As challenging as it was, 2021 was a year of growth for the University of Cape Town (UCT). Staff and students took to heart the view that we can welcome challenges as opportunities to adapt, lead and grow.

Early in the year, we had to bid farewell to Dr Stuart Saunders, a former UCT vice-chancellor who served during the politically tumultuous years of 1981 to 1997. He passed away on 12 February after a short illness and was honoured 12 days later at a university memorial service. Dr Saunders remained a stalwart friend and supporter of UCT long after his tenure. He was especially active in maintaining relationships with alumni and other supporters while UCT embarked on its process of transformation.

As the year drew to a close, we had to bid farewell to yet another remarkable man who was a fervent supporter of higher education: Emeritus Archbishop Desmond Mpilo Tutu. “The Arch” lent his name to many research-led initiatives at a wide range of universities. At UCT, the Desmond Tutu HIV Centre in the Faculty of Health Sciences reflects his compassion for those who were affected by the disease, and the Nansen-Tutu Centre for Marine Environmental Research in the Science Faculty reflects his love of the environment. We will forever be grateful for the role this Nobel Peace Prize winner played in focusing world attention on the atrocities of apartheid.

Of course, the destruction brought about by the Table Mountain fire in April was a terrible blow. The loss of so many archives held within and below the Jagger Reading Room will be felt for years to come. We remain grateful to the restoration experts globally who donated their assistance, and to the other friends who assisted with muscle power, facilities and equipment to help preserve the archives that survived the library fire. We continue with our commitment to “build back better” all the buildings that were destroyed or damaged by the fire.

Along with the rest of the world, we struggled with the limitations forced on us by the COVID-19 pandemic. But the lessons we learnt in 2020 about teaching, learning and research in an environment of enforced social distancing served us well in the second year of COVID-19. We also continued to pursue the many areas of research that the pandemic opened up – not only in Health Sciences and the search for more effective and cheaper vaccinations, but also in how the pandemic affected South Africans from a social, legal and community standpoint. We were proud to open the UCT Community of Hope Vaccination Centre on 1 September at our Forest Hill residence complex in Mowbray.

For the first time in its 71 years of existence, the UCT Summer School was held online, an example of our academic resilience in a challenging period where in-person engagements were prohibited. This innovation not only allowed us to continue to deliver a stimulating and informative selection of courses and lectures, it also made it possible to reach students who would never have been able to join UCT Summer School from their parts of the country or the world. As a result, UCT Summer School achieved a historic geographical reach into the computers of alumni and friends around the globe.

I am pleased to report that our scholarship advanced in many ways, thanks to the perseverance and talent of our academics, students and members of our support staff. UCT now leads in Africa in all five major world university rankings. Here is a sampling of how the UCT community continued to shine in the national and global arena:

• A total of 31 UCT members – staff, students and alumni – were named on the Mail & Guardian’s annual 200 Young South Africans list of frontrunners for change in the country and innovators in their respective fields.
• UCT was the only African university to have students receive generous grants in the Schmidt Futures’ global Reimagine Challenge 2020. Four UCT students – the largest contingent from any competing university – were among 20 winners who were announced in 2021. 
• UCT joined the Leap Health Breakthrough Network, a global group of leading academic and research institutions committed to solving the world’s most serious health challenges at record speed.
• The South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC) recognised six UCT researchers and scientists at the 7th SAMRC Scientific Merit Awards ceremony. Trailblazing professors Linda-Gail Bekker of the Desmond Tutu HIV Centre and Department of Medicine, and Heather Zar of the UCT Lung Institute and Department of Paediatrics, were each recognised with the 2021 Platinum Medal. Professor Graeme Meintjes of the Wellcome Centre for Infectious Diseases Research in Africa and the Department of Medicine, and Professor Karen Sliwa of the Hatter Institute for Cardiovascular Research in Africa and Department of Medicine, each received gold medals. Silver medals, conferred to emerging and upcoming scientists and those committed to capacity development, were awarded to Claire Hoving of the AFGrica Unit and the Department of Pathology, and Professor Mpiko Ntsekhe of the Department of Medicine.
• Professor Deon Bezuidenhout, the director of the Cardiovascular Research Unit and the co-director of the Cape Heart Institute at UCT, was elected to the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering College of Fellows, which comprises the top 2% of the medical and biological engineering community.
• The ground-breaking XACT Model project, which seeks to advance community-based active case finding (ACF) of tuberculosis (TB) using point-of-care molecular technology, received a further R100 million in funding to kickstart a critical multilayer phase in four sub-Saharan African countries, including South Africa. The move will revolutionise TB diagnosis and treatment by taking diagnostic tests out of the laboratory and into the community.
• Professor Harro von Blottnitz was elected as a Fellow of the South African Academy of Engineering.
• Dr Rubina Bunjun, a junior research fellow in the Faculty of Health Sciences, was the first scholar from an African university to receive the Dr John Gusdon Memorial New Investigator Award, presented by the American Society for Reproductive Immunology (ASRI) to a “new investigator with trainee status who has made a significant contribution by presenting an outstanding research paper during the ASRI Annual Meeting”. Dr Bunjun’s research characterises biological factors affected by hormonal contraception that may have implications for human immunodeficiency virus risk in women.
• Lara Dugas, an honorary professor in human biology at UCT, was awarded the AXA Research Chair in Non-Communicable Diseases Epidemiology – the second time the chair has been awarded to a researcher in Africa (the first also resides at UCT).
• Associate Professor Dyllon Randall received the South African Institute of Chemical Engineers 2021 Innovation Award for a project on the development of a fertiliser-producing urinal and urine bio-brick process.
• UCT’s Holistic Drug Discovery and Development Unit (H3D) announced significant partnerships to assist with developing new tools to advance treatment outcomes for the African patient population and enable capacity building in artificial intelligence and machine learning to aid drug discovery in Africa. Another new H3D partnership will bolster African drug research ahead of potential pandemics.
• The Department of Construction Economics and Management received the International Real Estate Society2021 Corporate Leadership Award for outstanding leadership at international level in support of real estate research and education.
• A team led by UCT researchers published a pan-African study that identified the genetic determinants of rheumatic heart disease (RHD) risk in black Africans. The study, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association Cardiology, is the largest of its kind to provide insights into the genetic determinants of RHD in Africa.
• The UCT Graduate School of Business held a virtual engagement session with eight senior Nigerian foreign ministry officials as part of a three-month Executive Education Customised Programme.
• UCT joined forces with NASA to conduct a first-of-its-kind biodiversity survey of one of the most biodiverse areas on the planet – the Greater Cape Floristic Region.
• Professor Ambroise Wonkam and Professor Cathy Ward were joint recipients of the prestigious Alan Pifer Award, recognising outstanding welfare-related research at UCT.
• UCT signed a memorandum of understanding with the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA), based in The Hague, the Netherlands. According to the agreement, the UCT Faculty of Law will provide a PCA representative in South Africa. A new fellowship programme for UCT graduates will also become available at The Hague.
• UCT alum Dr Mariëtte Wheeler received South Africa’s 2021 National Best Teacher Award from Minister of Basic Education Angie Motshekga.
• The UCT College of Fellows welcomed nine new members – one of the highest recognitions an academic staff member can receive for their work: Professor Joan Hambidge (School of Languages & Literatures); Professor Nicola Illing (Department of Molecular and Cell Biology); Professor Hanri Mostert (Department of Private Law); Professor Mpiko Ntsekhe (Department of Medicine); Professor Ntobeko Ntusi (Department of Medicine); Professor Karen Sliwa-Hahnle (Cape Heart Institute); Professor Michael Claeys (Department of Chemical Engineering); Professor Francis Nyamnjoh (School of African and Gender Studies); and Professor Fiona Ross (School of African and Gender Studies).

UCT also continues to demonstrate leadership in our responses to social issues. We strengthened our stance against sexual and gender-based violence, with a policy for new disciplinary procedures for sexual misconduct, approved by Council in December 2020. The policy targets the objectives of the new Sexual Misconduct Policy and Procedure, especially around the alignment of a survivor-centred process.

Later in the year, UCT alumnus Dr Alude Mahali spoke at the inaugural Uyinene Mrwetyana Commemorative Lecture to celebrate the legacy of the UCT student whose life was cut brutally short in 2019. The commemorative lecture was presented in partnership with the Uyinene Mrwetyana Foundation. First-year social science student Luhlanganiso Majebe was the first recipient of the Uyinene Mrwetyana Scholarship.

We continued to focus on increasing access to students from marginalised communities and homes, so that future researchers and scholars will represent a wider spectrum of Africans. Although the National Student Financial Aid Scheme announced a reduction in the number of programmes eligible for funding, which affected three UCT programmes, Council approved R30 million in funding for appeals, part of which was made available to qualifying students in these programmes.

Of course, graduation is the highlight of the academic journey. We are proud of the 6 223 students who made it through the pandemic challenges and graduated in December 2021 and in March 2022. UCT graduates remain among the world’s most employable, according to the 2022 Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) Graduate Employability Rankings – the second consecutive time that UCT has placed within the top 100. UCT also places 95th among 550 institutions.

Accomplishments such as these demonstrate what excellent academic standards, combined with a fervent commitment to advancing social welfare, can be attained even under the limitations of a pandemic. The rest of this review expands on the work of the university and the amazing people who make up the UCT community.

Professor Mamokgethi Phakeng
Vice-Chancellor

Inleiding van die Visekanselier

Hoe uitdagend dit ook al was, was 2021 ’n jaar van groei vir die Universiteit van Kaapstad (UK). Personeel en studente het die siening aanvaar dat ons uitdagings kan verwelkom as geleenthede om aan te pas, te lei en te groei.

Vroeg in die jaar moes ons van Dr Stuart Saunders, ’n voormalige UK visekanselier, afskeid neem. Hy het dedien as visekanselier gedurende die polities-onstuimige jare van 1981 tot 1997. Dr Saunders is op 12 Februarie ná ’n kort siekbed oorlede en is 12 dae later met ’n universiteitsgedenkdiens vereer. Dr Saunders het lank ná sy ampstermyn ’n staatmakervriend en ondersteuner van UK gebly. Hy was veral aktief in die handhawing van verhoudings met alumni en ander ondersteuners, terwyl die UK met sy proses van transformasie begin het.

