From the Vice-Chancellor
UCT inaugural lectures for May 2025
24 April 2025
Dear colleagues and students
The University of Cape Town (UCT) inaugural lecture series is a valued academic tradition that recognises and celebrates colleagues who have attained the rank of full professor. These lectures serve as both a formal acknowledgment of academic excellence and a public showcase of the pioneering research and scholarship that advance knowledge at UCT, within South Africa and across the global academic landscape. They offer newly appointed professors an opportunity to reflect on the intellectual journeys that have shaped their work, while sharing the ideas and innovations that will continue to inspire their future contributions.
I am delighted to invite you to the May 2025 instalment of the series, which features three distinguished scholars: Professors Res Altwegg, Ursula Hoadley and Jacqueline van Wyk. Their lectures reflect the rich diversity of disciplines at UCT and offer insight into some of the most pressing and impactful issues of our time – from ecological conservation and educational equity to transformative approaches in health professions education.
These events are open to the entire UCT community – students, staff, alumni and friends of the university – and I encourage you to attend, engage and support our colleagues as they share their work.
Professor Res Altwegg (Faculty of Science)
Professor Altwegg will deliver his lecture titled “Adventures in Statistical Ecology” on Thursday, 8 May 2025 at 17:30 SAST at Hoeri LT2, second floor, Hoerikwaggo Building, upper campus.
The lecture will take us into the dynamic world of statistical ecology, a field that lies at the intersection of statistics and environmental science. He will explore how data and models can help us answer critical conservation questions, such as how many rhinos live in Kruger National Park, is their population declining, and if so, what can be done about it?
Professor Altwegg is a leading authority in his field and is a professor in the Department of Statistical Sciences. He is the founding director of the Centre for Statistics in Ecology, Environment and Conservation (SEEC) – a pioneering research group that brings together ecologists and statisticians to address urgent environmental issues. Under his leadership, SEEC has grown to become one of the largest statistical ecology groups globally and the only one of its kind on the African continent.
His interdisciplinary and internationally recognised research has significantly shaped our understanding of ecological systems under pressure, particularly in the face of climate change and biodiversity loss. With over 150 peer-reviewed publications and a strong track record of mentoring emerging researchers, Professor Altwegg exemplifies the kind of scholarly leadership that we are proud to celebrate at UCT.
Professor Ursula Hoadley (Faculty of Humanities)
Professor Hoadley will present her lecture titled “Looking in Classrooms: Understanding Teachers’ Work in Challenging Contexts” on Wednesday, 21 May 2025 at 18:00 SAST in the Mafeje Room, Bremner Building, middle campus.
This compelling lecture will reflect on nearly three decades of research into what happens in classrooms, particularly in contexts of poverty and inequality. It will ask timely and crucial questions about the role of teachers in disrupting entrenched social inequities, and how teaching practices adapt (or not) to shifting curriculum policies.
A professor in curriculum at UCT’s School of Education, Professor Hoadley has dedicated her career to exploring the relationship between pedagogy, curriculum and social justice. Her work spans South Africa and the wider African continent, and she is internationally recognised for her contributions to education research, particularly in early grade reading and structured instruction.
Professor Hoadley’s scholarship is deeply grounded in real-world classrooms, and her insights offer vital perspectives for policymakers, educators and researchers alike. She has also served on numerous national and international boards, editorial panels and curriculum review committees. She continues to shape the field of education with her thought leadership and research excellence.
Professor Jacqueline van Wyk (Faculty of Health Sciences)
Professor Van Wyk will deliver her lecture titled “Grounded in Context, Growing for Impact: Advancing African Scholarship in Health Professions Education” on Thursday, 29 May 2025 at 18:00 SAST in the New Learning Centre Lecture Theatre, Anatomy Building, health sciences campus.
In her lecture, Professor Van Wyk will reflect on her impactful career in health professions education and share her journey of building locally responsive educational models rooted in social accountability and inclusive pedagogy. She will highlight the critical role of community, mentorship and collaboration in strengthening health systems and transforming health education across South Africa and the continent.
Professor Van Wyk is a highly respected educator and scholar whose work has reshaped curriculum, faculty development and postgraduate training in the field of health sciences. She is the head of the Department of Health Sciences Education and serves as the editor-in-chief of the African Journal of Health Professions Education. Her extensive contributions through initiatives such as the Foundation for Advancement of International Medical Education and Research (FAIMER), Sub-Saharan Africa-FAIMER Regional Institute (SAFRI), and the South African Association of Health Educators (SAAHE) have empowered emerging educators and created new platforms for African scholarship to inform both policy and practice.
Her leadership in driving equity, excellence and innovation in health education has earned her national and international recognition, including the SAAHE Distinguished Teacher Award. Her lecture is a powerful invitation to rethink how we educate for health, placing African voices, needs and solutions at the centre of global conversations.
These inaugural lectures promise to be moments of deep intellectual engagement, celebration and inspiration. I invite you to join us in honouring these remarkable colleagues, learning from their experiences, and contributing to the vibrant academic life at UCT.
Let us gather to celebrate not only their personal achievements but also the enduring values of curiosity, rigour and impact that define our university.
Sincerely
Professor Mosa Moshabela
Vice-Chancellor
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The UCT Inaugural Lecture Series
Inaugural lectures are a central part of university academic life. These events are held to commemorate the inaugural lecturer’s appointment to full professorship. They provide a platform for the academic to present the body of research that they have been focusing on during their career, while also giving UCT the opportunity to showcase its academics and share its research with members of the wider university community and the general public in an accessible way.
In April 2023, Interim Vice-Chancellor Emeritus Professor Daya Reddy announced that the Vice-Chancellor’s Inaugural Lecture Series would be held in abeyance in the coming months, to accommodate a resumption of inaugural lectures under a reconfigured UCT Inaugural Lecture Series – where the UCT extended executive has resolved that for the foreseeable future, all inaugural lectures will be resumed at faculty level.
Recent executive communications
2025
2024
Professor Susan Cleary delivered her inaugural lecture on 14 March.
14 Mar 2024 - 5 min read
2023
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.
02 Nov 2023 - 8 min read
2022
Professor Linda Ronnie is in UCT’s Faculty of Commerce.
28 Sep 2022 - 6 min read
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2021
2020
2019
2018
2017
2016 and 2015
No inaugural lectures took place during 2015 and 2016.