Prof Francois du Toit achieves B1 rating
The Faculty is delighted to congratulate Professor Francois du Toit, who joined UCT Law in January 2023 as Head of the Private Law Department, on being awarded a B1 rating from the National Research Foundation (NRF).
According to the NRF rating scale, a B1 rating means that all the reviewers are firmly convinced that the applicant enjoys considerable international recognition for the high quality and impact of their recent research outputs, with some reviewers indicating that the applicant is a leading international scholar in the field.
Professor du Toit is thus recognised through this new rating as an internationally-renowned research scholar in the discipline of Law, who has made significant contributions in the fields of Succession Law and Trust Law. The NRF ratings panel described Prof du Toit’s work as innovative, in addressing new comparative law insights and in providing fundamental review of existing concepts and societally relevant topics in succession law. He was commended for his comparative approach, which has connected several South African topics in the field of succession and trust law to those of other countries/systems in the world. While all the reviewers agreed that Prof du Toit’s research portfolio afforded him national standing and considerable international recognition, some reviewers viewed him as a world leader in the field.
Also noted by reviewers was Prof du Toit’s sustained and impactful engagement with research activities and the production of a coherent body of work which not only addressed fundamental concepts, but also societal issues relating to the trust and succession law. Publication in a wide range of the authoritative and leading international scholarly journals was noted (with particular reference to Prof du Toit’s contributions in The Rabel Journal of Comparative and International Private Law, Commonwealth Law Journal, Tulane European and Civil Law Forum, and the Law Quarterly Review.