17th Annual Ruth First Memorial Lecture

First is remembered in many countries for her politically and socially relevant research and journalism. Ruth First Fellows and speakers uphold her legacy.

The Dean of the Faculty of Humanities, Professor Garth Stevens, and the Wits Centre for Journalism invite you to the 17th Annual Ruth First Memorial Lecture. Themed, Big Tech and the Public Sphere: Politics, morality and justice in the internet era, the keynote address will be delivered by Nanjala Nyabola, writer, political analyst and activist based in Nairobi, Kenya. The 2021 Ruth First Fellow, Murray Hunter, will present his research on the theme. This is a hybrid physical/virtual event.

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Navigating the past through glass beads

Navigating the past through glass beads: Global trade in southern and eastern Africa, 600 CE to present.

Through this exhibition, the Origins Centre presents the deep history of trade between city states on the East African coast, and the entrepots of southeast Asia, the Middle East and China, with links to the evolving societies of the Shashi Limpopo Confluence area, and later at Mapungubwe and Great Zimbabwe. The displays feature trade beads excavated from sites in the interior of southern Africa including Shroda, K2 and Mapungubwe, as well as donations and presentations made in the 1930s and 1940s of glass beads recovered from excavations in middle and upper Egypt, and other international locations. The chemical signature of early trade beads provides information about trade routes and sites of manufacture, and assists archaeologists to determine occupation dates for excavated sites. Original beads from the Wits Archaeology Collection are on display for the duration of the exhibition. This exhibition is funded by the National Institute for the Humanities and Social Sciences.

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Origins of Early Sapien’s Behaviour

A showcase of unique archaeological discoveries that have been made at the three sites.

This exhibition presents the culmination of 30 years of archaeological research in the southern Cape, undertaken by Professor Christopher Henshilwood, Dr Karen van Niekerk, Professor Sarah Wurz and their research teams at Blombos Cave, Klipdrift Shelter and Klasies River. It showcases the unique archaeological discoveries that have been made at the three sites, which were occupied by early Homo sapiens between 120 000 and 50 000 years ago, a key period in the evolution of modern human behaviour. Curated by Petro Keene (Evolutionary Studies Institute, Wits), the displays feature artefacts, artworks, an interactive area, films by award-winning filmmaker, Craig Foster, and a visualisation of the extraordinary lives and innovations of our early modern human ancestors.

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Exhibition: Centenary Objects

Celebrating 10 iconic artefacts and specimens

The Origins Centre will mark Wits University's Centenary with an exhibition themed Centenary 10 Objects, a display of iconic artefacts from the revered collections of the Wits Earth Sciences Cluster (archaeology, palaeontology, paleoanthropology, geography and geology).

Starting on 19 February, the Origins Centre and GENUS will exhibit, for one day only, one object from the collection. Ten objects in 10 months will be revealed until November 2022.

A sneak peek at the first specimen:

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Black History Month

A focus on the various health linkages between between African Americans and Africans.

The African Centre for the Study of the United States at Wits, in partnership with the Global Diaspora Connect and the American Society of South Africa invite you to a webinar to delve into the meaning of health for African Americans and Africans drawing similarities, and considering solutions. To be moderated by Allana Finley, President of American Society South Africa and Founder of the Afara Business Group. 

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Memorial Service of Professor Emeritus Huw Phillips

A leading researcher in mine safety and health, Professor Phillips documented a formidable career’s worth of mining research achievements.

A memorial service to celebrate the life of Professor Emeritus Huw Phillips who passed away on 26 January 2022 will be held in blended format on Friday, 4 February 2022.

To join the virtual memorial service at 09:00 please click here.

A gathering in his honour will be held as follows:

Time: 14:00 – 18:00

Venue: Johannesburg Country Club, Lincoln Street, Woodmead, Sandton, 2128

Enquiries: Nick Alp on (011) 202 1600 or Cara Buys at cara.buys@gmail.com

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Memorial Service of Dr Rajohane Matshedisho

Senior Lecturer in the Department of Sociology Dr Matshedisho will be remembered by the Wits community and friends.

The Department of Sociology will hold an online memorial service for the late Dr ‘Raji’ Knowledge Rajohane Matshedisho who passed away on 8 January 2022. Raji taught in the Faculty of Humanities and previously lectured first-year students in the Faculty of Health Sciences. He was a brilliant colleague, an absolute asset to the department. His research interest delved into disability studies, and assessment and writing in higher education. Staff, students, and friends are invited to celebrate his life. 

Virtual platforms

Click here to join via Zoom using the code 490007

Stream via YouTube: https://youtu.be/3JEhXxaqAas

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A mathematician, an historian and a political scientist walk into a bar ...

Three former Vice-Chancellors talk about #Wits100.

In celebrating the start of Wits’ 100th year, three former Wits Vice-Chancellors will share stories and discuss how Wits’ first 100 years informs its second century. Dr Judy Dlamini, Chancellor of Wits University, will talk to Professors Colin Bundy, Loyiso Nongxa and Adam Habib.

Register: Zoom - https://wits-za.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_OrXk3xb6TiSk4806sqBrEA

Live Streaming: https://youtu.be/Lj9Quh0tHnI

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TENX10: 100 artworks, by women and gender diverse artists

The TENX10 exhibition features artworks by 100 women and gender-diverse artists, celebrating their skills and talents.

The exhibition also marks Wits University’s centenary and Wits Art Museum’s tenth birthday.
 
Works from more than 100 years ago are among the diverse artworks on display. Come and discover the variety of techniques and materials included, by well-known artists and artists whose names we do not know, along with artworks by individual artists and those by artists’ collectives.

There has often been an underrepresentation of women and gender diverse artists, including at WAM. For our 2022 programming, WAM will therefore focus primarily on these artists.TENX10 is the launch of that year-long focus.
 
This exhibition will be open from 15 March - 23 July 2022.

WAM is open to the public from Tuesday to Saturday, from 10:00 – 16:00. 

Please note there are restrictions on the number of people allowed into the museum at any one time. Please adhere to the following Wits Covid-19 protocols:
 

• In the morning before you arrive, please complete the Wits Covid screening form by dialing the code *120*8501# and following the prompts. Wits students can access the screening form by dialing the code *134*8627# or on the LogBox app. Physical forms will also be available at the Security desk at reception.
   
• Wear a mask, keep a safe social distance, and sanitise regularly.
   
• Remember to bring your vaccination certificate.
   

CLICK HERE to access the full Wits mandatory Covid-19 protocols which must be adhered to. 

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1ST WiSH Congress

Join Wits Sport and Health (WiSH) as it hosts its first in-person Congress featuring an amazing lineup of speakers and a jam-packed programme.

PROGRAMME HIGHLIGHTS:

Friday, 11 March 2022               

Keynote address:
Sport and Exercise Medicine: A vision for the future - Jonathan Drezner 

Equity in Sport

• A question of colour? EDI in Sport: Confronting bias and barriers to build sustainable success
• Female Athlete Health Across the Lifespan
• The Para Athlete

Saturday, 12 March 2022                         

Keynote address:
Injury: A professional Player's Perspective - Bongani Khumalo

Keynote address:
Sex, Drugs and Sporting Gold. 
A discussion of sport’s most controversial challenge - the divide between men’s and women’s sport - Ross Tucker

Parallel 9: Critical medical issues
Iron & the athlete: deficiency & surplus (sponsored by Acino)
Hydration & hyponatraemia
Sudden death in athletes
 
Sunday, 13 March 2022

Physical Activity - the wonder drug

• Designing patient resources on physical activity and health - a 'how to'
• Physical Activity assessment, prescription and referral in clinical practice  - What we know and how to implement?

CLICK HERE FOR MORE!!

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Innovators as problem solvers

Setting the direction for Wits in its second century - a discussion with Dr David Fine, renowned innovator and Wits alumnus.

REGISTER HERE

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Data Science lunch time chat with Dr Roy Forbes

Machine Learning in Chemistry Education and Research: The Cirrus Project and the AI Africa Consortium

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100 Minutes for Health

Kick-start your transformational health journey by joining the Faculty of Health Sciences and the wider Wits community in 100 Minutes for Health,

Did you know that a single session of physical exercise enhances executive functions in children, adolescents and adults?

Executive functions are cognitive processes that are responsible for one’s memory and ability to focus as well as to conduct multiple tasks simultaneously. These functions are also linked to self-regulation, which is responsible for emotional intelligence and managing one’s behaviour.

Physical activities such as regular exercise or even walking have significant health benefits. An inactive lifestyle puts you at higher risk of weight gain and poor cardiometabolic health, among other things.

Kick-start your transformational health journey by joining the Faculty of Health Sciences and the wider Wits community in 100 Minutes for Health, 4-7 April 2022.  Open to all staff and students, free of charge. Enquiries: Didi.Mmatladi@wits.ac.za

Don’t forget to bring along your own yoga/stretch mat and towel.

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100 Minutes for Health Run/Walk

Get your friends together and head to our #100MinutesforHealth fun run and walk at the Wits Hockey Stadium on the Education Campus.

Be there in your craziest outfits on Thursday, 7 April from 12h00 to 14h30. Group registrations are now open, individual participants are also welcome! 

See you there!

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Indo-South African Workshop on water-energy-nexus in process industries

The workshop aims to bridge divides and raise awareness among academia and industry about current technological goals and challenges.

The industrial sector has undergone various transformations during the past few decades. The industry's traditional business models have lost market share to more modern ones that rely on standardized and automated manufacturing. Batch plants, for example, are commonly used in the pharmaceutical (high-end product) and dyeing industries (multiple product manufacture) due to their high flexibility and economic benefits. Nonetheless, a new challenge arises in the form of complex scheduling with time feasibility constraints. This enables a platform for the reduction of operational costs and wastewater generation. 

This workshop aims to bridge divides and raise awareness among academia and industry about current technological goals and challenges, such as lowering production and energy costs, optimizing processing units, developing innovative industrial products and services, increasing production capacity in terms of quantity and quality, and developing a waste management strategy capable of securely managing processes and reusing available materials. If we analyse one such batch-type manufacturing plant, it is customary for it to handle water- and energy-intensive processes. As a result, it is critical to schedule operations to optimize energy and water usage. As such, this workshop seeks to connect professionals from the manufacturing and service industries, as well as academics and students. Its purpose is to facilitate technical exchanges, insights, and presentations on recent advancements in the chemical/batch manufacturing industry, with a focus on the water-energy nexus. 

Workshop booklet

Workshop schedule

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Africa Day 2022

A showcase of insights and African cuisine to commemorate Africa Month themed 2022: The Year of Nutrition.