Namate die jaar tot ’n einde geloop het, moes ons afskeid neem van nog ‘n merkwaardige man wat ‘n entoesiastiese ondersteuner van hoër onderwys was: emeritus-aartsbiskop Desmond Mpilo Tutu. Die “Arch” het sy naam aan baie navorsingsgeleide inisiatiewe aan ‘n wye reeks universiteite verleen. By die UK vertoon die Desmond Tutu MIV-sentrum in die Fakulteit Gesondheidswetenskappe sy deernis vir diegene wat deur die siekte geraak is, en die Nansen-Tutu Sentrum vir Mariene Omgewingsnavorsing in die Fakulteit Natuurwetenskappe dui sy liefde vir die omgewing aan. Ons sal vir ewig dankbaar wees vir die rol wat hierdie Nobelpryswenner vir Vrede gespeel het om die wêreld se aandag op die gruweldade van apartheid te vestig.

Natuurlik was die verwoesting, wat die Tafelbergbrand in April meegebring het, ’n verskriklike slag. Die verlies van soveel argiewe, wat binne en onder die Jagger-leeskamer gehou was, sal nog vir jare gevoel word. Ons bly dankbaar vir die restourasiekundiges wêreldwyd wat hul bystand verleen het, en aan die ander vriende wat met spierkrag, fasiliteite en toerusting gehelp het om die argiewe te bewaar, wat die biblioteekbrand oorleef het. Ons gaan voort met ons verbintenis om al die geboue wat deur die brand vernietig of beskadig is “beter te herbou”.

Te same met die res van die wêreld het ons gesukkel met die beperkings wat die COVID-19-pandemie op ons afgedwing het. Maar die lesse wat ons in 2020 oor onderrig, leer en navorsing in ’n omgewing van gedwonge sosiale afstand geleer het, het ons goed in die tweede jaar van COVID-19 gedien. Ons het ook voortgegaan om die talle navorsingsgebiede, wat die pandemie oopgemaak het, na te streef – nie net in Gesondheidswetenskappe en die soeke na meer doeltreffende en goedkoper inentings nie, maar ook in hoe die pandemie Suid-Afrikaners uit ’n sosiale, wetlike en gemeenskapsoogpunt geraak het. Ons was trots om die UK Community of Hope-inentingsentrum op 1 September by ons Forest Hill-koshuiskompleks in Mowbray te open.

Vir die eerste keer in sy 71-jaar bestaan, is die UK Somerskool aanlyn gehou; ’n voorbeeld van ons akademiese deursettingsvermoë gedurende ’n uitdagende tydperk waar persoonlike verbintenisse verbied is. Hierdie nuwighede het ons nie net toegelaat om voort te gaan om ’n stimulerende en leersame keur van kursusse en lesings te lewer nie, dit het dit ook moontlik gemaak om studente te bereik wat nooit voorheen vanuit hul dele van die land, of die wêreld, by UK Somerskool sou kon aansluit nie. As gevolg hiervan, het die UK Somerskool ’n historiese geografiese reikwydte in die rekenaars van alumni en vriende regoor die wêreld bereik.

Ek is bly om te rapporteer dat ons kundigheid op baie maniere gevorder het, danksy die deursettingsvermoë en talent van ons akademici, studente en lede van ons ondersteuningspersoneel. UK lei Afrika nou in al vyf die belangrikste universiteitsranglyste. Hier is ’n steekproef van hoe die UK-gemeenskap aangehou het om in die nasionale en globale arena te skitter:

