Inaugural lecture by Professor Parsons and other updates

Dear colleagues and students

Professor Shaun Parsons will present his lecture as part of the University of Cape Town’s (UCT) Inaugural Lecture series on Thursday, 13 August 2026. Read more about this and other recent developments on campus.

1. Inaugural lecture by Professor Parsons (Faculty of Commerce)

Professor Shaun Parsons will present his inaugural lecture, “Technology and challenges to tax norms in the 21st Century: Crypto-assets and beyond”, on Thursday, 13 August 2026 at 18:00 SAST in the Mafeje Room, Bremner Building, lower campus.

Professor Parsons will examine how the rise of crypto-assets has challenged tax systems founded on principles that have remained largely unchanged for more than a century. He will explore how digital technologies are reshaping domestic and international taxation, highlighting the practical and theoretical challenges posed by crypto-assets and what they reveal about taxing an increasingly digital and borderless global economy.

Parsons is a professor of taxation, head of the Tax Section in the College of Accounting, and coordinator of the college's scholarship portfolio. A Chartered Accountant (South Africa) and registered tax practitioner, his research examines the intersection of emerging technologies and taxation, with a focus on crypto-assets, decentralised finance, artificial intelligence and cross-border remote work. His work has been published in leading international tax journals, and he is a recognised contributor to global discussions on international taxation.

• Read the full VC Desk: Upcoming UCT inaugural lectures: August 2026.

• Register to attend the lecture.

2. Landmark opportunity for university rankings in Africa

UCT and Applied Higher Education (AppliedHE) have partnered to launch the All-Africa Rankings Initiative, a continental collaboration that will bring together universities and higher education stakeholders to co-create an African-informed framework for recognising institutional excellence.

Universities and higher education stakeholders from across the continent have been invited to participate in the inaugural All-Africa Higher Education Xchange, which will be co-hosted in Cape Town from 31 August to 1 September 2026. The gathering will mark the first phase of a long-term co-creation process that will shape the initiative's principles, methodology and future direction.

The landmark initiative represents a significant shift in how university rankings are conceived as it starts with dialogue, consultation and collaboration, asking a fundamental question: What should excellence in African fourth-generation universities look like in the 21st century?

Through the initiative, the consultation process will investigate how excellence might be recognised through measures that reflect African priorities. These include innovation and entrepreneurship, graduate employability, societal and economic impact, contributions to public policy, digital transformation and artificial intelligence, transformation and inclusion, international and African partnerships, and the preservation and advancement of African knowledge systems.

• Read the full VC Desk: A landmark opportunity for university rankings in Africa.

3. Strategies 2030: Research and internationalisation

UCT has begun developing its Research Strategy 2030 and Internationalisation Strategy 2030, two key institutional strategies that will shape the university's research and internationalisation agenda over the next planning cycle. Aligned with UCT's Strategy 2030, the strategies aim to build on the university's established strengths in research excellence, interdisciplinary collaboration and global partnerships, while positioning the institution to respond to a rapidly evolving higher education landscape.

The development process began with kick-off sessions held in June and July 2026, bringing together representatives from across the university, including faculties, research institutes and professional support departments. These engagements have informed the first draft of both strategies and highlighted the importance of strengthening the links between research excellence, talent development, interdisciplinary collaboration and international engagement. The draft strategies will now be refined through a university-wide consultation process involving staff and students before progressing through UCT's formal governance structures.

The consultation phase, which will provide the university community with an opportunity to help shape the final strategies, will be completed by the end of 2026, and implementation will begin in January 2027.

• Read the full DVC Desk: Strategies 2030: Research and internationalisation.

4. Residence catering: a commitment to excellence and quality

Following food quality and food safety concerns reported earlier this year, UCT initiated a comprehensive review of its catering operations alongside independent environmental health inspections conducted by the City of Cape Town. The inspections found UCT's catering facilities to be compliant with key public health and food safety standards, with no major health risks or non-compliance identified.

The university's internal review has led to a range of improvements aimed at strengthening governance, accountability and service quality across Residence Catering. These include enhanced oversight through independent audits and unannounced inspections, updated standard operating procedures, improved incident management processes, strengthened quality assurance measures and greater use of data to monitor performance. UCT has also expanded opportunities for student feedback and engagement to help inform service improvements and ensure that concerns are addressed promptly and transparently.

• Read the full DVC Desk: Residence catering: a commitment to excellence and quality.

Communication and Marketing Department