April is Africa Month in which we commemorate the founding of the Organisation of African Unity in 1963, the precursor to the African Union (AU). Africa Month also allows us to reflect on the continent’s progress and the common challenges that she faces. The aspirations of Africa are many and the sustainability of food and nutrition is high on the agenda. The AU has appropriately themed this year’s celebration 2022: The Year of Nutrition. 

Join the Wits Business School and partners as they share share insights around this topic. Discussions will contribute to marshalling a greater and coordinated response to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and mitigating food security challenges. Also look out for demonstrations and recipes using indigenous foods.

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A Man among Other Men: The Crisis of Black Masculinity in Racial Capitalism

Discussion with Jordanna Matlon, author of A Man among Other Men: The Crisis of Black Masculinity in Racial Capitalism.

The Wits Institute for Economic and Social Research  (WISER) you to this webinar by Matlon. Please read the paper prior to the discussion. To view upcoming seminars hosted by WISER every Monday, please click here.

Book description: A Man among Other Men examines competing constructions of modern manhood in the West African metropolis of Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire. Engaging the histories, representational repertoires, and performative identities of men in Abidjan and across the Black Atlantic, Jordanna Matlon shows how French colonial legacies and media tropes of Blackness act as powerful axes, rooting masculine identity and value within labor, consumerism, and commodification. Through a broad chronological and transatlantic scope that culminates in a deep ethnography of the livelihoods and lifestyles of men in Abidjan's informal economy, Matlon demonstrates how men's subjectivities are formed in dialectical tension by and through hegemonic ideologies of race and patriarchy. A Man among Other Men provides a theoretically innovative, historically grounded, and empirically rich account of Black masculinity that illuminates the sustained power of imaginaries even as capitalism affords a deficit of material opportunities. Revealed is a story of Black abjection set against the anticipation of male privilege, a story of the long crisis of Black masculinity in racial capitalism.

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A Resilient City on Water - Venice's 1600th Anniversary

As Wits celebrates its own Centenary, Venice celebrates its 1600th Anniversary.

The School of Mechanical, Industrial and Aeronautical Engineering; the School of Literature, Language and Media; and Itinerarte RLT, Venice, in partnership with the Italian Cultural Institute, will host a webinar titled A Resilient City on Water as part of the celebrations. This event will range from the mythological origins of the Serenissima (Most Serene – one of the city’s many names) to the innovative technological solutions for the protection of its historical, artistic, and environmental heritage from the rising acqua alta (high water). View the video invitation: https://vimeo.com/705744930).

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Data Science lunch time chat with Maxine Khumalo

A consideration of computing challenges and Noisy Intermediate-Scale Quantum Computing

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Decolonisations of Literature

DECOLONISATIONS OF LITERATURE - Critical Practice in Africa and Brazil After 1945 by Stefan Helgesson.

Stefan Helgesson, author of Decolonisation of Literature - Critical Practice in Africa and Brazil After 1945, will be in conversation with Dan Ojwang (Wits University), Fabio Durão(UNICAMP, São Paulo) and Jane Hiddleston (Oxford University)

Decolonisations of Literature sets out to understand how the meaning of ‘literature’ was transformed in the global South in the post-1945 era. It looks at institutional contexts in South Africa (mainly Johannesburg), Brazil (São Paulo), Senegal (Dakar) and Kenya (Nairobi), and engages with critical writing in English, Portuguese and French. Critics studied in the book include Antonio Candido, Tim Couzens, Isabel Hofmeyr, Es’kia Mphahlele, Léopold Senghor, Taban Lo Liyong and Ngugi wa Thiong’o. By reading these intellectuals of the global South as producers of theory and practice in their own right, the book attempts to demonstrate the contingency of what is here called the worlding of the concept of literature. ‘Decolonisation’ itself is seen as a contingent, non-linear process that unfolds in a recursive dialogue with the past. In a bid to offer a more grounded approach to world literature, a key objective of this study is therefore to investigate the accumulation of temporalities in institutional histories of critical practice.

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Wits Entrepreneurship Clinic launch and panel discussion (Livestream)

The panel discussion, titled: Entrepreneurship as a force for good, will be livestreamed.

The Wits School of Business Sciences is thrilled to be partnering with the University of Edinburgh, Wits Tshimologong Digital Innovation Precinct, and the African Circular Economy Network (ACEN) to launch the Wits Entrepreneurship Clinic as part of the British Council’s Innovation for African University programme. The purpose of the Clinic is to develop and mentor aspiring entrepreneurs through the process of establishing successful businesses. The services include assessing the viability of the idea, writing up business plans, and assisting with sourcing funding.

Please join us for a livestreamed panel discussion, titled:  Entrepreneurship as a force for good.

Professor Boris Urban from Wits Business School will moderate the discussion between:

• Professor James Smith, Vice-Principal International and Professor in African Development Studies (University of Edinburgh)
• Professor Barry Dwolatzky, Director of Innovation Strategy (Wits University)
• Lesley Donna Williams, CEO, Wits Tshimologong Digital Innovation Precinct
• Ntobeko Boyana, CEO, Ben Peta Holdings, and ACEN representative)

Date: Friday, 20 May 2022, 09:00 – 10:30

WATCH LIVE: https://youtu.be/J7Aad8FS9JU (Panel discussion will be livestreamed at 09:30)

Enquiries: Rob.Venter@wits.ac.za

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Africa Day 2022 - Science and Innovation: Tackling the Unemployment Dilemma

Speakers from various sectors across the continent will weigh in on the pressing topic of youth unemployment on the continent.

Keynote addresses will be delivered by the Ministers of Science, Technology and Innovation from Uganda and South Africa. Please view the programme and speaker details. This event is jointly hosted by the Transformation, Internationalisation and Partnership Committee (TIPC) of the Faculty of Humanities at Wits, the Department of Science and Innovation, the Human Sciences Research Council, and the Academy of Science of South Africa. It takes place on 25 May 2022. 

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Braam Street Furniture Design Project

Be part of the collective working to revitalise and make Braamfontein a place where study, work and fun all happen in an inviting precinct.

This project is implemented in partnership with the MMA Design Studios, which coordinates different stakeholder groupings regarding information gathering, one on one engagements and inviting participation in various events and activities. 

There’s more to Braam than the high-rise buildings. Discover the precinct through #LoveBraam or visit www.lovebraam.com.  

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World Café Discussion

We would like to invite you to contribute to a collaborative conversation aimed at bringing innovation and entrepreneurship into the university classroom!

Developing an entrepreneurial mindset in universities and commercialising research out of universities are key focus areas when addressing the issue of unemployment and lack of job opportunities across the continent.

Tshimologong Digital Innovation Precinct, in partnership with Wits University, the University of Edinburgh and the African Circular Network (ACEN) will be hosting 3 separate World Café events as a method for creating a living network of collaborative dialogue to explore new solutions, insights and opportunities. 

You will be joined in conversation by individuals representing academia, business, society and government taking place in an informal café setting at the Tshimologong Digital Innovation Precinct in Braamfontein, Johannesburg. All the data and information generated during the 2 live events and 1 virtual event will be captured and shared in a comprehensive report

WHEN: 28 or 29 June 2022 (Sign up for one of these dates)  -  17:00 – 20:00

RSVP BY: 21 June

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

About the World Café methodology: The concept is built on the assumption that ... People already have within them the wisdom and creativity to confront even the most difficult challenges and that the answers we need are available to us.   It makes use of an informal cafe setting for participants to explore an issue by discussing it in small table groups. Discussion is held in multiple rounds of 20-30 minutes, with the cafe ambiance intended to allow for more relaxed and open conversations to take place

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Science, Society and Innovation Lecture Series

The Wits DVC for Research and Innovation, Prof. Lynn Morris, invites you to the Science, Society and Innovation Seminar Series Lectures

This seminar will be delivered by Prof Rob Adam on Thursday 30^th June @ 16h00 on “Why South Africa bid to host the SKA telescope".  This is a part of a more strategic and coordinated drive, led by the DVC, to enhance innovation in all of its many facets at Wits University.

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2022 Cricket research and practice conference

The Wits Cricket Research Hub in partnership with Cricket South Africa, CPUT, Rhodes University, and the South African Sport Medicine Association.

The 2022 Cricket Research & Practice Conference brings together creators and consumers of sport research. Researchers, coaches, sports scientists, biokineticists, physiotherapists, sports physicians, strength and conditioning trainers, sports coordinators, sports managers, players and parents are welcome to attend. The 2022 conference theme #gamechangingresearch.

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JCSE-IITPSA ICT Skills Survey Webinar

Where will people work? Who will they work for? And will borderless work be good or bad for the IT sector overall?

The 2022 JCSE-IITPSA ICT Skills Survey raises pertinent new questions about what the new world of work means for IT practitioners and employers.

The free webinar will be an online discussion with the authors of the ICT Skills Survey, Professor Barry Dwolatzky, Director Wits University’s Joburg Centre for Software Engineering (JCSE), and Adrian Schofield, consultant at the Institute of Information Technology Professionals South Africa (IITPSA).

2022 JCSE-IITPSA Skills Survey 

There is still time to take part in this year's survey.

We also invite you to share your views on what new opportunities the remote and hybrid work model makes available, whether South African organisations will import remote skills, whether South African professionals will seek remote international opportunities, and whether a gig economy is emerging in IT.

We will also look at what the changing environment could mean for skills development in the sector.

​​​​​​​Please participate and share your valuable input during this lively afternoon session. The two confidential questionnaires are now live and can be accessed via https://va.eduflex.com/jcse/login where respondents can register and then login to select either or complete both of the surveys.

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Wits University Press turns 100

WiSER and Wits University Press celebrate a centenary of printing.

Wits University Press (WUP) is the longest-standing, most established university press in South Africa.

Join WUP and the Wits Institute for Social and Economic Research (WiSER) in celebrating this centenary event with a range of scintillating talks.

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Notes on planetary habitability

Professor Achille Mbembe will present the first CSI seminar.

This is the first seminar in a series hosted by Professor Imraan Valodia, Pro Vice-Chancellor: Climate, Sustainability and Inequality at Wits University.

Professor Achille Mbembe from the Wits Institute for Social and Economic Research (WISER) will deliver this inaugural seminar with a talk titled: Notes on planetary habitability.

Wits University has an impressive range of research and innovation on issues related to climate change, sustainability and inequality. The Office of the Pro Vice-Chancellor is organizing a series of seminars by prominent thinkers to promote interdisciplinary engagement on these topics.

This first seminar is hosted in partnership with Wits Institute for Social and Economic Research (WISER) and the Future Ecosystems for Africa programme at Wits University.

