ORIGINAL ANNOUNCEMENT

VC’s Open Lecture by Claudius Senst

10 October 2024

Dear colleagues and students

One of the things that serves as a source of pride for the University of Cape Town (UCT) is our sense of internationalisation, whether this is through our distinguished research partnerships, or our diverse staff and student body. This includes for example students from other universities who come to UCT as part of the Semester Study Abroad (SSA) programme. It is always a delight when we produce the calibre of alumni and former students who go on to become global change-makers, pioneers and leaders in their professional fields.

I am therefore excited to extend a warm invitation to the next Vice-Chancellor’s Open Lecture, which will be delivered by one such former student who has gone on to become a leading figure in global media, Mr Claudius Senst.

Currently the chief executive officer of BILD – one of Europe’s most influential and widest read newspapers – Mr Senst has recently been appointed chief operating officer of a German multinational mass and online media company, Axel Springer SE, where he will oversee the group’s strategic focus on artificial intelligence (AI) and future growth projects.

Mr Senst will deliver a lecture titled “The Interplay between Media, AI, Democracy and Governance” on Thursday, 17 October 2024 in the New Lecture Theatre on upper campus at 18:00 SAST.

Focusing on the role of journalism in general, and in particular the role of BILD, Mr Senst will discuss how journalism has evolved over the years and why it is especially crucial at the moment. He will draw from his wealth of experience to take the audience through the evolution of the fourth estate in an increasingly digital world, touching on the connection between the media, democracy, governance and AI, offering insight into how this shapes public discourse today.

Reflecting on his new role, he will also examine the ways AI is revolutionising the media landscape, both in Europe and globally. The lecture will address issues that resonate not only globally but also with the challenges we face in South Africa. Recently, our own journalism sector has confronted issues of trust, integrity and the impact of technology on public discourse.

This lecture promises to offer valuable insights, and is a unique opportunity for anyone in the UCT community to hear from a global leader at the forefront of these global conversations.

Mr Senst’s educational journey reflects his commitment to both academic excellence and global leadership. He completed his Bachelor of Administration and Management at the University of St Gallen in Switzerland and as part of that he was an SSA student in the UCT Faculty of Humanities in 2008, a formative year that connected him to South Africa and its vibrant academic community. He went on to complete his MBA from WHU-Otto Beisheim School of Management in Germany in 2013. These diverse academic experiences have equipped him with a unique global business and media perspective, which he has applied in his prominent roles within Axel Springer SE and BILD.

I encourage you to join us for this enlightening and impactful event. Let’s take this opportunity to deepen our understanding of the media’s role in shaping democracy and governance; and the impact of AI.

Date: Thursday, 17 October 2024
Time: 18:00 SAST
Venue: New Lecture Theatre, Upper Campus

Sincerely

Professor Mosa Moshabela
Vice-Chancellor

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RESPONSE BY CERTAIN UCT STAFFERS, STUDENTS AND ALUMNI

Open Letter Re: Upcoming Vice Chancellor Open Lecture by Claudius Senst 

Dear Vice Chancellor Prof. Mosa Moshabela, 

Dear UCT Executive,

We write to you as concerned staff members, students and alumni of the University of Cape Town. You have invited Mr. Claudius Senst for the first VC Open Lecture of your tenure. Mr Senst is currently the Chief Executive Officer of BILD, one of Europe’s most controversial newspapers. He has recently been appointed chief operating officer at Axel Springer SE. We, the undersigned, note your choice of guest with great concern, for several reasons:

