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The stories in this selection include an audio recording for your listening convenience.
In the news
News
UCT’s Energy Systems Research Group weighs in on SA’s nuclear plan
UCT’s Energy Systems Research Group submitted their research to NERSA on the proposed procurement of 2 500 MW of new nuclear capacity by Eskom.
25 Feb 2021
- 3 min read
News
SMMEs in sub-Saharan Africa hit hard by cybercrimes
A recent cybersecurity webinar hosted by UCT’s C3SA saw experts from across Africa sharing their research on SMMEs’ challenges with cybercrimes during COVID-19.
25 Feb 2021
- 7 min read
News
Winning PhD highlights African indigenous knowledge systems
Dr Cecilia Durojaye’s doctoral thesis has won the African Studies Review 2020 annual prize for the best Africa-based doctoral dissertation.
19 Feb 2021
- 9 min read
News
COVID-19: a vaccine guide for beginners
UCT’s Prof Ed Rybicki, the director of UCT’s Biopharming Research Unit, unpacks the need-to-knows about COVID-19 vaccination.
19 Feb 2021
- 8 min read
News
District Six: belonging and place; lessons for planners
When government declared District Six a whites-only area in 1966, countless people were forcibly removed. PhD candidate Alicia Fortuin talks about recreating a lost community.
11 Feb 2021
- 10 min read
News
District Six: Lessons in remembering
The head of education at the District Six Museum, Mandy Sanger, reveals how the museum uses the past as lessons for the present.
11 Feb 2021
- 8 min read
News
District Six: ‘a community where love and compassion trumped everything’
On the 55th anniversary of District Six being declared a whites-only area, UCT alumnus Johaar Mosaval shared his memories of the much-loved community.
11 Feb 2021
- 9 min read
News
Herman Wasserman, Kharnita Mohamed honoured with book awards
Professor Herman Wasserman is the recipient of the 2020 UCT Book Award, and Kharnita Mohamed, the recipient of one of the Meritorious Book Prizes.
05 Feb 2021
- 4 min read
News
UCT students scoop lion’s share of Reimagine Challenge accolades
UCT students swept the board in the global Reimagine Challenge 2020 to create a better world in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic.
04 Feb 2021
- 7 min read
News
COVID-19 has ‘reproduced non-constitutional tendencies’ in SA
Dennis Davis, a respected judge and honorary UCT professor, delivered a Summer School lecture on the fragility of South Africa’s democracy in light of COVID-19.
01 Feb 2021
- 5 min read
News
Lighting a candle for Mayosi’s legacy
Professor George Mensah delivered the inaugural Bongani Mayosi Memorial Lecture, which took place in honour of the Faculty of Health Sciences’ late dean.
29 Jan 2021
- 8 min read
News
Delving into Cape Town’s Art Deco heritage
Heritage architect Dr André van Graan offered Summer School attendees an overview of Cape Town’s Art Deco heritage during a virtual lecture on 14 January.
21 Jan 2021
- 9 min read
News
COVID-19: insights and lessons with Prof Marc Mendelson
Professor Marc Mendelson, the head of UCT’s Division of Infectious Diseases and HIV Medicine at Groote Schuur Hospital, recently delivered a Summer School lecture on COVID-19.
19 Jan 2021
- 6 min read
News
What fascinates us about murder?
In his two-day Summer School lecture, Gilad Stern tackled humans’ fascination with murder.
15 Jan 2021
- 8 min read
News
From Ugandan child soldier to PhD graduate
In 1986 Julius Okello was forced into Uganda’s Bush War as a child soldier. Tenacity and hope delivered him through a personal wilderness to his PhD.
14 Dec 2020
- >10 min read
News
Dodging life as a gangster in pursuit of education
Tshediso Mahange experienced great adversity during his childhood, but he persevered – and this December he will graduate with his degree in business science from UCT.
09 Dec 2020
- 9 min read
News
‘Grab your opportunities with both hands’
Takunda Chitaka, by her own admission, walks through doors when she sees they are open. It is an instinct that has served her well on her academic path.
08 Dec 2020
- 9 min read
News
‘Don’t be afraid to be first’
Tabeth Masengu’s jointly awarded PhD in Law is not only a landmark for UCT but also proof of her resolve to be a pioneer.
07 Dec 2020
- 8 min read
News
d-school solar energy system first of a proposed campus roll-out
UCT’s new d-school on middle campus is installing a rooftop photovoltaic system that will pave the way for a bigger campus roll-out.
