UCT Hosts Francesca Albanese: A Lecture on Universities and Palestine

The University of Cape Town’s(UCT) Nelson Mandela School of Public Governance, in partnership with the Nelson Mandela Foundation, will host a public lecture by Francesca Albanese, UN Special Rapporteur on the Occupied Palestinian Territories. 

The lecture, titled “Liberation & the Academy: The Role of Universities in the Struggle for Palestine,” will take place at UCT on Monday, October 27, at Sarah Baartman Hall, University Avenue South, Rondebosch.

The Nelson Mandela School’s director, Professor Faizel Ismail, said, “Universities are not isolated from the global systems. They are shaped by historical and material conditions, yet they also hold the potential to be spaces for reflection, dialogue, and transformative action,” he said.

Professor Ismail said this upcoming dialogue will explore the relationship between academic institutions and broader systems of power and consider how universities might respond to calls for justice and accountability,” he said.

Key themes that will be explored include academic freedom, institutional funding, research priorities, curriculum development, and the evolving role of students and faculty in shaping more just and informed academic environments.

To join this talk, you can RSVP by contacting Michelle at 072 090 1389 or emailing michelle@rothko.co.za