29 January 2026

Exposure to trauma is highly prevalent, with growing evidence of the adverse effects of perinatal traumatic stress for mothers and children. The neurobiology underpinning these associations is not yet fully understood. Epigenetic mechanisms – heritable changes in gene expression that are not caused by direct changes to the DNA sequence – may play a role. This lecture will give an overview of global evidence – as well as emerging data from South Africa – of observed associations between exposure to traumatic stress and adverse outcomes, and the potential role of epigenetics in these associations.

Thursday 29–Friday 30 January 9.15 am

A paradox is a statement that leads to a circular and self-contradictory argument or describes a situation that logically is impossible. A true logical paradox is a paradox constructed in such a way that there really is no way out of the loop. This course will discuss perceived scientific paradoxes which can be resolved with a bit of fundamental scientific knowledge. Five enigmas will be discussed.

Between the 1820s and 1948, writers from Thomas Pringle to Alan Paton told the story of South Africa. Writers who will be discussed include Thomas Pringle, Olive Schreiner, Wilhelm Bleek and Lucy Lloyd, Sol Plaatje, Denys Reitz, Guy Butler, Roy Campbell, Pauline Smith, William Plomer, Thomas Mofolo, Herman Charles Bosman and Alan Paton. In narration and performance we show how South African writers up to 1948 shone a light on South African history.

Thursday 29–Friday 30 January 11.15
The Anglo-Boer War left South Africa bitterly divided. Though the 1902 Treaty of Vereeniging ended hostilities, resentment endured. Alfred Milner’s anglicisation policies (1902–1905) deepened tensions. The 1910 Union of South Africa was a fragile political compromise. The first lecture explores the rebellion’s roots.
Britain’s entry into World War I in August 1914 compelled South Africa to follow. Afrikaner nationalists saw an opportunity to restore their lost republics. With South African boots on GSWA soil, rebellion ignited. The second lecture examines how the South African government defeated the Afrikaner Rebellion.

In a country in crisis on so many fronts, a series of bold catalytic actions is required from the government of national unity (GNU). Agenda 2024: Priorities for South Africa’s New Government offers a policy agenda that is substantially different from what the country has seen over the past sixteen years. It identifies nine catalytic actions within five carefully selected areas: fixing the state; freeing up markets and competition to enhance development; building a new approach to mass inclusion; tackling the fiscal crisis; and strengthening the rule of law.

The lecturers describe the Karoo as a whisper from the past, a drink at a backyard bar in the middle of nowhere, an adventure with an ostrich, a night under the stars. The Karoo’s people are its heartbeat. From traditional healers to modern farmers to creative eccentrics who fled city life, the region is home to a cast of characters who embody resilience, spirit and a wry sense of humour. This lecture will take participants on a journey through the Karoo and introduce them to its people.

Artificial Intelligence is a revolution that will likely touch every aspect of society for better or worse. In this lecture we will explore AI’s origin, theory and future, and find out what it can tell us about creativity, reasoning and consciousness. We will end with practical advice on how to prepare for the coming tsunami.

Our Science, Ourselves tells the story of a trailblazing network of women scientists in the Boston area of the United States of America in the 1970s, 80s and 90s, including Ruth Hubbard, Rita Arditti, Evelyn Fox Keller, Anne Fausto-Sterling, Evelynn Hammonds, Banu Subramaniam and Nancy Hopkins. Inspired by the women’s movement, they developed feminist and anti-racist critiques of science. In this lecture, author and science writer Christa Kuljian pays tribute to these women and explores how science is often shaped by its social and political context.

Meeting place: The Quad outside the Summer School office after which will go to the War Memorial.

This ninety-minute tour will start at the War Memorial, take in the two upper campus residences via the newer buildings at the south (the New Lecture Theatre and the new engineering building), take in buildings and sites on the western edge, ending in the old students’ union and library.


Please wear comfortable walking shoes and bring a hat and water.

Dr Mapham’s passion is improving healthcare. This passion, and experience in technology and behaviour-change interventions, led to his launching Vula Medical. Vula creates a growing network of health workers, enabling specialists to give advice and organise referrals. Vula connects public and private health facilities, increasing collaboration between the two sectors. In South African terms, Vula is used in more facilities than the equivalent of Engen, Shell, Wimpy and Nandos combined. Dr Mapham enjoys sharing the challenges, as well as the way data can now be used to improve health systems.

A sweeping history with intimate roots, Darker Shade of Pale traces a little known chapter in the history of global migration: the journeying of families at the turn of the twentieth century from the Jewish territories of the Russian Empire, called the Pale of Settlement, to the far-flung British colony of South Africa. At the heart of the book by Deborah Posel, is the story of her grandfather Maurice Posel. An ordinary man whose struggles and disappointments mirror those of countless others, this book challenges the common narrative of Jewish immigrant successes in South Africa.