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Wamkelekile, Welkom
Wamkelekile, Welkom
UCT contributes to groundbreaking discovery of cosmic beast by MeerKAT telescope
The University of Cape Town (UCT) researchers and South Africa’s MeerKAT radio telescope have made a monumental discovery of a rare giant radio galaxy, “Inkathazo,” helping astronomers further understand the largest structures in the universe. This groundbreaking study , published on Monday, 20 January 2025 in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society , features contributions from researchers and scientists worldwide.
21 Jan 2025
Media release
UCT students benefit from R1.7bn in 2024 funding, however financial needs remain
The University of Cape Town (UCT) reaffirms its unwavering commitment to enabling access to higher education and supporting financially eligible students. Over the years, the university has prioritised student funding as a critical transformation goal. Despite significant funding challenges in 2024, UCT remained steadfast in its efforts to provide robust financial aid to academically and financially eligible students.
10 Jan 2025
Media release
UCT academic leads global efforts in biodiversity and ecosystem services
Professor Lynne Shannon of the University of Cape Town’s (UCT) Department of Biological Sciences and Marine and Antarctic Research Centre for Innovation and Sustainability (UCT-MARiS) continues to make a global impact in her field. Her trailblazing contributions to the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) underscore her commitment to addressing urgent biodiversity challenges and advancing sustainable development worldwide.
07 Jan 2025
Media release
UCT Professor honoured with OBE for groundbreaking infectious disease research
Professor Robert J Wilkinson, an honorary Professor in the University of Cape Town’s (UCT) Department of Medicine , has been named an Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (OBE). This prestigious accolade, announced in the United Kingdom’s New Year Honours List 2025, is awarded “for services to infectious disease research.”
07 Jan 2025
Media release
UCT-led study confirms four giraffe species, paving the way for urgent conservation efforts
The giraffe is one of the world’s most iconic and unique mammals and has captured the human imagination through the ages. Surprisingly, only a few years ago, scientists discovered four distinct species of giraffe - based on their genetics - and not, as previously assumed, only one giraffe species.
06 Jan 2025
Media release
UCT reaffirms commitment to campus maintenance amid social media speculation
The University of Cape Town (UCT) has noted the social media posts purpoting to be around the state of maintenance on campus. It should be emphasised that UCT is a large institution, with several precincts spread across five campuses in different locations. As such, the pictures shared on social media are not a holistic reflection of the general state of the university campuses.
06 Jan 2025
Statement
Discover, learn, and be inspired: UCT Summer School 2025 offers world-class talent, free lectures and unique excursions
The University of Cape Town (UCT) will host the 2025 Summer School through its Centre for Extra-Mural Studies from Monday, 20 January 2025 to Saturday, 1 February 2025. This vibrant programme of short courses offers a unique opportunity for individuals of all ages to engage with diverse topics, expand their horizons, and explore new ideas in a welcoming and dynamic environment.
06 Jan 2025
Media release
UCT and MeerKAT unlock cosmic secrets: gravitational waves revealed in record time
The University of Cape Town (UCT), in collaboration with the South African Radio Astronomy Observatory (SARAO) and leading international institutions, has made groundbreaking strides in unveiling the mysteries of the universe. Harnessing the extraordinary capabilities of South Africa’s world-renowned MeerKAT radio telescope, the collaboration has found compelling evidence for a low-frequency gravitational wave background–cosmic ripples in spacetime that stretch and squeeze the fabric of the Universe.
03 Dec 2024
Media release
UCT-led study reveals alarming vaping rates among South African high school learners
A groundbreaking study led by the University of Cape Town (UCT) has uncovered startling levels of vaping among high school learners in South Africa, with nearly 30% of Grade 12 students reporting active use. This first-of-its-kind research, involving over 25 000 learners across 52 schools, was published in The Lancet EClinicalMedicine .
02 Dec 2024
Media release
UCT MBA students win global innovation competition
A team of Master of Business Administration (MBA) students from the University of Cape Town’s Graduate School of Business (UCT GSB) has claimed victory at the Geneva Challenge 2024, a global competition spotlighting groundbreaking solutions to pressing societal challenges. Competing against 222 teams from 94 countries, the UCT team’s project, Mntase Cares – Mobile Clinics for Youth Empowerment , emerged as the winning innovation, addressing the critical issue of teenage pregnancy in South Africa.
02 Dec 2024
Media release
I’ve had wonderful moments that felt like rays of sunshine in my first 100 days – UCT VC
Newly installed University of Cape Town (UCT) Vice-Chancellor Professor Mosa Moshabela has had some “wonderful moments that felt like rays of sunshine” despite some of the challenges in his first 100 days in office.
27 Nov 2024
Media release
UCT symposium charts a future towards inclusive economies through intersectoral collaboration
Disability prevalence is estimated at 16% in South Africa and rising. It is estimated
that nine out of 10 persons with disabilities eligible for work are unemployed in South
Africa. As of August 2023, according to the Department of Labour, of 7 215 960
employees, only 1,2% are persons with disabilities.
26 Nov 2024
Media release
Newly installed UCT VC to position university as a catalyst for change in Africa, while embracing African values
“I look forward to the future as we journey together, as we consolidate the three missions of UCT, explore the fourth mission of UCT: positioning UCT as a catalyst for change in Africa.
“All this whilst we embrace our African values of ubuntu – “I am because you are”, lift others as we rise and leave no one behind. And we do this with compassion. Remember, UCT is not just the bricks and mortar, it is also all of us – past, present and future generations.”
26 Nov 2024
Media release
Poor service delivery, aging infrastructure under the spotlight at UCT’s first National Infrastructure Hackathon
The University of Cape Town’s (UCT) Department of Civil Engineering recently hosted the first National Infrastructure Hackathon. The hackathon, held under the theme “Constructing Tomorrow: Public Infrastructure Policy Dialogue & Research Excellence”, attracted executives from infrastructure departments and waterboards, academic staff, final-year civil engineering students, postgraduate students, municipal engineers, professional associations and private-sector engineering consultants and contractors.
20 Nov 2024
Media release
UCT’s seven graduates among 11 Southern African Rhodes Scholarship recipients for 2025
The University of Cape Town (UCT) continues to shine as a beacon of academic excellence and leadership, with seven of its graduates named among the 11 recipients of the prestigious Rhodes Scholarship for 2025 in the Southern African cohort. This remarkable achievement underscores UCT's reputation as a premier institution that nurtures not only academic talent, but also future leaders committed to making a global impact.
18 Nov 2024
Media release