27 Nov 2020
- 6 min read
News
Men, gender equality and the search for gender harmony
As South Africa started its 16 Days of Activism against Gender-based Violence campaign, UCT gender scholar Dr Rob Morrell talks about masculinities and gender relations.
26 Nov 2020
- 10 min read
News
A much-needed, much-deserved retirement
After 20 years of ensuring the office space is clean and comfortable for fellow staff members, Charmaine Kannemeyer will retire at the end of the year.
20 Nov 2020
- 6 min read
News
Alan Hirsch: a legacy of service and building leadership
After an incredible 28 years at UCT, Professor Alan Hirsch will retire at the end of the year.
19 Nov 2020
- 9 min read
News
COVID-19 could ‘derail’ gender-equality progress in SA’s labour market
Progress in South Africa’s labour market regarding gender equality hangs in the balance as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, new UCT research has revealed.
17 Nov 2020
- 6 min read
News
New, rare syndrome puts children at risk
UCT researchers are part of a team investigating a rare disease which compromises the immune system of children and seems to have COVID-19 as a precursor.
13 Nov 2020
- 6 min read
News
UCT VC calls on higher education to reinvent itself
At the 23rd annual Kgosi Edward Patrick Lebone Molotlegi Memorial Lecture, UCT’s VC called on higher education to disrupt, and to seize the opportunity to reinvent itself.
12 Nov 2020
- 9 min read
News
‘Happy, sad, grateful’ – retiree Fouzia Thesen reflects
Fouzia Thesen is retiring from UCT after 20 years as part of the cleaning services team. She’s learnt much, and has seen her granddaughter graduate here.
11 Nov 2020
- 5 min read
News
UCT researcher wins Newton Prize 2020
A joint energy research project between the ACDI and the University of Exeter has won the Chair’s Prize at the international Newton Prize awards.
06 Nov 2020
- 8 min read
News
Millions of new variants in African genomes discovered
UCT researchers have collaborated on a large-scale study of genomic diversity across Africa that has discovered around three million novel genetic variants.
05 Nov 2020
- 6 min read
News
Femmeact: vital support for women in actuarial science
A student-led initiative in UCTʼs actuarial science department has as its mission retaining women students and ensuring they survive into the profession – and as academics.
02 Nov 2020
- 9 min read
News
‘Incredible baptism’ for new Health Sciences dean
UCTʼs new dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences has paid tribute to the commitment, compassion and resilience of the facultyʼs staff and students.
28 Oct 2020
- 8 min read
News
Studying the immune system’s response to COVID-19
A team of researchers at UCT is studying the immune system’s response to COVID-19 to establish how long immunity lasts after patients recover from the virus.
23 Oct 2020
- 9 min read
News
National physical activity policy for COVID-19 and beyond
COVID-19 has highlighted the need for a multi-faceted national plan for physical activity to underpin the country’s health development.
19 Oct 2020
- 6 min read
News
Trojan Horse Massacres: ‘It’s like it never happened’
Three prominent members of the UCT community reflect on the Trojan Horse Massacres and the tragic events that unfolded 35 years ago.
16 Oct 2020
- 10 min read
News
Rhodes’ Distinguished Alumni Award for Robert Morrell
UCT social scientist and gender and masculinities scholar Dr Robert Morrell has been awarded a Rhodes University 2020 Distinguished Alumni Award.
16 Oct 2020
- 8 min read
News
The Trojan Horse Massacre: ‘We had stones; they had bullets’
Four prominent members of the UCT community reflect on the Trojan Horse Massacre and the tragic events that unfolded 35 years ago.
15 Oct 2020
- 8 min read
News
Social Responsiveness Award: a unique study on youth and HIV
Dr Rebecca Hodes has won UCT’s Social Responsiveness Award for a unique, collaborative study on youth vertically infected with HIV.
08 Oct 2020
- >10 min read
News
Human hand behind SA’s land-degrading dust storms
Research by a UCT academic pinpoints a direct human cause for Southern Africa’s dust emissions, which affect air quality and can pose serious health risks.
06 Oct 2020
- 9 min read
News
UCT launches innovative ECG ONLINE training portal
The ECG ONLINE training system was developed to help medical students and clinicians practise interpreting electrocardiograms.
30 Sep 2020
- 6 min read
News
Enlarge the reach of science through all our languages
Only two of South Africa’s national languages are fully able to scientifically describe Africa’s rich hominin fossil and palaeontological history – this needs to change.
30 Sep 2020
- 9 min read
News
Forgotten diseases hit poorest billion hardest during pandemic
A new Lancet Commission report shows that non-communicable diseases and injuries cause more death and disability at every age among the world’s poorest billion than in wealthy countries.
