Intervarsity news from issue 9
University of Cape Town
The University of Cape Town (UCT) ranked as the top university in the country and on the continent in the Shanghai Ranking – Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU), published on 15 August. The ARWU ranks more than 1800 universities and publishes the best 1000. This latest ranking means UCT leads both the country and the continent in all five major university rankings: Times Higher Education (THE), Quacquarelli Symonds (QS), Center for World University Rankings (CWUR), US News & World Report Best Global University Ranking, and ARWU.
Rhodes University
Rhodes University has implemented a plan for the full return of staff and students to campus. On 18 August, a technical task team was established to review the lessons presented during the COVID-19 pandemic over the past year and half, to facilitate preparations for the safe resumption of the standard university system. This development comes in light of the vaccine roll-out gathering momentum amongst 18 to 35 year olds. The health and safety of students and staff are the top priority. The university hopes to use the experiences of other institutions and to investigate the benefits of mandatory vaccinations in order for students to have access to the university campus and facilities.
University of Witwatersrand
Lucy Khofi, a graduate from University of Witwatersrand (Wits), started an initiative which assists over 300 students from Wits with food, mobile data, and organised industry focused mentorships. Khofi started the initiative before universities had made laptop and mobile data arrangements for students. She and a team of postgraduate students, who had connected through twitter, availed themselves to aid struggling students with organising food parcels, buying data, and housing.
Well I am Tankiso Mothopeng, final year International Relations student. I am 20 years old and prefer to do nothing. Literally my biggest hobby is doing nothing. It’s a miracle how I’ve made it to my final year but I made it. But when I’m not doing nothing, I like to dive deep and head first into people’s business. I like news. I like being the center of information and distributing that information. I guess that why I wanted to be a news journalist.