1. Axel Springer and BILD are explicit promoters of racial and religious discrimination and propagandists for atrocities around the world, especially in Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories. There is a very long record of grave abuses (many ratified by German media bodies) for which Springer and BILD have been found liable over decades – far too many to list individually, but which are easily accessible online.
2. In our current understanding of human rights abuses and atrocities (informed, above all, by German history), we know that the promoters, propagandists, and concealers of mass murder are just as responsible as the men and women with guns in their hands. In a week when we have seen the Israel Defence Forces and their supporters celebrating the burning alive of refugees in their tents in Gaza, Axel Springer and BILD – under the direction of Senst – have been agitating to remove all curbs on the use of German weaponry against civilians. There is a reasonable case to be made that Senst himself is a genocide denialist who willingly ignores the mass killing of Palestinians (almost 42,000 to date as per the WHO) and the demolition of their basic infrastructure (water and sanitation networks, schools, hospitals, etc.). 
3. Several peaceful student protests in solidarity with the Palestinian people have been violently broken up in several Berlin universities. When over 150 academics condemned this police brutality and reaffirmed their students’ right to peaceful protest, the BILD published their pictures under a defaming headline. We have received personal testimony from several German academics targeted by BILD, with one writing to us: “Following the publication of this misleading report, I began receiving threatening messages and phone calls. My name was also listed by an Israeli organization that monitors academics they consider anti-Israel or anti-Semitic. As a result, I now face the risk of imprisonment if I attempt to travel to Palestine to visit my family in Hebron, in the West Bank.” While this individual filed and won a defamation lawsuit against BILD and Springer SE, many did not, for fear of further repercussions. BILD has been at the forefront of what has been described as an Anti-Palestine witch hunt, which also targets anti-Zionist Jews. We are appalled that somebody representing such an anti-academic stance will be given a platform at our esteemed university. 
4. Moreover, BILD recently announced a collaboration with Israel Hayom, Israel’s most-read daily newspaper. It is well-known as the mouthpiece for Netanyahu’s right-wing government. The newspaper’s late owner, Sheldon Adelson, has been a long-time supporter of Israel’s extreme right and is known for his anti-democratic positions. He has called Palestinians “an invented people.” 
5. Finally, Axel Springer, the parent company of BILD, has come under fire for its direct involvement in the Israeli occupation of Palestine through its classified ads website, Yad2. The largest classified site of its kind in Israel, it lists rental apartments and sales in Israeli settlements that are considered illegal under international law. In an online ad on Yad2, the slogan ‘From the River to the Sea’ appears above a map that erases the Palestinian territories and its internationally recognized borders. Springer has openly declared its unwavering support for the state of Israel, before and after the 7th of October 2023, without acknowledging the gross atrocities it has perpetrated against Palestinian people for 75 years. 

As a community that has taken a clear stance against the ongoing genocide in Gaza as well as against the illegal expansion of Israeli territory beyond internationally recognized borders (see the two Senate resolutions adopted by Council on 22nd June 2024), we do not think Mr. Senst should be allowed to lecture us on questions of democracy and governance. Platforming a fascist news organisation is blatantly disrespectful to the memory of the over 140 journalists murdered by Israel during the ongoing genocide. 

We demand that UCT rescind its invitation to Mr. Senst based on UCT’s commitment to a just society and its stance against the ongoing genocide, scholasticide, and apartheid regime in Israel. It is never too late and no price is too high to do the right thing, to be on the right side of history, and to annul your invitation to Mr. Senst. 

