2014 LSE-UCT July School

London School of Economics and UCT are hosting their second July School in Cape Town - aimed at students and professionals, and focused on key challenges and opportunities in Africa.

Students and professionals registering for the 2014 LSE-UCT July School in Cape Town will have access not only to outstanding academics from two internationally renowned tertiary institutions, but also a diversity of personal, academic and professional experiences through participants.

Just under 100 people participated in last year's inaugural programme, one of whom is Samson Mbewe, a student currently completing his master's degree at UCT. "Although I found the course content highly informative, the most valuable aspect of the programme was the diverse group of people I interacted with. I experienced different views from different schools of knowledge and lines of thought, which made for an enriching experience."

The format is simple: 10 courses are presented over 10 days, made up of nine days of coursework and an exam. Each participant may take only one course.

The short format makes for an intensive but rewarding learning experience, explains Professor Thandika Mkandawire, the programme's academic director from LSE: "After thinking about issues so intensely, writing an essay and sitting an exam gives people a chance to give form to their thoughts and reflect on their experience and new knowledge. Of course, the teaching is broken up, and often very interactive. The mornings tend to be lectures, with less formal small group seminars in the afternoon, where everyone is involved in discussing the issues at hand and forming their own opinions."

The programme arose from of LSE and UCT's institutional partnership, established in 2010, and aimed at broadening their academic reach through innovative opportunities for students.

"This innovative programme - aimed at students and professionals - includes cutting-edge courses that deal with key issues relevant to Africa, providing access to new scholarly insight," says Associate Professor Suellen Shay, Dean of UCT's Centre for Higher Education Development and an academic director of the LSE-UCT July School.

Visit the LSE website for course details and to apply: www.lse.ac.uk (search for "LSE-UCT July School")

Story by Abigail Calata. Photo by Michael Hammond.