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UNIVERSITY OF CAPE TOWN YEAR IN REVIEW 2019 WELCOME FROM THE CHANCELLOR 2019 was my final year as Chancellor of the University of Cape Town (UCT), capping 20 years of change, enrichment and growth for myself and the institution. When I took up this office in 1999, Dr Mamphela Ramphele was the vice-chancellor, and UCT became the first university in Africa with two black women at the helm. Now, 20 years later, I am so proud to be leaving UCT in the capable hands of two extraordinary young women in the roles of chancellor and vice-chancellor. By the end of 2019, under Vice-Chancellor Professor Mamokgethi Phakeng, all of UCT’s academic executive positions were held by women from different disciplines, races and backgrounds. Of course, transformation still has a long way to go everywhere in the world, perhaps especially so in gender equality. This is why the vice-chancellor allocated scholarships for women researchers worth R22.5 million in 2019 to help us all reconsider our views of gender in South Africa and to pave the way for these new researchers to influence fields of study previously dominated by men. Over the past 20 years, we have seen a new generation of academics begin to emerge across UCT. They help to build diversity while sharing a commitment to excellence in higher education. They provide inspiration for every UCT graduate to become a potential leader. Through these exceptional lives, UCT is helping to transform South Africa and the world. GRAÇA MACHEL Chancellor (1999–2019) WELCOME FROM THE CHAIR OF COUNCIL Around the world, higher education is grappling with questions of sustainability. The University of Cape Town (UCT) took a series of decisions in 2019 to address these questions. We believe higher education must steer the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) to improve society in Africa and to help address difficult global problems, such as poverty and inequality, joblessness, climate change and resource management. We established the Environmental Sustainability Directorate in 2019 to reduce our carbon footprint, transform into a green campus and help South Africa to use resources more wisely. We have already started building in our students the leadership skills they will need in 4IR professions. Our cross-disciplinary programmes in the School of Information Technology and the Hasso Plattner School of Design Thinking (d-school) are designed to develop leadership, critical thinking, complex problem-solving and other essential attributes in students across all our faculties. This will help to keep UCT teaching, learning and research Cover image: Spurred relevant in a changing society. on by the death of UCT UCT’s Graduate Exit Survey, released in May 2019, revealed that more than half student Uyinene “Nene” of our 2018/19 graduate cohort were employed in South Africa’s private sector, Mrwetyana, UCT staff with over 20% earning more than R20 000 a month. Serving the professional and students coalesced sectors with future leaders and innovators is the strongest evidence of UCT’s on Parliament in protest sustainability in a changing world. of increasing sexual and gender-based violence SIPHO M PITYANA in the country. Chair of Council 2 YEAR IN REVIEW 2019 | EXECUTIVE NEWS UNIVERSITY OF CAPE TOWN | EXECUTIVE NEWS 3 THE UCT LEADERSHIP KEY APPOINTMENTS LEKGOTLA UCT’s senior management team is tasked with implementing the institution’s strategic goals, building its financial health and maintaining its academic excellence. Dean: Faculty of Law Chief Operating Officer Executive Director: Professor Danwood Chirwa was Dr Reno Morar, previously the UCT Libraries appointed Dean of the Faculty of Deputy Dean for Health Services Ujala Satgoor has been serving Law, effective 1 January 2019, having in the Faculty of Health Sciences, as the Executive Director of UCT formerly served as the deputy dean was appointed as UCT’s new Libraries since 1 January 2019. She for postgraduate studies. He has held Chief Operating Officer, effective has years of experience in the higher various leadership positions within 1 January 2019. His career includes education environment and was the faculty, including acting dean in 20 years of experience in policy previously the director of library 2014 and head of the Department development and implementation, services at Rhodes University, a VICE-CHANCELLOR of Public Law from 2009 to 2014, operational management, monitoring position she held from 2012. Prof Mamokgethi Phakeng and in 2018. and evaluation, and people and human resource management. Registrar Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Chief Operating Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Royston Pillay Transformation Research and Officer Teaching and Learning Professor Loretta Feris Internationalisation Dr Reno Morar Associate