The news that My Octopus Teacher had won an Oscar for the Best Documentary at the 93rd Academy Awards was met with elation in the Cape Peninsula’s Deep South where naturalist, film-maker and co-star Craig Foster lives and freedives. But underpinning the film was his relationship with two University of Cape Town (UCT) marine biologists, Foster’s science and marine tracking mentors.
UCT News
Africans rising From Ugandan child soldier to PhD graduate
In 1986 Julius Okello was forced into Uganda’s Bush War as a child soldier. Tenacity and hope delivered him through a personal wilderness to his PhD.
Africans rising ‘Grab your opportunities with both hands’
Takunda Chitaka, as an academic achiever from a young age, is no stranger to success. Equally, she is no stranger to the challenges that life can present along the way. However, it is not her failures or successes that define her life, but rather her spontaneous and positive approach, which has allowed her to grow as a researcher and a human being. She will be graduating with her PhD in Chemical Engineering from the University of Cape Town (UCT) in December 2020.
African identities Men, gender equality and the search for gender harmony
Persuading men to participate more meaningfully in transforming gender relations is essential to shifting attitudes and behaviours linked to the “patriarchal dividend”.
Africans rising South Africa: UCT rises in research rankings
UCT moved from 121st to 103rd position in the 2021 US News & World Report Best Global Universities rankings, tied with Radboud University Nijmegen in the Netherlands, and was ranked in the top 100 for six subjects, including an outstanding top 10 ranking for infectious diseases.
Africans rising Studying the immune system’s response to COVID-19
The COVID-19 pandemic has directly affected more than 700 000 South Africans, and each patient experienced the virus differently – many paid the ultimate price. While the infection rate in the country has slowed down, pressing questions remain: How long does immunity last? What accounts for the differences in the disease’s severity?
Lifestyle Healthcare’s ‘toxic’ working conditions exposed in student’s documentary
The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed the fragility of the South African healthcare system and highlighted the need to protect the country’s frontline workers and its limited healthcare resources. It has also brought renewed attention to the working conditions experienced by frontline healthcare workers.
Africans rising Waste-to-fuel project an IChemE Global Awards 2020 finalist
An intercontinental research team from Brazil, India and South Africa, comprising researchers from the University of Cape Town (UCT), has been announced as an IChemE Global Awards 2020 finalist in the Energy category for their Decentralised Diesel system, which aims to produce fuel from waste.
African identities South Africa: UCT launches milestone Khoi and San Centre
The University of Cape Town (UCT), situated on land below Huri ǂoaxa (Hoerikwaggo or the mountain in the sea) that was once home to the Khoi and San, marked a milestone on its transformation journey with the launch of the Khoi and San Centre on 21 September.