Inaugural lecture by Professor Hattingh and other updates

Dear colleagues and students

Professor Johann Hattingh will deliver his lecture as part of the University of Cape Town’s (UCT) Inaugural Lecture series on Tuesday, 24 March 2026. Read more about this and other recent developments on campus.

1. Inaugural lecture by Professor Johann Hattingh (Faculty of Law)

Professor Hattingh will present his lecture, “An Integrated Framework for Legal Reasoning in South Africa’s Law of Taxation: The International and Comparative Dimensions”, on Tuesday, 24 March 2026 at 18:00 SAST at Kramer Moot Court, Level 5, Kramer Law Building, middle campus.

In this lecture, Hattingh will examine the international and comparative tax law dimensions of an integrated framework for statutory and treaty interpretation, shaped by the landmark Natal Joint Municipal Pension Fund v Endumeni Municipality (2012) judgment. He will also reflect on how this decision advanced a unitary approach to legal reasoning in South African law, particularly in disputes involving tax legislation and treaties.

Hattingh is a professor of Commercial Law at UCT’s Faculty of Law and an Advocate of the High Court of South Africa. He has served as president of the International Fiscal Association of South Africa since 2025, and his work has been cited by courts including the Supreme Court of Canada and the Swiss Federal Supreme Court. He has also advised the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa and contributed to African Union tax initiatives under the New Partnership for Africa’s Development; and is widely consulted across the public and private sectors in Africa.

• Read the full VC Desk: Upcoming UCT inaugural lectures: March and April 2026.
• Register to attend the lecture.

2. Call for nominations: Distinguished Teacher Award

Nominations for the Distinguished Teacher Award (DTA) 2025 are now open.

The DTA is the highest recognition bestowed by UCT on teaching staff. The award recognises and celebrates excellence in teaching, including transformed teaching practice, and affirms the central role of teaching and learning in the institution’s work.

Each year, the DTA Committee reviews nominations from across the university to identify educators who have significantly shaped student learning experiences, contributed to curriculum renewal and advanced inclusive teaching practices. The selection process is rigorous and guided by clear criteria and adjudication standards.

Permanent academic staff who have taught at UCT for at least five years full-time under academic conditions of service, and who are engaged in undergraduate and/or postgraduate teaching and supervision, are eligible for the award.

Nominations may be submitted by students and/or academic staff by 6 April 2026.

• Read the full DVC Desk: Call for nominations: Distinguished Teacher Award.
• Submit a nomination.

3. Launch of the Research Project Navigator website

UCT has launched the Research Project Navigator (RPN) website, a comprehensive platform designed to streamline and support the research journey. The RPN guides researchers through each phase of a project, from concept to completion, offering clear step-by-step direction and access to relevant support services, guidelines and tools at every stage of the research lifecycle.

The platform is the result of several months of focused work, including a detailed review of research support processes and collaboration across multiple university functions. It reflects UCT’s commitment to strengthening research support and improving access to key resources.

The RPN helps researchers identify the appropriate points of contact and services across the university, including the Research Office, Research Contracts and Innovation, the International Academic Programmes Office, the eResearch Centre and Central Research Finance. It aims to make it easier for researchers to navigate systems and access the support they need at the right time.

• Read the full DVC Desk: Launch of the Research Project Navigator website.

4. UCT Flourishing Lab: AI and human flourishing

The UCT Centre for Wellbeing and Flourishing invites staff and students to participate in the UCT Flourish Lab: AI, Wellbeing and Human Flourishing, an online reflective engagement scheduled for 1 and 2 April 2026. The lab offers a guided, dialogue-based space to explore how global developments intersect with lived experiences of flourishing, with the 2026 theme focusing on artificial intelligence (AI) and its impact on human well-being.

The 2026 lab follows an international interface hosted by the International Positive Psychology Association (IPPA) on AI and wellbeing. While global scholarship informs the discussion, the UCT Flourish Lab creates space for local reflection and sense-making, centred on the voices and experiences of staff, undergraduate and postgraduate students. It is not a conference or a technical workshop, but a space that prioritises thoughtful listening, shared inquiry and psychological safety.

The two-day online programme will feature short reflective contributions from a diverse group of student and staff, alongside facilitated dialogue and engagement. Participants will reflect on questions around human flourishing in AI-shaped environments, including its influence on learning, identity, relationships and well-being, as well as visions for responsible and hopeful futures. No prior expertise in AI or psychology is required for attendance.

• Register to attend.
• Submit expression of interest to contribute as a speaker.

For more information, please contact Sean Abrahams.

5. WUN Global Mental Health Symposium 2026 – call for abstracts

UCT will host the Worldwide Universities Network (WUN) Global Mental Health Symposium 2026 at the Graduate School of Business on 23 and 24 June 2026. The WUN Mental Health Leadership Group invites members of the UCT research community to submit abstracts for consideration.

The 2026 theme, “Digital mental health and inequalities”, invites submissions for oral presentations, posters and panel proposals aligned with the symposium’s sub-themes. The event will bring together researchers, policy makers, practitioners and community advocates to engage on global mental health challenges.

The symposium aims to strengthen collaboration across WUN, the African Research Universities Alliance and the ASEAN University Network, with a focus on advancing research and shared responses to mental health inequalities.

• Read more about the concept and sub-themes.
• Access the submission guidelines and abstract portal.
• Register before 29 May 2026.

For more information, please contact the WUN 2026 Committee.

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