22 Sep 2020
- 4 min read
News
Future of universities bound to their social compact
COVID-19 has shown that the future of universities worldwide is bound to their social compact, said Professor Stephen Toope in his Vice-Chancellor’s Open Lecture.
18 Sep 2020
- >10 min read
News
Diseased livestock: infrared system’s early warning
An early warning diagnostic tool developed by UCT’s Prof Amit Mishra holds hope for the country’s small- and medium-scale farmers, many of whom are black women.
17 Sep 2020
- 7 min read
News
UCT-built app to support babies in need of breast milk
Research by UCT computer science students has resulted in the development of an app that will help provide donor breast milk to babies in need.
11 Sep 2020
- 7 min read
News
From campus cleaning to library assistant
On 1 September Mellisa Thomas started as a library assistant at UCT Libraries – after almost a decade as a member of the campus cleaning team.
07 Sep 2020
- 4 min read
News
British Ecological Society award for SA climate change researcher
UCT’s Prof Wendy Foden has been awarded the British Ecological Society’s Marsh Award for Climate Change Research.
01 Sep 2020
- 4 min read
News
First SA student residence to get Green Star rating
UCT’s new 500-bed Avenue Road Residence is the first SA student housing development awarded a Green Star rating from the Green Building Council South Africa.
31 Aug 2020
- 8 min read
News
Rashida Manjoo: a life in human rights
Professor Rashida Manjoo is known for her unwavering commitment to human rights, particularly women’s rights. This article reflects on her work and 20-year UCT association.
28 Aug 2020
- >10 min read
Research and innovation
Professor Elmi Muller wins the 2019 Alan Pifer Award
The award recognises Muller’s groundbreaking work in establishing transplantation between HIV-positive donors and HIV-positive recipients in South Africa and beyond.
26 Aug 2020
- 10 min read
News
Palaeoscience fellows score for science and diversity
Meet the Human Evolution Research Institute’s inaugural 2020 Advancing Womxn fellows, Precious Chiwara-Maenzanise and Rivoningo Khosa, who are scoring for science and diversity.
20 Aug 2020
- 8 min read
News
UCT tap water study goes postal
UCT researchers enlisted the help of the South African Post Office to discover the likely sources of tap water across the country.
18 Aug 2020
- 8 min read
News
Simple tech solution is an ear saver
Meet Lara Timm whose clever, inexpensive device improves the comfort and fit of face masks with ear loops, typically worn by frontline medical staff.
14 Aug 2020
- 7 min read
News
Women making a difference through technology
Two UCT honours students have carved out opportunities during COVID-19 by developing apps that will help benefit the community of Ocean View in Cape Town.
13 Aug 2020
- 6 min read
News
Translating the geological record into isiXhosa
A project based in UCT’s Department of Geological Sciences is translating the country’s geological record into South African languages – starting with isiXhosa.
12 Aug 2020
- 5 min read
News
AI trained to study individual birds in wild populations
Using artificial intelligence, biologists can now train computers to recognise individual birds in wild populations by their feather formations – good news for conservation biology.
07 Aug 2020
- 8 min read
News
Avoid crowds with this app
The Crowd app is the brainchild of two UCT alumni who hope to assist their fellow South Africans with identifying busy public locations.
06 Aug 2020
- 6 min read
News
The shifting shape of the COVID-19 frontline
The COVID-19 frontline has shifted from a purely medical interface to include less-defined community spaces as community networks confront the pandemic’s social and economic fallout.
29 Jul 2020
- 7 min read
Research and innovation
UCT breathes LIFE into ventilator solution
UCT is part of a nationwide project to develop a local ventilator that has been authorised for rollout across South Africa.
28 Jul 2020
- 8 min read
News
Three ways to secure the ocean’s survival
Humanity must change its relationship with the ocean to stave off a complete collapse of the marine environment and resources, says a new paper in Nature Communications.
21 Jul 2020
- 8 min read
News
UCT to boost COVID-19 testing capability in SA
UCT’s Biopharming Research Unit, under the leadership of Prof Ed Rybicki, has received government funding to assist in the production of diagnostic reagents for COVID-19.
20 Jul 2020
- 6 min read
News
Children with disabilities must be part of nation building
The two-day Teaching Empowerment for Disability Inclusion symposium webinar brought together practitioners, academics, government and civil society from around the world.
17 Jul 2020
- 6 min read
News
Convalescent plasma – a possible COVID-19 therapy
Investigators at UCT are working with the South African National Blood Service and the Western Cape Blood Service to conduct the PROTECT-patient trial.
