Briefs

Conference funding travel deadline

Please note that there is one remaining round of conference travel funding for 2004 and the deadline for applications for this is September 27, 2004.

However, due to over-subscription, there is very little budget remaining to distribute in this last round. From 2005, there will be only two annual rounds for conference travel funding each year.

Awards are made by the Conference Travel Committee to enable permanent academic staff, T3 contract appointees on academic conditions of service and applicants from the health sciences faculty who are on joint conditions of service, such as with the Provincial Administration of the Western Cape and the National Health Laboratory Sciences, supported by the dean of health sciences or nominee to attend conferences and congresses at which they will be presenting papers. Eligible academic staff members are requested to apply well in advance as the Conference Travel Committee meets one month after each deadline and awards will not be made for conferences already attended.

For more information on the terms of reference for the Conference Travel Committee, please read R&I08TOR (available on the website: http://web.uct.ac.za/depts/sapweb/forms/forms.htm#ResearchInnovation).

Please note that applicants may apply for funding for one conference a year, regardless of whether it is a national or international conference. Awards are made at the discretion of the Conference Travel Committee. Awards may be granted on a provisional basis where proof of acceptance of a paper has not yet been obtained. Copies of the abstract, conference programme, airfare quotation, proof of conference registration fees as well as the endorsements of the HOD and dean must accompany each application.

The World @ UCT Festival

Radio host Tim Modise, comedian Pieter Dirk Uys aka Evita Bezuidenhout, education minister Naledi Pandor and health minister Dr Manto Tshabalala-Msimang will be among the guests featured at the 2004 World @ UCT Festival from August 2 to 8. For full details of festival events and venues, please consult the events listing at www.uct.ac.za.

Black Caucus workshop

The Black Caucus has planned a strategic planning workshop this Thursday, July 29, at the law faculty's Oliver Tambo Moot Court. The workshop begins at 13h30 and is scheduled to end at 16h30. Mbulelo Bikwani, HR director at Rentokil and CCMA commissioner, will facilitate the workshop. All those interested in transformation at UCT are welcome.

Fatherhood exhibition

The Centre for African Studies will host a photographic exhibition, part of the HSRC's Fatherhood Project, to recognise, encourage and support men's care and protection of children. It will feature a variety of professional and amateur photographs celebrating positive images of fathering. The exhibition opens on July 29 at 18h00 and runs until August 6. All are welcome at the opening. In conjunction with the exhibition, the Parenting Centre, Human Rights Commission and others will run related workshops.

Celebrating Women in Business

The popular GSB Women in Business Seminar will be held on Friday, August 6. This year's topic is titled Women Empowering Other Women and will once again be presented in collaboration with the Businesswoman's Association. For more information contact Natasja Ware on (021) 406 1486.

Equality for disabled people

The deputy minister of education Mohamed Surty addressed a gathering at a workshop on equal opportunities for disabled people in education, hosted by UCT's health and rehabilitation sciences department, in partnership with the leaders of the Disabled People South Africa and the African secretariat of the African Decade of Disabled Persons. Surty spoke on national policy on the education and development of disabled people. The workshop also presented a platform for several UCT staff, who were invited to respond to each of the presentations. These included the deputy registrar, Dr Jim McNamara; the acting dean of students, Dr Ian Mackintosh; and Professor Nan Yeld, dean of the Centre for Higher Education Development.