UCT Summer School 2026 and other updates

Dear colleagues and students

The much-anticipated UCT 2026 Summer School will run from 19 to 31 January 2026 at the Kramer Law Building. Read more about this and other recent developments on campus.

1. UCT Summer School 2026

The UCT 2026 Summer School will once again bring together alumni, friends and members of the public for two weeks of learning, conversation and cultural events. The Summer School will run from 19 to 31 January 2026 at the Kramer Law Building on middle campus. Participants can attend lectures across a wide range of subjects, browse the bookshops, enjoy the free film programme, reconnect with old friends and spend time as part of the university community.

The programme covers literature, art and music; philosophy, politics and history; medicine and science; and a selection of art and writing courses. This year’s highlights include lectures and presentations by Professor Jonny Steinberg, Professor William Gumede, Judge Susannah Cowen, Dr Iraj Abedian, Redi Tlhabi and others.

For the first time, a dedicated schools programme for principals, educators and the public will address current issues such as bullying and artificial intelligence. Several lectures are free of charge, including the Distinguished Alumni Lecture by Advocate Geoff Budlender and the annual Professor Stuart John Saunders Lecture by Emeritus Professor Wieland Gevers. The In Conversation series features authors Professors Ingrid Fiske and Antjie Krog, Dr Shafik Parker and Professor Anwar Mall.

Emeritus Registrar Hugh Amoore will once again lead the popular campus tours, which offer stories from the university’s history and its people. Excursions include a visit to Newlands Forest for tree and plant identification and a tour of the medical school to explore the development of medicines. Concerts at the Baxter Theatre round off the programme, featuring Grant McClachlan, opera students from the College of Music, the Ramon Alexander Trio, performer Marianne Thamm and a new ballet choreographed by Mario Gaglione.

• View the programme.

For more information, please contact Medeé Rall.

2. UCT Staff Awards – celebrating excellence and commitment

UCT held its annual staff awards on 24 November 2025 at the Baxter Theatre, celebrating the contribution of academic as well as professional, administrative and support services (PASS) staff. The event remains one of the university’s most meaningful occasions, recognising the people who drive its work and uphold its values of excellence, integrity, ubuntu and transformation.

This year, more than 300 staff members were honoured for their achievements and dedication. The long-service awards highlighted colleagues who have served the university for 15, 25, 35 and 45 years. The ceremony also recognised excellence in research and service. The awards affirmed the central role staff play in strengthening UCT’s mission and its standing as a leading institution on the continent.

• Read the full VC Desk: UCT staff awards – celebrating excellence and commitment.
• Visit the UCT Staff Awards 2025 feature page.

3. Get your data and IT in order before the holidays

If you’re graduating, retiring, leaving UCT or just taking some time off, please get your IT in order before departing.

• Read ICTS’s tips for going on leave.
• Read ICTS’s advice for those retiring or leaving UCT (both staff and students).

4. Support UCT’s QS reputation rankings process

As part of UCT’s participation in the Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) World University Rankings (WUR) 2027 cycle, the university is required to submit a list of senior academic peers and graduate employers. QS will contact these individuals and invite them to take part in the Academic and Employer Reputation Surveys. The academic reputation survey counts for 30% of the overall ranking, and the employer survey counts for 15%. Together, they influence UCT’s position in the QS WUR.

Each year, UCT can nominate academic peers and employers for inclusion in these surveys. While rankings do not define the university’s success, they offer opportunities to attract strong students, funding and collaborators. The rankings also draw criticism because the reputation surveys tend to favour institutions in the Global North. Reputation metrics remain an area where UCT and many universities in the Global South face challenges. This nomination process creates space to address that imbalance.

Staff are invited to share the contact information of international peers who are familiar with their work and recognise the quality of research and teaching at UCT.

• Read the full DVC Desk: Invitation: Support UCT’s QS reputation rankings.
• Complete the online form by 12 December 2025.

Communication and Marketing Department