16 Jul 2020
- 6 min read
News
PhD researcher recreates 111-year-old fishing survey
UCT alumnus Jock Currie referred to his PhD project to recreate a 111-year-old demersal fisheries survey as “an ambitious research project”.
10 Jul 2020
- >10 min read
News
UCT Family Medicine registrars experience new ‘Hospital of Hope’
UCT’s Dr Abhaya Karki and Dr Nabeela Amien could not have imagined being part of a team that would set up a field hospital from scratch.
06 Jul 2020
- 9 min read
News
When a moment becomes a movement
Social media is a powerful tool for effecting social justice, but who holds the power of media and its ability to shape important narratives?
02 Jul 2020
- 10 min read
News
Africa’s digital divide
A recent research paper by PhD student Matthias Krönke explores Africa’s digital divide and the continent’s readiness to embrace e-learning.
30 Jun 2020
- 5 min read
News
UCT pays homage to COVID-19 frontline workers
The UCT Choir’s rendition of the traditional Zulu hymn “Thuma Mina” pays tribute to all frontline workers at the coalface of the COVID-19 pandemic.
29 Jun 2020
- 4 min read
News
Student-led business innovates to accommodate beauty stylists
Fleeker, an online business platform headed by four UCT students, was forced to innovate to ensure its clients could operate safely once lockdown restrictions were eased.
23 Jun 2020
- 4 min read
News
Don’t ignore anti-establishment flag
The anti-establishment groundswell is gaining momentum around the globe, a flag governments ignore at their peril, say futurists. People are demanding change. Now.
18 Jun 2020
- 10 min read
News
HIV and TB testing sites start COVID-19 research
The Desmond Tutu HIV Foundation has committed to incorporating COVID-19 research at its sites in Cape Town, while continuing its HIV and TB research and trials.
17 Jun 2020
- 5 min read
News
Alum helping learners excel in mathematics
Through the Numeric organisation, a group of UCT alumni are helping primary school learners excel in mathematics while also training and equipping teachers.
12 Jun 2020
- 5 min read
Research and innovation
When crisis cultivates collaboration
Associate Professor Sudesh Sivarasu and an array of collaborators are developing low-cost tech – including a DIY face shield – to help Africa manage the novel coronavirus.
10 Jun 2020
- 10 min read
News
Epigenetic autism study breaks new ground
Dr Colleen O’Ryan embarked on a project to research genes associated with autism spectrum disorder – and it led her right back to UCT.
04 Jun 2020
- 9 min read
News
Dual honours for UCT’s Wasserman
The Centre for Film and Media Studies’ Professor Herman Wasserman has received two honours from the International Communication Association.
03 Jun 2020
- 6 min read
News
Death to burial – COVID-19 risks live on
Dr Marise Heyns has been travelling the length and breadth of the Western Cape province, training organisations on how to manage human remains in the context of COVID-19.
29 May 2020
- 8 min read
News
Special COVID-19 app to screen SA’s workforce
A partnership between UCT and the University of KwaZulu-Natal has delivered a special application that screens public and private sector employees’ readiness to attend work.
29 May 2020
- 5 min read
News
COVID-19 and the value of care work
Those working from home may find themselves catching up with paid work late at night or when their children have so-called screen time, writes UCT’s Associate Professor Ameeta Jaga.
22 May 2020
- 6 min read
Republished
News
WOOP app now in isiXhosa, first African translation
In Africa Month comes news that the WOOP app has been translated into isiXhosa, the first African vernacular language, thanks to a collaboration with UCT.
19 May 2020
- 3 min read
Research and innovation
Four of UCT’s best now 2020 FLAIR fellows
Four young UCT researchers have been selected as 2020 Future Leaders – African Independent Research Fellows, recognising them as potential future leaders in their fields.
11 May 2020
- 9 min read
News
My bittersweet Ramadan
Niemah Davids, a writer in UCT’s Communication and Marketing Department, shares her Ramadan experience in the time of COVID-19.
11 May 2020
- 5 min read
News
Art, my creative response to a pandemic
Dr Catriona Towriss shares her response to the deep need of her community during lockdown with a sequence of four artworks that echo their voices.
07 May 2020
- 4 min read
News
‘Recorded alone, but singing together’
“Recorded alone but singing together” is how UCT alumni-led choral group VOX Cape Town got around lockdown for a special Freedom Day performance.
05 May 2020
- 10 min read
News
COVID-19: Help a click away for struggling young moms
Isolation in the wake of COVID-19 lockdown further burdens under-resourced and vulnerable mothers. But mental and physical resources are at hand, thanks to Messages4Mothers.
