Stellenbosch University is one of South Africa’s leading research-intensive institutions, ranked among the top 300 universities in the world and the top 20 across the BRICS countries by the Times Higher Education World University Rankings. A Digital Science client since 2023, Stellenbosch uses Symplectic Elements to manage its annual DHET research outputs submission and to power its public researcher profiles portal, researcherprofiles.sun.ac.za.
This case study draws on a session Jennifer De Beer and Hilda Kruger gave on Stellenbosch University’s implementation of Symplectic Elements, covering the project from tender to first DHET submission.
- How Stellenbosch University went to tender for a new system, and why conversations with UK and Australian peer institutions were especially useful in their decision making.
- The phased implementation approach: profiles portal first, DHET reporting a year later — and how Stellenbosch managed change fatigue across campus.
- How the Annual Collection Module in Symplectic Elements was configured around Stellenbosch’s own DHET process, including nomination, full-text upload, and role-based permissions.
- The results of Stellenbosch’s first DHET submission run entirely through Symplectic Elements, and what the public researcher profile portal looks like today.
“What’s nice about Symplectic is that the researcher can do those tasks themselves. It’s not like before, where the buck stopped with the research coordinator.”
Jennifer De Beer
Senior Functional Systems Custodian, Division for Research Development, Stellenbosch University
