Professor Res Altwegg, Faculty of Science, delivered his inaugural lecture, titled “Adventures in Statistical Ecology”, where he outlined how ecology, statistics and interdisciplinary collaboration can save species.  He explained how in an era where environmental risks increasingly threaten economic stability and human livelihoods, statistical ecology plays a vital role in shaping effective conservation strategies. Read about his lecture here.  

Professor Jacqueline van Wyk, Faculty of Health Sciences, delivered her inaugural lecture titled: “Grounded in Context, Growing for Impact: Advancing African Scholarship in Health Professions Education”. Van Wyk’s influential career in health professions education has seen her work on developing educational models that are socially accountable, locally relevant and rooted in inclusive pedagogy. She believes community engagement, mentorship and collaboration are vital to strengthening health systems and transforming health education across South Africa and Africa. Read more here. 

Professor Jennifer Whittal, Faculty of Engineering & the Built Environment, delivered an inaugural lecture, titled, “Beyond Boundaries”. The lecture examined how using technology ethically can support equitable land reform and spatial justice and wove together centuries of colonial legacy, cutting-edge technology, and African legal pluralism to illustrate the complex realities that continue to define land administration and social equity today. Read about the lecture here. 

Professor Ursula Hoadley, School of Education, presented her inaugural lecture titled, “Life in the classrooms:  Understanding interruption and enhancement through pedagogy”.  Prof Hoadley has spent nearly three decades immersed in the world of classrooms – working tirelessly to understand and illuminate the complexities of learning and teaching, particularly in contexts shaped by inequality and poverty. Read about Ursula’s lecture and the ideas that have framed her work, here.  

Professor Alan Davidson, Faculty of Health Science, delivered his inaugural lecture titled, “It Takes a Team:  Advancing Paediatric Oncology Through Collaborative Care”. In his lecture he reflected on a career grounded the belief that collaboration improves outcomes for children with cancer.  He described how the fruits of the labour of the teams he worked with, whose outcomes and management practices improved, based partly on better understanding the disease, as well as therapeutic innovations, but rested fundamentally on a commitment to a multidisciplinary approach.  Read more about his lecture here.