University of KwaZulu-Natal explained

University of KwaZulu-Natal[1]
Motto:Inspiring Greatness
Established: (as merger of UN (est. 1910) and UDW (est. 1960s))
Type:Public
Athletics Affiliations:Varsity Cup
Academic Staff:1,328[2] (2016)
Chancellor:Reuel Jethro Khoza[3]
Vice Chancellor:Nana Poku[4]
Students:46,539 (2016)
Academic Affiliations:AAU
ACU
HESA
Undergrad:24,897[5] (2007)
Postgrad:3,807 (2007)
City:Durban, Westville, Pinetown and Pietermaritzburg
State:KwaZulu-Natal
Country:South Africa
Campus:5 campuses[6] Westville Campus (Main campus), Nelson. R. Mandela School of Medicine, Howard College Campus, Edgewood Campus and Pietermaritzburg Campus
Colours:  Black and red
Other Name:UKZN

The University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN; Zulu: INyuvesi yakwaZulu-Natali, Afrikaans: Universiteit van KwaZulu-Natal) is a university with five campuses in the province of KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa.[7] It was formed on 1 January 2004 after the merger between the University of Natal and the University of Durban-Westville.

History

The university was formed by the merger of the University of Natal and the University of Durban-Westville, in 2004.

The Council of the University of Natal voted on 31 May 2002 to offer the post of Vice-Chancellor and University Principal to world-renowned medical scientist and former Medical Research Council President – Professor Malegapuru Makgoba, who assumed office on 1 September 2002. He was entrusted with leading the University of Natal into the merger with the University of Durban-Westville. In so doing, he became the last Vice-Chancellor of the University of Natal. Professor Makgoba succeeded Professor Brenda Gourley as Vice-Chancellor.[8]

Having served a brief stint as the interim Vice-Chancellor in 2004 he was formally appointed as the founding Vice-Chancellor of the newly merged University of KwaZulu-Natal. He was installed at a ceremony on 30 September 2005.

Professor Makgoba served two five-year terms of office and retired in 2015. His tenure, however, was plagued with controversies. Makgoba is said to have created a "culture of hostility"[9] at the university that resulted in an exodus of world-class academics.[10] He was succeeded by Dr Albert van Jaarsveld.

University of Natal

See main article: University of Natal.

University of Durban-Westville

See main article: University of Durban-Westville.

Organization

The university is governed in accordance with the Higher Education Act of 1997,[11] and its constitution is specified in the Statute of the University of KwaZulu-Natal,[12] as approved by the South African Minister of Education and the Parliament of South Africa.

In the statute, the university consists of:

Academic structure

The university is made up of four colleges, which are in turn made up of several schools.[14] In most cases, a subdivision is spread across one or more of the university's campuses. For example, the Chemistry is in both the Pietermaritzburg and Westville campuses.[15]

College of Agriculture, Engineering and Science

College of Health Sciences

College of Humanities

College of Law and Management Studies

An institute built in cooperation with the Howard Hughes Medical Institute is the new KwaZulu-Natal Research Institute for Tuberculosis and HIV, opened in 2012. It is on the Nelson Mandela School of Medicine campus.

Campuses

The university is geographically divided into five distinct campuses,[16] which partially correspond to its managerial and academic divisions. Two campuses (Edgewood and the Medical School) house specific academic divisions (education and medicine respectively), but the remainder of the university's academic divisions span Howard College, Pietermaritzburg and Westville.

Pietermaritzburg campus

Pietermaritzburg campus was the main location of the University of Natal and its predecessor, the Natal University College, until the opening of the Howard College campus in Durban. This campus contains the university's oldest structure, Old Main Building, built in 1912.[16] Pietermaritzburg campus offers a broad range of academic degrees and is the only UKZN campus providing training in agriculture, theology and fine arts.[16]

Howard College campus

Howard College campus was the Durban location of the University of Natal until the 2004 merger. It is located on the Berea Ridge. and is situated in a thriving environmental conservancy. The campus was opened in 1931, having been donated by Mr T. B. Davis, in honor of his son, Howard Davis, who died in the Battle of the Somme during the first world war.[17] Howard College offers a wide range of degrees, with a large engineering department consisting of Electrical engineering and Chemical engineering. The College of Humanities and College of Law and Management are also positioned on this campus together with the Centre For Creative Arts (CCA) and the Elizabeth Sneddon Theatre which host annually the Durban International Film Festival (DIFF), Poetry Africa, Time of the Writer and the creative dance festival JOMBA! which is produced by the FlatFoot Dance company.

