UCT to honour Allan Gray

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At the 13 ceremonies taking place over six days, from 11-17 December 2013, UCT will honour these individuals for their rich contributions to society.

Allan Gray is one of South Africa's most successful self-made business executives. When he began trading as a one-man company in Cape Town in 1973, his investment decisions were based on the difference between his assessment of a company's intrinsic value and its share price. Today, his approach is standard practice among the investment community.

The establishment of a centre and a chair in values-based leadership at UCT's Graduate School of Business is a manifestation of Gray's belief that the future and sustainability of the South African economy depends upon sound, ethical and values-based management. UCT recognises Gray as a philanthropist who has consistently supported higher education in South Africa. His pioneering approach to investment and his commitment to South Africa's future make his contribution exceptional.

How heroism is defined and expressed in praise poems

Professor Daniel Kunene is a renowned literary figure who has through his translations contributed to exposing African culture to the rest of the world. His pioneering work on heroic praise poetry explores how heroism is defined and expressed in praise poems, and charts the manner in which praise names are conferred. Recognised as one of the foremost figures in the translation of South African texts from African languages into English, Professor Kunene completed an acclaimed translation of Thomas Mofolo's Sesotho novel Chaka in 1981. He was also responsible for the widely praised translation of CLS Nyembezi's 1950 isiZulu novel Mntanami! Mntanami! (My Child! My Child!) in 2010 for which he won the Karel Capek Medal.

Professor Kunene has used his own prose and poetry in opposition to apartheid in South Africa, demonstrating with great subtlety the multifaceted relationships between individuals and communities in African society, especially those societies affected by colonialism and apartheid. UCT recognises Professor Kunene's contribution towards preserving the African tradition and promoting it to a wider audience.

Prominent cardiovascular scientist

Professor Derek Yellon is a prominent cardiovascular scientist. His work on myocardial protection has provided fundamental insights into the way the heart responds to the acute deprivation of blood supply in myocardial infarction. If large clinical studies presently underway succeed, interventions based on Professor Yellon's discoveries will become routine in coronary artery bypass surgery. Such impact on routine patient care is achieved very rarely by a cardiovascular scientist within his professional lifetime and underscores the magnitude of his achievement.

UCT recognises the significant contribution made by Professor Yellon to molecular and cardiovascular medicine, through the establishment of the Hatter Cardiovascular Institute. This institute has made it possible for a wide range of research and educational activities to be carried out at UCT. Professor Yellon has been instrumental in establishing the annual Cardiology at the Limits meeting, a joint venture between the Hatter Cardiovascular Institutes of University College London and UCT. These internationally recognised meetings have been endorsed by the international medical journal, The Lancet, and have played a major role in reaching out to sub-Saharan Africa.

Gray and Professor Kunene will receive their honorary degrees on Friday, 13 December 2013, at 10am and 3pm, respectively, while Professor Yellon will receive his honorary degree at 6pm on Monday, 16 December, 2013.