Welcome to UCT Graduation July 2019
Watch the live streaming of all ceremonies

UCT back in top 10 for development studies

28 February 2019 | Story Supplied. Photo Je’nine May. Read time 3 min.
UCT is celebrating its move up two places to reclaim its position in the top 10 in the 2019 QS World University Rankings by Subject.
UCT is celebrating its move up two places to reclaim its position in the top 10 in the 2019 QS World University Rankings by Subject.

The University of Cape Town (UCT) has moved up two places to reclaim its position in the top 10 in the 2019 QS World University Rankings by Subject – placing among the top 100 universities in a total nine disciplines.

The 2019 QS World University Rankings by Subject assessed 1 222 institutions, ranking them across 48 disciplines in five broad subject areas.

For deveIopment studies, UCT moved up two places from 2018 and now occupies 9th position. UCT is also the only university in the global south to feature among the top 10 for this discipline.

Eight other subjects at UCT were also ranked among the top 100 in the latest rankings. These are  anatomy and physiology, anthropology, archaeology, architecture/built environment, education, geography, social policy and administration, and sports-related subjects.

UCT Vice-Chancellor Professor Mamokgethi Phakeng welcomed the results as recognising UCT’s strengths in these areas.

“We at UCT pride ourselves on the impact of our research in combating the numerous issues faced by our continent – and more broadly, the global south,” she said.

UCT’s strengths 

“Our position among the top 10 for development studies, in particular, is evidence of the value of our research, and teaching and learning in this area at UCT.”

 

“Our position among the top 10 for development studies, in particular, is evidence of the value of our research, and teaching and learning in this area at UCT.”

UCT’s rankings in the five broad subject areas for 2019 were:

  • Arts & humanities: 145th
  • Engineering & technology: 300th
  • Life sciences & medicine: 112nd
  • Natural sciences: 223rd
  • Social sciences & management: 166th

At the end of last year, UCT was ranked 72nd in the world for clinical, pre-clinical and health in the 2019 Times Higher Education (THE) Rankings by subject.

A further three subjects were ranked: psychology was placed in the 101–125 band (only the top 100 are given specific places in the THE rankings), life sciences ranked 151–175, and physical sciences ranked 301–400.

The rankings for the four subjects in November 2018 followed similar positive rankings announced the previous month, when arts and humanities was ranked in the 151–175 band.

UCT was also ranked in the top 100 in the world in a further three subjects: law (77th place), social sciences (89th place), and education (95th). In the education category, UCT shared the 95th place with Finland’s University of Jyväskylä.

Creative Commons License This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Please view the republishing articles page for more information.

December graduation


The 2018 December graduation season features six ceremonies, including the official robing of Vice-Chancellor Professor Mamokgethi Phakeng.


 

Full ceremony recordings



 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Creative works and book awards


UCT recognises and celebrates major creative works and outstanding books produced by members of staff at the university.

Twin cities connect struggle and liberation sites Associate Professor Svea Josephy received a Creative Works Award for her solo exhibition, Satellite Cities, at today’s graduation. It is one of three such awards. 13 Dec 2018
Symphony of elements wins Creative Works Award Professor Hendrik Hofmeyr, of the South African College of Music, receives a Creative Works Award at today’s graduation for his composition Second Symphony – The Elements. 13 Dec 2018
Creative Works Award for Womb of Fire Dr Sara Matchett’s Creative Works Award winner, Womb of Fire, addresses how centuries of violence in South Africa continue to play out on women’s bodies. 13 Dec 2018
UCT Book Award for classics scholar Professor David Wardle’s work Suetonius: Life of Augustus has won him the 2018 UCT Book Award. 13 Dec 2018
 

Inspired to achieve


Read about some of our remarkable students who are graduating this season.

Four doctors, two families make it a double It’s not often that two sets of brothers who are close friends graduate from the same two faculties – and each with the title of doctor. 14 Dec 2018
Commitment, passion and dogged determination Due to graduate with a PhD in Medical Biochemistry, Kehilwe Nakedi reflects on her academic journey and the pleasure of seeing things finally fall into place. 12 Dec 2018
UCT remedies a past injustice The story of Raymond Suttner receiving his LLM from UCT almost half a century after withdrawing his thesis from examination has captured imaginations around the country. 11 Dec 2018
Unspeakable tragedy yields master’s degree When Mabuyi Mhlanga’s young daughter died in a car accident two years ago, she channelled her grief into addressing the issue of road safety around schools. 11 Dec 2018
‘I want to reach the places my father did not’ Tafadzwa Mushonga will be the first PhD graduate from the Centre for Environmental Humanities South, forging ahead from where her father left off. 10 Dec 2018
A passion for education From a young age, masterʼs graduand Sonwabo Ngcelwane has seen education as the key to rising above one’s circumstances – no matter how challenging. 10 Dec 2018
Never too late to overcome the odds PhD candidate Witness Kozanayi relied on his determination, the support and sacrifice of others, and a fascination for his homeland to fuel his academic success. 07 Dec 2018
Growing pesticide, lead threat to vultures Vultures play a vital housekeeping role in the wild, but like many African raptors they’re threatened by pesticide and heavy metal poisoning, says PhD candidate Beckie Garbett. 07 Dec 2018
 

Golden memories


Members of the University of Cape Town’s class of 1968 will reunite to celebrate their Golden Graduation this week. Madi Gray, a veteran of the nine-day Bremner sit-in of 1968, will be among those UCT alumni celebrating this milestone.

TOP