University of Cape Town Summer School Programs

The University of Cape Town offers a variety of summer school programs, including courses in Literature, Art, Music, Current Affairs, History, Philosophy, Politics, Economics, Medicine, Science, Conservation and Nature, Information Technology, and Practical Courses.

Summer School 2026

The Summer School 2026 program includes a range of courses, such as:

• Special lectures, tours, excursions, and workshops
• Literature, Art, Music courses, including:
  • Action and reaction: how Western art evolved
  • Adapting Jane Austen
  • Art Deco: Spirit and Splendour
  • Celebrating the best of Opera UCT
  • Copy editing and proofreading: what's the difference. Who performs them?
  • Glowfly Dance: Literature as changemaker
  • In conversation: Parcel baby: aliases, apartheid and neurosurgery
  • In conversation: Writing the family
  • Irma Stern: finding her voice
  • Jazz legends and their music
  • Light, space and time: Physics in art
  • Local inspiration: one writer on the Southern Peninsula
  • Maria Callas: Prima Donna
  • Music and the sensuality of harmony
  • Music and the sensuality of harmony (lecture-recital)
  • Northern Lights
  • Oral historian or vulture? Documenting South African jazz legends after they've left us
  • Seeing sound, hearing colour: Synaesthesia and the musical mind
  • Sienna: Walls of Gold
  • The Baroque: the age of kings
  • The Italian Renaissance: the dawn of modern times
  • The Medici Women
  • The influence of the Medieval period on Shakespeare's plays
  • To life, with love
  • Writers bear witness: South African English literature 1948 to 1976
  • Writers bear witness: South African English literature before 1948
  • Writers bear witness: 'do angels wear brassières?' The child in post-colonial literature
  • 'What to do with noodle?': humour in the Victorian novel
• Current affairs, history, philosophy, Politics, economics courses
• Medicine courses
• Science courses
• Conservation and Nature courses
• Information Technology courses
• Practical Courses

Course Details

Action and reaction: how Western art evolved

This course will explore the political, social and cultural forces that shaped Western art, reflected in the lives and work of its most transformative artists.

• Lecture titles:
  1. Giotto and Masaccio: laying the foundations of the Italian Renaissance
  2. Jan van Eyck and Pieter Bruegel: the Northern Renaissance at a crossroads
  3. Jacques-Louis David and Eugène Delacroix: the quest for new directions
  4. Gustave Courbet and Edouard Manet: framing the Impressionists' agenda
  5. William Kentridge and Ai Weiwei: pillars in the Age of Advocacy
• Course fee: R575; Staff and students R290
• Duration: Monday 19–Friday 23 January
• Time: 11:15 am

Instructor

The course "Action and reaction: how Western art evolved" will be taught by Distinguished Emeritus Professor Ian A. Aaronson, Medical University of South Carolina, United States of America. Professor Aaronson is an internationally renowned paediatric urologist and has lectured internationally on the History of Western Medicine and the History of Art.

University of Cape Town: A Summary

---

Overview:

The University of Cape Town (UCT) is a globally recognized university located in South Africa. It is committed to unleashing human potential to create a fair and just society, with a focus on transformation, sustainability, and excellence. UCT is known for its strong academic programs, research initiatives, and commitment to social responsibility.

---

Services Offered:

---

Student Life and Campus Experience:

The provided context does not offer specific details about student life and campus experiences at UCT. However, it highlights the university's commitment to creating a supportive environment for students, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds.

---

Key Reasons to Study There:

International Recognition:

UCT graduates hold qualifications that are recognized globally.

Social Justice Focus:

The university emphasizes values of engaged citizenship and social justice.

Research Excellence:

UCT is a leading research institution in Africa, contributing to new knowledge and addressing global challenges.

Sustainable Development Goals:

UCT is committed to the UN Sustainable Development Goals and plays a critical role in addressing global challenges through research.

Transformative Initiatives:

UCT is actively involved in initiatives like the African Paediatric Fellowship Programme and the 100UP programme, which aim to address critical issues in healthcare and education access.

---

Academic Programs:

The context mentions the university's commitment to generating new knowledge in, for, and from Africa. It also highlights specific research achievements, such as identifying a new heart-attack gene and a landmark restitution of human remains. However, it does not provide a detailed list of academic programs offered at UCT.

---

Other:

UCT is ranked among the top 1.3% of universities worldwide by the Center for World University Rankings (CWUR). The university is actively involved in various initiatives to address global challenges, including climate change and healthcare access.