• Altesaam 31 UK-lede – personeel, studente en alumni – is op die Mail & Guardian se jaarlikse 200 Jong Suid-Afrikaners-lys van voorlopers vir verandering in die land en baanbrekers in hul onderskeie velde aangewys.
• UK was die enigste Afrika-universiteit wat studente in die Schmidt Futures se wêreldwye Reimagine Challenge 2020 ruim toekennings ontvang het. Vier UK-studente – die grootste kontingent van enige mededingende universiteit – was onder 20 wenners wat in 2021 aangekondig is.
• UK het by die Leap Health Breakthrough Network aangesluit, ’n globale groep van vooraanstaande akademiese en navorsingsinstellings wat daartoe verbind is om die wêreld se ernstigste gesondheidsuitdagings teen rekordspoed op te los.
• Die Suid-Afrikaanse Mediese Navorsingsraad (SAMRC) het ses UK-navorsers en -wetenskaplikes by die 7de SAMRC Wetenskaplike Meriete-toekenningseremonie erken. Die baanbrekende professore Linda-Gail Bekker van die Desmond Tutu MIV-sentrum en Departement van Geneeskunde, en Heather Zar van die UK Long Instituut en Departement Pediatrie en Kindergesondheid, is elk met die 2021 Platinummedalje erken. Professor Graeme Meintjes van die Wellcome Centre for Infectious Diseases Research in Africa en die Departement Geneeskunde, en Professor Karen Sliwa van die Hatter Institute for Cardiovascular Research in Africa en Department van Geneeskunde, het elk goue medaljes ontvang. Silwer medaljes, toegeken aan ontwikkelende en opkomende wetenskaplikes, en diegene wat tot kapasiteitsontwikkeling verbind is, is aan Claire Hoving van die AFGrica-eenheid en die Departement Patologie, en Professor Mpiko Ntsekhe van die Departement van Geneeskunde toegeken.
• Professor Deon Bezuidenhout, die direkteur van die Kardiovaskulêre Navorsingseenheid, en die mededirekteur van die Cape Heart Institute by UK, is verkies tot die American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering College of Fellows, wat die top 2% van die mediese en biologiese ingenieursgemeenskap beslaan.
• Die baanbrekende XACT Model-projek, wat strewe om gemeenskapsgebaseerde aktiewe gevallebevinding van tuberkulose (TB) te bevorder, deur gebruik te maak van punt-van-sorg molekulêre tegnologie, het ’n verdere R100 miljoen se befondsing ontvang om ’n kritieke multi-laagfase in vier Afrika-lande, suid van die Sahara, insluitend Suid-Afrika, te begin. Hierdie stap sal rewolusionêr wees deur TB-diagnose en -behandeling met diagnostiese toetse uit die laboratorium en in die gemeenskap te neem.
• Professor Harro von Blottnitz is as genoot tot die Suid-Afrikaanse Akademie vir Ingenieurswese verkies.
• Dr Rubina Bunjun, ’n junior navorsingsgenoot in die Fakulteit Gesondheidswetenskappe , was die eerste navorser van ’n Afrika-universiteit wat die Dr John Gusdon Memorial Nuwe navorser-toekenning, oorhandig deur die American Society for Reproductive Immunology (ASRI) aan ’n “nuwe ondersoeker met leerlingstatus wat ’n beduidende bydrae gelewer het deur die voorlegging van ’n uitmuntende navorsingsverslag tydens die ASRI-jaarvergadering”, ontvang het. Dr Bunjun se navorsing het biologiese faktore gekenmerk wat deur hormonale voorbehoedmiddels geraak is, wat implikasies vir menslike immuniteitsgebreksvirus risiko by vroue kan hê.
• Lara Dugas, ’n ereprofessor in menslike biologie aan die UK, is met die AXA Navorsingsleerstoel in Nie-oordraagbare Siektes Epidemiologie bekroon – die tweede keer dat die leerstoel aan ’n navorser in Afrika toegeken is (die eerste ontvangers is ook aan UK) .
• Medeprofessor Dyllon Randall het die Suid-Afrikaanse Instituut vir Chemiese Ingenieurs 2021-baanbrekerstoekenning vir ’n projek oor die ontwikkeling van ’n kunsmisproduserende urinaal- en urine-biobaksteenproses ontvang.
• UK se eenheid vir holistiese geneesmiddelontdekking en-ontwikkeling (H3D), het beduidende vennootskappe aangekondig om te help met die ontwikkeling van nuwe instrumente om behandelingsuitkomste vir die Afrika-pasiënt populasie te bevorder en kapasiteitsbou in kunsmatige intelligensie en masjienleer moontlik te maak, om met die ontdekking van geneesmiddels in Afrika te help. Nog ’n nuwe H3D-vennootskap sal dwelmnavorsing in Afrika voor moontlike pandemies versterk.
• Die Departement Konstruksie-ekonomie en -bestuur het die International Real Estate Society 2021 Corporate Leadership Award vir uitstaande leierskap op internasionale vlak ter ondersteuning van eiendomsnavorsing en-opvoeding ontvang.
• ’n Span onder die leiding van UK-navorsers het ’n pan-Afrika studie gepubliseer wat die beslissende genetiese faktore van rumatiek-hartsiekte risiko in swart Afrikane geïdentifiseer het. Die studie, gepubliseer in die Journal of the American Medical Association Cardiology, is die grootste van sy soort om insigte oor die beslissende genetiese faktore van RHD in Afrika te verskaf.
• Die UK Nagraadse Bestuurskool het ’n virtuele sessie met agt senior Nigeriese buitelandse ministeriële sake-amptenare gehou as deel van ’n drie-maandlange pasgemaakte onderwys bestuursprogram.
• UK het kragte met NASA saamgesnoer om ’n eerste-van-sy-soort biodiversiteitsopname van een van die mees biodiverse gebiede op die planeet – die Groter Kaapse Floristiese Streek – te neem.
• Professor Ambroise Wonkam en Professor Cathy Ward was gesamentlike ontvangers van die gesogte Alan Pifer-toekenning. Dié toekenning gee erkenning aan uitstaande welsynsverwante navorsing by die UK.
• UK het ’n memorandum van verstandhouding met die Permanente Hof van Arbitrasie (PCA), gebaseer in Den Haag, Nederland, onderteken. Volgens die ooreenkoms sal die UK Fakulteit Regsgeleerdheid ’n verteenwoordiger in Suid-Afrika aan die hof verskaf. ’n Nuwe genootprogram vir UK-gegradueerdes sal ook by Den Haag beskikbaar wees.
• UK-alumnus Dr Mariëtte Wheeler het Suid-Afrika se 2021 Nasionale Beste Onderwyser-toekenning van die Minister van Basiese Onderwys, Angie Motshekga, ontvang.
• Die UK College of Fellows het nege nuwe lede verwelkom – een van die hoogste erkennings wat ’n akademiese personeellid vir hul werk kan ontvang: Professor Joan Hambidge (Skool vir Tale en Letterkundes); Professor Nicola Illing (Departement Molekulêre en Selbiologie); Professor Hanri Mostert (Departement Privaatreg); Professor Mpiko Ntsekhe (Departement van Geneeskunde); Professor Ntobeko Ntusi (Departement van Geneeskunde); Professor Karen Sliwa-Hahnle (Kaapse Hartinstituut); Professor Michael Claeys (Departement Chemiese Ingenieurswese); Professor Francis Nyamnjoh (Skool vir Afrika- en Genderstudies); en Professor Fiona Ross (Skool vir Afrika- en Genderstudies).

