VC’s Inaugural Lecture: Professor Isabelle Ansorge

In his inaugural lecture, Prof Sithombo Maqungo asks what the role of the clinician is in tackling its root causes.

Prof Sudesh Sivarasu delivered his inaugural lecture on 24 October.

Prof Jay Pather delivered his inaugural lecture a few months before of his retirement.

Prof Megan Becker delivered her inaugural lecture on 22 October, diving into why minerals matter.

Prof Marchello Vichi’s inaugural lecture in the Faculty of Science highlighted the importance of African nations leading the charge on Antarctic research.

Prof Sandra Young’s inaugural lecture focused on the play “The Tempest” to social justice as she delivered her inaugural lecture.

Prof Efi Nikolaidou delivered her inaugural lecture on 10 October at the School of Economics.

Prof Amanda Weltman currently heads UCT’s High Energy Physics, Cosmology & Astrophysics Theory Group (HEPCAT).

Prof Gregory Smith’s inaugural lecture focused on his contributions to the field of organometallic chemistry.

Professor Floretta Boonzaier delivered her inaugural lecture on Wednesday, 11 September.

Prof Ameeta Jaga’s inaugural lecture used the personal and the professional to tackle the balancing act of mothering, womanhood and employment.

Prof Mzikantu Plaatjies’s inaugural lecture took a deep dive into the rich tapestry of his life, traditional African music, and the art of musical bow-making.

Prof Sa’diyya Shaikh’s inaugural lecture took the audience on a journey of personal fidelity into the delicately balanced world of Islam and the quest for feminism.

Prof Catherine Orrell delivered her inaugural lecture, which touched on South Africa’s HIV/AIDS denialism past.

Prof Carolyn McKinney’s inaugural lecture focused on finding out how language can be used in schools as a tool of inclusion or exclusion.

During his inaugural lecture, UCT’s Prof Rudzani Muloiwa discussed the fundamentals to ensure the well-being of children all over.

Prof Horman Chitonge spoke about how to reclaim Africa’s economic sovereignty during his inaugural lecture.

UCT’s Professor Lesley Green delivered her inaugural lecture on 14 May – marking her ascent to full professor.

Professor Lisa Seymour presented her inaugural lecture on 9 May, 2024.

Professor Mohamed Paleker delivered his inaugural lecture on 7 May 2024.

Professor Susan Cleary delivered her inaugural lecture on 14 March.

Lebogang Ramma, a professor in audiology at UCT, delivered the first inaugural lecture of 2024 on Thursday, 1 February.

Student-centered curriculum co-creation in orthopaedic surgery has generated more engagement from scholars, Prof Michael Held said during his inaugural lecture.

Prof Lydia Cairncross’s inaugural lecture provided a snapshot of the career path of a surgeon and community activist whose commitment to social justice means her work doesn’t end in the operating theatre.

The promotion of Assoc Prof Nancy Odendaal to the prestigious rank of full professor was marked with her inaugural lecture on Tuesday, 24 October.

Human dignity and a living wage must be centre stage in the drive to create employment, said Prof Innes Meyer in her recent inaugural lecture.

Professor Steeve Chung Kim Yuen delivered his inaugural lecture on Tuesday, 10 October.

Professor Jacqueline Yeats delivered her inaugural lecture on 27 September 2023.

Professor Sebastian Skatulla brought together structural mechanics, rheumatic heart disease and climate change during his inaugural lecture.

UCT’s Prof Edina Sinanovic’s inaugural lecture spotlighted the importance of health economics and decision-making in the South African context.

Prof Salome Maswime’s inaugural lecture referred to the plight of pregnant African women, examining the need for global surgery strategies to build health systems across the world.

Professor Romy Parker is in UCT’s Faculty of Health Sciences.

Professor Elizabeth Mayne is in UCT’s Faculty of Health Sciences.

Professor Kirsty Donald is in UCT’s Faculty of Health Sciences.

Professor Jeff Murugan is in UCT’s Faculty of Science.

Professor Linda Ronnie is in UCT’s Faculty of Commerce.

Professor Shanaaz Mathews presented her inaugural lecture on 4 August 2022.

Professor Abimbola Windapo is a professor in the Faculty of Engineering & the Built Environment.

Professor Richard van Zyl-Smit is a professor and pulmonologist in the Faculty of Health Sciences and Groote Schuur Hospital.

Professor Muthama Muasya is an internationally recognised plant taxonomist and evolutionary biologist.

Professor Isabelle Ansorge is head of department and professor in the Department of Oceanography at the University of Cape Town.

Professor Hussein Suleman is head of department and professor in Computer Science in the School of Information Technology at the University of Cape Town (UCT).

Professor Edwin Muchapondwa delivered this yearʼs sixth and final Vice-Chancellorʼs Inaugural Lecture on Wednesday, focusing on the role the environment can play in economic development.

Professor Collet Dandara’s inaugural lecture provided a brief overview of how African genomes can be decoded to unlock a deeper understanding of patients’ responses to treatment.

Research by Professor Rebecca Ackermann shows that our huge diversity results from two other major evolutionary forces, in addition to natural selection.

While they may seem worlds apart, music and scholarship face the same challenges, UCTʼs Professor Adam Haupt said during his recent Vice-Chancellorʼs Inaugural Lecture.

In his 3 May inaugural lecture, Professor Shadreck Chirikure shared insights from deep history and archaeology.

Professor Ambroise Wonkam delivered the first Vice-Chancellorʼs Inaugural Lecture for 2019, with a focus on enabling genetic medicine in Africa.

When it “forgot to rain” in Cape Town, the city went on water-saving alert. Now it’s time for a holistic approach to future water management.

Existing education models “colonise” children merely to prepare them for adulthood, ignoring what they naturally excel at, says education Professor Karin Murris.

Archie Mafeje was a revolutionary thinker, a man ahead of his time, Professor Shahid Vawda said in his Vice-Chancellor’s Inaugural Lecture.

Professor Crick Lund made a compelling case for investing in population mental health in low- and middle-income countries during his Vice-Chancellor’s Inaugural Lecture.

Historical musicologist Professor Rebekka Sandmeier's inaugural lecture documents her search for South Africa's first composer of Western music - and yields some surprises.

When creating a system where access to intellectual property works is regulated fairly, prioritise the public interest, says Professor Caroline Ncube.

Peace parks, or transfrontier parks, have a long history in Africa, which should not be forgotten when looking at the opportunities they offer for conservation, says Maano Ramutsindela.

Professor Ulrike Rivett traversed 17 years of ICT4D research in her inaugural lecture: “ICT for development: the good intentions of the mobile phone”.

In the week of Genevieve Langdon’s inaugural lecture on explosions, a terrorist bomb was planted on the London Underground. It was a reminder of human vulnerability.