First all-woman team heads UCT’s academic enterprise

The University of
Cape Town announced on Thursday that its academic enterprise programs will be
led by a team of four women for the first time in academic history, as of
August.

Professor Sue
Harrison, the new deputy vice-chancellor of research and internationalisation
joins Vice-Chancellor Professor Mamokgethi Phakeng, deputy vice-chancellor for
transformation Professor Loretta Feris and deputy vice-chancellor for teaching
and learning Associate Professor Lis Lange as the all-woman team at one of the
most renowned universities on the continent.

“UCT
announced on Thursday morning that Professor Harrison will take over as the new
DVC with effect from 1 August 2019 – coincidentally, at the start of Women’s
Month,” said a
statement from the university.

Phakeng said the announcement was a significant moment of transformation
for women in academia and leadership positions, both in our society and across
the world.

“We are delighted that the UCT Council has placed their confidence in
the experience and expertise of each of my executive colleagues,” Phakeng said.

UCT moved up in
its ranking of
from 171 to 156 in the 2018 Times Higher Education rankings of the best
universities in the world. The university has the highest ranking on the index
of any institute of higher learning in Africa.