University of the Witwatersrand facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
University of the Witwatersrand
Johannesburg

Universiteit van die Witwatersrand  (Afrikaans)
Former names	South African School of Mines (1896–1904), Transvaal Technical Institute (1904–1906), Transvaal University College (1906–1910), South African School of Mines and Technology (1910–1920), University College, Johannesburg (1920–1922)
Motto	Scientia et Labore (Latin)
Type	Public university
Established	1922; 103 years ago (1922)
Affiliation	AAU, ACU, FOTIM, HESA, IAU
Chancellor	Judy Dlamini
Vice-Chancellor	Zeblon Vilakazi
Chairman of Council	Isaac Shongwe
Academic staff	1,112 (Full-time, Permanent)
Students	40,259
Undergraduates	25,352
Postgraduates	14,025
Doctoral students	2,153
Location	Johannesburg , Gauteng , South Africa 26°11′27″S 28°1′49″E / 26.19083°S 28.03028°E / -26.19083; 28.03028
Campus	2 urban and 3 suburban campuses
Colours	Blue      Gold
Nickname	Wits
Mascot	Kudos Kudu

The University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, often called Wits University or just Wits, is a large public university in Johannesburg, South Africa. It is known for its research. The university started because of the mining industry, just like Johannesburg and the Witwatersrand area. It began in 1896 as the South African School of Mines in Kimberley. Wits is the third oldest university in South Africa that has been open continuously.

In 2018, about 40,259 students attended Wits. Around 20% of these students live in the university's 17 student homes. Most students (63%) are studying for their first university degree, while 35% are doing advanced studies after their first degree.

History of Wits University

The Great Hall, on East Campus, where graduation ceremonies and other events are held.

East Campus as seen from the north.

How Wits University Started: 1896–1922

The university began in Kimberley in 1896. It was first called the South African School of Mines. It is the third oldest university in South Africa. The University of Cape Town (started in 1829) and Stellenbosch University (started in 1866) are older.

Eight years later, in 1904, the school moved to Johannesburg. Its name changed to the Transvaal Technical Institute. In 1906, it changed again to Transvaal University College. In 1908, a new part of this college opened in Pretoria.

On 17 May 1910, the Johannesburg and Pretoria parts became separate schools. The Johannesburg campus was renamed the South African School of Mines and Technology. The Pretoria campus became the University of Pretoria later, in 1930. In 1920, the Johannesburg school was renamed University College, Johannesburg.

Becoming an Open University: 1922–1959

Finally, on 1 March 1922, University College, Johannesburg, became a full university. It was named the University of the Witwatersrand. The city of Johannesburg gave the university land in Milner Park for its main campus. Building started there on 4 October 1922.

The first ceremonial head of the new university was Prince Arthur of Connaught. The first leader (called Principal) was Professor Jan Hofmeyr. He said that universities "should know no distinctions of class, wealth, race or creed." This meant Wits would be open to everyone, no matter their background. Wits truly was an open university from the start, not allowing unfair treatment based on race or other reasons.

At first, Wits had six main study areas: Arts, Science, Medicine, Engineering, Law, and Commerce. There were 37 departments, 73 teachers, and about 1,000 students. In 1923, the university started moving to its new campus. The Prince of Wales (who later became Edward VIII) officially opened the main building in 1925.

The university's first library burned down in 1931. People donated money to build a new one, the William Cullen Library, which opened in 1934. Even during the Great Depression, Wits grew quickly. Student numbers went from 2,544 in 1939 to 3,100 in 1945.

During World War II, Wits helped with South Africa's war efforts. Its research institute helped with radar studies. Also, a special group of female soldiers was trained on campus.

In 1948, the National Party came to power in South Africa. They started making laws for apartheid, which means "separateness" in Afrikaans. These laws separated people by race. In 1957, Wits and other universities spoke out against apartheid. They said universities should be free and open.

In 1959, the apartheid government passed a law that limited black students from enrolling. Even so, many important black leaders studied at Wits. Wits strongly protested these laws and continued to oppose apartheid. This led to a time of disagreement with the government. Wits was made open to all races again in 1990, before apartheid ended. Many strong critics of apartheid, both white and black, had studied at Wits.

Growing and Fighting Apartheid: 1959–1994

West Campus, which Wits bought in 1984.

The Gavin Reilly Green on West Campus.

Wits grew a lot during this time, from 6,275 students in 1963 to over 16,400 by 1985. This meant the university needed more space. In the 1960s, Wits bought a limestone cave called Sterkfontein. This cave is famous for its old human-like fossils. Another nearby farm, Swartkrans, also rich in fossils, was bought in 1968.

The 1960s also saw many protests against apartheid. Police often came onto campus to stop peaceful protests. Many students and staff were banned, sent away, or put in prison. The government cut money for Wits and gave it to other universities instead.

Despite this, Wits continued to grow. New buildings like the Wartenweiler Library were built. In 1976, the university bought a building in Braamfontein and called it University Corner. Senate House, the main office building, was finished in 1977.

