The University of Cape Town invites you to an inaugural lecture by Professor Lionel Green-Thompson.

From a Village to the Globe: Reflections on a Journey in Social Accountability

Social accountability refers to the responsibility of health professions education institutions to align their teaching, research and service with the priority health needs of the communities they serve. Grounded in principles of equity, relevance and responsibility, it asks who institutions are accountable to and how this accountability is demonstrated in practice.

This lecture will explore how these ideas are shaped by the African philosophy of Ubuntu, where professional identity is formed through relationships built on trust, dignity and shared responsibility. It will also reflect on efforts to translate social accountability into institutional and national reform in health professions education. Using storytelling from local and global experiences, the lecture will argue that socially accountable education is not an additional function, but the central purpose of training health professionals.

About our speaker

Lionel Green-Thompson has been Dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences at the University of Cape Town since 2020. Previously, he served as Dean of the School of Medicine at Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University and Assistant Dean at the University of the Witwatersrand, leading curriculum reform and strengthening undergraduate medical training. A specialist anaesthesiologist with a PhD on social accountability in medical education, he co-authored the 2018 ASSAf Consensus Report. Nationally and internationally, he holds leadership roles advancing workplace-based assessment, social accountability, and Africa-centred medical education, including as inaugural President of the Consortium of Medical Schools in Africa and Vice Secretary-General of Towards Unity for Health. Lionel has recently been awarded the Association of Faculties of Medicine of Canada (AFMC), the 2026 Charles Boelen International Social Accountability award.

Date: Tuesday, 07 April 2026
Time: 18:00 SAST
Venue: New Learning Centre Lecture Theatre,
Anatomy Building,
Faculty of Health Sciences Campus,
Observatory

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