nGAP NEWS
3 May 2021 | Issue 5

This newsletter appears in the immediate aftermath of the fire that began on the slopes of Devil’s Peak and ravaged UCT. It comes after over a year of COVID-19 national lockdowns and the resultant retreat to online meetings and teachings. The past year has been a challenge, but there have been moments of reprieve. One was the end-of-year lunch held at the Rhodes Memorial Restaurant and Tea Garden, which has since been destroyed by the fire, lending the occasion more poignant meaning.

nGAP Phase 7 – UCT awarded five posts

Earlier this year we received news from the Department of Higher Education and Training that our application for a further five New Generation of Academics Programme (nGAP) posts had been successful. We were awarded the maximum number permissible. The successful applications came from:

  • Faculty of Commerce: School of Economics (Economic Development)
  • Faculty of Commerce: School of Economics (Behavioural and Experimental Economics)
  • Faculty of Health Sciences: Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health (Addictions Psychiatry)
  • Faculty of Humanities: School of Languages and Literatures
  • Faculty of Science: Department of Oceanography.

These posts will shortly be advertised through the usual UCT processes.

UCT has now been awarded 32 nGAP posts. These are spread across the faculties: Centre for Higher Education Development (CHED) (2), Commerce (8), Engineering & the Built Environment (4), Health Sciences (8), Humanities (5), Law (1) and Science (4).

The nGAP cohort has grown steadily since the first Phase 1 lecturers joined UCT in January 2016. Part of this success is down to the guidance of the nGAP Steering Committee. This includes members of staff from Finance, Human Resources and the Research Office. In the past year the committee included Deputy Vice-Chancellor Professor Loretta Feris (chair), Shai Makgoba and Michelle Craig (Finance), Zaheer Ally (Human Resources), Gaelle Ramon (Research Office) and Robert Morrell (nGAP manager).

This issue

In this issue we introduce you to the five new Phase 6 nGAP lecturers: Simon Chili (Department of Mathematics and Applied Mathematics), Teboho Mofokeng (Department of Civil Engineering), Tendani Chimboza (Department of Information Systems), Meryl Jagarnath (Division of Environmental Health) and Pumelela Nqelenga (Centre for Theatre, Dance & Performance Studies).

In the past year, many nGAP activities took place virtually, including virtual teas! But, when regulations permitted, writing retreats were held. In 2021 nGAP members gathered at the beautiful Mont Fleur and enjoyed seeing one another again and engaging face-to-face.

Warm regards
Dr Robert Morrell

nGAP congregates at Mont Fleur
Simon Chili: new nGAP lecturer in mathematics
Teboho Mofokeng: new nGAP lecturer in civil engineering
Tendani Chimboza: new nGAP member
Meryl Jagarnath joins the Environmental Health division as nGAP member
Pumelela Nqelenga joins Centre for Theatre, Dance & Performance Studies
UCT Campus Communications