UK gaan ook voort om leierskap deur ons reaksie op maatskaplike kwessies te toon. Ons het ons standpunt teen seksuele en geslagsgebaseerde geweld versterk, met ’n beleid vir nuwe dissiplinêre prosedures vir seksuele wangedrag, wat in Desember 2020 deur die Raad goedgekeur is. Die beleid teiken die doelwitte van die nuwe Seksuele Wangedragbeleid en Prosedure, veral om met ’n oorlewende-gesentreerde proses tred te hou.

Later in die jaar het UCT-alumnus Dr Alude Mahali die eerste Uyinene Mrwetyana Gedenklesing gelewer, om die nalatenskap van die UK-student wie se lewe in 2019 wreed kortgeknip is, te vier. Die gedenklesing is in vennootskap met die Uyinene Mrwetyana-stigting aangebied. Eerstejaar sosiale wetenskap student, Luhlanganiso Majebe, was die eerste ontvanger van die Uyinene Mrwetyana-beurs.

Ons het voortgegaan om te fokus op die verhoging van toegang vir studente uit gemarginaliseerde gemeenskappe en huise, sodat toekomstige navorsers en skoliere ’n wyer spektrum van Afrikane sal verteenwoordig. Alhoewel die Nasionale Finansiële Hulpskema vir Studente (NSFS) ’n vermindering in die aantal programme wat vir befondsing in aanmerking kom aangekondig het, wat drie UK-programme geraak het, het die UK Raad befondsing van R30 miljoen vir appèlle goedgekeur, waarvan ’n gedeelte aan kwalifiserende studente in hierdie programme beskikbaar gestel is.

Natuurlik is die gradeplegtigheid die hoogtepunt van die akademiese reis. Ons is trots op die 6 223 studente wat deur die uitdagings van die pandemie gekom het en in Desember 2021, en in Maart 2022, grade behaal het. UK gegradueerdes bly onder die wêreld se mees indiensneembare, volgens die 2022 Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) Graduate Employability Rankings – die tweede agtereenvolgende keer wat UK onder die top 100 geplaas het. UK plaas ook 95ste onder 550 instellings.

Prestasies soos hierdie demonstreer die uitstekende akademiese standaarde, gekombineer met ’n vurige verbintenis tot die bevordering van maatskaplike welsyn, wat ten spyte van die beperkinge van ’n pandemie bereik is. Die res van hierdie oorsig brei uit oor die werk van die universiteit en die wonderlike mense wat deel van die UK-gemeenskap uitmaak.

Professor Mamokgethi Phakeng
Visekanselier

Intshayelelo yeSekela-Tshansela

Nangona ibingumngeni, u-2021 ibingunyaka wokukhula kweYunivesithi yaseKapa (UCT). Abasebenzi kunye nabafundi bathathele ingqalelo imbono yokuba sinokuyamkela imingeni njengamathuba okuziqhelanisa, ukukhokela kunye nokukhula.

Ebutsheni bonyaka, kuye kwafuneka sithi ndlelantle kuGqirha Stuart Saunders, owayesakuba ngusekela-tshansela nosebenze kwiminyaka yezidubedube zopolitiko zika-1981 ukuya ku-1997. Uye wasishiya ngomhla we-12 kaFebruwari emva kokugula okufutshane waze wawongwa emva kweentsuku ezili-12 emva koko kwinkonzo yesikhumbuzo yeyunivesithi. UGqr Saunders uye wahlala engumhlobo othembekileyo nomxhasi we-UCT ixesha elide emva kokuba ebambe isikhundla. Ubekukhuthalele kakhulu ukugcina ubudlelwane nabafundi bangaphambili kunye nabanye abalandeli ngelixa i-UCT ikwinkqubo yayo yenguqu.

Njengoko unyaka usiya ekupheleni, kuye kwafuneka sithi ndlela-ntle kwenye yamadoda abalaseleyo, nebingumxhasi okhutheleyo wemfundo ephakamileyo: Ubhishophu Omkhulu Osamileyo uDesmond Mpilo Tutu. "I-Arch" inike igama lakhe kumanyathelo amaninzi ophando kwiiyunivesithi. E-UCT, iZiko leHIV likaDesmond Tutu kwiFakalthi yeNzululwazi yezeMpilo (Faculty of Health Sciences) libonisa uvelwano kwabo bachatshazelwe sesi sifo, kwaye iZiko leNansen-Tutu loPhando lweNdalo yaseLwandle kwiFakhalthi yeSayensi libonisa uthando lwakhe kwezendalo. Siya kuhlala sinombulelo ngendima edlalwe ngulo waphumelela iBhaso loXolo lukaNobel(Nobel Peace Prize) ekugxininiseni ingqwalasela yehlabathi kwinkohlakalo yocalucalulo.

