Fertiliser from urine: winning master’s research underscores SDGs
AchieversLatest newsResearchUniversity of Cape Town September 29, 2021
Human urine is treated as a mere waste product, millions of litres flushed away daily. But this liquid gold is rich in nitrogen in the form of urea, which is most often used as a fertiliser. University of Cape Town (UCT) civil engineering master’s candidate Hlumelo Marepula has won... Read more
Leadership a priority for new law scholarship
Latest newsScholarshipsUniversity of Cape TownWestern Cape July 27, 2021
The Everard and Joan MacFarlane Family Leadership Scholarship for University of Cape Town (UCT) law students was launched on Tuesday, 20 July. More than just a funding grant, the R15 million endowment aims to support students who display both academic excellence and leadership skills, through a holistic faculty‑based programme. Taking... Read more
Rare honours and international recognition for UCT research managers
AchieversLatest newsResearchUniversity of Cape Town June 9, 2021
UCT staff members Natalie Le Roux (senior research manager in the Research Office) and Sidney Engelbrecht (manager: Research Ethics and Compliance in the Faculty of Health Sciences) both obtained Research Management Professional (RMP) status. The two received this honour during the first opportunity afforded to Africa’s research managers to receive this... Read more
UCT as an example for embedding a ‘futures’ culture
CareersLatest newsUniversity of Cape Town May 12, 2021
Creating a safe space for “crazy ideas”, brave leadership and dedicating 20% of your time to thinking about the long-term are some of the essential actions and attributes of any organisation, big or small, wanting to help shape the future. This was the advice of Abbas Jamie, an engineer... Read more
UCT professor heads Law and Society Association’s global activities portfolio
AchieversLatest newsUniversity of Cape TownWestern Cape May 10, 2021
University of Cape Town (UCT) law expert Professor Dee Smythe – a “pioneer in the field of law and society in Africa” – has been appointed as the Law and Society Association’s (LSA) inaugural coordinator of global activities (CGA). The LSA is an international organisation that brings together scholars from across... Read more
COVID-19: UCT math modeller makes her mark
AchieversLatest newsUniversity of Cape TownWestern Cape May 7, 2021
In January 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) invited the University of Cape Town’s (UCT) Dr Sheetal Silal to join an international taskforce of mathematical modellers to study the dynamics of a novel coronavirus outbreak in China. Little did she know the impact this would have on her life... Read more
Ancient secrets from the understudied Kalahari
AchieversLatest newsResearchUniversity of Cape TownWestern Cape May 6, 2021
Dominant theories of human evolution say our ancestors evolved behaviours seen as ‘modern’ about 100 000 years ago along the South African coast. With sites like Blombos Cave and Pinnacle Point revealing remarkable evidence of modern humans and their reliance on marine resources, the theory makes sense. But some researchers,... Read more
UCT remains a top-10 emerging economy university
AchieversLatest newsUniversity of Cape Town April 8, 2021
The University of Cape Town (UCT) ranks 10th worldwide among universities in countries with emerging economies according to the 2021 Times Higher Education (THE) Emerging Economies University Rankings. UCT maintained its position from 2020 and remains the top performing institution from Africa. “UCT is proud to be ranked in the... Read more
“Achieving the University of Cape Town’s (UCT) Vision 2030 is like putting together a million-piece puzzle – it seems challenging and exhausting, but if everyone picks up just one puzzle piece and places it in the correct place, the puzzle will be complete in no time.” And succeeding at... Read more
‘Don’t be afraid to be first’
University of Cape Town December 9, 2020
Tabeth Masengu became the University of Cape Town’s (UCT’s) first recipient of a jointly awarded PhD in Law, in this case with Ghent University in Belgium, when she defended her thesis online in May and concluded her exams in June. Her examiners were unanimous in awarding her the doctorate... Read more