In the 1980s, Wits expanded even more. The Medical School moved to a new place in Parktown in 1982. In 1984, the university bought the Milner Park showgrounds. This became West Campus, and the original campus became East Campus. A large bridge, the Amic Deck, was built over the highway to connect East and West Campuses.

The 1980s were also a time of strong opposition to apartheid. Wits fought to keep its independence from the government. The university held a big meeting in 1987, repeating its promise to be an "Open University."

A study in 1986 showed that many people outside Wits saw it as an elite, white-dominated place. This was different from how Wits saw itself. This led to more discussions within the university about how to change and become more inclusive.

Even with these challenges, the Wits community kept fighting apartheid. There were many protests on campus, often ending with police coming in. In 1990, when Nelson Mandela was released from prison, students unofficially renamed a lawn on East Campus "Mandela Square."

The Science Stadium, on West Campus, finished in 2012.

In 2012, Wits celebrated 90 years as a university.

After Apartheid: 1994–Present

In 2000, Wits started a plan called "Wits 2001." This plan meant that some jobs, like cleaning, would be done by outside companies. Also, the university's nine main study areas (faculties) were reduced to five, and 99 departments became 40 schools. Some courses were stopped. Wits tried to help affected employees by offering early retirement or bursaries for their children studying at Wits.

Many workers, staff, and students did not like Wits 2001. They said it was unfair. The university's leader at the time, Professor Colin Bundy, said the changes would help Wits for the future.

In 2001, the Johannesburg College of Education joined Wits. In 2003, a student mall called the Matrix opened on East Campus.

From 2015 to 2016, the FeesMustFall protests happened at Wits and other South African universities. Students protested against high fees. In March 2021, a person died at the Braamfontein campus during a protest. Students were protesting because Wits would not let students with large unpaid fees register. The university said students owed it over a billion rand, which made it hard to run the university. Wits has tried to get money by working with companies to offer online courses.

In 2022, Wits celebrated its 100th birthday! As part of this, Wits worked to help students who are "too poor to be rich and too rich to be poor" – meaning they don't qualify for full financial aid but still struggle. A former Wits student, Natie Kirsh, gave R150 million to help these students. However, student debt is still a big issue, with students owing Wits over R3.5 billion in unpaid fees by May 2024.

Wits University's Coat of Arms

The old badge of the South African School of Mines.

The university's current coat of arms was designed in 1972. It has a gold background at the top, showing the gold fields of the Witwatersrand, which is where the mining industry that started the university came from. There is an open book on a cogwheel, representing knowledge and hard work. The wavy silver lines at the bottom show the Vaal and Limpopo rivers, which are near the gold fields. Above the shield is the head of a Kudu, an antelope found in the Witwatersrand. The Kudu is also the university's mascot. The university's motto, "Scientia et Labore", means "Through Knowledge and Work" in Latin.

This coat of arms came from the old badge of the South African School of Mines. That badge had a diamond with a shield on it, showing mining tools and ore. Its motto was the same as Wits's motto today.

How Wits University is Run

Solomon Mahlangu House, on East Campus, where the university's leaders meet.

East Campus from the student offices.

The Great Hall is a special heritage site.

Wits University is managed by a group called the Council. The Chancellor is the ceremonial head who gives out degrees. The Vice-Chancellor runs the university day-to-day and reports to the Council. The Council chooses all the main leaders of the university.

The Senate is in charge of all teaching, research, and academic work. Students' interests are looked after by the Students' Representative Council (SRC). The SRC also sends representatives to the Senate and Council.

Wits University Campuses

Wits has five main academic campuses. The main office campus is East Campus. Across the highway, the De Villiers Graaff Motorway, is West Campus. A brick walkway called the Amic Deck connects them. East and West Campus are like one big campus.

East Campus has the faculties (main study areas) of Science and Humanities. It also has the university's main offices. West Campus has the faculties of Engineering and the Built Environment, and Commerce, Law and Management. Both campuses have student residences (places where students live).

Wits has three more academic campuses in Parktown:

• Wits Education Campus (WEC) has the school of education.
• Wits Medical Campus is where the Faculty of Health Sciences is based.
• Wits Management Campus has the Wits Business School.

There are also other student living areas in Braamfontein and Parktown.

Special Places at Wits

Heritage Sites and Objects

The University of the Witwatersrand has two special heritage sites and two heritage objects. The Great Hall (the front of the Robert Sobukwe Building) and the Dias Cross in the William Cullen Library are both provincial heritage sites. They are protected because of their historical importance. The heritage objects are Jan Smuts' study (his old office) and the Paul Loewenstein Collection of rock art. All these special places are on East Campus.

Homo naledi, discovered by a Wits team in the Cradle of Humankind.

Cradle of Humankind

In the 1960s, Wits bought the Sterkfontein and Swartkrans sites. These places are full of old human-like fossils. In 1999, UNESCO declared the area a World Heritage Site called the Cradle of Humankind. This means it's a very important place for human history. Wits's archaeology and palaeontology departments still play a big part in digging at the site. Professor Lee Berger discovered Australopithecus sediba (2010) and Homo naledi (2015) there.

