The University of Cape Town is deeply committed to fostering lifelong learning and public engagement in alignment with its Vision 2030 and core values of excellence, integrity, and social responsiveness. Reflecting its mission to serve as a university “in, for and of society,” UCT regularly hosts a wide range of public educational events—including lectures, seminars, workshops, exhibitions, and performances—that are open to the general public. These events create inclusive spaces for dialogue, reflection, and knowledge exchange, promoting personal and professional growth while strengthening connections between the university and the wider community.

In 2024 UCT actively engaged in:

  • Free or low-barrier learning opportunities: MOOCs, public lectures, short-courses available to the general public or to students outside formal degree contexts.
  • Lifelong / continuing education: Professional development, CPD workshops, short courses for non-degree participants or working professionals.
  • Community engagement / citizenship education: GCP, public lectures, workshops that connect university with society and social justice themes.
  • Public access to knowledge: Lectures open to everyone, online resources, self-paced learning.

Examples of specific events are listed below.

1. Summer School 2024 – celebrating 100 years of learning

UCT’s Summer School (13-27 January 2024) celebrated 100 years of continuous lifelong learning.

Before the UCT Summer School was established in 1950, an Extension Lectures Committee of the University Senate was formed in 1924 to formalise ad hoc lectures. This committee organised fortnightly lectures by members of staff and other prominent experts. In 1949, a decision was made to expand the extra-mural work of the Extension Lectures Committee, and the Centre for Extra-Mural Studies was founded.

It is a proud achievement that for 100 years, UCT has been arranging lectures on various topics to the general public – with these lectures offered specifically through the Summer School for 74 years. It is also remarkable that our institution has made knowledge available to the public for so long.

The UCT Summer School offers a broad range of lectures and courses that appeal to the young and old. It has grown and evolved over time.

In 2024, lectures and courses were presented in literature, art, music, politics, current affairs, history, medicine, science, conservation and nature, information technology, architecture, and the built environment. Courses were offered on a non-degree basis, often with no examinations; some courses qualified for Continuing Professional Development (CPD) points.

2. Global Citizenship Programme

The Global Citizenship Programme offers multiple short courses that are free for UCT students. The courses are primarily aimed at senior undergraduate and early post-graduate students and include the following topics: Global Debates, Local Voices; Citizenship & Social Justice; Voluntary Community Service; and Active Citizenship through Deliberation and Dialogue. In addition, a credit-bearing course “Social Infrastructures” is offered. These focus on service, social justice, activism, community engagement. Ongoing in 2024.

3. Massive Open Online Courses

UCT has 21 courses hosted on Coursera that anyone can join. These courses have no entry requirements, and they are not for university credit.

Some of these Coursera courses are completely free while others are only free when applying with the Financial Aid option. Learners can enroll for free but will need to pay to complete the course and receive a certificate. Geo-pricing is available for different countries. Financial aid involves completing an application and then waiting before continuing with the course.

The first UCT open online courses were creates between 2015 and 2018 as part of a university supported project to develop Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs). UCT first established formal agreements with Coursera and FutureLearn which allow UCT academics to host courses on either of those platforms. Under the university sponsored programme, 15 MOOCs were created and thereafter additional MOOCs have been created by UCT academics with independent funding. UCT now also has a formal agreement to host courses on edX.

Courses offered in 2024 with a specific focus on Sustainable Development Goals included:

  • Climate Change Mitigation in Developing Countries
  • Climate Adaptation in Africa
  • Becoming a changemaker: introduction to social innovation
  • Large marine ecosystems: assessment and management
  • Disability Inclusion in Education: Building Systems of Support
  • Educating Deaf Children: Becoming an Empowered Teacher

4. Facilitating Online Courses

“Facilitating Online” is an 8-week online short course which was offered in 2024 by UCT’s Centre for Innovation in Learning & Teaching (CILT), aimed at educators and trainers. This course, designed for online professional development, helps develop online facilitation skills.

5. Continuing Education Offerings

Short courses, workshops, seminars, lectures were offered in 2024, under UCT’s Continuing Education structures. In 2024, courses were offered by UCT Learning Store, Healthcare CPD, Engineering & Built Environment CPD, Law@Work, aimed at professionals and general public with interest.

