The University of Cape Town (UCT) has been selected to host the Times Higher Education (THE) World Academic Summit for the first time in Africa, from 29 September to 1 October 2026.
This is part of a landmark co-hosting agreement with the University of Bristol, which shares a long-standing strategic partnership with UCT.
As the first-ever THE World Academic Summit to be hosted in Africa, this historic gathering will showcase African universities’ rising influence in innovation and research in the global higher education landscape.
The summit, themed Knowledge, justice and futures: Universities in the age of intelligence, will gather global leaders in higher education, research, policy, business and civil society to explore how universities can shape a fairer, more sustainable and future-ready world in the face of accelerating technological, social and environmental shifts.
A global platform for future-ready higher education
The THE World Academic Summit 2026 will focus on four key themes shaping the future of universities worldwide:
- Redefining the future university – placing people, purpose and the planet at the heart of higher education.
- Universities and society – building trust, advancing justice and reaffirming the public good.
- Reframing global collaboration – creating equitable partnerships and resilient knowledge ecosystems.
- Ethical AI and digital futures – shaping inclusive, ethical and empowering digital transformation.
UCT Vice-Chancellor Professor Mosa Moshabela expressed great anticipation at welcoming high-profile international stakeholders in higher education to UCT for this momentous gathering: “Held for the first time on African soil, this summit invites us to ask how we – as a global community of scholars, policy makers, civil society and business leaders influencing the higher education space – can reconceive knowledge for the future, and in doing so, create pathways that are inclusive, sustainable and just.”
For more information, visit: THE World Academic Summit 2026