About Professor Achille Mbembe

Professor Achille Mbembe, born in Cameroon, obtained his PhD in History at the Sorbonne in Paris in 1989 and a D.E.A. in Political Science at the Institut d’Etudes Politiques (Paris). He was Assistant Professor of History at Columbia University, New York (1988-1991), a Senior Research Fellow at the Brookings Institute in Washington, D.C (1991-1992), Associate Professor of History at the University of Pennsylvania (1992-1996), Executive Secretary of the Council for the Development of Social Science Research in Africa (CODESRIA) in Dakar, Senegal (1996-2000). He was also a Visiting Professor at the University of California, Berkeley (2001), at Yale University (2003), at the University of California at Irvine (2004-2005), at Duke University (2006-2011) and at Harvard University (2012).

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Researching the complex relationship between education and work

The Minister of Employment and Labour, Thulas Nxesi and the Minister of Higher Education and Training, Dr Blade Nzimande will deliver keynote addresses.

As Wits celebrates 100 years of excellence in educational preparation for work, the Centre for Researching Education and Labour, Wits School of Education, is celebrating 10 years of researching skills for just transitions and the future of work.

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100 years of Economics at Wits

Renowned French economist, Thomas Piketty, will deliver the keynote address, followed by a panel discussion with, among others, WTO's Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala.

Hosted by the School of Economics and Finance (SEF) at Wits, this webinar is in celebration of Wits University's centenary this year.

The keynote address will be delivered by renowned French economist, Thomas Piketty, who will be discussing his new book A Brief History of Equality.

This will be followed by a panel discussion on Policy-making in a high-inequality context: A conversation with Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Director-General of the World Trade Organization.

Joining will be Trudi Makhaya (Economic advisor to President Cyril Ramaphosa), Dr Kenneth Creamer and Professor Liberty Mncube, both academics in the School of Economics and Finance and members of the Presidential Economic Advisory Council. Professor Dorrit Posel, also from SEF, will be moderating.

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FHS Alumni Week 2022: Gala Dinner

This year’s Alumni Week will see the return of the Faculty of Health Sciences Alumni Gala Dinner.

This is the favourite social event of the Faculty of Health Sciences Alumni Week programme which was put on hold due to the Covid-19 pandemic. This is the perfect occasion to reunite and rekindle friendships and relationships.

Buy your tickets on Quicket here.

See the full list of Alumni Week events: https://www.wits.ac.za/health/alumni/ 

Message from Professor Shabir Madhi, Dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences:

Fellow alumnus,

I write to invite you to join us in this year of festivities as we continue the Faculty’s tradition of gathering in common purpose and celebrating the excellence of many of our peers. What a fitting occasion it will be to celebrate and pay homage to our alma mater for reaching the milestone of 100 years, the institution where all of our professional and personal journeys began.
 
As the University observes 2022 as its centenary year, September will kick off with a University-wide Alumni Homecoming Weekend followed by the Faculty of Health Sciences’ annual Alumni Week from the 5th to the 10th of September.
 
This year’s programme will feature many exciting activities such as the prestigious “Botlhale Orenstein Memorial Lecture” and the return of the much loved “Alumni Gala Dinner”. There is also an opportunity to engage with some of the University’s most profilic individuals, including a special sit-down breakfast with the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Zeblon Vilakazi. I look forward to engaging many of you who will also be presenting your life’s work and interests.
 
Browse through the week’s itinerary and sign-up to participate in your favourite activities.
 
I look forward to welcoming you all back home!
 
Shabir A. Madhi
Dean, Faculty of Health Sciences

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FHS Alumni Week 2022: VC's Breakfast

The Faculty of Health Sciences' Alumni Week kicks off on 5 September 2022.

Be there to kick-start the Faculty of Health Sciences Alumni Week 2022 with a breakfast session hosted by Wits' Vice-Chancellor, Professor Zeblon Vilakazi. An occasion to remember.

Reserve your tickets here.

See the full list of Alumni Week events: https://www.wits.ac.za/health/alumni/ 

Message from Professor Shabir Madhi, Dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences:

Fellow alumnus,

I write to invite you to join us in this year of festivities as we continue the Faculty’s tradition of gathering in common purpose and celebrating the excellence of many of our peers. What a fitting occasion it will be to celebrate and pay homage to our alma mater for reaching the milestone of 100 years, the institution where all of our professional and personal journeys began.
 
As the University observes 2022 as its centenary year, September will kick off with a University-wide Alumni Homecoming Weekend followed by the Faculty of Health Sciences’ annual Alumni Week from the 5th to the 10th of September.
 
This year’s programme will feature many exciting activities such as the prestigious “Botlhale Orenstein Memorial Lecture” and the return of the much loved “Alumni Gala Dinner”. There is also an opportunity to engage with some of the University’s most profilic individuals, including a special sit-down breakfast with the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Zeblon Vilakazi. I look forward to engaging many of you who will also be presenting your life’s work and interests.
 
Browse through the week’s itinerary and sign-up to participate in your favourite activities.
 
I look forward to welcoming you all back home!
 
Shabir A. Madhi
Dean, Faculty of Health Sciences

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FHS Alumni Week 2022: Sterkfontein and Maropeng Cave Tours

A day out with Professor Lee Berger to the sites of Homo Naledi.

Explore the Maropeng & Sterkfontein Caves tour where a team of researchers led by alumni Professor Lee Berger recently found the first partial skull of a Homo Naledi child in the remote depths of the Rising Star Cave.

Reserve your tickets here.

See the full list of Alumni Week events: https://www.wits.ac.za/health/alumni/ 

Message from Professor Shabir Madhi, Dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences:

Fellow alumnus,

I write to invite you to join us in this year of festivities as we continue the Faculty’s tradition of gathering in common purpose and celebrating the excellence of many of our peers. What a fitting occasion it will be to celebrate and pay homage to our alma mater for reaching the milestone of 100 years, the institution where all of our professional and personal journeys began.
 
As the University observes 2022 as its centenary year, September will kick off with a University-wide Alumni Homecoming Weekend followed by the Faculty of Health Sciences’ annual Alumni Week from the 5th to the 10th of September.
 
This year’s programme will feature many exciting activities such as the prestigious “Botlhale Orenstein Memorial Lecture” and the return of the much loved “Alumni Gala Dinner”. There is also an opportunity to engage with some of the University’s most profilic individuals, including a special sit-down breakfast with the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Zeblon Vilakazi. I look forward to engaging many of you who will also be presenting your life’s work and interests.
 
Browse through the week’s itinerary and sign-up to participate in your favourite activities.
 
I look forward to welcoming you all back home!
 
Shabir A. Madhi
Dean, Faculty of Health Sciences

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FHS Alumni Week 2022: Art Exhibition

Medical Artists to show their skills.

This Faculty of Health Sciences Alumni Week 2022 Art Exhibition will showcase artwork created and owned by alumni Medic Artists and art lovers of all kinds. Your work can also be featured!

Submit your artwork here.

See the full list of Alumni Week events: https://www.wits.ac.za/health/alumni/ 

Message from Professor Shabir Madhi, Dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences:

Fellow alumnus,

I write to invite you to join us in this year of festivities as we continue the Faculty’s tradition of gathering in common purpose and celebrating the excellence of many of our peers. What a fitting occasion it will be to celebrate and pay homage to our alma mater for reaching the milestone of 100 years, the institution where all of our professional and personal journeys began.
 
As the University observes 2022 as its centenary year, September will kick off with a University-wide Alumni Homecoming Weekend followed by the Faculty of Health Sciences’ annual Alumni Week from the 5th to the 10th of September.
 
This year’s programme will feature many exciting activities such as the prestigious “Botlhale Orenstein Memorial Lecture” and the return of the much loved “Alumni Gala Dinner”. There is also an opportunity to engage with some of the University’s most profilic individuals, including a special sit-down breakfast with the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Zeblon Vilakazi. I look forward to engaging many of you who will also be presenting your life’s work and interests.
 
Browse through the week’s itinerary and sign-up to participate in your favourite activities.
 
I look forward to welcoming you all back home!
 
Shabir A. Madhi
Dean, Faculty of Health Sciences

Add event to calendar

FHS Alumni Week 2022: Redbus Tour

Explore Joburg from an eagle eye’s view as you drive through for a Redbus Tour during the Faculty of Health Sciences Alumni Week 2022.

Explore Joburg from an eagle eye’s view as you drive through for a Redbus Tour. You’ll also get to meet and greet renowned scientist and Wits RHI Director, Professor Helen Rees, at the final destination.

Reserve your tickets here.

See the full list of Alumni Week events: https://www.wits.ac.za/health/alumni/ 

Message from Professor Shabir Madhi, Dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences:

Fellow alumnus,

I write to invite you to join us in this year of festivities as we continue the Faculty’s tradition of gathering in common purpose and celebrating the excellence of many of our peers. What a fitting occasion it will be to celebrate and pay homage to our alma mater for reaching the milestone of 100 years, the institution where all of our professional and personal journeys began.
 
As the University observes 2022 as its centenary year, September will kick off with a University-wide Alumni Homecoming Weekend followed by the Faculty of Health Sciences’ annual Alumni Week from the 5th to the 10th of September.
 
This year’s programme will feature many exciting activities such as the prestigious “Botlhale Orenstein Memorial Lecture” and the return of the much loved “Alumni Gala Dinner”. There is also an opportunity to engage with some of the University’s most profilic individuals, including a special sit-down breakfast with the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Zeblon Vilakazi. I look forward to engaging many of you who will also be presenting your life’s work and interests.
 
Browse through the week’s itinerary and sign-up to participate in your favourite activities.
 
I look forward to welcoming you all back home!
 
Shabir A. Madhi
Dean, Faculty of Health Sciences

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FHS Alumni Week 2022: On Breathing

The exhibition “On Breathing” by Nina Barnett and Jeremy Bolen, interrogates Johannesburg's relationship to breathing.

It mirrors internal airway tunnels with the networks dug under the ground in search of gold, examining through art the processes of respiration. This launch will be followed by a panel discussion titled “The Adler Museum of Medicine – our way forward”.

See the full list of Alumni Week events: https://www.wits.ac.za/health/alumni/ 

Message from Professor Shabir Madhi, Dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences:

Fellow alumnus,

I write to invite you to join us in this year of festivities as we continue the Faculty’s tradition of gathering in common purpose and celebrating the excellence of many of our peers. What a fitting occasion it will be to celebrate and pay homage to our alma mater for reaching the milestone of 100 years, the institution where all of our professional and personal journeys began.
 
As the University observes 2022 as its centenary year, September will kick off with a University-wide Alumni Homecoming Weekend followed by the Faculty of Health Sciences’ annual Alumni Week from the 5th to the 10th of September.
 