Westville campus

Westville campus is in an environmental conservancy in Westville, about 10 km west of Durban.[16] It was formerly the site of the University of Durban-Westville before the 2004 merger. Westville offers a range of degrees, and will soon be the main home of the disciplines of commerce and management.[16]

Nelson Mandela medical school

Nelson Mandela medical school campus, created in 1950, was originally a racially segregated part of the University of Natal reserved for non-white students.[18] [16] It was one of the few tertiary institutions legally allowed to provide education to black people under apartheid. It was granted Nelson Mandela's name on its 50th anniversary in 2000. The medical school is the home of health sciences.

Edgewood campus

Edgewood campus is located in Pinetown, about 20 km west of Durban. The buildings originally formed the Edgewood College of Education, which was incorporated into the University of Natal in 2001.[16] Edgewood is the main location of the university's Faculty of Education, current Dean is Prof Thabo, youngest Dean in South Africa and P-rated NRF researcher.[16]

Student profile

Student Enrollment at the University of Kwa-Zulu Natal by Race
Ethnic Group 2016 Number 2016 Percentage 2018 Number 2018 Percentage
African 33,292 71.56% 37,530 77.83%
Indian 10,176 21.87% 8,313 17.24%
White 1,885 4.05% 1,300 2.70%
Coloured 968 2.08% 877 1.82%
Other 199 0.43% 200 0.41%
Total 46,520 100% 48,220 100%
University of Kwa-Zulu Natal Staff by Race (2016)
Race Number Percentage
African 2,289 55%
Coloured 137 3.32%
Indian 1,028 21.71%
White 505 12.13%
Total 4,161 100%

Student life

UKZN is home to various student organizations such as debating unions, film clubs, poetry societies, and sports teams.

The UKZN Rugby team - The UKZN Impi - features in the highly contested Varsity Cup national rugby competition, and the Howard College Debating Union competes in both the World Universities Debating Championships[19] as well as the South African National Universities Debating Championships.

UKZN established the Centre for Creative Arts (CCA) in 1996.[20] The CCA is a multi-disciplinary arts organisation based within the School of Arts at the University of KwaZulu-Natal. It coordinates several respected annual festivals, providing students with access to creative platforms and interesting opportunities aimed at developing their artistic talents. The four main festivals organized by the UKZN CCA are:

The UKZN Time of the Writer festival invites international authors to take place in a variety of roundtable discussions, readings, seminars, book launches, and developmental programmes such as workshops, master classes and motivational talks. The festival has been running since 1998.

First held in 1979, The Durban International Film Festival is one of the oldest and largest film festivals in southern Africa.[23]

The UKZN Poetry Africa started in 1997, and features performances, readings, and book-launches from some poets

Law clinics

UKZN has two law clinics, one in Pietermaritzburg and one in Durban, that provide free legal assistance to those that are unable to afford it. Specializing in the areas of HIV and AIDS, Family Law, and social justice matters, the UKZN law clinics are considered to be among the leading law clinics in the country.[26] The law clinics also provide a practical training environment for final year law students, who are mentored by the clinic's experienced practitioners. Both clinics also engage directly with the communities throughout the province through regular outreach initiatives, where the students and legal practitioners travel to various remote, impoverished communities with the intention of providing access to justice for those that are most vulnerable.

