Message from the VC: Coronavirus update

Posted on March 13, 2020

Whilst we are busy finalising our preparation to take learning online should this be required, as things stand as of 13 March 2020, all our programmes and events are continuing as scheduled.

COVID-19: Why it matters that scientists continue their search for source of ‘patient zero’s’ infection

Posted on March 13, 2020

The current COVID-19 outbreak is driven by a novel coronavirus (SARS CoV-2) that is spreading between people. The first human infections were reported at the end of December 2019 in Wuhan, Hubei province in China when a cluster of 41 pneumonia cases was identified. Deeper analysis showed that it...

Message to students and staff regarding the disabling of the biometric system

Posted on March 06, 2020

In light of the first reported case of the coronavirus COVID-19 in KwaZulu-Natal on Thursday, 5 March 2020, and on advice from medical experts, we have started a process to temporarily disable the biometric access systems on all campuses, as a precautionary measure and to minimise the possible...

Coronavirus information: Who to contact

Posted on March 05, 2020

If at any stage any member of the University suspects that they may have been exposed and feels ill, they are advised to isolate themselves and to contact a medical doctor or the 24-hour UP Operational Management and Crisis Centre on 0800-0064-28 or 012-420-2310 or the National Institute for...

Coronavirus: Advice and updates from UP

Posted on March 05, 2020

On Thursday, 5 March, we received news that the first case of the coronavirus has been reported in South Africa, in KwaZulu-Natal. Students and staff are reminded that while there is no vaccine to prevent COVID-19, there are preventative steps that can be taken to avoid contracting the virus.

Message from the VC on coronavirus: UP taking proactive steps with action plan

Posted on February 28, 2020

The safety and well-being of our students and staff are paramount, and we are taking proactive steps to help ensure that we have a plan of action in place to address a possible outbreak on campus. We have established a task team to assist with the implementation of our plan of action.

South Africa’s economic slowdown is not cyclical – we have a massive structural problem, writes UP economics professor

Posted on September 26, 2019

A typical business cycle in economics is cyclical and looks like a sine curve: it has peaks and troughs at regular intervals, and can be likened to the seasons: after winter comes spring, then summer, autumn, and low and behold, winter again. It is predictable.