Winning streak: Attending the School of Economics mini prize-giving were (from left) Matthew Butler-Adam, Prof Murray Leibbrandt, Salma Kagee, and Prof Martin Wittenberg.

A slew of prizes recently scooped by UCT's School of Economics prompted the department's first mini prize-giving event, held on 2 March.

A gold medal was presented to Dr Cally Ardington, who won the prize for the best doctoral thesis in South Africa, and to David Buchanan, who took the prize for the best honours-degree essay, both as judged by the Economic Society of South Africa

Other essay writers who brought it home for UCT were prize-winners in the recent Nedbank and Old Mutual Budget Speech Competition. Salma Kagee was named the winner of the best essay in South Africa award in the undergraduate section, and second and third prizes in the postgraduate category went to Carl Veller and Matthew Butler-Adam, respectively.

Veller also took UCT's annual Keswick Prize for Lucidity, awarded to a third- or fourth-year student in any technical field for the most lucid essay on that subject.