Nangoku, intshabalalo eziswe ngumlilo we-Table Mountain ngo-Epreli yaba yintlekele embi. Ilahleko yendawo yokugcina irekhodi ezininzi ezigcinwa ngaphakathi nangaphantsi kweGumbi lokuFunda leJagger liza kuvakala kwiminyaka ezayo. Siya kuhlala sinombulelo kwiingcaphephe ezilungise iJagger kwihlabathi jikelele ezithe zanikela ngoncedo lwazo, nakwabanye abahlobo abathe bancedisa ngamandla wabo, amaziko kunye nezixhobo zokunceda nokugcina oovimba abasindileyo kumlilo wethala leencwadi. Siyaqhubeka nokuzinikela kwethu “ekwakheni kwakhona ngcono” zonke izakhiwo ezitshatyalalisiwe okanye ezonakaliswe ngumlilo.

Kunye nehlabathi liphela, siye sazabalaza nezidingo  ezinyanzeliswa kuthi ngubhubhani we-COVID-19. Kodwa izifundo esizifundileyo ngo-2020 malunga nokufundisa, ukufunda kunye nophando kubume bokunyanzeliswa bokunganxulumani nabantu busincede kakuhle kunyaka wesibini we-COVID-19. Sikwaqhubekile nokulandela iinkalo ezininzi zophando ezithe zavulwa ngulo bhubhani - hayi kuphela kwiNzululwazi yezeMpilo kunye nokukhangela ivaksini ezisebenzayo nezinexabiso eliphantsi, kodwa nakwindlela ubhubhane obachaphazele ngayo abemi boMzantsi Afrika ngokwentlalo, ezomthetho kunye noluntu. Sibe neqhayiya ngokuvula iZiko loGonyo loLuntu leThemba lase-UCT (UCT Community of Hope Vaccination Centre) ngomhla woku-1 kuSeptemba kwindawo yethu yokuhlala yaseForest Hill eMowbray.

Okokuqala ngqa kwiminyaka engama-71 yobukho, iSikolo saseHlotyeni sase-UCT sibanjelwe kwi-intanethi (online), umzekelo wokubonakalisa ukomelela  kwethu ezifundweni ngexesha elinzima apho ukuzibandakanya nomnye umntu bekungavumelekanga. Olu tshintsho aluphelelanga nje ekusivumeleni ukuba siqhubeleke ngokukhetha izifundo ezivuselelayo nezifundisayo, kodwa lwenze ukuba kube nokwenzeka ukufikelela kubafundi abangakwaziyo ukufikelela kwi-UCT Summer School abasuka kwiindawo zabo okanye zehlabathi. Kangangokuba, iSikolo saseHlotyeni  siphumelele ekufikeleleni kwimbali ngokwejografi kwiikhompyutha zabafundi ababesele bengaphambili kunye nabahlobo kwihlabathi jikelele.

Ndiyavuya ukunika ingxelo yokuba isibonelelo sezifundo (scholarship) sethu siqhubele phambili ngeendlela ezininzi, ngenxa yokunyamezela kunye netalente yabafundi bethu, abafundi kunye namalungu abasebenzi bethu abasixhasayo. I-UCT ngoku inkqenkqeza phambili e-Afrika kuwo omahlanu amanqanaba aphezulu kwiiyunivesithi zehlabathi. Nantsi isampulu yendlela uluntu lwase-UCT oluqhubeke ngayo ukuqaqamba kwisizwe nehlabathi:

