TOWARDS COMMUNITY EDUCATION
THE University of the Western Cape (UWC) has boldly moved away from the old ivory tower model of tertiary institutions where the work of academics takes place in their own world and far from the masses.
We have decided to step outside – bravely embracing opportunities to expand our footprint and be a catalytic agent for social change.
As Dean of the Faculty of Community and Health Sciences of UWC, I know first-hand how important community is to us.
It’s so important that we put community right up there in our name. That is why we are so excited that we have opened up our new facility in the very heart of Bellville.
The new Community Health Sciences building – formerly the Jan S Marais Hospital – is mainly an educational facility at the moment.
Its 10 storeys will host four of our departments: physiotherapy, occupational therapy, the school of nursing and the school of natural medicine.
I have also moved my office from the main campus on Robert Sobukwe Road to the new building, which has become a new oasis of knowledge for our students.
I am an alumna of the faculty as well, and this new campus differs vastly from the facilities we were used to when I was a student at UWC many years ago.
Back then, as a physiotherapy student, we used the same classroom for our theory and practical classes, so once the theory class was finished, we still had to set up the class for our practical work.
We’ve certainly come a long way. Combine this with a move into the heart of Bellville, and we can see many potential benefits for our students, including better training and a community-based education.
Students are better able to identify with patients and see themselves as part of a community, rather than just the external experts.
The new building features training simulation laboratories for teaching basic nursing skills, midwifery and psychiatry.
It also has a rehabilitation gym for the occupational therapy and physiotherapy departments.
In addition, it boasts natural medicine laboratories with treatment rooms and dispensaries.
And there are top-of-the-range computer laboratories and resource centres, multi-faith prayer rooms, multiple seminar rooms, tutorial rooms and classrooms.
As a faculty, we believe strongly in the power of diversity: in our student body; in terms of professions; and in thought and approach.
It takes a village to heal a human, and bringing many different departments together allows for exciting changes.
We also have a shopping mall right here on our doorstep, from which our students can run awareness campaigns around gender-based violence and disabilities, among others.
It also means we can engage better with schools and old-age homes in the area for the purpose of health promotion.
Bellville has been the home of UWC for almost 60 years.
Now UWC is one of the partners leading an urban renewal strategy to uplift the Bellville surrounds and city centre as part of the improvement strategy of the Greater Tygerberg Partnership.
By developing new infrastructure and attracting new businesses to the area, the Bellville campus will help transform the Voortrekker Road Corridor and the Greater Tygerberg region into a prosperous, successful and attractive commercial centre, and position Bellville’s CBD as a vibrant, inclusive, safe and modern hub for students, businesses and residents.
Having students and researchers on their doorsteps will allow businesses to pursue public-private partnerships they may not otherwise have been able to.
With the intellectual firepower of a university at their fingertips, the community will have access to information around health and healthcare, and be able to launch projects to better enable these in their homes and work spaces. Thank you, Bellville. We are looking forward to working with you.