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Wamkelekile, Welkom
Wamkelekile, Welkom
UCT to introduce Swahili from 2023
Swahili will be taught as an elective language course at the University of Cape Town (UCT) from 2023, with the aim of launching it as a major subject in 2028. Vice-Chancellor Professor Mamokgethi Phakeng made the announcement in her opening address at UCT’s Africa Month panel discussion recently, discussing the role of language and music in liberating and integrating Africa.
30 May 2022
Study finds high history of depression in women with chronic pain
A new study by University of Cape Town (UCT) researchers found a 32% prevalence of comorbid pre-existing depression in patients presenting with chronic pain to the Chronic Pain Management Clinic (CPMC) at Groote Schuur Hospital (GSH). This is more than three times higher than the described lifetime prevalence in South Africa of 9.7%.
30 May 2022
Climate change could wipe out southern yellow-billed hornbills in the Kalahari Desert by 2027
A University of Cape Town (UCT) study set out to investigate the effect of climate change on the breeding success of southern yellow-billed hornbills in the Kalahari Desert found that they could be wiped out by 2027.
26 May 2022
Harnessing healthcare in Africa to improve development in the sector
In commemoration of Africa Day 2022, the University of Cape Town’s (UCT) Faculty of Health Sciences (FHS) hosted a celebration with the theme “The Future of Healthcare in Africa”. The hybrid event featured talks from key figures from Africa’s healthcare sector as well as live performances from some of the continent’s most popular acts.
25 May 2022
Peri-urban living a ‘poisoned chalice’ for city’s caracals
Research by University of Cape Town (UCT) PhD graduate Dr Gabriella Leighton and colleagues has shown that organochlorine pollutants along Cape Town’s peri-urban fringes are present in concerningly high concentrations in the body tissue of the city’s caracals (or rooikat). This has potential long-term implications for their health and survival.
24 May 2022
New TB drug combination trial could lead to shorter treatment
A visit by the Bavarian State Chancellery and the Western Cape Government to the University of Cape Town’s Lung Institute (UCTLI) has highlighted a new trial involving BTZ-043 (benzothiazinone DprE1 blocker), a novel TB drug candidate.
24 May 2022
UCT Parasport Club hosts inaugural blind football workshop
For both seasoned and non-professional football players, getting a ball in the back of the net is no mean feat. It requires skill, agility and awareness of what’s going on around you – making it especially difficult for aspiring footballers with visual impairments to participate in the sport they love.
19 May 2022
Innovative student trio create giant fabric ‘intestine’ to promote recycling culture
A group of environmentally conscious University of Cape Town (UCT) students have created a giant 90 m sculpture on UCT’s upper campus plaza in a unique effort to increase awareness on the benefits of recycling and to inspire positive change among the campus community.
16 May 2022
UCT students among global young leaders in Antarctica Expedition tackling climate change
A sudden hailstorm at sea in the Antarctic while studying glaciers from a Zodiac inflatable would unnerve any adventurer. For the unseasoned visitor, rapid weather changes in the south polar region can be especially alarming, said University of Cape Town (UCT) humanities student Madina Mothupi.
16 May 2022
UCT part of global parenting initiative awarded more than R200 million by LEGO Foundation
The LEGO Foundation is awarding a £11 million (̴ R218 million) five-year grant to international research aimed at developing and providing free, evidence-based, playful parenting support to every parent all over the world.
13 May 2022
UCT to host World Conference on Research Integrity: Fostering research integrity in an unequal society
To optimally serve society, scientific research needs to be built on trust. The field of research integrity exists to ensure responsible research practices, so that society can trust the outcomes of research and researchers can trust each other to build upon existing research.
12 May 2022
Invite: Leveraging community and stakeholder perspectives on solutions to disaster risk management in the Cape Flats
The Future Water Institute at the University of Cape Town (UCT) is collaborating with three vulnerable Cape Flats communities (Delft, Overcome Heights and Sweet Home Farm), local and international academic institutions and non-profit organisations to address three inter-connected climate change induced environmental hazards, i.e., drought-related water shortages and poor water quality; frequent flooding; and large-scale recurrent fire outbreaks.
10 May 2022
SA healthcare workers lack critical knowledge on new ARV drug
A concerning number of healthcare workers (HCWs) in South Africa lack sufficient understanding of how the antiretroviral (ARV) drug dolutegravir (DTG) interacts with medicines prescribed to treat tuberculosis (TB), diabetes and epilepsy. This knowledge gap could result in largescale, dire ramifications for people living with HIV.
04 May 2022
UCT's Nelson Mandela School of Public Governance signs five-year partnership with United Nations college
The University of Cape Town (UCT) through its Nelson Mandela School of Public Governance and the United Nations System Staff College (UNSSC), recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that will guide cooperation between the institutions over the next five years.
03 May 2022
The 20-week tobacco sales ban of 2020 greatly disrupted the cigarette market - UCT study
A recently published paper in Nicotine and Tobacco Research found that the 20-week ban on the sale of cigarettes in 2020 greatly disrupted the cigarette market in South Africa. Despite the fact that the sale of cigarettes was illegal, most smokers were able to access them, but at a hugely inflated price.
03 May 2022