UCT excels to win both the Greenovate Property and Engineering Awards 2018
AwardsUniversity of Cape Town December 5, 2018
The University of Cape Town (UCT) has won the Greenovate Property Award 2018 and the Greenovate Engineering Award 2018, taking top place in both streams of the prestigious Greenovate Awards. This is the second year in a row that UCT has taken top honours in both Awards, demonstrating continued... Read more
VC welcomes Young Global Leaders
AchieversUniversity of Cape Town November 27, 2018
The University of Cape Town (UCT) and other South Africa universities are seeking ways to change teaching, research and learning methods in a bid to address an education system many young people see as perpetuating poverty, inequality and unemployment in the country, Vice-Chancellor Professor Mamokgethi Phakeng told 35 Young Global... Read more
Recognising the diversity of SA families
ResearchUniversity of Cape Town November 26, 2018
What is “a family”? In South African law, the answer – or rather, answers – are broad. For example, it’s not considered unusual or unacceptable for children to move between kin and to be raised at different stages by grandparents, parents and other relatives. Kinship care is a widespread and customary... Read more
World-first: Bio-bricks from urine
ResearchUniversity of Cape Town November 23, 2018
The world’s first bio-brick grown from human urine has been unveiled by University of Cape Town (UCT) master’s student in civil engineering Suzanne Lambert, signalling an innovative paradigm shift in waste recovery. The bio-bricks are created through a natural process called microbial carbonate precipitation. It’s not unlike the way seashells... Read more
University of Cape Town VC’s first 100 days in office
AchieversUniversity of Cape Town November 22, 2018
One hundred days into her five-year term of office as vice-chancellor (VC) of Africa’s leading university, Professor Mamokgethi Phakeng has experienced the highs and lows that reflect the challenges of a transforming, research-intensive institution in the 21st century. In her first weeks in July, Phakeng held scores of meetings with... Read more
University of Cape Town still tops in Africa
AchieversUniversity of Cape Town November 15, 2018
The University of Cape Town (UCT) held its position as the top university in Africa in the 2019 Best Global Universities Rankings, ahead of the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits) and the University of KwaZulu-Natal. Globally, UCT continues to skirt the top 100 – the university is ranked 114th in the... Read more
University of Cape Town: Double award in national Three Minute Thesis competition
AchieversUniversity of Cape Town November 13, 2018
Doctoral candidate Rene Nsanzubuhoro has developed a novel device that can be used to assess the extent of leaks in sections of water pipeline and other fluid-pipeline systems, without the need for costly and invasive efforts. A combination of inspiration and passion brought him to this point, including his... Read more
Universities must ‘reframe’ goals and agendas
Student outreachUniversity of Cape Town November 12, 2018
It’s time for universities across the globe to start becoming an active part of the solution to the multiple social, ecological and economic crises that are leading some scholars to call this the “Anthropocene age”. To do that, they should have the courage and desire to explicitly reframe their... Read more
University of Cape Town: Bumper Summer School for 2019
Student outreachUniversity of Cape Town November 7, 2018
Now extended to three weeks, the University of Cape Town (UCT) Summer School from 7 to 25 January 2019 offers a bumper programme of 113 lectures (up from 70 in 2018) and a focus on Africa and “issues of consequence”. These include land reform, corruption, ethical governance, and the 2019 elections. “We’re... Read more
University of Cape Town: Supporting students with disabilities
Student outreachUniversity of Cape Town November 1, 2018
University of Cape Town (UCT) students with disabilities are inspiring others with their stories of perseverance and resilience, and have expressed gratitude for the way they’ve been assisted with tailor-made support such as Braille readers and South African Sign Language interpreters. In February this year, the FirstRand Foundation (Tshikululu Social... Read more
