Dear graduates and graduands,
We are a few days away from celebrating your graduation virtually on 14 December (March graduates) and 15 December (December graduands).
Although this is certainly not how UCT envisaged celebrating your commendable attainment, the university has had to resort to virtual graduation celebrations due to the prevailing COVID-19 circumstances. The risk of infection that would have come with hosting physical events on campus was highlighted when the Minister of Health declared on Wednesday that the country was now experiencing a second wave of infections.
As much as the graduation celebrations are scheduled to be virtual, the university has put every effort in to ensure that these are as memorable and enjoyable for the graduates/graduands and their families, friends and all their loved ones as possible. Even under these circumstances, UCT endeavors to ensure that these become a special occasion to mark the significant graduation milestone and create an electrifying and exciting atmosphere of virtual celebration on both evenings.
Both graduation celebrations will commence at 18:00 and will be accessible online via the UCT website, the university’s social media platforms and Vula. The session for the March cohort, scheduled for 14 December, is for students who have graduated already and will essentially be a celebration in recognition of this achievement. The December graduation is for graduands who will have the Chancellor officially conferring their degrees.
The Communication and Marketing Department has produced graduation-specific social media assets, which are available for the March graduates and the December graduands as well as their families to use. There are two elements available:
Video tutorials and step-by-step guidelines are available on the graduation feature page:
The video tutorials and guidelines are also available on the UCT Twitter page:
We encourage graduands/graduates to screenshot the images mentioned above (both frames and stickers) and post these on social media using #UCTGrad2020 and tagging @UCT_News.
We are looking forward to celebrating this milestone moment with you, and to making it as memorable as possible.
Communication and Marketing Department
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COVID-19 is a global pandemic that caused President Cyril Ramaphosa to declare a national disaster in South Africa on 15 March and implement a national lockdown from 26 March.
UCT is taking the threat of infection in our university community extremely seriously, and this page will be updated regularly with the latest COVID-19 information.
Getting credible, evidence-based, accessible information and recommendations relating to COVID-19
The Department of Medicine at the University of Cape Town and Groote Schuur Hospital, are producing educational video material for use on digital platforms and in multiple languages. The information contained in these videos is authenticated and endorsed by the team of experts based in the Department of Medicine. Many of the recommendations are based on current best evidence and are aligned to provincial, national and international guidelines. For more information on UCT’s Department of Medicine, please visit the website.
To watch more videos like these, visit the Department of Medicine’s YouTube channel.
As the COVID-19 crisis drags on and evolves, civil society groups are responding to growing and diversifying needs – just when access to resources is becoming more insecure, writes UCT’s Prof Ralph Hamann.
03 Jul 2020 - 6 min read RepublishedThe Covid-19 crisis has reinforced the global consequences of fragmented, inadequate and inequitable healthcare systems and the damage caused by hesitant and poorly communicated responses.
24 Jun 2020 - >10 min read OpinionOur scientists must not practise in isolation, but be encouraged to be creative and increase our knowledge of the needs of developing economies, write Professor Mamokgethi Phakeng, vice-chancellor of UCT, and Professor Thokozani Majozi from the University of the Witwatersrand.
09 Jun 2020 - 6 min read RepublishedSouth Africa has been recognised globally for its success in flattening the curve, which came as a result of President Ramaphosa responding quickly to the crisis, writes Prof Alan Hirsch.
28 Apr 2020 - 6 min read RepublishedIn an email to the UCT community, Vice-Chancellor Professor Mamokgethi Phakeng said:
“COVID-19, caused by the virus SARS-CoV-2, is a rapidly changing epidemic. [...] Information [...] will be updated as and when new information becomes available.”
We are continuing to monitor the situation and we will be updating the UCT community regularly – as and when there are further updates. If you are concerned or need more information, students can contact the Student Wellness Service on 021 650 5620 or 021 650 1271 (after hours), while staff can contact 021 650 5685.