• Itotali yamalungu angama-31 e-UCT - abasebenzi, abafundi kunye nabafundi bangaphambili - babizwe kuluhlu lweMail & Guardian lonyaka lwaBantu abaLulutsha baseMzantsi Afrika abangama-200 abagqwesileyo kwiinguqu kweli lizwe kunye nabasunguli (innovators) kwiinkalo zabo.
• I-UCT ibikuphela kweyunivesiti yase-Afrika enabafundi abafumene izibonelelo zesisa kuMngeni we-Schmidt Futures’ we-Global Reimagine Challenge 2020. Abafundi abane base-UCT – abona bafundi baninzi abaphuma kuyo nayiphi na iyunivesithi ekhuphisanayo – bebephakathi kwabaphumeleleyo abangama-20 ababhengezwe ngo-2021.
• I-UCT izimanye neLeap Health Breakthrough Network, iqela lehlabathi lamaziko emfundo ephakamileyo kunye namaziko ophando azibophelele ekusombululeni eyona mingeni yezempilo yehlabathi ngesantya esiphezulu.
• IBhunga loPhando lwezoNyango loMzantsi Afrika (SAMRC) lithathele ingqalelo abaphandi abathandathu be-UCT kunye neenzululwazi kumsitho wesixhenxe weeMbasa zeSayensi ze-SAMRC. Iinjingalwazi ezilandela i-Trailblazing uLinda-Gail Bekker we-Desmond Tutu HIV Centre kunye neSebe lezoNyango, kunye no-Heather Zar we-UCT Lung Institute kunye neSebe leZigulo zaBantwana, baye baqatshelwa ngeMbasa yePlatinum yowama-2021. Unjingalwazi uGraeme Meintjes weZiko le-Welcome loPhando lweZifo ezosulelayo e-Afrika kunye neSebe lezoNyango, kunye noNjingalwazi uKaren Sliwa we-Hatter Institute for Cardiovascular Research e-Afrika kunye neSebe lezoNyango, bafumene iimbasa zegolide ngamnye. Iimbasa zesilivere, ezinikezelwa koosonzululwazi abasakhasayo kunye nabo bazibophelele kuphuhliso lwezakhono, zanikezelwa kuClaire Hoving weYunithi ye-AFGrica kunye neSebe le-Pathology, kunye noNjingalwazi uMpiko Ntsekhe weSebe lezoNyango.
• UNjingalwazi uDeon Bezuidenhout, umlawuli weYunithi yoPhando lwe-Cardiovascular Research kunye noMphathi we-Cape Heart Institute e-UCT, wonyulwe kwi-American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering College of Fellows, ebandakanya i-2% ephezulu yezonyango kunye noluntu lobunjineli bebhayoloji.
• Iprojekthi ye-XACT Model ephambili, efuna ukuqhubela phambili nokufunyanwa kwemeko yoluntu esebenzayo (ACF) yesifo sephepha (TB) kusetyenziswa ubuchwepheshe bemolekyuli ye-point-of-care, ifumene enye inkxaso-mali yezigidi zeerandi ezi-100 (R100 million) ukuqalisa isigaba esibalulekileyo samanqanaba amaninzi amazwe amane e-Afrika ekwi-sub-Sahara, kuquka noMzantsi Afrika. Eli nyathelo liza kuguqula ukuxilongwa kwe-TB kunye nonyango ngokuthatha iimvavanyo zokuxilonga ngaphandle kwelebhu ukuya eluntwini.
• UNjingalwazi uHarro von Blottnitz wonyulwe njengoMntu weZiko loMzantsi Afrika lobuNjineli.
• UGqirha Rubina Bunjun, umphandi osemncinci kwiFakalthi ye-Health Sciences, ubengumfundi wokuqala ophuma kwiyunivesithi yase-Afrika ukufumana imbasa kaGqirha John Gusdon Memorial New Investigator Award, enikezelwa nguMbutho waseMelika we-Reproductive Immunology (ASRI) “ umphandi osemtsha onesakhono sokuqeqesha owenze igalelo elibalulekileyo ngokubonisa iphepha lophando eligqwesileyo ngexesha leNtlanganiso yoNyaka ye-ASRI”. Uphando lukaGqr Bunjun lubonisa izinto zebhayoloji ezichatshazelwa luthintelo lwehomoni olunokuba nefuthe kumngcipheko wentsholongwane yokhuselo lomzimba kubantu basetyhini.
• ULara Dugas, unjingalwazi ohloniphekileyo kwibhayoloji yabantu e-UCT, uwongwe njengoSihlalo woPhando lwe-AXA kwi-Non-Communicable Diseases Epidemiology – kokwesibini esi sihlalo sinikwa umphandi wase-Afrika (owokuqala ubesebenza e-UCT).
• UNjingalwazi uDyllon Randall ufumene iMbasa yeZiko loMzantsi Afrika leeNjineli zeMichiza yowama-2021 ngeprojekthi yophuhliso lwenkqubo yokuvelisa isichumiso esivelisa somchamo (fertiliser-producing urinal) ne-urine bio-brick.
• Iyunithi ye-UCT's Holistic Drug Discovery and Development Unit (H3D) ibhengeze ubambiswano olubalulekileyo lokuncedisa ekuphuhliseni izixhobo ezitsha zokuqhubela phambili iziphumo zonyango lwezigulane zase-Afrika kunye nokwenza ukuba ukuxhotyiswa ngolwazi lobukrelekrele kunye nokufunda koomatshini ukunceda ukufunyanwa kweziyobisi e-Afrika. Olunye ubambiswano olutsha lwe-H3D luya kuqinisa uphando lweziyobisi lwase-Afrika ngaphambi kobhubhane onokwenzeka.
• ISebe lezoQoqosho noLawulo lweSebe loLwakhiwo (Construction Economics and Management) lifumene iMbasa ye-International Real Estate Society ka-2021 yobuNkokheli bobunkokeli obugqwesileyo kwinqanaba lamazwe ngamazwe ukuxhasa uphando lwezindlu nomhlaba kunye nemfundo.
• Iqela elikhokelwa ngabaphandi base-UCT lipapashe uphononongo lwase-Afrika ngokubanzi oluchonge izinto zofuzo zemingcipheko yesifo sentliziyo samathambo (genetic determinants of rheumatic heart disease ) (RHD) kubantu abamnyama baseAfrika. Uphononongo, olupapashwe kwi-Journal ye-American Medical Association Cardiology, olona lukhulu lolu hlobo ukubonelela ngengqiqo kwi-genetic determinants ye-RHD e-Afrika.
• I-UCT Graduate School of Business ibambe iseshoni yothethathethwano kunye namagosa aphezulu asibhozo esebe lezangaphandle eNigeria njengenxalenye yeNkqubo yeSigqeba eLungisiweyo yeenyanga ezintathu.
• I-UCT idibane ne-NASA ukwenza uphando lwayo lokuqala lohlobo lwezityalo nezilwanyana ezizezona zohlukeneyo kwiplanethi yethu – iGreater Cape Floristic Region.
• UNjingalwazi Ambroise Wonkam kunye noNjingalwazi uCathy Ward baye bafumana imbasa ebalaseleyo ye-Alan Pifer, beqaphela uphando olugqwesileyo olunxulumene nentlalo-ntle e-UCT.
• I-UCT ityikitye isivumelwano sokusebenzisana neNkundla eSisigxina yoLamlo, Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA), eseHague, eNetherlands. Ngokwesivumelwano, iFakhalthi yoMthetho yase-UCT iza kubonelela ngommeli wePCA eMzantsi Afrika. Inkqubo entsha yobudlelwane yabafundi abaphumelele e-UCT nayo iya kufumaneka eHague.
• Umfundi wangaphambili wase-UCT uGqirha Mariëtte Wheeler ufumene iMbasa yeSizwe eBalaseleyo yoMzantsi Afrika yowama-2021 kuMphathiswa weMfundo esiSiseko u-Angie Motshekga.
• Ikholeji yaBalingane base-UCT yamkela amalungu amatsha alithoba – elinye lelona wonga eliphezulu onokulifumana ngomsebenzi owenzayo: UNjingalwazi Joan Hambidge (Isikolo seeLwimi noNcwadi); UNjingalwazi uNicola Illing (iSebe leBhayoloji yeMolekyuli kunye neeSeli); UNjingalwazi uHanri Mostert (iSebe lezoMthetho waBucala); UNjingalwazi Mpiko Ntsekhe (iSebe lezoNyango); UNjingalwazi Ntobeko Ntusi (iSebe lezoNyango); UNjingalwazi Karen Sliwa-Hahnle (iZiko leNtliziyo laseKapa); UNjingalwazi uMichael Claeys (iSebe lezobuNjineli beMichiza); UNjingalwazi uFrancis Nyamnjoh (iSikolo seziFundo zaseAfrika nezeSini); kunye noNjingalwazi uFiona Ross (iSikolo seziFundo zaseAfrika nezeSini).

