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UCT in top 1.3% globally

05 August 2019 | Story Supplied. Photo Je’nine May. Read time 2 min.
The CWUR rankings place UCT as the highest-ranking university in the country and on the continent, as well as in the top 1.3% of universities globally.
The CWUR rankings place UCT as the highest-ranking university in the country and on the continent, as well as in the top 1.3% of universities globally.

The University of Cape Town (UCT) ranks 252 out of 20 000 universities worldwide, according to the most recent list from the Center for World University Rankings (CWUR) for 2019–2020.

These rankings, published today, place UCT as the highest-ranking university in the country and on the continent, as well as in the top 1.3% of universities globally.

The CWUR, a consulting organisation, publishes the largest academic rankings of universities globally. It uses indicators to rank institutions without relying on surveys or university data submissions. These assess the quality of education, alumni employment, quality of faculty and research performance, which covers total number of publications, publications in top-tier journals, publications in highly influential journals and publications that are highly cited.

 

“These rankings place UCT as the highest-ranking university in the country and on the continent, as well as in the top 1.3% of universities globally.”

The quality of education and quality of faculty indicators are measured by the number of alumni and faculty members, respectively, who have won international awards, prizes and medals (from a narrowly prescribed list) relative to the university’s size.

The alumni employment indicator measures the number of alumni who have held chief executive officer positions in the world’s top companies (on the Forbes Global 2000 list) relative to the university’s size.

The top three universities according to the CWUR’s list were Harvard University, followed by Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Stanford University (all in the United States).

During June, UCT was also ranked the top university in Africa by the latest Quacquarelli Symonds World University Rankings.

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Highlights from 2019

 

As we look back on 2019, we celebrate the top 40 stories that were most popular with readers of the UCT News website during the year.



 
 
 
 
 
 