04 May 2020
- 7 min read
News
Leaders needed to ‘step into this chaos’
Athol Williams, an ethical leadership expert at UCT, comments on the type of leaders needed during the COVID-19 pandemic and for life thereafter.
29 Apr 2020
- 7 min read
News
‘Fake news’ and COVID-19: How have we performed?
UCT’s Professor Herman Wasserman assesses the media, government and the public’s performance when it comes to reporting and sharing the facts on COVID-19.
23 Apr 2020
- >10 min read
News
50th International Earth Day – ‘It takes a crisis’
The founders of Earth Day could never have guessed its significance as a social movement, with huge implications for a post-COVID-19 world, writes UCT’s Dr Kevin Winter.
22 Apr 2020
- 8 min read
News
Kenyan village boy’s boarding pass to cum laude degree
From a small Kenyan village to a degree cum laude at UCT, graduate Willie Macharia proved that resistance is no match for resilience.
09 Apr 2020
- 9 min read
News
Women take top spots in civil engineering
Women have taken four of the five top spots in the final-year civil engineering class, a salute to excellence and a spur to equality.
09 Apr 2020
- >10 min read
News
Potential harm in acting before there’s ‘good science’
UCT’s Dr Kate Webb has co-authored an international response to a study on hydroxychloroquine for treating COVID-19 that may be ‘a rush to judgement’.
09 Apr 2020
- 6 min read
News
Landmark ruling celebrated with Philippi Horticultural Area
Following a landmark court ruling in favour of the PHA Food and Farming Campaign, staff and students from UCT’s Social Infrastructures course celebrated in Philippi.
05 Mar 2020
- 7 min read
News
Stories shared in moving re-memorisation project
The Red Cross War Memorial Children’s Hospital Foyer Re-memorisation Project relays the experiences and stories of staff members through photographs and words.
02 Mar 2020
- 7 min read
News
Human waste on world innovation stage
Master’s candidate Vukheta Mukhari was among the young innovators who presented their work at Design Indaba 2020. He talked about extracting value from human waste.
27 Feb 2020
- 7 min read
News
Trains least safe public transport for women
A new paper shows that South African women feel most vulnerable commuting by train and more gender-sensitive transport planning, networks and services are needed.
26 Feb 2020
- 9 min read
News
Cool science behind CSI, global warming and gene editing
Mini Summer School extends a wealth of knowledge to learners in UCT’s 100-UP programme for promising students in under-resourced areas.
18 Feb 2020
- 8 min read
News
‘We can see change and be proud’
As Associate Professor Gonda Perez prepares to hang up her boots as deputy dean of undergraduate education at UCT’s Faculty of Health Sciences, she says retirement comes at the right time.
18 Feb 2020
- 7 min read
News
The ‘two faces’ of UCT
The author of UCT Under Apartheid, Emeritus Professor Howard Phillips, says the book aims to provide a 360-degree perspective of UCT between 1948 and 1968.
07 Feb 2020
- 7 min read
News
Making waves at gravitational summer school
From 20 to 29 January, UCT hosted leading and upcoming experts in the field of gravitational wave science at the 31st Chris Engelbrecht Summer School.
31 Jan 2020
- 5 min read
News
The thesis corrections that almost got away
Handing in final thesis corrections can be a fraught time, especially on a bicycle in rural Africa, without Wi-Fi, only hours from deadline.
30 Jan 2020
- 4 min read
News
‘Lift as you rise’: honouring Bongani Mayosi
On the anniversary of his birthday, UCT colleagues, family and friends honoured Professor Bongani Mayosi with a renaming, renovations, a bibliography and an inaugural lecture.
29 Jan 2020
- 7 min read
Research and innovation
Podcast: how climate change threatens our farms
In a podcast, Peter Johnston, a UCT climate scientist and researcher, discusses how climate change might affect farming in South Africa and what can be done about it.
23 Jan 2020
- 5 min read
Republished
News
Ben Kies: The Cape radical
South African political theorist and activist Ben Kies was remembered and analysed in a recent UCT Summer School lecture.
22 Jan 2020
- >10 min read
News
Measuring the success of the Cape Flats army deployment
At his UCT Summer School lecture, Dr Irvin Kinnes provided indicators for evaluating the success of the army’s deployment on the Cape Flats.
16 Jan 2020
- >10 min read
News
Body of work: reflections of an anatomist
Professor Graham Louw reflects on 31 years of teaching fledgling doctors at UCT to map the human body – step one in patient care.
