As the university community is aware, in 2024 both Senate and Council of the University of the Western Cape took a principled decision to disengage from Israeli institutions and to strengthen ethical scholarship and advocacy in solidarity with Palestine. This historic decision reaffirmed UWC’s identity as a university rooted in the struggle for justice, and guided by moral and intellectual courage.

In this spirit, the Desmond Tutu Centre for Religion and Social Justice, in partnership with the Nelson Mandela Foundation, will host a Critical Dialogue titled “Apartheid, Zionism and the Socially Conscious University.”

The dialogue will feature Francesca Albanese, United Nations Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in the Palestinian Territories, in conversation with Professor Sarojini Nadar, Desmond Tutu SARChI Chair in Religion and Social Justice. Together they will reflect on how law, ideology, and belief intersect in sustaining systems of domination, and how universities can act with conscience and integrity in responding to global injustice.

Event Details 

Date: Wednesday, 29 October 2025

Time: 11:15 am SAST

Via Live Stream:  The entire UWC community is warmly invited to watch the dialogue live online at the link below: https://bit.ly/Francesca-Albanese-Critical-Dialogue

This critical dialogue is part of UWC’s continuing commitment to being a socially conscious university, one that lives out its values through intellectual courage and ethical engagement.

Please note that this is a closed event and there will be no walk-in attendance due to security considerations and very limited capacity.

Issued by the Office of the Rector
University of the Western Cape