This year’s programme will feature many exciting activities such as the prestigious “Botlhale Orenstein Memorial Lecture” and the return of the much loved “Alumni Gala Dinner”. There is also an opportunity to engage with some of the University’s most profilic individuals, including a special sit-down breakfast with the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Zeblon Vilakazi. I look forward to engaging many of you who will also be presenting your life’s work and interests.
 
Browse through the week’s itinerary and sign-up to participate in your favourite activities.
 
I look forward to welcoming you all back home!
 
Shabir A. Madhi
Dean, Faculty of Health Sciences

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FHS Alumni Week 2022: Alumni Symposium

Areas to present on include passions, career and research, and whatever blows your mind!

Be a presenter at this year's Faculty of Health Sciences Alumni Symposium. Why? Because there's a lot to share in your brilliant mind, whatever it is!

Register here.

See the full list of Alumni Week events: https://www.wits.ac.za/health/alumni/ 

Message from Professor Shabir Madhi, Dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences:

Fellow alumnus,

I write to invite you to join us in this year of festivities as we continue the Faculty’s tradition of gathering in common purpose and celebrating the excellence of many of our peers. What a fitting occasion it will be to celebrate and pay homage to our alma mater for reaching the milestone of 100 years, the institution where all of our professional and personal journeys began.
 
As the University observes 2022 as its centenary year, September will kick off with a University-wide Alumni Homecoming Weekend followed by the Faculty of Health Sciences’ annual Alumni Week from the 5th to the 10th of September.
 
This year’s programme will feature many exciting activities such as the prestigious “Botlhale Orenstein Memorial Lecture” and the return of the much loved “Alumni Gala Dinner”. There is also an opportunity to engage with some of the University’s most profilic individuals, including a special sit-down breakfast with the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Zeblon Vilakazi. I look forward to engaging many of you who will also be presenting your life’s work and interests.
 
Browse through the week’s itinerary and sign-up to participate in your favourite activities.
 
I look forward to welcoming you all back home!
 
Shabir A. Madhi
Dean, Faculty of Health Sciences

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FHS Alumni Week 2022: Lunch braai and campus tours

Relive your student days on the Health Sciences campus.

Enjoy a campus tour of the Faculty of Health Sciences campus for a nostalgic peep through the lens of your student days and relax with a good old braai treat afterwards.

Register here.

See the full list of Alumni Week events: https://www.wits.ac.za/health/alumni/ 

Message from Professor Shabir Madhi, Dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences:

Fellow alumnus,

I write to invite you to join us in this year of festivities as we continue the Faculty’s tradition of gathering in common purpose and celebrating the excellence of many of our peers. What a fitting occasion it will be to celebrate and pay homage to our alma mater for reaching the milestone of 100 years, the institution where all of our professional and personal journeys began.
 
As the University observes 2022 as its centenary year, September will kick off with a University-wide Alumni Homecoming Weekend followed by the Faculty of Health Sciences’ annual Alumni Week from the 5th to the 10th of September.
 
This year’s programme will feature many exciting activities such as the prestigious “Botlhale Orenstein Memorial Lecture” and the return of the much loved “Alumni Gala Dinner”. There is also an opportunity to engage with some of the University’s most profilic individuals, including a special sit-down breakfast with the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Zeblon Vilakazi. I look forward to engaging many of you who will also be presenting your life’s work and interests.
 
Browse through the week’s itinerary and sign-up to participate in your favourite activities.
 
I look forward to welcoming you all back home!
 
Shabir A. Madhi
Dean, Faculty of Health Sciences

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FHS Alumni Week 2022: Origins Centre Tour

The African Indigenous Medicine Tour and Lecture.

Learn more about Africa’s rich indigenous knowledge of traditional medicine in a special Faculty of Health Sciences series. It’ll include a lecture that will explore The impact of diseases and migration on Southern Africa’s history and African pharmacology.

Reserve your tickets here.

See the full list of Alumni Week events: https://www.wits.ac.za/health/alumni/ 

Message from Professor Shabir Madhi, Dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences:

Fellow alumnus,

I write to invite you to join us in this year of festivities as we continue the Faculty’s tradition of gathering in common purpose and celebrating the excellence of many of our peers. What a fitting occasion it will be to celebrate and pay homage to our alma mater for reaching the milestone of 100 years, the institution where all of our professional and personal journeys began.
 
As the University observes 2022 as its centenary year, September will kick off with a University-wide Alumni Homecoming Weekend followed by the Faculty of Health Sciences’ annual Alumni Week from the 5th to the 10th of September.
 
This year’s programme will feature many exciting activities such as the prestigious “Botlhale Orenstein Memorial Lecture” and the return of the much loved “Alumni Gala Dinner”. There is also an opportunity to engage with some of the University’s most profilic individuals, including a special sit-down breakfast with the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Zeblon Vilakazi. I look forward to engaging many of you who will also be presenting your life’s work and interests.
 
Browse through the week’s itinerary and sign-up to participate in your favourite activities.
 
I look forward to welcoming you all back home!
 
Shabir A. Madhi
Dean, Faculty of Health Sciences

Add event to calendar

FHS Alumni Week 2022: Alumni Week Access Pass

The annual Faculty of Health Sciences Alumni Week 2022 takes place from 5 - 10 September. Get a week-long pass now.

Join us for the annual Faculty of Health Sciences Alumni Week 2022 festivities!

Register for your FREE week-long pass.

See the full list of Alumni Week events: https://www.wits.ac.za/health/alumni/ 

Message from Professor Shabir Madhi, Dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences:

Fellow alumnus,

I write to invite you to join us in this year of festivities as we continue the Faculty’s tradition of gathering in common purpose and celebrating the excellence of many of our peers. What a fitting occasion it will be to celebrate and pay homage to our alma mater for reaching the milestone of 100 years, the institution where all of our professional and personal journeys began.
 
As the University observes 2022 as its centenary year, September will kick off with a University-wide Alumni Homecoming Weekend followed by the Faculty of Health Sciences’ annual Alumni Week from the 5th to the 10th of September.
 
This year’s programme will feature many exciting activities such as the prestigious “Botlhale Orenstein Memorial Lecture” and the return of the much loved “Alumni Gala Dinner”. There is also an opportunity to engage with some of the University’s most profilic individuals, including a special sit-down breakfast with the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Zeblon Vilakazi. I look forward to engaging many of you who will also be presenting your life’s work and interests.
 
Browse through the week’s itinerary and sign-up to participate in your favourite activities.
 
I look forward to welcoming you all back home!
 
Shabir A. Madhi
Dean, Faculty of Health Sciences

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Gideon Nxumalo’s ‘60th Celebration of Jazz Fantasia’, presented by Mdu Mtshali

Wits Music in celebrating the centenary at our new concert hall, the Chris Seabrooke Music Hall.

The album was recorded live at the Wits Great Hall in September 1962, Nxumalo was the first black jazz musician to host such an event at Wits during the Apartheid era. The performance will be a 40-45 minute set featuring Piano, Bass, Drums, Sax, Vocals and 2 special guests on horns. The set is arranged by Wits Music Alumnus Mdu Mtshali.

The performance is free but seating is limited.

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2022 Nadine Gordimer Lecture

Poet, short-story writer, novelist, and cultural activist Dr Mandla Langa will deliver the 2022 Nadine Gordimer Lecture 2022.

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The Dean’s Concert

Featuring leading talent from the First Year and Foundation performance classes in the Music Department.

Established by the Dean of Humanities the Dean’s Concert features leading talents from the first and foundation performance classes in the music department at Wits. The concert is a vehicle to recognise and award prizes to students. 

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Annual Lenn Smith Race

5km fun run/walk on campus is open to all Wits staff and postgraduate students.

The annual Lenn Smith Race around campus takes place on 15 September 2022. Registration begins at 12:00 outside Alumni House near Wits Club/Olives and Plates at the bottom of West Campus. This 5km fun run/walk follows the Wits Parkrun route and is open to all Wits staff and postgraduate students. Walkers are most welcome – participation rather than time is most important. We will try to arrange refreshments but in the interests of being proactive, please bring your own water for the run/walk. Enquiries: mark.dowdeswell@wits.ac.za.

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Rethinking Economics for Africa Festival - 2022

The Rethinking Economics for Africa Festival is back! Join us, in person, to challenge the economic orthodoxy and to embrace the heterodoxy!

The annual Rethinking Economics for Africa (REFA) Festival is returning to its in-person format after two years of online hosting!

Click the "select dates" button to continue your registration.

More information about the Festival:

In 2022, the Festival will be held on the 16th and 17th of September at Wits University in Johannesburg. The Festival’s programme, on both the Friday and Saturday, will be packed with transformative content and great speakers, so don’t miss out! Please be sure to register for both days separately in the ticketing section.

The Festival will serve as a platform for critical engagement with the economics discipline and with the economy in general, and will provide an opportunity to exchange ideas and tools on how to build a movement for rethinking economics in our universities and society more broadly. 2022 will see the fifth iteration of the Festival and will host a diverse range of local and international speakers including student activists, prominent academics and civil society organisations. You can find out more on the Festival Portal here.

The event is hosted by the Institute for Economic Justice in partnership with the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung South Africa, Rethinking Economics for Africa student chapters, the South African Research Chair in Industrial Development (SARChI), the Southern Centre for Inequality Studies and Wits University.

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Panel Discussion: Hosted by Wits School of Education Writing Centre

Celebrating stories of change and professional growth: peer, tutors and students - Showcasing writing videos

Professor Nazir Carrim will chair the panel discussion with presentations from Professor Laura Dison - Writing Centre Academic Head, Larry Onokpite - WSoE peer tutor, Ubuntu Setloboko - WSoE peer tutor, Dr Emure Kadenge - Lecturer, Curriculum Division; former peer tutor and Gift Sonkqayi - PhD student at Oxford; former peer tutor.

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The 2nd International Conference on Artistic Research in Africa: 14 - 16 September

The conference encourage debate into the political and epistemological implications of artistic research in Africa.

The Wits School of Arts through its Arts Research Africa project invites you to join the 2nd International Conference on Artistic Research in Africa, 14 - 16 September 2022.  The 2nd Conference asks the question “How has artistic research transformed and advanced pedagogy and artistic practice in Africa?”

The first two days will be hosted online and the last day will be hosted as a physical event at the Wits Sport Centre. On the final conference day, attendees can look forward to a closing social/networking event with a jazz performance by the Cosmopolitan Collective.