Rankings and reputation

Arwu W:501–600
Arwu W Year:2023
Arwu W Ref:[27]
Qs W:621–630
Qs W Year:2024
Qs W Ref:[28]
The W:501–600
The W Year:2024
The W Ref:[29]

See also: Rankings of universities in South Africa and Rankings of business schools in South Africa. UKZN was ranked fourth out of the universities in South Africa by the Times Higher Education World University Rankings[30] and sixth by the QS World University Rankings in 2018.[31] UKZN has historically had a very strong reputation in the areas of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, and is ranked first in the country for physical sciences and engineering, second for computer science, and third for mathematics.[32] The university has also produced a number of prominent entrepreneurs and innovators. It was ranked first in Sub-Saharan Africa in Q4 2020 by the amount of venture capital funding raised by Unicorn startups founded by UKZN's alumni.[33]

Internationally, UKZN is ranked in the 401-500 bracket by the Times Higher Education World University Rankings, and in the 701-750 bracket by the QS World University Rankings 2018.[34] As of March 2021, it was ranked in the 801-1000 bracket by the QS World University Rankings.

UKZN Times Higher Education Ranking 2016 to 2024
YearWorld Rank
2024501–600
2023401–500
2022351–400
2021351–400
2020401–500
2019401–500
2018401–500
2017501-600
2016401-500
[35] [36] [37] [38] [39] [40] [41] [42] [43] [44] [45] [46] [47] [48]

Controversies

See main article: Controversies at the University of KwaZulu-Natal. There have been a number of controversies at the University of KwaZulu-Natal since its foundation.

Firstly, there have been several staff strikes and student protests,[49] [50] [51] [52] [53] with some protests from 2009 onward involving police intervention and the use of riot control measures, as well as violence on the part of some strikers.[54] [55]

Secondly, there have been a series of legal and disciplinary actions taken by senior university management against academics for speaking in public about the university.[56] [57] [58] [59] These actions have drawn wide criticism from academics and from organisations such as Cosatu and UNESCO.[60]

They were also the cause of a 2008 staff strike.

Notable alumni

For alumni of the previous institutions see:

