Update on Executive Positions

Dear students and colleagues

This communication serves to keep you updated with regards to a number of developments around the University of Cape Town campus. These include the arrival of our incoming Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Research and Internationalisation, the official commencement of the new Dean of Health Sciences, the recent National Research Foundation (NRF) awards and the selection processes for the positions of both the Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Transformation and the Director: Graduate School of Business (GSB).

Incoming DVC: Research and Internationalisation

Professor Mamokgethi Phakeng joined UCT on 1 July 2016 as Deputy Vice-Chancellor designate. She will be taking over the portfolio of Research and Internationalisation from Professor Danie Visser, who will be retiring at the end of 2016. This will allow a six-month handover period. Prof Phakeng is joining UCT from the University of South Africa, where she was the Vice-Principal for Research and Innovation. More information about Prof Phakeng's extensive academic background is available in her abridged CV.

• Read Prof Phakeng's abridged CV...

Prof Phakeng recently received the prestigious Businesswoman of the Year Award in the education category at a ceremony staged by the Businesswomen's Association (BWA) of South Africa. I am certain the entire campus community joins me in congratulating Prof Phakeng.

• Read about Prof Phakeng's achievement...

NRF Awards

The recent NRF awards saw 10 UCT academics walking home with various accolades.

Professor Mark Engel, of the Department of Medicine, was granted the Research Excellence Award for Early Career or Emerging Researcher (shared with Professor Nosipho Moloto of the University of the Witwatersrand).

Five UCT researchers – Professor Anusuya Chinsamy-Turan (Biological Sciences), Professor Bruce Hewitson (Environmental and Geographical Science), Professor Bongani Mayosi (Medicine), Professor Gerald Nurick (Mechanical Engineering) and Professor Chris Reason (Oceanography) – were awarded A ratings for the first time. An A rating is awarded based on the quality and impact of research outputs in the recent past and – according to the NRF – A-rated researchers are "unequivocally recognised by their peers as leading international scholars in their field”.

A further four researchers – Professor David Chidester (Religious Studies), Professor Michael Feast (Astronomy and the South African Astronomical Observatory), Professor Valerie Mizrahi (Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine) and Professor Tim Noakes (Human Biology) – retained their A ratings in the current cycle.

We are enormously proud of the achievements of these colleagues.

• Read an outline of our colleagues' achievements...

New Health Sciences Dean

Professor Bongani Mayosi officially took over as the Dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences on 1 September 2016. We wish him well in his new role and have no doubt that he will steer the faculty to greater heights.

• Read more about Prof Mayosi...

DVC: Transformation

The selection process for the position of Deputy Vice-Chancellor to the portfolio of Transformation is underway. The selection committee was agreed to by the UCT Council and has reached the stage of compiling a shortlist. The shortlisted candidates will meet with key stakeholders in open presentations on 26 September 2016, followed by interviews the next day. Should the selection committee agree on a suitable candidate, a recommendation containing a proposal to appoint will be tabled to the appropriate forums for input and decision-making.

GSB Director

The selection process for the position of Director: GSB is far advanced with the selection committee having made a recommendation. The GSB Management Committee and Academic Committee is scheduled to meet on 12 September 2016 to consider the recruitment report and make a decision over the candidate. Thereafter the report will be submitted to the Institutional Forum and Council.

Sincerely,

Dr Max Price
Vice-Chancellor