Inaugural lecture by Professor Smith and other updates

Dear colleagues

The University of Cape Town (UCT) will host the UCT Inaugural Lecture by Professor Gregory Smith on Thursday, 19 September 2024. Read more about this and other recent developments on campus.

1. Inaugural lecture by Professor Smith

Professor Gregory Smith, professor of inorganic chemistry at UCT, will deliver his inaugural lecture titled “The Marriage of Organometallic Chemistry – Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed, Something Blue”, on Thursday, 19 September at the PD Hahn Building, upper campus at 17:30 SAST.

Organometallic chemistry is where the worlds of inorganic and organic chemistry collide, giving rise to compounds that are the backbone of innovation in fields like catalysis, materials science, medicinal chemistry, and organic synthesis. For a country like South Africa, which holds a staggering 90% of the world’s platinum group metals (PGM) reserves, the challenge of maximising the value of these resources remains a pressing issue. The lack of beneficiation and value addition is a significant obstacle for the nation’s minerals industry.

Professor Smith will take us on a journey through his research roadmap, crafted to meet the future needs of organometallic applications, particularly in the context of beneficiation. His work has been centered on the creation of both small molecule and macromolecular organometallic compounds. These compounds are not just scientific curiosities; they are key players in organic transformation reactions as catalysts, and they hold promising potential in the realm of medicinal chemistry for therapeutic applications.

• Register to attend the lecture.
• Read the full VC Desk: UCT inaugural lectures for September 2024.

2. TB Davie Annual Lecture by Judge Tladi

The university, in conjunction with the Academic Freedom Committee (AFC), will host the 58th TB Davie Memorial Lecture on Tuesday, 1 October. The lecture, titled “The Narrative as the Enemy of Freedom of Thought,” will be addressed by Judge Dire Tladi, judge of the International Court of Justice in the Hague.

There are few things more powerful in international relations than “the narrative”, or the generally accepted truth. Whether we are talking about climate change, geopolitics or global health, people are often vilified for expressing a view different from that of the narrative. This vilification is also sometimes directed at judges in the international system.

On the one hand, these narratives are often said to be based on humanitarian values and the search for a better world. At the same time, not only do narratives imperil freedom of thought and expression, they also undermine critical thinking.

Judge Tladi will address this subject during the lecture.

• Read the full VC Desk: 58th TB Davie Memorial Lecture by Judge Dire Tladi.

3. College of Fellows welcomes new members

Four outstanding academics have been inducted into the prestigious UCT College of Fellows. These remarkable individuals have been selected for their exceptional and original academic work.

The four inductees are Professor Amrita Pande (Department of Sociology); Professor Mohamed Jeebhay (School of Public Health); Professor Haris Skokos (Department of Mathematics and Applied Mathematics); and Professor Catherine Orrell (Desmond Tutu HIV Centre).

In addition, the three College of Fellows’ Young Researcher Award recipients for 2024 are Dr Leo Boonzaier (Department of Private Law); Dr Gaopalelwe Mathiba (Department of Private Law); and Dr Melissa Nel (Department of Medicine).

• Read the full VC Desk: Welcoming four new inductees to the College of Fellows.

4. Reminder: Nominations for VC’s Excellence awards open

The university has extended an invitation to staff to nominate individuals or teams who have gone above and beyond the call of duty for the annual Vice-Chancellor’s Excellence Awards. These are staff members who have made a profound impact – whether through transformative change, outstanding service, or by embodying the spirit of global citizenship.

Nominations are invited for professional, administrative support and service (PASS) staff for the Global Citizenship Award and the Service Excellence Award. All staff engaged in transformation work are encouraged to apply for or nominate colleagues for the Transformation Award. Nominees can be individuals or teams.

• Read the full VC Desk: Nominations open for VC’s Excellence Awards 2024.

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Read previous communications:

• From the UCT Executive
• Campus Announcements