Professor Lis Lange Professor Sue Harrison Dean: Faculty of Science Director of Environmental Director: The Nelson Mandela Professor Maano Ramutsindela Sustainability School of Public Governance Executive Director: Executive Director: Executive Director: Executive Director: Dean: Faculty of Commerce has been the Dean of the Faculty Manfred Braune started his role Faizel Ismail started as Director of Communication Student Affairs Research Office Finance Associate Professor of Science since 1 March 2019. as Director of Environmental the Mandela School in July 2019 on and Marketing Dr Moonira Khan Dr Marilet Sienaert Ashley Francis Linda Ronnie He previously served on the UCT Sustainability on 1 April 2019. the back of a career negotiating Gerda Kruger Council and the Senate Executive Previous to taking up his position major agreements for South Africa. Executive Director: Dean: Faculty of Engineering Committee. He also represented at UCT, Braune spent 10 years He spent 10 years as ambassador to Executive Director: Human Resources & the Built Environment UCT in the Worldwide Universities working for the Green Building the World Trade Organisation and Development Miriam Hoosain Professor Alison Lewis Network (WUN) and is the founding Council of South Africa, a small but as a senior adviser to the Minister and Alumni co-chair of the WUN Global Africa impactful non-profit organisation of Trade and Industry. Dr Russell Ally Executive Director: Interim Dean: Faculty Group. that has been big on driving green Information and of Health Sciences change in the built environment. Communication Professor Carolyn Williamson Technology Services Richard van Huyssteen Dean: Faculty of Humanities Executive Director: Professor Shose Kessi RETIREMENT |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| Properties and Services Executive Director: Mughtar Parker Dean: Faculty of Law Research and Professor Danwood Chirwa Internationalisation Since taking up the directorship Dean: Faculty of in September 2000, Dr Marilet Science Sienart has, among her lengthy Professor Maano Ramutsindela list of achievements and contributions, led the Research Interim Dean: Centre Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Dean: Faculty of Humanities Office, the Office of Research for Higher Education Research and Professor Shose Kessi took up Integrity, the Directorate of Development Internationalisation her role as Dean of the Faculty of Postgraduate Studies and Associate Professor Alan Cliff Professor Sue Harrison took over as Humanities on 15 November 2019, Researcher Development, Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Research having acted in the role since and the Postgraduate Director: Graduate and Internationalisation on 1 August 1 March 2019. She was previously Centre and Funding Office. School of Business 2019. She holds the South African appointed to the Special Executive Her contribution to the Kosheek Sewchurran Research Chairs Initiative (SARChI) Task Team (2016) and the University research enterprise at Chair in Bioprocess Engineering and Strategy Forum (2017). She is the UCT is undeniable. Executive Director: is the director of both the Centre for founder of the UCT Black Academic UCT Libraries Bioprocess Engineering Research Caucus. Ujala Satgoor (CeBER) and the Future Water research institute at UCT. 4 YEAR IN REVIEW 2019 | EXECUTIVE NEWS UNIVERSITY OF CAPE TOWN | EXECUTIVE NEWS 5 Cape Government and Groote Going paperless mirror and facilitates its financial FOSTERING FINANCIAL SUSTAINABILITY Schuur Hospital. During 2019 we started work on culture, the financial sustainability of Other building projects in the the Shared Services Project, which our institution extends beyond that. Ashley Francis, Executive Director of UCT’s Finance Department, pipeline include the R38 million will introduce a digital finance As we move into 2020 and beyond, says a forward-thinking approach is the cornerstone of long-term extension to the Institute of system that is in tune with a my dream is that we get everyone Infectious Disease and Molecular modern, tech-driven world, and at UCT to think, talk and act in a financial sustainability. Medicine (IDM) building, fully replace paper with digitalisation financially sustainable way. To borrow funded by UCT; the R222 million and artificial intelligence. the slogan from our World Cup- Ashley Francis, Avenue Road student residence; We garnered the support of the winning rugby team, the Springboks, Executive Director: In 2019 UCT steadied its financial that offers financial aid above The university received the R82.7 million School of executive and spent the final eight we are “Stronger together”! Finance ship after several challenging years, the government threshold of R411.2 million in donations in 2019, Education building project months of 2019 in conversation with which