Located on the slopes of Devil’s Peak in Cape Town, the University of Cape Town is a leading, research-intensive university in South Africa and on the continent, known for its academic excellence and pioneering scholarship. The university is home to a third of South Africa’s A-rated researchers (acknowledged by the Department of Science and Technology as international leaders in their field) and a fifth of the country’s national research chairs. UCT encourages students and staff to use their expertise to speed up social change and economic development across the country and continent, while pursuing the highest standards of excellence in academic knowledge and research: developing African solutions to African challenges that are also shared by developing nations around the world.
UCT, like the city of Cape Town, has a vibrant, cosmopolitan community drawn from all corners of South Africa. It also attracts students and staff from more than 100 countries in Africa and the rest of the world. The university has strong partnerships and networks with leading African and other international institutions - helping to enrich the academic, social and cultural diversity of the campus as well as to extend the reach of UCT’s academic work.
South Africa’s social compact is at breaking point and the country may need a dialogue similar to its 1994 political transition talks to get out of the crisis.
Young African penguins are following the usual cues to feeding grounds only to find that the sources of food in these places is no longer available. This is devastating for their numbers.
The decision to give former Eskom CEO, Brian Molefe, a seat in the country’s parliament comes with the potential to cause great economic pain for South Africa.
Opposition parties in sub-Saharan Africa struggle to prove themselves worthy to skeptical voters who, unlike in Western competitive systems, don’t trust them over former liberation movements.
We’re living in a time of rapid transformation in terms of what’s required for a country’s workforce. Design thinking is one way to prepare graduates for these changing times.
Nigerian women migrating to Europe are increasingly aware that work hidden in the form of menial jobs is actually sex work, even though they cannot imagine the brutality that comes with it.
The BRICS bloc of states have resolved to establish an alternative credit rating agency to counter western dominance in the financial markets. Will it work?
A pioneering documentary about South African punks, Fokofpolisiekar, doesn’t only focus on the band, but also illuminates the evolution of the documentary form.
A South African politician under whose watch 94 psychiatric patients died resigned this week. But should she be taken to court to be held properly accountable?
SADC’s credibility is at stake. Its lack of political will in acting decisively against despots is at odds with the African Union’s goal of promoting legitimate governance on the continent.
Depression may lead pregnant women to engage in suicidal behaviour. But the socioeconomic contexts pregnant women are in may also contribute to their suicide risk.
For science to have an impact there must be a genuine will to implement its advances. This requires promoting a greater understanding of science in broader society.
The scientific impact of a research paper increases with every additional commenter who provides feedback – particularly if the comment came from a well-connected academic.