Wits Museums

The Origins Centre museum.

The university has at least fourteen museums. These include the Adler Museum of Medicine, the Palaeontology Museum, and the only Geology Museum in Gauteng. You can see things like the Taung skull, different dinosaur fossils, and butterflies.

Johannesburg Planetarium

The Johannesburg Planetarium was the first full-sized planetarium in Africa. It opened on 12 October 1960. It helps students learn about space and is also open to the public. People often ask the Planetarium to explain strange things seen in the skies over South Africa. In 2010, it celebrated its 50th birthday.

Wits Art Museum

The Wits Art Museum started collecting art in the 1950s. In 2012, a new museum opened in University Corner. It has a famous collection of African beadwork and other African art.

Wits Theatre

The Wits Theatre is a place for performing arts at the university. It is used by the university's drama and music schools, and also by professional groups.

Academics at Wits

Research

Wits University is a leader in research. It has 28 South African Research Chairs and six special research centres. Over 423 researchers at Wits are highly rated, with 28 of them being 'international leading scholars' in their fields.

A graduation ceremony at Wits.

Faculties (Main Study Areas)

Wits University has five main faculties:

• Commerce, Law and Management
• Engineering and the Built Environment
• Health Sciences
• Humanities
• Science

Commerce, Law, and Management

This faculty offers many degrees in accounting, economics, management, and law. It is located on West Campus.

Engineering and the Built Environment

This faculty has 7 schools, including Architecture & Planning, Chemical and Metallurgical Engineering, Civil & Environmental Engineering, and Mining Engineering. It is mostly located on West Campus.

Health Sciences

This faculty is in Parktown. It has schools for Anatomical Sciences, Clinical Medicine, Oral Health Sciences, and Public Health, among others. It offers degrees in medicine, dentistry, and physiotherapy. It uses several hospitals for teaching, like Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital.

Humanities

This faculty is on East Campus. It includes schools for Social Sciences, Literature and Language Studies, and Education.

Science

This faculty is on West Campus. It has schools for Animal, Plant and Environmental Sciences, Chemistry, Physics, and Computer Science.

Libraries at Wits

The Wartenweiler Library on East Campus.

The William Cullen Library on East Campus.

The University of the Witwatersrand Library Service has two main libraries and twelve smaller ones. The Wartenweiler Library mainly serves Humanities students. The William Cullen Library has special collections, including books about Africa's history and very old printed books.

There are also branch libraries for specific study areas:

• The Martienssen Library for Architecture and Planning.
• The Biological & Physical Sciences Library for Science students.
• The Commerce Library for business students.
• The Education Library in Parktown.
• The Engineering Library on West Campus.
• The GeoMaths Library for Science and Engineering.
• The Witwatersrand Health Sciences Library (WHSL) for Health Sciences students.
• The Wits Library of Management for management students.
• The Law Library for law students.

Reputation and Ranking

The Student Union Building on East Campus.

A pond on West Campus.

Wits is one of the top universities in the world and in South Africa. In 2019, it was ranked among the top 201–300 universities globally and 2nd in South Africa by the Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU). In 2020, Times Higher Education ranked Wits as the 194th best university in the world.

The Wits Business School was ranked 6th best among all business schools in Africa and the Middle East in 2010. Its MBA program has been ranked as the best in South Africa for many years.

University of the Witwatersrand World Ranking

Student Diversity at Wits

The John Moffat Building on East Campus.

West Campus Village, a student home.

Gatehouse, on East Campus, where the Faculty of Science is located.

Wits University works to have a diverse student body. This means they try to admit students from many different backgrounds. This helps to fix some of the unfairness caused by apartheid in South Africa. Wits wants its students to reflect the different people in the Gauteng region. This includes people of different races, genders, economic situations, and cultures.

Gender of Students

Here's a look at the gender of students at Wits in 2018/2019:

Wits Enterprise

Wits Enterprise is a company fully owned by Wits University. Its job is to help turn the university's new ideas and inventions into useful products or services. They also help with short courses and research support.

Famous People from Wits

Many well-known people have studied or worked at Wits University, including:

• Nandipha Magudumana, a celebrity doctor
• Motswedi Modiba, a singer-songwriter
• John Burland, a professor known for helping to stabilize The Leaning Tower of Pisa
• Cheryl Cohen, a professor and public health researcher
• Jef Valkeniers, a doctor and politician
• Jonathan Drummond-Webb, a children's heart surgeon
• Tingye Li, a pioneer in optical communications

Nobel Prize Winners

Several people connected to Wits have won the Nobel Prize, a very important award:

• Aaron Klug, won the 1982 Nobel Prize in Chemistry
• Nadine Gordimer, won the 1991 Nobel Prize in Literature
• Nelson Mandela, who attended Wits but did not finish his degree, won the 1993 Nobel Peace Prize
• Sydney Brenner, won the 2002 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine

See also

In Spanish: Universidad del Witwatersrand para niños

• Dawn of Humanity (2015 PBS film)
• Widdringtonia whytei