Conference registration offers discounted rates for Wits staff and students! To register or to see the programme, click here https://ara2022.witsevents.co.za/

This conference will encourage debate into the political and epistemological implications of artistic research in Africa while showcasing the transformative work that has been taking place in pedagogy, research, and artistic practices.

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Nadine Gordimer Lecture 2022

Nadine Gordimer Memorial Lecture 2022, presented by Dr. Mandla Langa

The Nadine Gordimer Lecture was established at the University of the Witwatersrand to pay tribute to a great South African writer, and to bring other important writers to Johannesburg to address the Wits community. Gordimer (1923–2014) was active in the anti-apartheid movement and sought to reflect the painful realities of life in South Africa through her many short stories and novels. She received international acclaim, winning major literary awards such as the Man Booker Prize for The Conservationist (1974) and the Nobel Prize for her contribution to world literature (1991). The Nadine Gordimer Lecture has been delivered at Wits by such luminaries as Susan Sontag (2004), Carlos Fuentes (2005), Amartya Sen (2006), George Bizos (2017), William Gumede (2018) Per Wästberg (2019) and Thuli Madonsela (2021).

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Seminar on Climate Change

Did climate change cause the Durban floods?

Earlier this year, floods in the country’s eastern KwaZulu-Natal province killed 489 people, destroyed 4,000 houses and displaced about 40,000 residents. Flooding started when a cut-off low-pressure system delivered extremely high rainfall levels of 450 mm in some areas in just 48 hours.

Many have called it South Africa’s deadliest storm on record, and the country’s leaders have blamed climate change for the widespread devastation. But is that accurate? Flooding is a frequent, annual and well known hazard in South Africa. In this seminar, Prof. Engelbrecht will review
the science of ‘climate change attribution’ and explain how this may increasingly underpin the UNFCCC ‘International Mechanism for Loss and
Damage’. Using a new event-attribution modelling capability developed at the Wits Global Change Institute, he will objectively explore the role of climate change in the Durban floods.

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#Unplugged22 Conference

We invite African civic tech innovators, media makers, journalism innovators and other interested parties to attend the annual conferences.

Jamlab Africa and the Civic Tech Innovation Network (CTIN), both projects from the University of the Witwatersrand, will be hosting their joint hybrid annual conferences held between 3 – 27 October 2022 under the theme #Unplugged22 (but still connecting). #Unplugged will have virtual sessions and activities from 3 to 20 October 2022 and the in-person event will be between 24 to 27 October 2022 at Tshimologong Precinct in Johannesburg, South Africa.

Both Civic Tech Innovation Forum (CTIF) and Jamfest promise exciting, power-packed programmes at this year’s #Unplugged22 conference that will enrich both communities of African civic tech and media innovators. We are thrilled to connect with the global community virtually, and also to reconnect in-person for the first time in two years. 

We have connected virtually with the rest of the world for over two years and have been online more than at any other time in our history. It is with this context that #Unplugged22 attendees can expect a hybrid experience for 2022; where virtual and in-person sessions will have quality and stripped-down conversations about the effects of digitalisation on shared experiences. 

CTIF’s programme will feature exciting plenaries with continental and international speakers, workshops, a full month exhibition, and more, all focusing on key current issues in the African civic tech space including governance, urban cities, participatory approaches, sustainability and funding, end-user experiences, the significance of a community of practice and other relevant issues. 

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Panel Discussion: Hosted by The Wits School of Education Teaching and Learning Committee

Lessons learnt from Covid and beyond- retaining the pedagogical benefits and moving forward while showcasing teaching and learning possibilities.

The panel discussion will be chaired by Laura Dison - Associate Professor, Curriculum Division, in discussion with Professor Juliet Perumal, Head of Wits School of Education, Maria Prozesky - Senior lecturer, Languages, Literacies and Literatures Division, Sarah Godsell - Senior lecturer, Social Sciences, Thoko Mahlangu - Lecturer, Social Sciences and Dr Nora-Lee Wales - Online/blended learning coordinator: Faculty of Humanities Teaching and Learning Unit.

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Inaugural Lecture of Professor Mandeep Kaur

Curbing Cancer's Craving for Cholesterol: Opportunities And Challenges.

A cell, the unit of life, has certain biological checks and balances in place that allow human body to work optimally by eradicating diseased or old cells.

On the other hand, a cancer cell develops the capability to manipulate certain internal cellular processes to its advantage, which allows it to survive and divide uncontrollably. One such process involves the synthesis, utilisation, and removal of cholesterol from cellular environment.

Normal cells have an intricate balance of cholesterol homeostasis, which is disrupted in certain types of cancer cells, thus diminishing their response to chemotherapies and ensuring their survival. Cholesterol-lowering agents may offer a new therapeutic approach to combat cancer, but this relatively new approach has its own challenges that need to be surmounted.

My laboratory is involved in identifying new therapeutic agents in this domain and to decipher the involved biological mechanisms. This lecture will discuss the role of cholesterol in cancer while addressing the potential therapeutic approaches, opportunities, and associated challenges.

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Fak'ugesi Festival 2022

Happening from 13 - 21 October, this year's digital innovation festival returns to its home at Wits' Tshimologong Digital Innovation Precinct in Braamfontein.

The 9th edition of the Fak'ugesi Festival is a celebration of young Pan-African talent in the digital sphere to its fullest.

The festival is rooted in showcasing and developing skills in technology, art and culture in Africa.

Founded in 2014 as a collaboration between Wits University's Tshimologong Digital Innovation Precinct and the Wits School of Arts' Digital Arts Department, the festival takes as its starting point the idea that for innovation with technology to succeed, a strong connection needs to be made between African cultural practices and creative encounters.

This year's theme, #FromNowOn, aims to showcase the creative climate of a new age after the positive (and negative effects) of the Covid-19 pandemic. it calls for a moment to pause and reflect where we are today and takes a look into Africa's digital future.

For programme details and to buy tickets, go to: https://fakugesi.co.za/programme-2022/ 

Download the first issue of the new Fak'uzine - Fak'ugesi's now digital magazine.

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Webinar: 71st Bernard Price Memorial Lecture

Join Professor Stuart Russell at the 71st Bernard Price Memorial Lecture!

Join SAIEE President Prince Moyo in welcoming Professor Stuart Russell to the 71st Bernard Price Memorial Lecture! As AI advances in capabilities and moves into the real world, its potential to benefit humanity seems limitless. Yet we see serious problems, including racial and gender bias, manipulation by social media, and an arms race in lethal autonomous weapons. Looking further ahead, Alan Turing predicted the eventual loss of human control over machines that exceed human capabilities. Prof Russell will argue that Turing was right to express concern but wrong to think that doom is inevitable. Instead, we need to develop a new kind of AI that is provably beneficial to humans. This webinar event is open to all! Register now. We are looking forward to hosting you!

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The Annual Botlhale Orenstein Memorial Lecture

Join the Annual Botlhale Orenstein Memorial Lecture

This year, the Adler Museum of Medicine combined with the Wits Faculty of Health Sciences is hosting the Annual Botlhale Orenstein Memorial Lecture - cognisant of the #Wits100 celebrations and the history of mining and science and migration that forged our city, Johannesburg.

We are privileged to have Professor Himla Soodyall, one of the world's most esteemed genetic scientists and Secretary General of the Academy of Science of South Africa Council and a Wts alumna! speaking on the vital subject of African genetics and society, addressing issues of race and pseudoscience and other exciting research and discovery themes - with her inimical insight and humour and personal life journey illuminating this area of medical science.

As part of the efforts to embody the medical humanities, the event will be convened in the centre of the Health Sciences building on the ground floor - in the foyer and out into the hall in front of the Adler Museum; with the world-class Wits choir singing to us in with music that speaks to our city, our past and our aspirations.

After the lecture, we will close with special refreshments and a walk through the museum's On Breathing Exhibition.  

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The Sheiham Sefularo lecture for 2022

Race, inequity and mental health in the time of Covid 19 : benefits and lessons from mixed methods approaches in the United Kingdom

The Wits School of Public Health cordially invite you to attend Professor Aubrey Sheiham and Dr Molefi Sefularo 2022 lecture.

Guest speaker Professor Stefani Hatch, co-leader of the Marginalised Communities and Mental Health programme within the ESRC Centre for Society and Mental Health as well as co-leader of the development of the Health and Social Equity Collective, funded by King’s College London and Impact on Urban Health. Hatch has over 25 years of experience delivering interdisciplinary health inequalities research with an emphasis on race at the intersection of other social identities. Professor Hatch leads the Tackling Inequalities and Discrimination Experiences in Health Services (TIDES) study, funded by a Wellcome Trust Investigator’s Award, that was expanded in 2020 with Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) funding as part of the UK Research and Innovation’s (UKRI) rapid response to COVID-19, with an aim to identify and mitigate the impact of the pandemic on racial and ethnic inequalities experienced by health and social care staff.

Professor Hatch’s talk will be followed by a discussion with Professor Mary-Ann Davies. Davies is a Public Health Medicine Specialist in the Western Cape Department of Health, responsible for Epidemiology and Surveillance, and Director of the Centre for Infectious Disease Epidemiology and Research (CIDER) at the University of Cape Town. She leads several HIV cohort research projects to address key policy and implementation questions and was extensively involved in the Western Cape COVID-19 response. Mary-Ann will give the South African perspective.

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Mombelli’s Chamber

The Wits Theatre and Wits School of Arts/ Music Department present Mombelli's Chamber

Legendary South African Bassist, composer, arranger and educator Carlo Mombelli will be launching his new album ‘Lullaby for Planet Earth, recorded in Europe with Wolfgang Muthspiel and Jorge Rossy. The performance here will feature Carlo Mombelli – Bass, Kyle Shepherd – Piano, Susan Mouton – Cello, and Sisonke Xonti – Bass Clarinet. CDs will be on sale.

Free parking is available in Solomon Mahlangu House; entrance is on Jorissen Street, Braamfontein, Johannesburg

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Motswako the Mix Student Concert

The Wits Theatre & Wits School of Arts/ Music Department Present Motswako the Mix Student Concert

Showcasing the best of the Wits Music Department’s classical and jazz musicians from 2^nd year to post-graduate. Student musicians are selected following a rigorous audition round judged by the music performance staff. This ensures that the best students are part of the concert, with extensive preparation and rehearsals guaranteeing a high standard of performance across two major musical genres. This concert provides a professional platform for these students to engage with a responsive public audience. It also serves as a showcase for the young talent and high standard of teaching provided at Wits University, encouraging potential young audience members to find out more about possible careers in music.

