As we will be commemorating Women’s Month in August, we are reminded that universities are places where ideas have the power to shape society and where scholarship serves the public good. This is reflected through the spirit of the University of Cape Town’s (UCT) Inaugural Lecture series.
This August, UCT will host four inaugural lectures, to be presented by Professors Gina Ziervogel, Shaun Parsons, Joanne Hardman and Maritz Laubscher.
Together, these lectures reflect the breadth of scholarship at UCT – spanning climate adaptation, taxation in the digital age, education and learning, and clinician-led research. They showcase colleagues whose research, teaching and leadership continue to shape knowledge, influence policy and practice, and contribute to society.
1. Professor Gina Ziervogel (Faculty of Science)
Professor Ziervogel will deliver her inaugural lecture, “Water under or over the bridge? Governing trade-offs in climate adaptation”, on Wednesday, 12 August 2026 at 18:00 SAST in Lecture Theatre 1, Neville Alexander Building, lower campus.
This lecture traces Professor Ziervogel’s journey from understanding vulnerability to climate change in Southern Africa to exploring what is needed for more just and transformative adaptation responses. Using water, particularly drought and flooding, as a lens, she will examine how climate adaptation is shaped by governance, competing development priorities, power and capacity. The lecture will highlight how acknowledging these trade-offs can help build more collaborative, equitable and transformative responses to climate change.
Professor Ziervogel is director of the African Climate and Development Initiative (ACDI) and professor in the Department of Environmental and Geographical Science at UCT. An internationally recognised expert on climate change adaptation, urban governance and resilience, her work bridges research, policy and practice to strengthen climate resilience across Africa. She served as a lead author on the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Sixth Assessment Report and has received numerous honours, including UCT’s Social Responsiveness Award and the South African Young Woman in Science Award.
2. Professor Shaun Parsons (Faculty of Commerce)
Professor Parsons will present his inaugural lecture, “Technology and challenges to tax norms in the 21st Century: Crypto-assets and beyond”, on Thursday, 13 August 2026 at 17:00 SAST in the Mafeje Room, Bremner Building, lower campus.
The emergence of crypto-assets has challenged tax systems built on principles that have remained largely unchanged for more than a century. In this lecture, Professor Parsons will explore how digital technologies have reshaped domestic and international taxation, examining the practical and theoretical challenges posed by crypto-assets and what they reveal about taxation in an increasingly digital and borderless world.
Professor Parsons is professor of taxation, head of the tax section in the College of Accounting, and coordinator of the college’s scholarship portfolio. A Chartered Accountant (South Africa) and registered tax practitioner, his research focuses on the interaction between emerging technologies and tax systems, including crypto-assets, decentralised finance, artificial intelligence and cross-border remote work. His work has been published in leading international tax journals, and he is an active contributor to global debates on international taxation.
3. Professor Joanne Hardman (Faculty of Humanities)
Professor Hardman will deliver her inaugural lecture, “From rote to revolution: Reimagining pedagogy for schooling in crisis”, on Wednesday, 19 August 2026 at 18:00 SAST in Lecture Theatre 1, Neville Alexander Building, lower campus.
In this lecture, Professor Hardman will examine how education must respond to the profound challenges posed by generative artificial intelligence and changing approaches to learning. Drawing on Cultural-Historical Activity Theory, she will argue that traditional models of schooling prioritise curriculum coverage over genuine developmental learning. She will propose an alternative model of pedagogy that develops critical reasoning and equips learners to address complex global challenges such as climate change, inequality and social injustice.
Professor Hardman is a professor of educational psychology at UCT’s School of Education and a research fellow at the University of Bristol. Her research has made significant contributions to understanding teaching and learning through Cultural-Historical Activity Theory. She has authored more than 55 scholarly publications and several widely used textbooks, and her work has influenced teacher education and educational psychology across South Africa. She is also recognised for her excellence in teaching, having received both the UCT Distinguished Teacher Award and a national Higher Education Learning and Teaching Association of Soth Africa commendation.
4. Professor Maritz Laubscher (Faculty of Health Sciences)
Professor Laubscher will present his inaugural lecture, “Stronger together: Research as a clinician is a team sport”, on Thursday, 20 August 2026 at 18:00 SAST in the Neuroscience Institute Auditorium, Groote Schuur Hospital.
Drawing on his experience as an orthopaedic surgeon and his passion for team sport, Professor Laubscher will reflect on the challenges clinicians face in balancing research with demanding clinical responsibilities. He will demonstrate how collaboration, multidisciplinary partnerships and shared expertise can strengthen clinical research and improve healthcare outcomes, particularly in re
Professor Laubscher is professor of orthopaedic surgery at UCT’s Faculty of Health Sciences, and a consultant at Groote Schuur Hospital and the Cape Orthopaedic Trauma Group. He is a specialist orthopaedic surgeon with fellowship training in limb reconstruction. His research focuses on orthopaedic trauma, bone and joint infections, limb reconstruction and global musculoskeletal injury care. He has published more than 120 peer-reviewed articles and currently serves as president of the South African Orthopaedic Trauma Society. He is also the incoming president of the College of Orthopaedic Surgeons of South Africa.
Our inaugural lectures celebrate achievements by our academics, while also reflecting the collective strength of our academic community. They offer an opportunity to engage with ideas that address some of the most pressing challenges facing society and demonstrate how UCT continues to strive towards realising its <a href="https://uct.ac.za/strategy-2030″ rel=”nofollow noopener” target=”_blank”>Strategy 2030.
I encourage you to attend these lectures and join us in celebrating the outstanding contributions of our colleagues.
Professor Mosa Moshabela
Vice-Chancellor
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