Yours sincerely, 

1. Dr. Laura Nkula-Wenz, UCT Staff

2. Dr. Anna Selmeczi, UCT Staff

3. Prof. Sa'diyya Shaikh, UCT Staff

4. Jo Bluen, UCT Alumni

5. Prof. Saleem Badat, UCT Alumni

6. Zahrah Limbada, UCT Student

7. Dr Mohamed Shaid Mathee, UCT Alumni

8. Liza Cirolia, UCT Staff

9. Dr Shuaib Manjra, UCT Staff

10. Assoc. Prof. Fatima Seedat, UCT Staff

11. Anna Richerby, UCT Student

12. Ms June Knight, UCT Alumni

13. Ikram Abrahams, UCT Student

14. Liesl M Prinsloo, UCT Alumni

15. Lorna Houston, UCT Alumni

16. Prof. Carolyn McKinney, UCT Staff

17. Rifquah Hendricks, UCT Alumni

18. Prof. Imraan Coovadia, UCT Staff

19. Ms. Roomaan Leach, UCT Student

20. A/Prof Daniela Gachago, UCT Staff

21. Zameer Gamiet, UCT Student

22. Naefa Kahn, UCT Alumni

23. Shamil Jeppie, UCT Staff

24. Ms Roshila Nair, UCT Alumni

25. Anthea Houston, UCT Alumni

26. Jamie Rosengarten, UCT Student

27. Ms Soraya Lester, UCT Student

28. Professor Jane Bennett (Emeritx)

29. Prof Sarojini Nadar, UCT Alumni

30. Dr Yaliwe Clarke, UCT Alumni

31. Aaron Jacobs, UCT Student

32. Dr Thandi Gamedze, UCT Alumni

33. Dr Kharnita Mohamed, UCT Staff

34. Ms. Laeeqa Pangarker, UCT Student

35. Daanyaal Loofer, UCT Staff

36. Dr Rebecca Pointer, UCT Alumni

37. Alyaa Abdullatief, UCT Alumni

38. Tania Katzschner, UCT Staff

39. Declan Dyer, UCT Staff

40. Prof. Wendy Burgers, UCT Staff

41. Mrs Shakira Jeppie,  UCT Staff

42. Dr. Ala Alhourani, UCT Staff

43. Tanya Layne, UCT Alumni

44. Mrs Ulpha Ismail, UCT Staff

45. Sam Ivey, UCT Student

46. Paola Viglietti, UCT Student

47. Julia Hope, UCT Student

48. Ms. Vee Rilett, UCT Student

49. Dr Emma Daitz, UCT Staff

50. Tanith Fester, UCT Student

51. Aqeelah Hassen, UCT Alumni

52. Layla Poole, UCT Student

53. Tahir Tayob, UCT Student

54. Susan April, UCT Student

55. A/Prof Polo Moji, UCT Staff

56. Dr Alex Sutherland, UCT Staff

57. Haajirah Esau, UCT Alumni

58. Justin Chen, UCT Student

59. Ylara Esau Salie, UCT Student

60. Imaan Mohamed, UCT Staff

61. Jessleena Suri, UCT Student

62. Ms. Thobeka Sithole, UCT Student

63. Dr Carla Lever, UCT Staff

64. Dr Zarinah Sonday, UCT Staff

65. Kirsten Mackrill, UCT Alumni

66. Dr Pia Viglietti, UCT Alumni

67. A/Prof Barbara Boswell, UCT Staff

68. Ismail Dhorat, UCT Alumni

69. Prof Wahbie Long, UCT Staff

70. Alex Bezuidenhout, UCT Student

71. Waheed Amanjee, UCT Student

72. Angelica White, UCT Student

73. Saadiq Soeker, UCT Alumni

74. Judy Favish, UCT Alumni

75. Oskar Keogh, UCT Staff

76. Reeza Isaacs, UCT Alumni

77. Yusuf Omar, UCT Alumni

78. Mrs Aayesha Patel, UCT Staff

79. Anthony Fish Hodgson, UCT Alumni

80. Aidan Africa, UCT Student

81. MJ Bray, UCT Alumni

82. A/Prof. Ruchi Chaturvedi, UCT Staff

83. A/Prof Nomusa Makhubu, UCT Staff

84. Nuhaa Isaacs, UCT Student

85. Ovayo Dayile, UCT Student

86. Hana Petersen, UCT Student

87. Dr Yumnah Isaacs, UCT Alumni

88. Aayesha Patel, UCT Staff

89. Dr. Faisal Garba, UCT Staff

90. Adjunct A/Prof Alex Muller, UCT Alumni

91. Jason A'i, UCT Alumni

92. Munadia Ansarie, UCT Staff

93. Vayda Megannon, UCT Staff

94. Tahir Fayker, UCT Alumni

95. Farhana Parker, UCT Alumni
96. Sibulele Mdovu , UCT Student
97. Mrs Farah Jacobs , UCT Alumni
98. Yasmine Ganief, UCT Alumni
99. Mogamad Reidwhan Ganief, UCT Alumni
100. Dr Jacques de Satgé, UCT Alumni

And many others…

***

NOTIFICATION OF SUSPENSION OF LECTURE

VC’s Open Lecture put on hold

16 October 2024

Dear colleagues and students

Following the announcement of the Vice-Chancellor’s Open Lecture scheduled for Thursday, 17 October 2024, the Office of the VC (OVC) has received a number of emails from stakeholders – both within and outside the University of Cape Town (UCT) community – expressing their deep concerns regarding this lecture.

Since Monday, 14 October the OVC has facilitated a number of engagements with various stakeholders who have expressed the same concerns. We continue to receive similar correspondence from a variety of stakeholders – staff, students and friends of UCT.

I have been deliberate about taking the time to engage and listen to these voices. When I took office at the beginning of August 2024, one of the ideals that I expressed was to build unity on campus and, related to this, to build consensus whenever possible.

Arising out of these concerns, and following an executive meeting held on Tuesday, 15 October, I write to inform you that the VC’s Open Lecture has now been put on hold. This is due to at least three factors: the need for further engagement, the limited time within which these engagements can be carried out, and the need to reconfigure this particular lecture in recognition of the issues raised.

The conversations that have taken place since the announcement of the lecture indicate, without doubt, that in its current format and at this present moment, the lecture would have had a polarising effect on campus. It therefore became important to pause the event, and allow for further discussions to take place without the time pressure.

As further background context, timing also played a role in this lecture. We announced the lecture only seven days before the actual date, a deviation from our usual ideal lead time. The original speaker was to have been former German President Mr Horst Köhler, who unfortunately had to withdraw due to ill health.

Subsequently, Mr Claudius Senst, who was previously invited to deliver a lecture at some stage, was approached to step in at short notice as he was also scheduled to come to Cape Town. The short lead time did not provide sufficient room for the processes that are typically involved in staging a VC’s Open Lecture to take place fully.

It should be recognised that the university space itself is a place where all ideas should be shared and debated, as we endeavour to uphold academic freedom at UCT. We should also recognise that academic freedom carries a level of responsibility to our community and society.

This has not been an easy decision to make, taking into consideration the impact on our campus community and relevant stakeholders, and all the complex arrangements involved. I express sincere regret for any inconvenience arising out of the lecture being put on hold. We will communicate further updates in this regard at a later stage.

Sincerely

Professor Mosa Moshabela
Vice-Chancellor