Free parking is available in Solomon Mahlangu House; entrance is on Jorissen Street, Braamfontein, Johannesburg

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The Wits Trio plays Mozart and Mendelssohn: 10 Year Anniversary Concert

The Wits Theatre & Wits School of Arts/ Music Department present the Wits Trio

Founded in 2012 with their inaugural concert at Wits, The Wits Trio has performed for audiences throughout South Africa at major concert series and festivals ever since. Join us as they return home for their 10-year anniversary concert with a programme of two classic trios – Mozart’s Piano Trio No. 3 in B-Flat major K. 502 and Mendelssohn’s Piano Trio No. 2 in C minor Opus 66.

Mozart’s third piano trio written in 1788 was one of three completed that year. The format of the piano trio was still relatively new at the time, with the violin and cello being added to enhance the piano sound. By this stage Mozart was starting to write with greater freedom for the violin and cello, yet the music remains mostly led by the keyboard.

Mendelssohn’s second piano trio was completed in 1845, just two years before his death. The piece is laid out on a large scale, featuring soaring, lyrical melodies and intricate, virtuosic passagework for the three instruments. Mendelssohn, who played piano in the first performances, was joined by the famous violinist/composer Louis Spohr, to whom the piece is dedicated.

With the Wits Trio: leading South African musicians Zanta Hofmeyr – violin, Susan Mouton – cello, and Malcolm Nay – piano.

Free parking is available in Solomon Mahlangu House; entrance is on Jorissen Street, Braamfontein, Johannesburg

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The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady with The Charles Mingus Ensemble

The Wits Theatre & Wits School of Arts/ Music Department Present The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady with The Charles Mingus Ensemble

The Charles Mingus Ensemble directed by Prof. Martin Zenker performs ‘The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady’ in the 100^th year since the birth of legendary American bassist, composer, arranger, and poet: Charles Mingus. Wits is thrilled to welcome this ensemble from The University of Music and Performing Arts in Munich for a rare opportunity to hear this jazz masterpiece.

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Inaugural lecture of Professor Tumai Murombo

Transforming water resource governance framework in South Africa using an ‘untransformed’ law: The courts and the National Water Act of 1998.

The National Water Act 32 of 1998 has been praised as a ground-breaking law setting a global standard for countries that seek to transform their environmental laws and water governance regimes. It is applauded for introducing modern concepts that ensure integrated water resources management, transforming pre-democracy entrenched private water rights by making water a public resource under the trusteeship of the state.

These projected qualities of the legislation mask a compromised legal reform process where laws meant to transform natural resource governance, have served to perpetuate entrenched rights to the detriment of historically disadvantaged individuals who continue to struggle to access water, and other natural resources, equitably.

By analysing recent South African jurisprudence, this lecture broadly demonstrates the need for overdue reforms to environmental and resource governance laws to enable true transformation.

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CTIF & Jamfest 2022: Unplugged - but still connected

Joint hybrid conferences for African civic tech innovators and media makers, journalism innovators, and other creatives.

Jamlab Africa and the Civic Tech Innovation Network (CTIN), both projects from the University of the Witwatersrand, will be hosting their joint hybrid annual conferences held between 3 – 27 October 2022 under the theme #Unplugged22 (but still connecting). #Unplugged will have virtual sessions and activities from 3 to 20 October 2022 and the in-person event will be between 24 to 27 October 2022 at Tshimologong Precinct in Johannesburg, South Africa.

Both Civic Tech Innovation Forum (CTIF) and Jamfest promise exciting, power-packed programmes at this year’s #Unplugged22 conference that will enrich both communities of African civic tech and media innovators. We are thrilled to connect with the global community virtually, and also reconnect in-person for the first time in two years.

We have connected virtually with the rest of the world for over two years and have been online more than at any other time in our history. It is with this context that #Unplugged22 attendees can expect a hybrid experience for 2022; where the virtual and in-person sessions will have quality and stripped-down conversations about the effects of digitalisation on shared experiences.

CTIF’s programme will feature exciting plenaries with continental and international speakers, workshops, a full month exhibition, and more, all focusing on key current issues in the African civic tech space including governance, urban cities, participatory approaches, sustainability and funding, end-user experiences, the significance of a community of practice and other relevant issues.

The Jamfest component of #Unplugged22 will stimulate conversations about new approaches within the skills, product and disruptive media innovation spheres. Some highlight Jamfest sessions are on Solutions journalism featuring Ruona Meyer, and both  Tulanana Bohela and Princely Glorious from Ona Stories in Tanzania explore the opportunities and challenges of the Metaverse for African media makers.

Organisers invite diverse African stakeholders from the current and potential civic tech user community, government, NGO, CSO, journalism, media, education and entrepreneurship fields to attend #Unplugged22.

Registration for the Virtual #Unplugged22:

Tickets are free. Click here and book your ticket and plug into the virtual #Unplugged sessions on the Airmeet platform, which is freely available through your browser or the Airmeet App (download from your mobile app store).

Registration for the in-person #Unplugged22:

Tickets are free. Click here and book your ticket for the in-person #Unplugged conference which will be located at the Tshimologong Digital Innovation precinct in Johannesburg, South Africa. CTIF will be for 4-days from Tuesday, 25 October – Thursday, 27 October 2022, and Jamfest will be for 2-days from Monday, 24 October – Tuesday, 25 October 2022. 

For further enquiries and media interviews contact:

• Nkosinathi Mcetywa (Civic Tech Innovation Forum) at info@civictech.africa
• Jamfest at info@jamlab.africa

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The Nando’s Story – A Conversation with Robert Brozin, Co-Founder of Nando’s

Robbie Brozin, co-founder of Nando's will be in conversation with Professor Mills Soko

It was at a humble café in the south of Joburg that Robert Brozin sat down to the best Portuguese-style chicken he’d ever tasted. It was also there that he had the first taste of his dream - building a global brand through “the best-tasting chicken in the world” and a business philosophy of having fun while making money. Today, there are 1,250 Nando’s restaurants in 26 countries around the globe.
 
Don’t miss this opportunity to hear the extraordinary story of Nando’s and how things in the corporate environment can be done differently.
 
Definitely not to be missed!

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A Financial Approach to Climate Risk

The School of Economics and Finance invites you to a keynote address by esteemed guest, Professor Robert Engle

About the Speaker:

Robert Engle, Professor Emeritus of Finance at New York University Stern School of Business, was awarded the 2003 Nobel Prize in Economics for his research on the concept of autoregressive conditional heteroskedasticity (ARCH). He developed this method for statistical modelling of time-varying volatility and demonstrated that these techniques accurately capture the properties of many time series. Professor Engle shared the prize with Clive W. J. Granger of University of California San Diego. Professor Engle is the Co-Director of the Volatility and Risk Institute at New York University Stern. In this role, Professor Engle has developed research tools to track risks in the global economy and make these publicly available on the V-LAB website.

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Nobel Symposia Series

Learning the shape of the immune and protein universe presented by Professor Armita Nourmohammad.

The adaptive immune system consists of tens of billions of B- and T- cells with unique surface receptors that can recognize and mount specific responses against the multitude of pathogens. Pathogens in return can escape the immune challenge, forming a co-evolutionary arms race. Immune recognition relies on molecular interactions between immune receptors and pathogens, which in turn is determined by the complementarity of their 3D structures and amino acid compositions, i.e., their shapes.

However, the relationships between immune receptor sequence, protein structure, and specificity are very difficult to quantify in practice. In this talk I will discuss how the growing amount of immune repertoire sequence data together with protein structures can shed light on the organization of the adaptive immune system. I will introduce physically motivated machine-learning approaches to learn representations of protein micro-environments in general, and of immune receptors, in particular. The learned models reflect the relevant biophysical properties that determine a protein’s stability, and function, and could be used to predict immune recognition and to design novel immunogens e.g. for vaccine design.

BIOGRAPHY

Armita Nourmohammad is an Assistant professor of Physics at the University of Washington, Seattle. Nourmohammad works at the interface of statistical physics and biology and develops theoretical and data driven approaches to study evolutionary processes across scales.

Nourmohammad obtained her PhD in 2012 from the University of Cologne, and then joined Princeton University as a James S. McDonnell postdoctoral fellow, where she started working on immunological problems from a biophysical and an evolutionary perspective.

In 2017, Nourmohammad joined the Max Planck Society as Max Planck Research Group Leader and the University of Washington as an Assistant Professor of Physics. Nourmohammad is a recipient of an NSF CAREER award, NIH MIRA award, and the APS-DBIO Early Career Award.

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Inaugural lecture of Professor Benita Olivier

Bowling, babies and balancing it all: Changing the world one impact initiative at a time

Cricket is the fourth biggest global sport, and although it is considered a non-contact sport, injuries are prevalent and debilitating. This inaugural lecture will give some insight into a body of cricket research, especially regarding abdominal muscle thickness measured via ultrasound imaging and its role in injury and performance in cricket fast bowling. Creating, sharing and applying knowledge is the core business of a university and the academic. These responsibilities can be very exciting and, at times challenging to balance. This presentation titled “Bowling, babies and balancing it all: changing the world one impact initiative at a time” will elaborate on some principles to consider while navigating the academic journey, specifically in our quest to move beyond the notion of “Publish or Perish” to “Impact to Cherish”.

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Climate Change, Economy Policy and Inequality

The Academy of Science of SA invites you to a conversation with Prof Imraan Valodia, Pro Vice-Chancellor: Climate, Sustainability and Inequality at Wits.

Professor Valodia was recently appointed to Pro Vice-Chancellor of Climate, Sustainability and Inequality, and we will hear how he came to take on this unique and rather new role at the university. We can’t talk of climate change and sustainability without considering inequality, and we can’t consider inequality without thinking about climate change and sustainability. How will Prof Valodiatackle this?

Programme
11:00 –11:05: Welcome, Background and Introduction Professor Julian May, ASSAf Council Member
11:05 –11:35: Climate Change, Economy Policy and Inequality by Professor Imraan Valodia
11:35 –11:55: Q&A
Facilitator: Professor Julian May
11:55 –12:00: Closing Professor Julian May

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Open source tools for civic tech with Code for Africa

A session at the Civic Tech Innovation Forum & Jamfest 2022.

This session offers an overview of the development of civic technology open source tools for solving problems in Africa. It will showcase African open source tools created by civic tech organisations, identify problems that tools are solving and highlight open source software that was used to build tools.

Speakers: Isaiah Ngaruiya and Tricia Govindasamy

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Working with Cities: The unfolding role of civic tech-meets-gov in urban development

A session at the Civic Tech Innovation Forum & Jamfest 2022.

