Dear Alumni and Friends,
This short newsletter brings us to the last quarter of 2021. As we go into autumn, it is a time of Canadian traditions and rituals as we jump from one to the next, starting with Thanksgiving, into Halloween and then preparing for the festive season. I love it as the smells of baking pervade the house. It’s as if we are preparing for the long winter months that will
follow. But winter doesn't have to be all gloomy – there is nothing more lovely than a sunny winter hike across snow covered fields, If we live in the Now we get to experience each season to its fullest.
The newsletter which follows contains a few articles by way of report back on your donations, and interesting developments on campus. Also, at the end – links to stay up to date with your alma mater by way of articles and photo essays.
As I end off, I wish you good health and happiness in the coming seasons.
Di
Diane Stafford
Regional Director: Canada
Development & Alumni Department, University of Cape Town
Postal Address: 2927 LakeShore Blvd West, Suite 227, TORONTO, ON M8V 1J3
Tel: 416 648 5801 Email: info@UCTcanada.ca; website: www.UCTcanada.ca
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Canadian Gift to Hanover Park
A Canadian family, with UCT connections, has been a steadfast supporter of the work of the Perinatal Mental Health Project, and recently made a beautiful gift of a mosaic bench to the Hanover Park Midwife Obstetric Unit. Through generous donor support the PMHP counsellors offer mental health information, screening, counselling, case management and follow-up care to vulnerable antenatal and postnatal women.
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Working to bridge the gap between laboratory and patient, UCT’s Holistic Drug Discovery and Development Unit (H3D) is the first and only centre of its kind in Africa, and one of the rare integrated drug discovery centres established in an academic environment worldwide.
H3D formalised two important partnerships to assist with developing new tools to advance treatment outcomes for the African patient population. With the aim of aiding drug discovery in Africa, this partnership will facilitate capacity building in AI (artificial intelligence) and ML (machine learning).
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SHAWCO continues its work
These are exceptionally challenging times for communities of the Western Cape as COVID-19 wreaks havoc within our already struggling education and health systems. The hardest hit being resource-constrained schools and clinics that can least afford it. SHAWCO’s Health and Education Sectors are attempting to address some of these dire needs by working with funders such as DELL Technologies and RAG to address the digital divide for our learners and to run mobile night clinics in areas of extreme
poverty to alleviate the load on over-crowded day hospitals.
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A tiny bit of history ...
Dr Les Hulett, alumnus and past lecturer in the Faculty of Science recently sent me this snippet of history which I found fascinating, especially considering the damage to campus recently.
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Nelson Mandela School of Public Governance - Future Plans
UCT is home to the Nelson Mandela School of Public Governance. The school promotes the development of strategic public leadership with a strong emphasis on public sector reform, accountability and trust in governance. The School recently completed their strategic plan for 2021-2025.
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The importance of place names
Earlier this year, Vice-Chancellor, Prof Mamokgethi Phakeng, held a webinar discussion on the importance of place names, in view of many proposed name changes on campus. The conversation brought out many interesting points of view – watch the video here.
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Stay up to date with latest videos, webinars and photo essays through the UCTCanada website.
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