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Campus announcements

Upcoming inaugural lectures and other updates

08 October 2024

Dear colleagues

Seven lectures are scheduled to take place in October as part of the University of Cape Town (UCT) Inaugural Lecture series, with the first two of these to be hosted on 8 and 10 October 2024. Read more about this and other recent developments on campus.

1. Inaugural lecture by Professor Amanda Weltman

Embark on a cosmic journey with Professor Amanda Weltman in her upcoming inaugural lecture, “From the laboratory to the sky: New windows on the universe”. The lecture will take place in M304, Maths Block, upper campus, at 17:00 SAST on Tuesday, 8 October.

Explore the vast expanse of the universe as Professor Weltman delves into her groundbreaking work on chameleon gravity, a novel theory developed during her PhD, which offers fresh insights into dark energy. Professor Weltman will guide the audience through the mysteries of cosmology, from the tiniest strings of matter to the farthest reaches of space.

A renowned theoretical physicist at the Department of Mathematics and Applied Mathematics, Professor Weltman has earned global recognition for her contributions to cosmology and astrophysics, with over 10 000 citations and numerous accolades. Promoted to full professor in 2020, she currently leads UCT’s High Energy Physics, Cosmology & Astrophysics Theory Group.

2. Inaugural lecture by Professor Eftychia Nikolaidou

Professor Eftychia Nikolaidou will deliver her lecture, "Defence Spending: Drivers and economic effects", at 17:00 SAST on Thursday, 10 October, in the School of Economics Seminar Room, Level 4, School of Economics Building, middle campus.

In this lecture, Professor Nikolaidou will explore critical questions around defence spending: What are its economic effects? How does it impact public debt? What drives military expenditure, and can high spending be justified for countries without security concerns? Her research delves into the complex relationship between military budgets, economic growth, and public debt across both developed and developing economies.

A global expert in defence and peace economics, Professor Nikolaidou has contributed to the field for over 25 years. Her interest in the topic began during her graduate studies in London, where the secrecy and corruption surrounding military spending piqued her curiosity. Born and raised in Greece, she also reflected on her country's significant defence budget despite pressing developmental needs.

Currently the director of UCT’s School of Economics, Professor Nikolaidou is widely published and serves on the editorial boards of Defence and Peace Economics and The Economics of Peace and Security Journal. In addition to her work in defence economics, her research spans public debt, banking crises, and financial development.

The other inaugural lectures in October will be delivered by Professors Sandra Young on 16 October, Marcello Vichi on 21 October, Megan Becker on 22 October, Jay Pather on 23 October, and Sudesh Sivarasu on 24 October.

3. Reminder: Nominations for VC’s Excellence awards closing soon

Staff are reminded that nominations for the Vice Chancellor’s (VC) Excellence Awards close on Friday, 11 October.

These awards are one way UCT leadership recognises staff dedication and hard work. Staff are invited to nominate individuals or teams for the VC’s Excellence Awards.

Nominations for Professional, Administrative Support and Service staff are particularly encouraged for the Global Citizenship and the Service Excellence awards. Staff involved in transformation efforts can also apply or nominate colleagues for the Transformation Award.

Please submit nominations to vc@uct.ac.za.

4. ICTS scheduled maintenance on Sunday, 13 October

Please note that Sunday, 13 October 2024 will be an ICTS scheduled maintenance slot from 08:00 to 17:00. Unless advised to the contrary, do not expect any on-premise ICT services to be available for the duration of the maintenance slot. Cloud-based services (including Amathuba, email, Microsoft 365 services, and ServiceNow) are not impacted and can still be accessed.

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

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

5. Reminder: Applications for DHET’s University Staff Doctoral Programme

The Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) has announced its funding call for Phase 5 (Cohort 3) of the University Staff Doctoral Programme (USDP), aimed at PhD candidates. This programme is designed to support early career academics over three years as they work towards completing their doctoral degrees.

Successful candidates will receive up to R500 000 in funding over the three-year period, with support covering various aspects of their doctoral journey.

Any queries may be referred to Dheshnie Keswell.

6. Reminder: Complete a questionnaire on AI tools in relation to assessment

The UCT community is invited to take part in a research project aimed at developing support services and resources to enhance Artificial Intelligence (AI) literacy in education and improve assessment practices at UCT.

As generative AI tools become increasingly available and integrated into higher education, they transform teaching, learning, and assessment practices worldwide. UCT is committed to crafting effective strategies and best practices in response to these emerging technologies.

Your participation in this research will offer valuable insights into how AI tools are being used in assessment at UCT, exploring both their potential risks and opportunities.

Communication and Marketing Department

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