Inaugural lecture by Professor Francois Cilliers and other updates

Dear colleagues and students

Professor Francois Cilliers will deliver the third lecture in this year’s University of Cape Town’s (UCT) Inaugural Lecture series on Wednesday, 9 April 2025. Read more about this and other recent developments on campus.

1. Inaugural lecture by Professor Francois Cilliers

Professor Francois Cilliers will present his lecture, titled “Theory from the Past – Theory for the Future: Rethinking Health Professions Education in Context” on Wednesday, 9 April 2025 at 18:00 SAST, in Lecture Theatre 2 (Hoeri LT2), 4th Floor, Hoerikwaggo Building on upper campus.

It is often said that assessment drives learning, but how does this happen? And if assessment drives learning, what drives assessment? Similarly, as the field of staff development continues to grow, it is essential to understand when and why academics integrate what they learn into their teaching and assessment practices.

In this lecture, Professor Cilliers will delve into these pressing questions by drawing on theory and research within health professions education. He will introduce conceptual models from his work to shed light on the intricate dynamics of assessment and academic development.

Professor Cilliers is a professor of Health Sciences Education in UCT’s Faculty of Health Sciences and a member of the Academic Development Programme at the Centre for Higher Education Development. He earned his PhD in Health Professions Education from Maastricht University in the Netherlands and has been a key contributor to UCT since 2012. His research focuses on the learning impact of assessment, faculty development and the role of implementation science in health professions education. Through local and international leadership roles, Professor Cilliers has helped shape policies, practices and curricula – leaving a lasting impact on the field of medical education.

• Read the full VC Desk: UCT inaugural lecture for April 2025.
• Register to attend the lecture.

2. Commemorating Rhodes Must Fall’s 10th anniversary

UCT will commemorate the 10th anniversary of the Rhodes Must Fall (RMF) student movement on Wednesday, 9 April 2025 from 15:00 to 18:00 at the Centre for African Studies on upper campus.

Hosted in partnership with the Office of the Vice-Chancellor and the Faculty of Humanities, the symposium will be led by RMF founding members and feature a number of speakers, including Vice-Chancellor, Professor Mosa Moshabela; Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Transformation, Student Affairs and Social Responsiveness, Professor Elelwani Ramugondo; Dean of Humanities, Professor Shose Kessi (keynote speaker); and Director of the Centre for African Studies, Professor Suren Pillay.

The programme includes a screening of #RhodesMustFall Student Movement, followed by a panel discussion featuring RMF activists, Students’ Representative Council (SRC) members, staff representatives, the Black Academic Caucus and the UCT Association of Black Alumni. It will conclude with a live performance by Kujenga, a Pan-African improvisational music collective.

The event will be live streamed on MS Teams.

• Read the full Campus Announcement: Commemorating Rhodes Must Fall’s 10th anniversary.
• Watch the livestream (at 15:00 SAST).

3. Call for inputs: SRC Constitution and Election Regulations amendment

The SRC Constitution and Election Regulations at the UCT are currently under review. Following extensive consultations with key stakeholders, draft amendments to both documents have been developed. The student community has been invited to review and comment on the proposed changes.

The SRC Constitution outlines the framework for student governance structures at UCT, including the SRC, Student Parliament, Student Governance Court, Constitutional Committee, development agencies, student societies, house committees, faculty councils and sports clubs.

The Election Regulations define the procedures for electing representatives to these bodies.

Consultation is a vital part of the review process. UCT encourages students to share their perspectives and contribute to shaping the future of student governance at the university.

• View the draft SRC Constitution and the summary of the proposed amendments.
• View the draft Election Regulations and the summary of the proposed amendments.

Please submit your feedback via email, using the subject line “SG Review Input Submission”. The submission deadline is Wednesday, 9 April 2025 before 23:59.

• Read the full Campus Announcement: Call for inputs: SRC Constitution and Election Regulations amendment.

For more information, please contact Tendai Mikioni.

4. The Pitch UCT – Celebrating a decade of student entrepreneurship

Applications for The Pitch UCT and Pitch Plus are now open. The two initiatives offer a chance to transform their innovative ideas into ventures that create meaningful impact.

The Pitch UCT, led by the Academic Representative Council within the Department of Student Affairs (DSA), is presented in partnership with the Office of the Vice-Chancellor. The initiative is supported by a range of UCT partners, including the Hasso Plattner d-school Afrika, the Solution Space at the UCT’s Graduate School of Business, the Allan Gray Orbis Foundation, the Residence Academic Development Committee (RADC) and UCT Careers Service.

Pitch Plus, an extension of The Pitch UCT, is run in collaboration with UCT Flourish and the Development and Alumni Department, forming part of UCT’s broader DSA student success strategy.

These initiatives reflect UCT’s commitment to cultivating entrepreneurial thinking and empowering students to become problem-solvers and change-makers. Through The Pitch UCT and Pitch Plus, students are invited to develop creative, practical solutions to real-world challenges, focusing on driving impact within the campus community.

Participants are encouraged to align their ventures with one or more of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) – such as climate action, quality education or poverty alleviation – ensuring their ideas contribute to a more sustainable and equitable future.

• Read the full VC Desk: The Pitch UCT – Celebrating 10 years of student entrepreneurship at UCT.
• Submit applications before Sunday, 13 April 2025.

For more information, please email The Pitch team.

5. Call for nominations: Distinguished Teacher Award 2024

Nominations are now open for the 2024 Distinguished Teacher Award (DTA)

The DTA is the highest recognition awarded to teaching staff at the UCT. It honours outstanding teaching, celebrates innovation and transformation in pedagogy and affirms the fundamental importance of teaching and learning within the university community.

Applications are invited from permanent academic staff who:

• have taught at UCT for at least five years full-time under academic conditions of service, and
• are engaged in undergraduate and/or postgraduate teaching and supervision.

Nominations close on Wednesday, 16 April 2025.

The portfolio submission deadline is Tuesday,1 July 2025

• Read the full DVC Desk: Call for nominations: Distinguished Teacher Award 2024.
• Submit a nomination.

6. UCT to host annual Internship and Job Expo

The highly anticipated annual Internship and Job Expo will be hosted at Leslie Social on Wednesday, 16 April and Thursday, 17 April from 09:00 to 16:00 daily.

Each day promises a fresh lineup of employers showcasing a variety of exciting employment opportunities that cater for all career stages, from vacation roles to comprehensive graduate programmes.

Attendees can look forward to a diverse array of employers representing different fields, ensuring that there is something for everyone. This is an excellent chance for students to connect with potential employers and explore opportunities that align perfectly with their career aspirations.

Don’t miss out on this valuable event, brought to you by UCT’s Careers Service, to Own Your Future and kickstart your professional journey!

7. ICTS scheduled maintenance on Sunday, 13 April 2025

The UCT community is advised that Sunday, 13 April 2025, will be an ICTS scheduled maintenance slot from 07:00 to 17:00. Unless advised to the contrary, do not expect any on-premises 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.

Communication and Marketing Department

Read previous communications:

• From the UCT Executive
• Campus Announcements