Inaugural lecture by Professors Wearne and Dave and other updates

Dear colleagues and students

Professors Nicola Wearne and Joel Dave will deliver a joint inaugural lecture as part of the University of Cape Town’s (UCT) 2026 Inaugural Lecture series on Thursday, 23 July 2026 at 18:00 SAST. Read more about this and other recent developments on campus.

1. Inaugural lecture by Professors Dave and Wearne (Faculty of Health Sciences)

UCT will mark a milestone in its Inaugural Lecture Series when Professors Dave and Wearne become the first academics to present a joint inaugural lecture. Titled “The power of collective endeavour: Advancing through partnership, mentorship and inclusivity,” the joint lecture will be held on Thursday, 23 July 2026 at 18:00 SAST in the New Learning Centre Lecture Theatre, Anatomy Building, health sciences campus.

While they have followed different professional paths in endocrinology and nephrology, they share a commitment to improve health outcomes, advance medical knowledge and develop the next generation of healthcare professionals.

Drawing on their respective fields, Professors Wearne and Dave will reflect on the importance of mentorship, inclusive leadership and collaboration in improving patient care, strengthening health systems and supporting future clinicians, scientists and leaders. They will also explore how partnerships, institutional capacity building and inclusive approaches can help address persistent inequalities in health, education and opportunity across South Africa and the African continent.

The lecture will reflect on their professional journeys while celebrating the mentors, colleagues, trainees, friends and family who have shaped their careers. Professor Wearne is the head of the Division of Nephrology and Hypertension at Groote Schuur Hospital and UCT, where her work focuses on HIV-associated kidney disease, peritoneal dialysis and kidney supportive care in resource-constrained settings. Professor Dave is the head of the Division of Endocrinology at Groote Schuur Hospital and UCT; and his research explores the intersection of infectious diseases and endocrinology while advancing endocrinology education and training across South Africa and the continent.

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

2. UCT receives clean audit opinion

UCT has received a clean (unmodified) audit opinion for its 2025 Annual Financial Statements, confirming that the financial statements fairly present the university's financial position and performance. The statements, together with the management accounts for the period ended 30 April 2026, were approved and noted respectively at the UCT Council meeting held on 13 June 2026. The 2025 financial results show a consolidated surplus of R1.35 billion, up from R852 million in 2024, with total revenue of approximately R9.15 billion and expenditure of approximately R8.92 billion. The positive outcome was driven mainly by designated funding, favourable investment performance, and growth in subsidies, grants, tuition and fee income, as well as donations.

While the university's overall financial position has strengthened, UCT's core operating budget remains under pressure. The Council-controlled unrestricted operating segment, which funds the university's core teaching and operating activities, recorded a deficit of approximately R321 million, although this was an improvement on the previous year. Management accounts to 30 April 2026 indicate that the university has entered the new financial year in a stable but constrained operating environment. Although the projected operating deficit for 2026 is expected to be lower than budgeted, continued pressure on government subsidies, tuition fee income, student debt, NSFAS funding constraints and broader higher education funding challenges require a cautious outlook.

The university continues to implement its financial sustainability programme, focusing on cost optimisation, revenue diversification, procurement improvements and operational efficiency to strengthen its long-term financial resilience. Council and management have reaffirmed that UCT remains a going concern based on its current resources, liquidity and financial planning assumptions. As part of the mandatory external auditor rotation process, PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) has concluded its five-year term, with Ernst & Young (EY) appointed as the university's external auditors from the 2026 financial year. UCT acknowledged the ongoing commitment of staff across the institution to responsible financial management and the stewardship of university resources.

• Read the full CFO Desk: Financial update: UCT receives clean audit opinion.

3. Upcoming UCT Flourish Summit 2026: Shortlisted speakers and registration call

The Centre for Wellbeing and Flourishing will host the UCT Flourish Summit 2026, an evening dedicated to authentic student storytelling, on Friday, 4 September 2026 from 19:00 to 22:00.

This event, themed "Flourishing at University: From Barriers to Breakthroughs", will take place on upper campus. The exact venue will be confirmed in due course.

Following an open call earlier this year, students from across the university submitted deeply personal reflections on their journeys in higher education. The applications came from across faculties and represented diverse lived experiences.

After careful review, a select group of students has been shortlisted and invited to participate in the inaugural UCT Flourish Summit Speaker Development Programme.

Over the next few weeks, these students will participate in speaker coaching, development workshops and rehearsals before the final speaker programme is confirmed.

The Centre for Wellbeing and Flourishing is proud to introduce this second annual speaker cohort and invites the wider UCT community to join what promises to be an evening of thoughtful conversation, inspiration and shared humanity at the UCT Flourish Summit 2026.

The event is free and open to all UCT students, staff, alumni and members of the broader community.

• Please register in advance to reserve your place.

4. Reminder: Call for nominations: UCT Open Textbook Award

The UCT community is reminded that nominations for the 2026 UCT Open Textbook Award are still open. Now in its fifth year, the award recognises innovative open education initiatives that make teaching and learning materials more affordable and accessible while advancing curriculum transformation and multilingualism at UCT.

Open textbooks are freely available, openly licensed educational resources that support collaborative authorship, quality assurance and publishing. They reduce the cost of study materials, encourage students to become co-creators of knowledge and make educational resources accessible beyond the university.

The award celebrates projects that promote equitable access to knowledge and inclusive teaching and learning. It carries a prize of R30 000, which may be shared between more than one recipient. Nominations may be submitted by open textbook authors or third parties. The closing date for nominations is 3 August 2026.

• Read the full DVC Desk: Call for nominations: UCT Open Textbook Award.
• Read more about the award and how to submit a nomination.

5. Reminder: UCT to host TLC2026

UCT will host its annual Teaching and Learning Conference (TLC2026) from 17 to 18 November 2026, with pre-conference workshops scheduled for 16 November. Co-hosted by the Centre for Higher Education Development (CHED) and the UCT AI Initiative, the conference will create a space for the university community to engage with the opportunities and challenges that artificial intelligence (AI) presents for higher education.

Held under the theme, “Connection, Reconfigured: Reimagining Teaching and Learning with AI,” TLC2026 will bring together educators, students, researchers and professional staff to examine how AI is reshaping teaching, learning and knowledge creation. The conference aims to build institutional capacity, encourage collaboration and promote critical engagement with the future of higher education.

As AI continues to transform education and research, the conference will explore questions that go beyond technology. Participants will reflect on what it means to be human in an era where AI can perform many tasks once considered uniquely human, and consider the evolving roles of educators, students and knowledge producers in an increasingly AI-enabled world.

• Read the full DVC Desk: Connection, Reconfigured: Reimagining teaching and learning with AI.
• Submit proposals.
• Register to attend.

For more information or queries, please email the organising team.

Communication and Marketing Department