Newsletter, August 2025
Dear Friends and Alumni,
Greetings to you all here in South Africa and across the globe.
We are proud that UCT achieved its best Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) ranking in a decade, moving up globally from 171st in the last ranking to 150th this year. UCT is now in the top 3% globally. Read more about UCT’s performance here.
The recent White House Executive order signalling the termination of assistance to South Africa and the resulting cuts in funding from US federal agencies, including the National Institute of Health (NIH), presents serious and far-reaching challenges. These reductions affect not only UCT’s researchers and research groups, but also the patients they serve, the broader university community, and the advancement of medical research and healthcare worldwide.
UCT is acting proactively to safeguard this vital work. We are broadening our networks, seeking out new partners, and diversifying our funding sources to ensure that groundbreaking research continues—research that changes and saves lives across the globe.
In the months ahead, we will share more about these efforts and invite you, our friends, donors and alumni, to join us in sustaining and strengthening these initiatives. Your support will be critical in ensuring that UCT remains at the forefront of global health research and innovation.
All the Best,
Sarah Archer
Executive Director, Development and Alumni, UCT
Harry Oppenheimer Fellowship
Harry Oppenheimer Fellowship
We congratulate Professor Anthony Figaji who was jointly awarded the Harry Oppenheimer Fellowship award for his groundbreaking new research done by his research group, African Brain Child (ABC) at the Red Cross Warm Memorial Children’s Hospital and UCT’s Neuroscience Institute.
To read more about this recognition of important work decoding the physiology and improving the treatment of brain injury in children.
Read more about the award and Prof Figaji’s work.
Ethics in Action
UCT’s Ethics Lab Charts a Bold Path for Health and AI in Africa
Tucked inside the Neuroscience Building at the University of Cape Town lies a small but formidable hub of ethical innovation: The EthicsLab.
Spearheaded by a passionate team of critical bioethicists, the Lab is changing the way we think about health, technology, and moral responsibility—placing care, collaboration, and context at the centre of their work.
Read more about this exciting innovation.
UCT students in the news
Ikeys Rugby player Ntokozo Makhaza, a standout performer for the UCT Ikey Tigers, was named during June in Rassie Erasmus’ first Springbok squad of the 2025 season as one of the nine uncapped players. The 54-man squad kicked off the reigning back-to-back Rugby World Cup champions with a clash against the Barbarians at Cape Town Stadium on 28 June. Read more about his rise to sporting stardom.
Shaping Academic Success
The Transformative work of the National Benchmark Tests at UCT
For over fifteen years, the National Benchmark Tests (NBTs) at the University of Cape Town (UCT) have played a pivotal role in advancing equity and excellence in South African higher education.
Born out of a commitment to help students from disadvantaged backgrounds gain fair access to university, the NBTs have become a critical diagnostic tool for measuring academic readiness, supporting student success, and informing institutional approaches to teaching and learning support. Read more.
Interested in more Alumni News? Visit https://alumni.uct.ac.za/news
