Upcoming inaugural lectures and other updates

Dear students

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.

• Watch the lecture online.

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.

• Register to attend the lecture.

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.

• Read the full VC Desk: Seven inaugural lectures to be held in October.

3. UCT Lead Academy to host final two capacity building workshops

The UCT Lead Academy is set to hold its final two capacity-building workshops for the semester, offering students the chance to enhance their leadership and teamwork skills.

The first workshop, titled “Conflict Resolution and Management”, will take place on Friday, 11 October, from 16:00 to 17:30. This session aims to equip students with the tools to effectively manage conflicts within teams. Key learning outcomes include:

• Defining conflict and exploring its potential impact on team productivity and effectiveness.
• Participating in a conflict resolution role-play activity to practice strategies for navigating team disputes.

The second workshop, themed “Building a Team for Success: Strategic Planning”, will be held on Thursday, 17 October, from 16:00 to 18:00. In this session, students will:

• Recognise the importance of trust, collaboration, and accountability within teams.
• Explore various team roles, leadership styles, and individual strengths.
• Learn the fundamentals of strategic planning as a key component of effective leadership.
• Understand the process of guiding organisational direction and decision-making.
• Apply SWOT analysis in a leadership context.

Both workshops will take place in CS203, Computer Science Building, upper campus. These sessions are open to all students, providing a valuable opportunity to develop essential leadership skills.

• RSVP for the workshops.

4. Reminder: SWS to host Wellness Drive in October

Get ready to prioritise your well-being in October. The Department of Student Affairs, through the Student Wellness Service, will host a Wellness Drive from Wednesday, 9 October to Friday, 11 October.

Students are encouraged to join daily from 09:00 to 15:00 at the Molly Blackburn foyer on upper campus for an action-packed event, offering a range of wellness services.

Whether you’re seeking counselling, medical support, or pharmacy services, or are curious about indigenous health and inclusion initiatives, there’s something for everyone. You’ll even get to connect with the Sports Science Institute of South Africa.

Don’t miss this chance to focus on your health, body and mind.

5. 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.

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