UP celebrates 65 years of Speech-Language Pathology & Audiology

UP celebrates 65 years of Speech-Language Pathology & Audiology

Nearly 100 alumni return for a two-day homecoming and conference highlighting six decades of innovation, community service and global leadership.

The University of Pretoria’s Department of Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology marked its 65th anniversary with a two-day alumni homecoming and academic programme on 1–2 October 2025. Close to 100 alumni joined staff, students, partners and friends at the Communication Pathology Building on Hatfield Campus to celebrate the Department’s transformational impact in teaching, research and clinical service.

The programme opened with a welcome by Head of Department Prof Jeannie van der Linde and remarks by Faculty leadership. Plenary sessions and parallel tracks showcased advances across Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology, from accessible hearing-care innovation and interprofessional education to early literacy and service delivery in low-resource contexts. A special session honoured the Pretoria Cochlear Implant Unit’s 35-year journey, and colleagues reflected on the Department’s Early Communication Intervention Clinic and its signature interprofessional approach to patient-centred care.

Building on a legacy that began with UP’s early logopaedics training in 1960, the Department has contributed multiple South African and African ‘firsts’: sound-treated clinical facilities, cochlear implant services, and national smartphone-based hearing screening (including hearZA). The Department was also the first WHO Collaborating Centre for the Prevention of Deafness and Hearing Loss in Africa, and leads internationally recognised research, including pioneering work on access to care.

Event highlights

• Two-day alumni homecoming and academic programme (1–2 Oct 2025) with close to 100 alumni attending.
• Plenary and parallel sessions across Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology, including aural rehabilitation, vestibular assessment, mHealth, early literacy and service delivery.
• Special recognition of the Pretoria Cochlear Implant Unit’s 35-year contribution.
• Showcase of UP’s interprofessional education and collaborative practice in communication health.

To learn more about our programmes, clinics and research, visit the Department of Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology website: https://www.up.ac.za/speech-language-pathology-and-audiology

About the Department
The Department of Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology at the University of Pretoria advances communication health through evidence-based teaching, world-class research and community-engaged clinical services. As Africa’s first WHO Collaborating Centre for the Prevention of Deafness and Hearing Loss, the Department partners across disciplines and sectors to extend accessible, person-centred care.