Prestigious scholarship for star pupil Prospective UCT student Terrell Demorgan has been awarded the inaugural Daniel Samuel Maseko Memorial Scholarship for 2020. 31 Dec 2019 Highlight from 2019
UCT adds Khoekhoegowab to its language courses UCT announced during its Africa Month celebrations the addition of Khoekhoegowab, the indigenous Khoisan language, to its multilingual short courses. 30 Dec 2019 Highlight from 2019
UCT in top 1.3% globally UCT ranks best in Africa, according to the latest Center for World University Rankings. 30 Dec 2019 Highlight from 2019
Touch down for SA’s banking Siri Four UCT students have developed a one-stop banking shop that performs banking transactions, monitors account activity and speaks four South African languages. 30 Dec 2019 Highlight from 2019
Warm response to Moloi-Motsepe’s election as chancellor Dr Precious Moloi-Motsepe has been elected as the University of Cape Town’s sixth chancellor. She will take up the position from 1 January 2020. 29 Dec 2019 Highlight from 2019
UCT tops in Africa in all five major rankings UCT took the top spot in South Africa and jumped back into the 201–300 band in the latest ShanghaiRankingʼs Academic Ranking of World Universities 2019. 28 Dec 2019 Highlight from 2019
UCT best in Africa in world rankings UCT has been ranked the best university on the continent in the 2020 US News Best Global Universities rankings. 27 Dec 2019 Highlight from 2019
Cape Town’s drought under the microscope PhD candidate Precious Mahlalela dedicated her masterʼs thesis to understanding the cause of the Mother City’s recent drought and received recognition in a top international journal. 27 Dec 2019 Highlight from 2019
SA’s first ‘LinkedIn for creatives’ Three UCT Commerce students have designed an online platform that gives creative professionals a way to network and share their work with a vast audience. 27 Dec 2019 Highlight from 2019
Common contraceptive could raise TB risk A breakthrough study at UCT has revealed that one of the country’s most commonly used injectable contraceptives could potentially increase users’ risk of contracting tuberculosis. 26 Dec 2019 Highlight from 2019
UCT graduates ‘highly sought after’ UCT Careers Service’s Graduate Exit Survey confirms that the university’s graduates remain “highly sought after”, with only about 10% of the 2018 class still seeking jobs. 25 Dec 2019 Highlight from 2019
Levelling the maths, physics playing field Thabang Sebetoane’s brainchild, the tutoring project Tshehetso, uses coaching and mentoring to prepare potential engineering students for success at university. 24 Dec 2019 Highlight from 2019
Dual degree was ‘a juggling act’ With diligence and perseverance, UCT student Kira Düsterwald simultaneously graduated with her degree in medicine and her masterʼs in neuroscience. 24 Dec 2019 Highlight from 2019
Balance key to two-in-one degree Balance was key to UCT’s Nicola Steinhaus graduating with both a bachelor’s and master’s degree concurrently. 24 Dec 2019 Highlight from 2019
UCT master’s degrees pull international students A significant number of UCT’s 605 new international students in 2019 have signed up for master’s degree programmes, a trend that’s evident across all six academic faculties. 23 Dec 2019 Highlight from 2019
‘This is my mother’s graduation’ While it’s his name on the degree, Ntebogang Segone says his 17 April graduation belongs to his mother. 23 Dec 2019 Highlight from 2019
New ‘fully funded’ scholarship for top young researchers UCT's new Vice-Chancellor Research Scholarship will support and develop the university's top young researchers as they tackle society's most pressing challenges. 23 Dec 2019 Highlight from 2019
Hon doc for maths ‘trailblazer’ Phakeng VC Prof Mamokgethi Phakeng says her honorary doctorate from the University of Bristol is “a recognition of the many people who made me, those I represent”. 22 Dec 2019 Highlight from 2019
Student’s urine-recovery system for R600m building In a first for South Africa, a urine-recovery urinal system developed at UCT has been incorporated into the design of a R600-million Centurion office building. 21 Dec 2019 Highlight from 2019
Tackling the fake qualifications threat Universities and employers in South Africa have a vital tool to tackle the fake qualifications menace, thanks to the country’s world-first online verification system MiE. 20 Dec 2019 Highlight from 2019
Changing face of UCT infrastructure A new 500-bed residence, an education building and a redeveloped North Bus Stop are among seven new developments in the pipeline to meet UCT’s needs to 2035. 20 Dec 2019 Highlight from 2019
Student’s 3D-printer plan to change education UCT student Denislav Marinov has big plans for democratising quality education in South Africa, one 3D printer at a time. 20 Dec 2019 Highlight from 2019
Black women academics: ‘Stay in the system’ Vice-Chancellor Professor Mamokgethi Phakeng’s plea to young black women academics ahead of Women’s Day is that they “stay in the system” to change the status quo in academia. 19 Dec 2019 Highlight from 2019
UCT back in top 10 for development studies UCT has moved up two places in the 2019 QS World University Rankings by Subject, to reclaim its position in the top 10. 19 Dec 2019 Highlight from 2019
‘Something is deeply wrong with our society’ During a memorial service for Uyinene Mrwetyana, UCT chancellor, Mrs Graça Machel, said South Africa faces a deeply rooted problem and needs help. 19 Dec 2019 Highlight from 2019
Students share their top study tips With just over a week to go before exams start, UCT students share their tried and tested tips for study success. 18 Dec 2019 Highlight from 2019
Leverage privilege to change education, Madonsela urges Apartheid has cast a huge shadow over the country, particularly education, and it will need all of society to break the cycle of poverty. 18 Dec 2019 Highlight from 2019
UCT says ‘Enough is enough’ at Parliament picket UCT students and staff were joined by members of the public in a picket at Parliament to protest escalating sexual and gender-based violence. 18 Dec 2019 Highlight from 2019
Matric maths pass rate poses significant challenge for universities Universities may have to swop targeted interventions for systemic change if they are to successfully graduate the strongest students currently exiting the South African school system. 17 Dec 2019 Highlight from 2019
Solving SA’s literacy crisis An education expert told UCT Summer School participants that thereʼs no quick fix for South Africaʼs literacy crisis. It will take time and hard work. 17 Dec 2019 Highlight from 2019
Racism and ‘xenophobia’: 10 key points UCT News highlighted 10 key points from UCT PhD candidate Ivan Katsere’s op-ed on the centrality of racism in violence against African migrants. 17 Dec 2019 Highlight from 2019
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