah Künne has joined the German department at Wits University as the new DAAD
teaching assistant. She obtained her Bachelor degree from the University of Hamburg in
German and French literature studies and teacher-training courses. Sarah has taught
German at the University in Madagascar as well as German and French classes in
German high schools.
As it is her first stay in South Africa, Sarah is really looking forward to getting to know
Johannesburg, its people and the diverse cultural landscape within the whole country.
Sarah will work in the German department for one year where she teaches German
language, culture and conversation classes. This teaching position is made possible
through funding from the DAAD.
New DAAD South Africa volunteer
In March 2014 the new “kulturweit” volunteer Anne Buslay arrived at the
DAAD IC in Johannesburg. She obtained her master degree in International
Management from the University of Applied Science in Fulda and her
Bachelor degree in European Business Administration from the Otto-Friedrich
University of Bamberg. In 2006 she got the chance to do a school exchange
with the Paul Roos Gymnasium in Stellenbosch. Since then she always
wanted to come back, to discover this beautiful and fascinating country. She
is very pleased to have received the opportunity to undertake her volunteer
year at the DAAD IC in Johannesburg and she is really looking forward to the
In-Country Scholarship Meeting in Stellenbosch taking place in June.
INISA Student Grant
The “Initiative Southern Africa” (INISA) offers a grant for students from Universities and other tertiary education institutions in
countries of the SADC region. INISA is a German Non-Governmental Organisation founded in 1995. Our mission is to inform
the German public on political, economical, social and cultural developments in Southern Africa to create interest, deepen
under-standing and enhance contacts and exchange between Germany and Southern Africa.
The INISA grant covers 75% of tuition fees and related costs (e.g. books and other study material; residence fees etc.) for the
academic year of 2014 up to a maximum amount of Euro 3.000 (or the equivalent in local currency).
The applicant (m/f) should:
- hold the nationality of one of the SADC countries;
- study full time at a University or other tertiary education institution in one of the SADC countries;
- be in the second or third year of his or her undergraduate studies, i.e. s/he has successfully completed at least one year of
studies and has successfully re-registered for further courses in the next academic year (Please note: the INISA Student Grant
is not applicable to postgraduate studies such as Honours, Masters or PhD programs).
The grant is open to students of all subjects, but particularly we encourage applications by science, engineering, economics and
medical students. Should the grant be awarded to more than one student the maximum amount will be split equally. INISA
requires the student to provide proof of tuition related expenses with a fees account record, as the grant amount covers a
percentage of these expenses and needs to be calculated on that basis before any payment is possible. The grant will be paid
directly into the student’s fees account at the University. INISA requires the student to provide two reports on the progress of
his/her studies in the year s/he is awarded the grant.
To apply, please go to our website www.inisa.de. Look for the “INISA Stu-dent Grant 2014” button and fill in the electronic
application form.
The closing date of the application is Sunday, 27 April 2014.
DAAD IC Johannesburg
newsletter
Call for Workshop Scholarships
The RLC Campus at ZEF in Bonn offers scholarships for PhD students from developing and transition countries to
participate in the international workshop on “Mobilization for change: Participatory research and the empowerment
of the marginalized”, May 24 – 29, 2014, in Bonn, Germany .
Background: The Right Livelihood College (RLC) is a global education and research initiative of universities and the Right
Livelihood Award, also known as the "Alternative Nobel Prize" (www.rightlivelihood.org). The RLC Campus in Bonn is hosted
by the Center for Development Research (ZEF), University of Bonn, and supported by the German Academic Exchange
Service (DAAD). It provides transdisciplinary education and research in fields of social justice, poverty alleviation, and
environmental sustainability in the global South (www.rlc-bonn.de).
Mobilization for Change Workshop
The workshop will take place from May 24 - 29, 2014, at ZEF. Scientists, policy makers and PhD students from all over the
world will be participating together with the “Alternative Nobel Prize” laureates Dipal Barua (Bangladesh), Sima Samar (Afghanistan), Anwar Fazal (Malaysia), and Raul Montenegro (Argentine). Workshop language is English. The workshop will
thematically focus on local level participatory research in rural areas of developing and transition countries and its role in
empowering disadvantaged and discriminated people and communities. Case studies of participatory research will be
presented, discussed and analysed in a cohesive transdisciplinary way by building on each participants’ expertise and
experience.
The workshop will target the following objectives:
- to strengthen knowledge and understanding of concepts and methods of local level participatory research,
- to critically assess its role in the empowerment of marginalized people and communities in rural developing contexts,
- to showcase projects considered successful and to discuss empirical research findings concerned,
- to promote transmission of expertise and experience as well as networking between “Alternative Nobel Prize” winners,
scientists, policy makers and PhD students working on participatory local level research and the empowerment of
marginalized people and communities.
The workshop scholarships will cover all costs for international and national travel, hotel accommodation, catering, and
working materials. The workshop will be embedded in a variety of social and cultural side-events.
Who can apply?
PhD students from developing and transition countries who conduct empirical participatory local level research related to the
empowerment of marginalized people and communities. Preferred are PhD students in the middle or end of their studies.
Fluent English is mandatory. Applications from women are particularly welcome.
Your application should consist of:
the filled-out application form. Download the form here: www.rlc-bonn.de
a 300 word abstract (in English) of your PhD project
if applicable, also provide information on your scholarship status
The deadline is April 15, 2014. You will be informed about the decision of the selection committee until April 25.
Please send your applications via e-mail to:
Dr. Till Stellmacher: [email protected]
DAAD IC Johannesburg
newsletter
DAAD-NRF In-Country Scholarship holder Kapil Moothi at the 9th World
Congress of Chemical Engineering (WCCE9)
By: Kapil Moothi
My journey to WCCE9 began with ~20 hours of flying from Johannesburg to Seoul
(via connecting flight in Hong Kong). This Congress was hosted by the Korean
Institute of Chemical Engineers which has about 600 members. During my allocated
time period for the poster presentation sessions I exhibited two research papers.
The session went well with a varying amount of questions/ ideas shared amongst the
attending delegates. The Gala Dinner proved to be a grand spectacle of Korean
traditional dress as well as music. At this ceremony, it was agreed that the conference
had been a resounding success with many eager delegates looking forward to
WCCE10 in 2017 (Barcelona, Spain). From the numerous sessions on key chemical engineering topics one was able to
deduce that the role(s) played by chemical engineers in all avenues of research and industry truly is to the betterment of
society. Further information about WCCE9 may be found at http://www.wcce9.org/ and the forum at http://
www.chemengworld.org/ (as well as the Engineers’ Forum for Sustainability at http://fscarbonmanagement.org).
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FUBiS is an intensive academic program through which students can earn credits that may be counted toward their degrees at
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DAAD IC Johannesburg
newsletter
Adverts
Useful Links
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Master of Science (MSc) in Energy Conversion and Management
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For further information please visit: www.hs-offenburg.de/graduate-school
Language, culture and
life in Germany:
www.goethe.de/
johannesburg
www.testdaf.de
www.dw-world.de
www.germanyandafrica.
diplo.de
Bucerius Master of Law and Business LLM/MLB
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Contact: [email protected]
Duesseldorf and Berlin live 2014: Learn German – Discover Germany
Year-round Intensive Courses, Summer Courses, Business German. TestDaF, DSH
IIK Düsseldorf: http://www.iik-duesseldorf.de/deutschkurse/deutschkurse.php?lang=en
BerlinerID: http://www.berlinerid.de/en/
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