The Continuing Education Unit (CEU) Health is the official continuing education programme for the UCT Faculty of Health Sciences. The CEU offers short courses, seminars and workshops primarily for the Continuing Professional Development of healthcare professionals.

The Continuing Professional Development (CPD) programme offers short courses, workshops, and conferences. These provide ongoing education for professionals, outside the formal academic courses offered at UCT for degree purposes. Continuing education includes all subjects that may benefit people in their professional and vocational activities.

The d-school Afrika* is Afrika’s first design-led thinking school based within UCT and was founded in 2016. It has over 700 graduates from the Foundation Programme in Design Thinking.

The d-school offers a wide variety of programmes to students, staff and faculty. The school has worked with the university’s Faculties and Departments of Commerce, Education, Engineering and Built Environment, Humanities, Social Sciences, Health Sciences, and Law and Science. These disciplines are essential to the transdisciplinary work that underpins design thinking practice. The d-school has also worked with several other higher education institutions in South Africa and Afrika.

Based in the Faculty of Law, the Judicial Institute for Africa (JIFA) complements the work being done by domestic judicial institutes in Africa where they exist, and offers opportunities for judges from jurisdictions where there are no judicial institutes to participate in courses for professional development. JIFA was established as a project of the Democratic Governance and Rights Unit and offers a range of university-certified short courses to judges, court-based researchers, judicial administrators and others in the justice ecosystem.

Based in the Faculty of Humanities, the UCT English Language Centre (ELC) delivers year-round programmes in English as a foreign language to international participants of all ages. Courses are offered at various proficiency levels, including general English, English for business communication and preparation courses for the IELTS (International English Language Testing System), TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language ) and Cambridge English exams. The English for Academic Purposes (EAP) programme helps local and international applicants to UCT who need to improve their level of English before beginning their degree courses.

Leading the way in continuing legal education since 1999, UCT Law@work presents a range of seminars and courses dealing with various aspects of the law, including labour, commercial and public law.

6. Teaching and Learning Conference: 'All About Curriculum: New Visions and Future Directions'

Open to UCT academics, members of the public, and others, the Teaching and Learning Conference was hosted at UCT in November 2024. Threads of focus included:

  • Innovative and Responsive Curriculum Design: What should a modern curriculum look like in our context? Explore the factors that shape effective and relevant curricula.
  • Promoting Epistemic and Social Justice: How can curricula advance justice and equity in education?
  • Curriculum Transformation: Discuss the processes and impacts of transforming curricula in higher education.
  • Role of Languages and Inclusivity: Investigate the influence of languages and cultural contexts on curriculum development.
  • Digital Technologies in Curriculum: Assess how educational technologies support or hinder curriculum innovation.
  • AI and Curriculum Imagination: Explore the opportunities and challenges AI presents to curriculum design and implementation.

7. HEP SSA: Second Public Lecture (PL2) and the fourth Knowledge Exchange Workshop (KEW4)

The Higher Education Partnerships in sub-Saharan Africa project (HEP SSA) offers grants to universities in sub-Saharan Africa to address the engineering skills shortage in the continent through academia-industry collaborations. Under the auspice of HEP SSA, the UCT Second Public Lecture (PL2) and the fourth Knowledge Exchange Workshop (KEW4) (25 - 28 November) brought together academics, industry leaders, and policymakers to reflect on the progress made throughout the year and to explore strategies for advancing sustainability and technological innovation in higher education. The event emphasized the importance of interdisciplinary dialogue and actionable outcomes, leaving participants inspired and equipped for the future.

Public Lecture (PL2)

The lecture, titled “Catalysing Sustainable Futures in Africa Projects” was delivered by Dr Abid Mehmood. He explored the catalysing sustainable futures beyond the SDGs: the importance of socio-technological innovation and education.Participants engaged in a vibrant Q&A session, with discussions focusing on the practical applications of these ideas in African contexts.

Knowledge Exchange Workshop (KEW4)

KEW4 focused on consolidating insights from the year’s events and setting the agenda for future initiatives. Highlights included:

  • Reflective Discussions: Participants reviewed progress on embedding sustainability and technological innovation into curricula and research.
  • Workshops on Emerging Technologies: Sessions explored the integration of digital twin technologies and VR in engineering education.
  • Collaborative Planning: Stakeholders outlined actionable steps for 2025, including joint research projects and capacity-building programs.