15 Jan 2020
- >10 min read
News
A joyous communal celebration of staff
The UCT Annual Awards 2019 celebrated the achievements and milestones of a multitude of UCT staff at a scintillating function held on 28 November.
02 Dec 2019
- 5 min read
News
Sustainability key for new SRC
The newly elected SRC for 2019/2020 is committed to creating and implementing sustainable programmes that will outlive their term of office.
28 Nov 2019
- 7 min read
News
The dead teach in a universal language
Dissection is core to teaching anatomy but how do UCT’s second-year medical students prepare for their first clinical encounter with the dead?
21 Nov 2019
- >10 min read
News
UCT prof leads ground-breaking pollen monitoring campaign
The Division of Allergology and Immunology at UCT’s Lung Institute is leading a multidisciplinary project that examines the levels of pollen across South Africa.
20 Nov 2019
- 7 min read
News
Tackling HIV: one haircut at a time
In collaboration with Legends Barbershop, the Amajita Tutu Truck gave 50 men free HIV tests and complimentary haircuts on International Men’s Day on 19 November.
20 Nov 2019
- 3 min read
News
PET-CT scanner heralds new era in TB research
CUBIC has launched its Positron Emission Tomography-Computed Tomography Core Research Facility, increasing capacity in cutting-edge medical research on TB and other diseases.
14 Nov 2019
- 9 min read
News
Gold medal for leading cervical cancer researcher
Professor Lynette Denny’s 25-year body of research on cervical cancer, the magnitude of which is significantly higher among black women in South Africa, has won her a prestigious gold medal.
08 Nov 2019
- 5 min read
News
Sutherland project will shape historic reburials policy
The Sutherland Reburials Project involving nine unethically obtained San and Khoe skeletons from the Roggeveld was a mammoth scientific endeavour coupled with strong community collaboration.
05 Nov 2019
- 10 min read
News
Stay-at-home dad’s curious mating rituals
The steentjie, or sea bream, changes from female to male as it grows, undergoing a dramatic metamorphosis in breeding season – but don’t try your luck at his nesting site.
04 Nov 2019
- >10 min read
News
Community justice through science
Dr Victoria Gibbon, curator of UCT’s skeletal collection, discusses one of the most extensive, significant and fulfilling projects of her career.
04 Nov 2019
- 8 min read
News
Rewriting a piece of history
Professor Judith Sealy’s research revealed fascinating aspects of the life histories of nine people whose skeletons were obtained unethically by the university between 1925 and 1931.
04 Nov 2019
- 6 min read
News
Encoding the values of transformation
Dr Tinashe Mutsvangwa from UCTʼs Division of Biomedical Engineering played an integral part in restoring the dignity and identity of the Sutherland skeletal remains.
04 Nov 2019
- 6 min read
News
Using archaeology to correct injustice
UCT archaeologist Emeritus Associate Professor Simon Hall reflects on his contribution to the repatriation, reburial and restorative justice work done at Kruisrivier.
04 Nov 2019
- 8 min read
News
Restoring dignity through forensic art
Kathryn Smith, a South African pursuing a PhD in forensic art in the UK, added her facial reconstruction expertise to the multidisciplinary Sutherland project team.
04 Nov 2019
- 8 min read
News
‘We knew their names’
Ancient DNA analyses have identified nine sets of unethically sourced San and Khoe skeletal remains found in UCT’s archive, paving the way for their repatriation to Sutherland.
04 Nov 2019
- 7 min read
News
Breathing life into history
Professor Nigel Pennʼs expertise in the blood-soaked history of the Northern Cape made him a critical roleplayer in a restitution project of historical relevance.
04 Nov 2019
- 8 min read
News
Preparing for life on Mars
Aspirant astronaut and UCT PhD candidate Adriana Marais shares her preparation for life on Mars – and how this can benefit the Earth.
24 Oct 2019
- 9 min read
News
UCT Law on the brink of a new frontier
UCT Law has plans to establish a multidisciplinary centre to pilot research and teaching and learning from the perspective of law and technology.
18 Oct 2019
- 5 min read
Research and innovation
Breaking barriers to a cure for HIV
Research has shed light on a barrier to developing an HIV cure: the latent viral reservoir that persists indefinitely in people on antiretroviral treatment.
15 Oct 2019
- 7 min read
News
Queerness and religion in conversation
Reconciling faith and queer identity can be difficult for those who do not subscribe to the heteronormative expectations of many religious communities.
