VC’s Open Lecture: Professor Irene Tracey on research, innovation and the future of universities

The University of Cape Town (UCT) hosted its Vice-Chancellor’s Open Lecture on 5 March 2026, featuring Professor Irene Tracey, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Oxford. In her lecture, Professor Tracey reflected on how Oxford has built and sustained one of Europe’s leading research and innovation ecosystems, emphasising the role of curiosity-driven research, strong institutional leadership and partnerships with government, industry and society in translating academic excellence into real-world impact.

Following the lecture, UCT Vice-Chancellor Professor Mosa Moshabela joined Professor Tracey in a panel conversation alongside Professor Deborah Prentice, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cambridge, and Professor David Dreyer Lassen, Rector of the University of Copenhagen. The discussion explored how leading universities across different contexts are strengthening research excellence, fostering innovation and working with their societies to advance knowledge, opportunity and shared progress.

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