African cities face entrenched complex challenges including unemployment, wide spread poverty, inequality, the digital divide and climate change among others. Today’s policy environment in African cities is currently not aligned wiith emerging technologies and the rate and speed of innovation. Presently, bureaucratic local government systems and processes act as a barrier to innovative approaches to service delivery. Yet there are champions of innovation in government as well as civil society working towards tangible changes in communities. Levels of collaboration between civic tech actors and local government departments are, although limited, are emerging and evolving. This session will explore the unfolding role of civic tech as it relates to current partnerships between civil society and government that are being leveraged to support more sustainable and equitable urban development, as well as the needs and priorities of local governments in Africa. We will present and discuss key insights and experiences from civic tech actors, civil society organisations and civic activists working in the urban development space in cities across the African continent.

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Civic Tech Deep Dive 3: Presenting AUCTF’s Civic Tech Initiatives

A session at the Civic Tech Innovation Forum & Jamfest 2022.

In these daily Deep Dive sessions, three civic tech initiatives funded by the African Union Civic Tech Fund (AUCTF) will present and share their new innovations focused on justice, gender, and governance issues. Join CTIN Programme Coordinator, Sihle Gcilitshana, as she invites initiatives to highlight how their innovations could enable and facilitate transformative action in their communities and across the African continent.

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Book Talk: Shifting our relationship with technology, in conversation with Afua Bruce

A session at the Civic Tech Innovation Forum & Jamfest 2022.

In this session, we invite book author, Afua Bruce to share key points from her book The Tech That Comes Next: How changemakers, philanthropists, and technologists can build an equitable world where she urges us to rethink our relationship with technology. The book raises increasingly important points such as who develops the technology, who funds, and how we use it. Bruce will be joined by other stakeholders with an interest in the complex intersections between civic engagement, public good, and technology. 

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MIT + Community-Focused Tech Entrepreneurship

A session at the Civic Tech Innovation Forum & Jamfest 2022.

We'll bring together three social innovators from Solve - MIT’s 2022 Global Challenges to explore and share experiences addressing the intersection of technology, social impact and human centered design.Come meet innovators working with caregivers in the health space, LGBTQI+ youth, teachers and students, and think about what we might learn from their work, and where their impact might replicate!

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Wits 100 and Social Work 85 Years Celebration

Celebrating Wits 100 year anniversary and 85 years of the Social Work Department

Celebrating the 100-year anniversary of the University of the Witwatersrand and the 85th Anniversary of the Social Work Department. The contributions of social work education and the role of social work in the different fields of practice. Speakers include; Professor Jean Triegaardt, Dr Motlatjie Anne Letsebe, Mrs Vicky Mkhize, Ms Tasneem Bhula, Dr Busisiwe Nkala-Dlamini, Professor Terry Sacco and Mr Aldridge Munyoro. 

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Archival Activism for Environmental Justice

Presentation by Hatsue Koizumi from the Minamata Disease Center Soshisha, Kumamoto, Japan

The Archives Hub, a project of the Wits History Workshop, the Historical Papers Research Archive and the South African History Archive (SAHA), is holding an online seminar titled Archival Activism for Environmental Justice, in collaboration with the Research Center for Cooperative Civil Societies, Rikkyo University, Japan.

The online event will have English and Japanese simultaneous interpretation.

Focusing on the topic and environmental justice, archivists, historians and activists will talk about their efforts to collect, preserve, provide access to, and promote use of the records of grassroots movements relating to environment and social justice. A case study about the Minamata Disaster and Disease will be presented by Hatsue Koizumi from the Minamata Disease Center Soshisha, Kumamoto, Japan.

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Beyond the Digital Cold War: China, Africa, and the future of the Internet

The Data Science Strategic Group talk

Join the talk by Professor Iginio Gagliardone titled Beyond the Digital Cold War: China, Africa, and the future of the Internet. The hybrid event will take place at IBM in Tshimologong or by joining the online session. 

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18th African Investigative Journalists’ Conference

Wits University hosts Africa's best journalists 

Over 40 African countries will be represented at the 18^th African Investigative Journalists’ Conference at Wits University About 350 journalists are expected at the event which will showcase great stories, discuss key issues, train in cutting-edge tools and technologies, and encourage cross-border collaboration. Among the themes to be addressed are artificial intelligence for newsrooms, digital forensic tools, safety for reporters and investigating the environment, health, finance and business, mining, migrancy and insurgencies. View link for the full programme. Anyone wanting to attend should contact anton@harber.co.za.

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Dinosaur eggs and embryos – A Massospondylus carinatus egg clutch

Exhibition of original dinosaur fossils and talk by Dr Kimi Chapelle

Original dinosaur fossils will be on display for one day only as part of the Centenary Objects exhibition. These Massospondylus carinatus eggs, and the embryos they contain, are some of the oldest dinosaur eggs in the world, dating to ~200 million years ago, the Early Jurassic period.

Join the vertebrate palaeontologist, Dr Kimi Chapelle at 10:00 as she talks about the new technologies and methods used to study these delicate babies and shed light on Massospondylus embryonic development, growth strategies, locomotion, parental care, nesting behaviours and eggshell structure. Tickets: R85 (adults), R65 (Wits staff/pensioners), R40 (Wits students/children). Available on web tickets (lecture and viewing or viewing after 11am). Enquiries: tammy.hodgskiss@wits.ac.za.

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Art for mental health exhibition

Mental health awareness month art exhibition

Join the Department of Psychiatry in conjunction with the Adler Museum of Medicine for a viewing of the Art for Mental Health art exhibition. Themed No mud, no lotus, the exhibition features art works from the Wits Department of Psychiatry staff, registered students, staff as well as alumni.

The exhibition runs from 10 to 31 October and will be open every weekday from 09:00 to 16:00 in the Adler Museum of Medicine, Health Sciences Building, 7 York Road, Parktown.

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Centre of Excellence in Materials, Energy and Nanotechnology workshop

Grant Proposal Writing Workshop and Publication Writing Workshop

The African Research Universities Alliance (ARUA) Centre of Excellence in Materials, Energy and Nanotechnology (CoE-MEN) at Wits will host two workshops at the University of Nairobi. The workshops will be in-person or virtual and take place on 24 and 25 October. The Grant Proposal Writing Workshop takes place on 24 October. The session will include a practical exercise.

The Publication Writing Workshop takes place on 25 October, for which attendees have the option to send their planned publication at least seven days beforehand, for comment and discussion during the workshop.

Please email to eng_conf@uonbi.ac.ke to register, or more information.

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Africa Evaluation Indaba

Transforming evaluation for equity and social justice.

The Indaba is inspired by our commitment to the Made-in-Africa evaluation agenda. It is the continuation of a long-term conversation and engagement around indigenization of evaluation – creating a platform for M&E practitioners and academics to share experiences, approaches, methods and practices that honour indigenous ways of knowing, methods and approaches fit for the African context.

The second edition of the Indaba coincides with the tenth-year anniversary since the hosting of the African Thought Leaders Forum on Evaluation and Development. The Forum was instrumental in laying foundations for the articulation of the Made in Africa Evaluation (MAE) paradigm and the broader efforts in indigenizing Evaluations in Africa. The Forum could be located within a broader agenda in transforming Evaluation practice within the continent. The Indaba positions itself as an honour to earlier efforts in transforming Evaluation practice to embody equity and social justice.

Morning sessions

22 Nov at 09:30 - The MAE Bellagio gathering – 10 years on
23 Nov at 09:30 - Strengthening Evidence use in Parliamentary Contexts: Reflections on Emerging Practices and Lessons to Maximise Existing Opportunities
24 Nov at 12:00 - Footprint Evaluation and the Climate Crisis in Africa – what does this mean for evaluation in and for Africa?

Afternoon sessions

22 Nov at 14:00 - Promoting Gender Mainstreaming in M&E Policies in Africa
23 Nov at 14:00- Evaluation Capacity Development – A Made in Africa Evaluation and Decoloniality lens
24 Nov at 14:00 - Efforts towards actualising the MAE Paradigm: MAE Journal Special Issue

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Mental Health Symposium

Make Mental Health & well-being for all a global priority. 

The Mental Health working group of the Faculty of Health Sciences Wellness Committee is hosting a Mental Health Symposium to commemorate Mental Health Month. 

Light refreshments will be served before a mini-symposium, with talks spanning the mental health of undergraduates, postgraduates and staff. The symposium will end with a round table discussion and Q&A session. 

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Inaugural lecture of Professor Geoffrey Simate

Waste: A problem or a resource?

Population growth, coupled with massive growth in the production and consumption of goods and services, has resulted in increasing volumes, varieties, and complexity of both municipal and industrial wastes. Several working definitions for wastes exist and are used for practical purposes in society. Generally, waste is any material or substance in whatever form, whether solid, liquid or gaseous, hazardous or non-hazardous, organic or inorganic that has lost its primary value and is disposed of, intended to be disposed of, or required to be disposed of by the provisions of national and international laws. Undoubtedly, waste is one of society’s biggest challenges today, and if not addressed adequately or handled correctly, waste can have detrimental effect on the natural environment with devastating results that pose threat to human health. Quite often, waste is considered as a problem that needs to be quickly disposed of, but there is currently a paradigm shift that is realigning waste not to be perceived as a problem. This lecture seeks to illustrate that waste does not necessarily represent worthless, harmful, and disposable material, but can alternatively be considered as a useful resource that can be reused, recycled, and recovered in multiple beneficial ways. In this regard, selected typical examples of resource generation from all the three forms of waste (solid, liquid and gas) based on my research will be explored in the lecture, including (1) production of adsorbents from agricultural solid waste, (2) production of activated carbon fibers and carbon nanotubes from spent ion exchange resins, (3) the generation of various products such as water, acid, and coagulants from acid mine drainage, and (4) the production of carbon nanomaterials from carbon dioxide and coal pyrolysis.

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Sound Us Out

Original works for strings, voice and piano by final year composition students of Dr Andile Khumalo

Lauren Dasappa - Soprano

Camelia Onea - Violin

Violeta Miljkovic - Viola 

Carel Henn -Cello

Peter Cartwright -Piano

Free parking is available in Solomon Mahlangu house; entrance is on Jorissen Street, Braamfontein

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Data Science Lunch Time Chat with Prof. Iginio Gagliardone

Title of Talk - Beyond the Digital Cold War: China, Africa, and the future of the Internet

Iginio Gagliardone is Associate Professor in Media and Communication at the University of the Witwatersrand and Associate Research Fellow in New Media and Human Rights in the Programme in Comparative Media Law and Policy (PCMLP), University of Oxford, UK. His research focuses on the emergence of distinctive models of the information society in the Global South. He is one of the leading experts on China-Africa relations in the digital space. His book “China, Africa, and the future of the Internet”, has offered the first empirically grounded account of the role China is playing in shaping information societies in Africa, and of the possible repercussions on the conceptualisation of the global Internet. 

