STAFF REPORTER
THE University of Cape Town (UCT) has launched ‘The University of the Future’ (UoF) project, an initiative that aims to create a vibrant and modern campus designed to attract talent, foster community engagement, and support UCT’s vision of a fair and just society.
The event was simultaneously live-streamed to an online audience. It began with a video introducing the project. In the video, the project steering committee chairperson Professor Salome Maswime (also the head of the Global Surgery Division in the Faculty of Health Sciences), asked viewers to consider the question: what will UCT’s spaces, places, services and functions look like in 2034?
The Programme Director, Professor Graham Fieggen, Head of the Division of Neurosurgery and a member of the project steering committee, pointed out that it is difficult to make predictions about the future. Referring to a quote by Thomas Sankara (former President of Burkina Faso) referenced in the introductory video, Professor Fieggen said that we need “the courage and extreme clarity today to invent our future”.
UCT’s Chief Financial Officer, Vincent Motholo, said the UoF project brings about “hopefulness for the future”.
Vice-Chancellor (Interim) Emeritus Professor Daya Reddy delivered the keynote address.
“All of us who have been attracted to be at UCT should be able to be accommodated and to work in spaces in which we are able to thrive.”
Professor Reddy said that the UoF project had to do with physical infrastructure, which is “an absolutely central consideration in the planning of the university”. He said that in the longer run, how we plan and develop our critical infrastructure will determine whether we will meet our objectives. It is, therefore, important that we get this right.
“All of us who have been attracted to be here [at UCT] should be able to be accommodated and to work in spaces in which we can thrive.”
The VC (Interim) stated that the project draws inspiration from Vision 2030 strategy, which seeks to unleash human potential for a fair and just society. At the core of the UoF project is a compelling vision: to establish an enabling environment that unlocks human potential. UCT aims to create spaces, services and functions that empower students, staff and the broader community to thrive and contribute to society’s betterment.
The project’s strategic importance is recognised by the UCT Council, which supports its vision of a modern and striking campus capable of attracting top talent, local businesses, donors, and industry interest.
Reddy thanked the members of the project steering committee for their hard work, which has brought the university to this point. The committee boasts diverse representation from UCT, including academic and administrative staff, student representatives, unions, and the Cape Town community. This inclusive approach ensures that the project’s outcomes align with the university’s and its stakeholders’ aspirations.
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