I-UCT ikwaqhubeleka nokubonisa ubunkokeli kwiimpendulo zethu kwimiba yentlalo. Siye saqinisa ukuma kwethu ngokuchasene nobundlobongela obuphathelele kwezesondo kunye nesini, ngomgaqo-nkqubo weenkqubo ezintsha zoluleko zokuziphatha kakubi ngokwesondo, ezavunywa liBhunga ngoDisemba 2020. Lo mgaqo-nkqubo ujolise kwiinjongo zoMgaqo-nkqubo omtsha wokuZiphatha kakubi ngokweSondo kunye neNkqubo, ngakumbi malunga nokulungelelaniswa kwenkqubo egxile kwixhoba.

Kamva enyakeni, owayengumfundi wangaphambili wase-UCT uGqirha Alude Mahali uthethe kwiNtetho yeSikhumbuzo sokuqala sika-Uyinene Mrwetyana sokubhiyozela umthetho womfundi wase-UCT owathi ubomi bakhe bathathwa kakubi busebufutshane ngo-2019. Esi sifundo sesikhumbuzo siqhutywe ngentsebenziswano ne-Uyinene Mrwetyana Foundation. Umfundi owenza unyaka wokuqala kwisayensi yentlalontle uLuhlanganiso Majebe ube ngowokuqala ukufumana isibonelelo sokufunda esisekelwe (Uyinene Mrwetyana Scholarship).

Siqhubekile sigxile ekwandiseni ukufikelela kubafundi abasuka kwiindawo namakhaya ahlelelekileyo, ukuze abaphandi nabaphengululi bexesha elizayo bamele uluhlu olubanzi lwama-Afrika. Nangona i-National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) ibhengeze ukuncitshiswa kwenani leenkqubo ezifanele ukufumana inkxaso-mali, nto leyo echaphazele iinkqubo ezintathu ze-UCT, iBhunga liphumeze izigidi ezi-30 zeerandi (R30 million) kwinkxaso-mali yofakelo lwezibheno, inxalenye yayo iye yafumaneka kubafundi abafanelekileyo kwezi nkqubo.

Nangoku ke, umsitho wokuthwaswa kwezidanga zokuphumelela kwabafundi yeyona nto iphambili kwinkqubo yokuqhubeka kwezifundo. Siyazingca ngabafundi abayi-6 223 abathe baphumelela kulo mceli-mngeni kwaye baphumelela ngoDisemba ka-2021 nangoMatshi ka-2022. Abafundi abaphumelele e-UCT bahlala bephakathi kwabona baqeshekayo kwihlabathi, ngokwe-Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) ka-2022 yokuQeshwa kwesiDanga - inqanaba lesibini ngokulandelelana ixesha apho i-UCT ilibeke kwi-100 ephezulu. I-UCT ikwabekwe kwindawo yama-95 kumaziko angama-550.

Izinto eziphunyeziweyo ezifana nezi zibonisa ukuba yeyiphi imigangatho yemfundo esemagqabini, idityaniswe nokuzibophelela ngokunyanisekileyo ekuqhubeleni phambili intlalo-ntle yoluntu, inokuphumeza naphantsi kwemeko yobhubhane. Inxalenye yolu phononongo yandisa umsebenzi weyunivesithi kunye nabantu abamangalisayo ababumba uluntu lwase-UCT.

UNjingalwazi Mamokgethi Phakeng

USekela-Tshansela