14 Oct 2019
- 7 min read
Research and innovation
How to manage Cape Town’s fires
A team of scientists suggest how Cape Town can best mitigate the danger the region faces from the upcoming fire season.
14 Oct 2019
- 10 min read
Republished
News
The unusual Henry de Bruyn
Three historical letters tell the story of UCT’s first “non-European” worker, who went from cleaner to laboratory attendant, and whose legacy still lives on at the university.
10 Oct 2019
- >10 min read
News
Status epilepticus: New research on failing meds
First-line medication for unrelenting epileptic seizures works in fewer than half of all cases, and now new research has unravelled the mechanisms of this failure.
09 Oct 2019
- 7 min read
News
UCT’s specialised sexual offences tribunal
At the International Alliance of Research Universitiesʼ annual gender diversity group meeting, UCT presented its progress in establishing a specialised tribunal for sexual offences.
01 Oct 2019
- >10 min read
News
Best little (sustainable) house in Africa
A solar-powered house designed and built by staff and students of UCT and Stellenbosch University has been recognised at Solar Decathlon Africa 2019.
01 Oct 2019
- 8 min read
News
Harsher penalties no panacea for high crime – Cameron
Public demand for harsher penalties is growing in the wake of high crime rates. But these will not curb crime, says retired Constitutional Court Justice Edwin Cameron.
13 Sep 2019
- 10 min read
News
Touch down for SA’s banking Siri
Four UCT students have developed a one-stop banking shop that performs banking transactions, monitors account activity and speaks four South African languages.
12 Sep 2019
- 5 min read
Research and innovation
Helping Africa prepare for 5G
A first-of-its-kind 5G testbed at UCT offers African researchers a platform to validate 5G applications – for the benefit of the continent.
09 Sep 2019
- 10 min read
Research and innovation
First-of-its-kind wound healing research unit
UCT has been awarded a new research unit devoted to wound healing and scarring, with a focus on diseases that particularly affect Africans.
05 Sep 2019
- 8 min read
News
‘I am at peace with myself’
PASS staffer Maura Sanderoff reflects on her story of trauma, triumph and her personal journey to loving herself – often a journey through water.
02 Sep 2019
- 10 min read
News
Conflict leaves children traumatised, anxious – for life
It’s critical to intervene early in cases of trauma in children, UCTʼs Professor Shanaaz Mathews told delegates to The African Regional Child Trauma Conference 2019.
26 Aug 2019
- 7 min read
News
UCT victorious at Entrepreneurship Intervarsity regionals
Five teams of innovative UCT “studentpreneurs” have been selected to go through to the national finals of the Entrepreneurship Intervarsity.
23 Aug 2019
- 7 min read
News
‘Education was my secret weapon’
Dr Rachael Dangarembizi, a UCT postdoctoral research fellow, says becoming the head of her family as a teen was difficult, but that faith carried her through.
21 Aug 2019
- 8 min read
News
‘Lady Imam’ on 25 years of the Gender Jihad
Islamic feminist and philosopher Professor Amina Wadud reflects on 25 years of championing Muslim women’s religious authority.
20 Aug 2019
- 8 min read
News
Teaching al fresco saves the day
Teaching and learning often means thinking on – or with – your feet, even if that requires lecturing on the university steps under an African sky.
07 Aug 2019
- 5 min read
News
Healing hearts is top priority for Mayosi protégé
UCT Associate Professor Liesl Zühlke credits Professor Bongani Mayosi for developing her into an award-winning scientist who uses her passion and expertise to heal hearts.
07 Aug 2019
- 6 min read
News
Help, hope for amputees with phantom limb pain
Phantom limb pain is a debilitating condition that affects amputees, but a new UCT research trial has shown there is affordable and effective treatment available.
02 Aug 2019
- 7 min read
News
Student designs reimagine District Six
An exhibition that reflects the work of architecture honours students explored ways of redeveloping the landscape and community of District Six by merging the old with the new.
25 Jul 2019
- 8 min read
News
The boy who would build a nation
While Denis Goldberg never built SA’s own Suez Canal, the UCT honorary doctorate recipient certainly became one of the country’s finest nation-builders.
11 Jul 2019
- >10 min read
News
Digital technologies a cultural lifeline for Somali diaspora
It was PhD graduand Ingrid Brudvig’s quest to understand her own place in the world that sparked her interest in anthropology.
09 Jul 2019
- 7 min read
News
Toilet flushing guidelines during drought
Using grey water to flush toilets saves water but solid build-up could harm the pipes. A new paper by UCT scholars offers some practical solutions for water savers.
