VC's third GESDA session and other updates

Dear students

University of Cape Town (UCT) Vice-Chancellor (VC) Professor Mamokgethi Phakeng will host the third of a four-part series themed “Using the science of the future to shape your present”, focused on Eco-regeneration & Geoengineering, on 24 July 2022. Read more on this and other updates below.

1. Virtual discussion on Eco-regeneration & Geoengineering

Professor Phakeng will host a virtual discussion on Eco-regeneration & Geoengineering with experts in the field on Sunday, 24 July at 16:00 SAST.

The planet is warming at an alarming rate, the oceans are being emptied of fish and flooded with plastic. Meanwhile, the human population is set to rise to about 10 billion by 2050, a change that will put pressure on the food systems. The session will offer critical analysis to possible solutions to these challenges and provide thought-provoking discussion on related issues.

Phakeng will be joined by Dr Adriana Marais, Dr Christopher Trisos and Dr Romaric Odoulami.

Be part of the conversation on Microsoft Teams, or on UCT’s Facebook and Twitter accounts.

• Read the VC Desk: Join the remaining UCT GESDA Sunday sessions.
• Watch the first session: Quantum Revolution & Advanced AI.
• Watch the second session: Human Augmentation.

2. Complete the 2022 UCT Student Experience Survey

UCT is conducting a survey about student experiences with learning and teaching in the first semester of 2022. Feedback is very important, and the university welcomes the opportunity to find out what students experienced over the first half of the year and how the learning experience can be enhanced going forward. 

The survey is for undergraduate and postgraduate students and will take no more than 10 minutes to complete. Comments need to be submitted by 29 July 2022.

For more information and questions, please contact Daniela Gachago.

• Complete the survey.
• Read the VC Desk: Complete the 2022 UCT Student Experience Survey.

3. UCT’s new learning platform in pilot phase

The university’s new digital learning platform, Amathuba, is currently in a pilot phase of implementation. The Centre for Innovation in Learning and Teaching is excited to report that there are approximately 50 pilot courses from across faculties that will be ready to be offered using Amathuba in July 2022.

Training for tutors and students enrolled in these courses will be offered via webinars. There is also an orientation module available for student self-teaching on the Amathuba learning platform.

• Read more on the high-level course migration timelines of the project, frequently asked questions and further updates on Amathuba.

• Read the CA: UCT’s new learning platform in pilot phase.

4. ICTS scheduled maintenance on Sunday, 24 July

Please note that on Sunday, 24 July there will be an Information and Communication Technology Services (ICTS) scheduled maintenance slot from 08:00 to 17:00. All ICT services other than UCT email and other Microsoft 365 services will be unavailable for the duration of the maintenance slot.

Please remember to consult the scheduled ICTS maintenance slots before planning any teaching, conferences, meetings, etc that require ICT services.

For more information, see an article on why ICTS schedules regular monthly maintenance slots.

Communication and Marketing Department

Read previous communications:

• From the UCT Executive
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