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Ground Zero //O (or to die)

Thought provoking production offering an opportunity for introspection and communal reflection.

Ground Zero //O (or to die) is a fragmentary site-specific production that engages with themes of violence, genocide, and oppression. Ground Zero //O in a sense is a metaphorical and fragmentary “dream” that demonstrate how the themes in this work creatively served as an instrument for cultural extinction. Dreams in this production serve as sporadic “bursts or streams of consciousness” to explore the involuntary surfacing, ebb and flow as well as the manifestation of trauma through the body. The production also engages with how embodied trauma is historically situated and carried forward from generation to generation.

Ground Zero //O is therefore a non-linear, montage driven, and best seen as bursts of consciousness that scaffolds seemingly mundane and random moments of being against the backdrop of an absurd experience where violence becomes common and is normalised through routine and ritual. The production provokes questions, poses no solutions, and offers opportunity for introspection and communal reflection.

Full Price: R120

Students, pensioner and Wits staff price: R100

Tickets sold at Wits Theatre box office

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Wielding Modern Magic for Frugal Innovation: from Campus to Industry

SPEAKER: Dr Adam Pantanowitz

Adam has been obsessed with early-stage start-ups and innovation in the space of human-computer interaction and AI applied to healthcare. In this talk, Adam shares some stories relating to innovation in resource constrained environments. Adam will capture learnings on his adventures in innovation: from the cheap and nasty version of his first project of a surgery automation system which ultimately became a patent; the world first neurology livestream "Brainternet" project which captured the imagination of the world; turning a human brain into a wifi network; to building the largest private response network in the world (AURA); and solving the issue of medical laboratory error; among others.

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Carlos Cardoso Memorial Lecture 2022

Fighting to end impunity for crimes against journalists

The 11th Carlos Cardoso Memorial Lecture will be held at the Wits Science Stadium this coming November and it features two incredible speakers: Baba Hydara of Gambia (who has devoted his life fighting impunity) and Penny Sukraj from South Africa.

They're both calling out those responsible for killing journalists in their countries - they have dedicated themselves wholeheartedly towards ending perpetuity with regards criminal activity against media professionals across African soil... 

This lecture takes place during the 18th African Investigative Journalism Conference. www.aijc.africa  

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Climate Change Mitigation Seminar

Key Messages of the Recent IPCC Report on Climate Change Mitigation: Relevance for the Global South – A presentation by Professor Ramón Pichs Madruga.

Common messages from the IPCC Sixth Assessment Cycle reports (three special reports and contributions from the three Working Groups) refer to the urgent need for action on climate change; the importance of responses that are immediate and equitable; the risk that climate change poses for compliance with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs); and the growing costs and risks associated with the delay or delay of response actions in the face of this global challenge.

The contribution of the IPCC Working III (Mitigation) to the Sixth Assessment Report of this institution (approved on April 2022) highlights that the possibility of limiting global warming to 1.5ºC would be out of reach, unless there are immediate and significant reductions in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.

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Monetary Policy, Growth and Jobs in South Africa

Public lecture presented by Governor of the South African Reserve Bank, Lesetja Kganyago

Lesetja Kganyago was appointed Governor of the South African Reserve Bank with effect from 9 November 2014 He was reappointed by the President for a second five year term effective 9 November 2019.

He had been a Deputy Governor of the South African Reserve Bank since May 2011. In this role, he was responsible for a wide range of areas, including Research, Financial Stability, Bank Supervision, Financial Regulatory Reform (including introducing the Twin Peaks regulatory structure), Financial Surveillance (including taking responsibility for the regulation of cross-border flows), Risk Management and Compliance, and what was then called the South African Reserve Bank College (now the South African Reserve Bank Academy).

Lesetja has more than 20 years of experience in formulating and implementing public policy, having spent this time in both the central bank and National Treasury. He has wideranging experience in Macroeconomic Policy, Financial Sector Policy, Public Finance, International Finance, Public Debt Management, and Financial Markets. During his tenure as Director-General of National Treasury, he successfully steered several public finance and financial market reforms. He played a leading role in the fundamental reform of the microstructure of domestic bond markets, including reforms to the auction system and the introduction of new financial instruments such as inflation linked bonds, buy-backs, switches, and STRIPS. During his time at National Treasury, a fundamental reform in the management of the national debt portfolio was completed. Lesetja has led South Africa’s technical team to various G20 Ministers of Finance and Central Bank Governors meetings and summits, including the Inaugural Summit in 2008. He has chaired the IMF/World Bank Development Committee Deputies and the G20 Working Group on IMF Governance Reform; he was also the vice-chair of the Financial Stability Board’s Standing Committee on Standards Implementation for a period of four years.

Currently, Lesetja chairs the Committee of Central Bank Governors of the Southern African Development Community and is the co-chair of the Financial Stability Board’s Regional Consultative Group for Sub-Saharan Africa. He also chaired the Financial Stability Board’s Standing Committee on Standards Implementation. He now chairs the Financial Stability Board’s Central Bank Governance Group (CBGG).

He was appointed as the International Monetary and Financial Committee (IMFC) Chairman effective 18 January 2018 for a period of 3 years until 17 January 2021. The IMFC, comprising Finance Ministers and Central Bank
Governors, is the primary advisory body of the IMF Board of Governors and deliberates on the principal policy issues facing the IMF.

Lesetja holds a Master of Science degree in Development Economics from London University (School of Oriental and African Studies) and a Bachelor of Commerce degree in Accounting and Economics from the University of South
Africa.

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Inaugural Lecture of Professor Stephanie Matseleng Allais

Why can’t we get the right skills?

Skills are seen as essential to addressing unemployment and lack of economic development—which in South Africa are catastrophic. But ‘skill’ is an inflated notion, used with little understanding of what occupational knowledge is comprised of, and what it takes to acquire it. Moreover, expertise and knowledge are produced in a complex set of institutions and institutional arrangements, which shape and are shaped by societies and economies.

I explore how the ‘skills problem’ is positioned as an educational problem, with the idea that there is a need for an efficient flow of information from labour market actors to education actors and vice versa. So governments invest money and energy into curriculum reform, qualifications reform, and skills anticipation. My research shows that in many low and middle income countries, ‘skills crises’ remain unsolved because interventions are based on wrong or incomplete analysis of the problems, misunderstanding the complex relationships between industrialisation, economic development, state formation, industrial relations, social policy, and educational development.

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Why decoloniality and critical theories matter to health professions education

Facilitated by Dr William Mpofu

Dr Mpofu is a researcher at the Wits Centre for Diversity Studies. One of his latest publications include the book co-edited Decolonising the human: Reflections from Africa on difference and oppression. 

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Sounds from South Africa to serenade Liverpool in unique collaboration

Sounds from South Africa to serenade Liverpool in unique collaboration

The University of Liverpool’s Music Department, together with the Tung Auditorium will be hosting an eclectic series of free performances, seminars and events in a unique celebration of South African music between Tuesday 29 November and Friday 2 December.

29 November at 18:30 in the Rendall Building

Jonathan Crossley will lead a discussion on his multi-genre album which moves from classical elements to math rock, electronica and even containing hints of jazz. He will talk about the major influences on his career as a guitarist, and how his research has culminated in this diverse album.

30 November at 13:00 in the Tung Auditorium

Carlo Mombelli,  Professor in music at the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg will make his UK debut, performing at the free lunchtime concert series at the state-of-the-art Tung Auditorium.

02 December at 19:30 in the Tung Auditorium

The grand finale will be the official launch of Jonathan’s new album, Inhale (available to stream from the 18^th November), at the Tung auditorium.

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SCIENCE – 2022 Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Summit

SCIENCE – 2022 Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Summit

The Dean of Science, Prof. Nithaya Chetty, cordially invites Wits staff and students to a summit to discuss

Discrimination & Racism, Inclusion & Disability Rights, Institutional Culture & Bullying.

 SPEAKERS:

Advocate Wim Trengove

Legal angle and definitions of discrimination and racism

Ms Maria Wanyane

Institutional culture and bullying

Mr Duncan Yates

Inclusion and disability rights

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Data Science Lunch Time Chat with Associate Professor Ken Nixon

Title of Talk - The intersection between Data,Energy and Value

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Microscopy is FUN!

Microscopy Society of Southern Africa's 57th Congress

The mission of the Microscopy Society of Southern Africa (MSSA) is to promote and develop microscopy as well as associated techniques at all levels in the Southern African region.
MSSA hosts biennial meetings inviting students, microscopists, researchers, and industrial partners to offer a platform to: 
i)                Interact and network within all disciplines of science and engineering through microscopy,
ii)               Engage on the latest technological developments in light, electron and laser microscopy,
iii)              Encourage and expand knowledge in microscopy technologies through our technical forum and exhibition lounges and workshops,
iv)              Provide opportunities for the trade and microscopist interactions, enabling information sourcing on applications and/or purchases, and
v)               Most importantly, present and share research, ideas and experiences with fellow delegates.

We hope that you will be able to join us at the MSSA 2022 Conference, and look forward to sharing an educational, enriching, and fun-filled experience with you. Use this link for more event details.

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NEWWORK22

Currently at the Wits Art Museum

The NEWWORK project is an annual showcase that is produced by the graduating Bachelor of Fine Arts class. It is an opportunity for the group to debut themselves as the next generation of artists.

After two years of an online presence, the exhibition will be publicly launched at the Wits Art Museum, The Point of Order and the Arthouse Studios. NEWWORK22 features 35 artists that work in a diverse range of media: performance, photography, drawing, painting, sculpture, multimedia installation and interactive events.

NEWWORK is fresh, critical and experimental. https://newworkwits.co.za/ 

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Fak'uoke Family Day

Don't miss out on the ultimate karaoke party at our #FamilyDay

Dads, moms, and kids, are you ready to rock the mic and have some fun? Don't miss out on the ultimate karaoke party at our #FamilyDay themed Fak'uoke on April 22, 2023! Get ready to sing your heart out and show off your talent in front of your family and friends. Plus take part in our digital scavenger hunt across our precinct goodie bags for your family.

Limited early Bird Tickets start from R 55,00 for a family of 5, so don’t miss out! We have some tasty boerewors rolls and drinks on sale for R50,00. Families are welcome to bring picnic baskets as well.

But wait, that's not all! We have loads of exciting prizes lined up just for you, including a chance to win tickets to a family-based event, details to be confirmed. So grab your family, bring your best singing voice, and let's make some memories together.

Don't miss out on the party of the year! See you at Fak'uoke!

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