Introducing the UCT Inaugural Lecture series

Dear colleagues and students

In recent years, the University of Cape Town (UCT) has commemorated our academics’ appointments to full professorship through the inaugural lecture series.

These inaugural lectures are a central part of the university’s academic project, and provide a platform for professors who were appointed in the preceding five years to present the body of research that they have been focusing on during their careers. They also serve to provide UCT with an opportunity to showcase our academics and share our research with members of the wider university community and the general public in an accessible way.

The inaugural lectures have been held in two formats: faculty-based inaugural lectures and the
Vice-Chancellor’s Inaugural Lecture series.

The faculty-based inaugural lectures offer new professors an opportunity to share their body of work with faculty staff and students, and possibly the wider public. These are hosted by faculty deans.

For the VC’s Inaugural Lecture series, certain lectures are selected from the faculties to be presented as part of this series, hosted by the VC.

Given the impact of the past three years as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of professors due for inaugural lectures has grown. At the same time, the number of lectures which can be accommodated in the VC’s Inaugural Lecture series is limited.

Due to these and a few other practical logistical considerations, the UCT extended executive has resolved that for the foreseeable future, all inaugural lectures will be resumed at faculty level. The VC Inaugural Lectures will be held in abeyance during this period.

I am therefore excited to announce that over the next few months, we will see the resumption of these events under the reconfigured UCT Inaugural Lecture series. These will take place almost weekly and will continue to be announced via the central university communication platforms.

I urge you to continue joining us at these events as we not only celebrate our new professors but also get to hear more about the crucial work they do.

Sincerely

Emeritus Professor Daya Reddy
Interim Vice-Chancellor

Read previous communications:

• From the UCT Executive
• Campus Announcements