University of the Witwatersrand

University of the Witwatersrand
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Name	University of the Witwatersrand
Established	1896 (as the South African School of Mines); 1922 (university status)
Type	Public research university
Location	Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa
Chancellor	Judy Dlamini
Vice chancellor	Zeblon Vilakazi
Affiliations	Association of Commonwealth Universities, Universities South Africa

University of the Witwatersrand. Commonly known as Wits University, it is a leading public research institution located in the northern areas of Johannesburg. Founded in the mining boom era of the Witwatersrand, it achieved full university status in 1922 and has since become one of Africa's premier universities. The university is renowned for its research output, influential alumni, and its significant role during the struggle against apartheid.

History

The institution traces its origins to the South African School of Mines, established in 1896 in Kimberley under the authority of the Cape Colony. It relocated to Johannesburg in 1904, following the discovery of gold on the Witwatersrand, and was subsequently renamed the Transvaal Technical Institute. After being incorporated into the University of South Africa as its Johannesburg campus, it was granted independent university status by an act of the Parliament of South Africa in 1922. Throughout the 20th century, the university was a major site of anti-apartheid activism, with figures like Nelson Mandela, Joe Slovo, and Bram Fischer among its students and staff. The 1985 student sit-ins and protests against the State of Emergency highlighted its contentious relationship with the National Party government.

Campuses and facilities

The main campus is situated in Braamfontein, a central district of Johannesburg, featuring historic sandstone buildings like the Great Hall. The university also operates several other campuses, including the Education Campus in Parktown, the Wits Medical School adjacent to the Johannesburg Hospital, and the Wits West Campus in Parktown. Key facilities include the Wartenweiler Library, the Origins Centre museum focusing on human evolution, and the Wits Planetarium. The university manages the Wits Rural Facility in Limpopo Province for ecological research and the Wits Donald Gordon Medical Centre, a leading academic hospital.

Academics and research

The university is organized into five faculties: Commerce, Law and Management, Engineering and the Built Environment, Health Sciences, Humanities, and Science. It is a member of the prestigious Worldwide Universities Network and is particularly noted for research strengths in palaeontology at the Institute for Human Evolution, mining engineering through the Wits Mining Institute, and public health via the Wits Reproductive Health and HIV Institute. Researchers from Wits were integral to the discovery of Australopithecus sediba at the Cradle of Humankind UNESCO World Heritage Site. The university also hosts the Southern African Large Telescope (SALT) partnership and the Mandela Institute focused on development studies.

Student life and culture

Student life is vibrant and politically engaged, historically centered around the Students' Representative Council (SRC). The annual Wits Arts and Literature Experience (WALE) festival and the Wits Theatre complex are major cultural hubs. Athletic rivalry with the University of Pretoria is showcased in events like the Intervarsity sports competition. Student media includes the long-running Wits Vuvuzela newspaper and Wits FM radio station. Residential life is spread across numerous halls of residence, such as Barnato Hall and Mens Residence.

Notable alumni and faculty

The university counts numerous influential figures among its graduates and staff. Notable alumni include two Nobel Prize laureates: Nadine Gordimer in Literature and Aaron Klug in Chemistry. Other distinguished graduates are former Deputy Chief Justice of South Africa Dikgang Moseneke, novelist Lauren Beukes, and economist Tito Mboweni. Renowned faculty have included surgeon Christiaan Barnard, who performed the first human-to-human heart transplant at Groote Schuur Hospital, and archaeologist Phillip Tobias. Political leaders such as Helen Suzman and Julius Malema have also been associated with the institution.

Category:Universities in South Africa Category:Educational institutions established in 1922 Category:Buildings and structures in Johannesburg