In what has become an annual highlight for curious-minded Capetonians, the UCT Summer School returns from January 20 to February 1, 2025, with an exciting schedule of lectures, tours, excursions and extended courses that offer a rare opportunity for the public to tap into a wealth of knowledge and expertise from expert staff, alumni and outside experts.
The UCT Summer School is the only program of its kind in Africa, and this year, it offers dozens of fascinating lectures and presentations that showcase some of the university's world-class research at a level accessible to the general public.
The Summer School program spans a range of disciplines and topics: literature, art and music; philosophy, politics and history; medicine and science; and language, art and writing courses.
Highlights of the 2025 program include lectures and presentations by well-known artist William Kentridge and Jonny Steinberg – winner of the Sunday Times Literary Award for his book 'Winnie and Nelson: A Portrait of a Marriage' – along with insights from the world of entertainment with the likes of Des Lindberg.
Alongside the engaging lecture series, you'll also find 'In Conversation' sessions that take a more informal approach. This year, author Karen Jennings, who was shortlisted for the Booker Prize, writer Jolene Young, and editor John Linnegar will take the chair.
Want to take a deep-dive into subjects as diverse as Baltic politics or the music of Bach? Look out for extended courses that run over multiple sessions. There is also a schedule of excursions to take learning beyond the lecture hall, with expert-led trips to discover mosses and trees on campus, the ecology of the Boulders Beach penguin colony, and an arborist excursion to Newlands Forest.
While most talks have a nominal entry fee (from R55 for students attending single lectures to R550 for multi-day courses), many lectures and film screenings are free of charge. Emeritus Registrar Hugh Amoore leads free tours of the campus that delve into the rich history of the campus, its buildings, and its people.
Want to know more? The UCT Summer School 2025 brochure is available online here, and tickets can be booked via Webtickets.
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