08 Jul 2019
- 7 min read
News
‘Wunderkind’ Manono speeds through his PhD
With support, sacrifices and clear goals, Malibongwe Manono defeated the odds, and wasted no time in completing his PhD.
08 Jul 2019
- 10 min read
News
Chocolate, humour help the medicine go down
Retiring academic Mike Meadows is renowned for his approachability, humour and the occasional bribery (all legit) that lured students to his Friday lectures.
02 Jul 2019
- 10 min read
News
Multimillion rand boost for Africa medicines research
Alumnus Neville Isdell has donated R18 million for research into the discovery of new medicines for infectious diseases at UCT’s Drug Discovery and Development Centre.
26 Jun 2019
- 7 min read
News
‘Teaching swept me off my feet’
Despite the challenges, Anneliese Schauerte – a recipient of UCT’s Distinguished Teacher Award for 2018 – says she’s right where she’s meant to be.
19 Jun 2019
- 6 min read
News
‘No stupid questions’ in Distinguished Teacher’s classes
Curiosity, responding to change, technology and empathy are what 2018 Distinguished Teacher Award recipient Jeff Murugan says make an excellent teacher.
19 Jun 2019
- 7 min read
News
New ‘fully funded’ scholarship for top young researchers
UCT's new Vice-Chancellor Research Scholarship will support and develop the university's top young researchers as they tackle society's most pressing challenges.
06 Jun 2019
- 9 min read
News
Transformation is heart work
A panel discussion held as part of the GSBʼs Africa Month events examined the challenges and successes of attempting to create a truly welcoming environment on campus.
24 May 2019
- 8 min read
News
#MustFall movements were ‘an act of love’
Political commentator and author Rekgotsofetse Chikane used the occasion of a book discussion at the GSB to provide some insight into higher education’s #MustFall movements.
23 May 2019
- 6 min read
News
First aider doesn’t dwell on ‘what-ifs’
Esna Vermeulen, an Interclub Wheelchair Rugby Tournament first-aid officer with a rare muscle condition, believes in making the most of life, regardless of her circumstances.
16 May 2019
- 5 min read
News
Fostering multilingualism on campus
Multilingualism is a form of development and empowerment at a time when some of the world’s languages are in danger of extinction, language short-course graduates have heard.
15 May 2019
- 4 min read
News
Rat poison threat to city’s peri-urban wildlife
Wildlife on Cape Town’s periphery, such as caracal, mongoose, otters and owls, is increasingly falling prey to lethal rat poisons.
14 May 2019
- 7 min read
News
The student/mother juggling act
A research paper by a philosophy master’s student examines UCT’s on-campus environment and looks at how inclusive it is for young student mothers.
09 May 2019
- 7 min read
News
The road to spatial transformation
Research provides a window into the obstacles and prospects for spatial transformation along the strategic Voortrekker Road Corridor in Cape Townʼs northern suburbs.
30 Apr 2019
- 10 min read
Research and innovation
Small-scale farming and agroecology
Rachel Wynberg, the bio-economy research chair at UCT, and Laura Pereira, a researcher at Stellenbosch University, discuss agroecology and how it can make a difference.
30 Apr 2019
- 7 min read
Republished
Research and innovation
UCT researcher awarded Global Professorship
Professor Shadreck Chirikure is one of 10 scholars from around the world awarded a Global Professorship by the British Academy.
23 Apr 2019
- 9 min read
Research and innovation
Gary Maartens awarded NRF A-rating
Professor Gary Maartens, head of clinical pharmacology at the University of Cape Town, has been awarded a prestigious A-rating by the National Research Foundation.
18 Apr 2019
- 8 min read
News
‘Imposter’ graduates with full suite of distinctions
Severely burnt in a gas explosion 15 years ago, 24-year-old Aniek Nieuwenhuis has found new meaning in her life, defying the odds stacked against her.
04 Apr 2019
- 7 min read
News
Out-of-the-box thinker wins a Premier’s Award
UCT alumnus and Next Generation Professoriate member Dr Mosedi Namane was named the bronze winner in her category at the 2018 Western Cape Premier’s Service Excellence Awards.
14 Mar 2019
- 6 min read
News
Student’s 3D-printer plan to change education
UCT student Denislav Marinov has big plans for democratising quality education in South Africa, one 3D printer at a time.
13 Mar 2019
- 6 min read
News
Letter reveals truth about family tragedy
A Jewish mother’s letter to her children reveals the truth about a family tragedy in the aftermath of the 1917 Russian Revolution – and inspires a groundbreaking documentary.
01 Mar 2019
- >10 min read
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