Cape Town – UCT’S Lung Institute, which recently celebrated its 20th anniversary, needed to continue its work for Africa, said vice-chancellor Professor
Mamokgethi Phakeng.
“African-sourced education, research and service is at the heart of our mission as an institution. These words have truly guided you in your work in communities.
“It’s not enough for us as UCT to be the best university in Africa, to be relevant to the world's needs and to be sustainable as an institution. We also need to be the best for Africa,” Phakeng said.
The institute, at the Faculty of Health Sciences campus, provides clinical services and its researchers work in the fields of respiratory medicine, tuberculosis, allergies, occupational medicine and dermatology.
In partnership with various
departments, the institute also offers training to students studying
towards health professions, and collaborates extensively with training and research institutions locally and internationally.
The institute’s managing director, Associate Professor Rodney Dawson, said the anniversary was an opportunity to celebrate the institute’s coming of age, to pay homage to partners and pay respects to the founder of the Lung Institute, Emeritus Professor Eric Bateman, as well as to thank the university for its support.
“We’re an African institution of learning. But what’s happened is that we’ve become an African institution that dictated global policy and expanded beyond African borders,” Dawson said.