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: History of the University of KwaZulu-Natal . 28 August 2011 . . University of KwaZulu-Natal . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20110820070130/http://www.ukzn.ac.za/About-UKZN/UKZN-History.aspx . 20 August 2011 .
  2. Web site: University of KwaZulu Natal Annual Report 2016 . 10 April 2018 . University of KwaZulu-Natal . 11 April 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180411025903/https://www.ukzn.ac.za/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/Annual-Report-2016-.pdf . live.
  3. Web site: UKZN appoints new chancellor | Witness . News24.com . 19 October 2021. 2021-12-04 . 20 October 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20211020094818/https://www.news24.com/witness/news/kzn/ukzn-appoints-new-chancellor-20211019 . live.
  4. Web site: Vice-chancellor Professor Nana Poku . 25 June 2021 . University of KwaZulu-Natal . https://web.archive.org/web/20200601014839/https://www.ukzn.ac.za/about-ukzn/vice-chancellor/ . 1 June 2020 . live . dmy-all.
  5. Web site: University of KwaZulu Natal . 27 August 2011 . Southern African Regional Universities Association . 22 June 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200622014139/https://www.sarua.org/?q=uni_University%20of%20KwaZulu%20Natal . live .
  6. Web site: Choice of campuses . 18 November 2007 . University of KwaZulu-Natal . https://web.archive.org/web/20071222050039/http://www.ukzn.ac.za/aboutus/campusChoice.asp . 22 December 2007 . dead .
  7. Web site: CHE Council on Higher Education Regulatory body for Higher Education in South Africa Education Innovation University South Africa. che.ac.za. 2020-05-25. 24 May 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200524181407/https://www.che.ac.za/#/moreitemdetails. live.
  8. Web site: Professor Malegapuru William Makgoba. live. 4 June 2021. 25 May 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20210604153032/http://www.thepresidency.gov.za/national-orders/recipient/professor-malegapuru-william-makgoba.
  9. News: Macfarlane. David. 2011-01-14. Controversial UKZN audit under wraps. The Mail & Guardian. 2020-10-06. 8 October 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20201008233604/https://mg.co.za/article/2011-01-14-controversial-ukzn-audit-under-wraps/. live.
  10. News: Saunderson-Meyer. William. 2020-01-31. Malegapuru Makgoba and the white bonobos. Politicsweb. 2020-10-06. 11 October 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20201011160554/https://www.politicsweb.co.za/opinion/malegapuru-makgoba-and-the-white-bonobos. live.
  11. Parliament of South Africa . 1997 . Higher Education Act . Government Gazette . 390 . 18515 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20080725060025/http://www.info.gov.za/gazette/acts/1997/a101-97.pdf . 25 July 2008 .
  12. Parliament of South Africa . 2005 . Statute of the University of KwaZulu-Natal . Government Gazette . 684 . 29032 .
  13. Web site: Executive of the University of KwaZulu-Natal . University of KwaZulu-Natal . 9 February 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20081218104650/http://www.ukzn.ac.za/aboutus/ukznexec.asp . 18 December 2008 . dead .
  14. Web site: Schools . UKZN . 3 February 2012 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20120125155749/http://www.ukzn.ac.za/schools.aspx . 25 January 2012 .
  15. Web site: School of Chemistry . UKZN . 26 August 2011 . 8 October 2011 . https://web.archive.org/web/20111008211550/http://chemistry.ukzn.ac.za/Homepage.aspx . live .
  16. Web site: About UKZN. UKZN. 26 August 2011. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20110817075029/http://www.ukzn.ac.za/About-UKZN/ukzn_campuses.aspx. 17 August 2011.
  17. Web site: Campuses. University of KwaZulu-Natal. 1 March 2018. 2 March 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180302044604/https://www.ukzn.ac.za/about-ukzn/campuses/. live.
  18. Digby. Anne. Black Doctors and Discrimination under South Africa's Apartheid Regime. Medical History. 57. 2. 2013. 269–290. 0025-7273. 10.1017/mdh.2012.106. 24070349. 3867842. free.
  19. Web site: ukzn-graduate-a-judge-at-international-debating-championships. 3 March 2018. 4 March 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180304054735/https://www.ukzn.ac.za/news/ukzn-graduate-a-judge-at-international-debating-championships/. live.
  20. Web site: About the Centre for Creative Arts (University of KwaZulu-Natal). UKZN Centre for Creative Arts. 19 December 2019. 19 December 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20191219141329/http://cca.ukzn.ac.za/about-cca/. live.
  21. Web site: UKZN Time of the Writer. 11 March 2018. 14 March 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180314043457/http://www.cca.ukzn.ac.za/index.php/time-of-the-writer-home. live.
  22. Web site: UKZN Durban International Film Festival. 11 March 2018. 3 March 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180303135421/http://www.cca.ukzn.ac.za/index.php/diff-home. live.
  23. Web site: Durban International Film Festival. https://web.archive.org/web/20120704231226/http://www.durbanfilmfest.co.za/. 2012-07-04. dead.
  24. Web site: UKZN Jomba. 11 March 2018. 12 March 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180312201048/http://www.cca.ukzn.ac.za/index.php/jomba-home. live.
  25. Web site: UKZN Poetry Africa. 11 March 2018. 14 March 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180314014916/http://cca.ukzn.ac.za/index.php/poetry-africa-home. live.
  26. Web site: UKZN Law Clinic. 24 April 2018. 25 April 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180425114507/http://law.ukzn.ac.za/LawClinic/. live.
  27. Web site: University of KwaZulu-Natal . Shanghai Ranking . 3 March 2024.
  28. Web site: University of Kwazulu-Natal . Top Universities . 2024 . 3 March 2024.
  29. Web site: University of KwaZulu-Natal . Times Higher Education World University Rankings . 3 March 2024.
  30. Web site: University of KwaZulu-Natal. Times Higher Education (THE). 29 April 2014. 29 November 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20131129151113/http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/world-university-rankings/2012-13/world-ranking/institution/university-of-kwazulu-natal. live.
  31. Web site: Top 10 Universities in South Africa 2018. QS World University Rankings 2018. 6 April 2018. 6 April 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180406231543/https://www.topuniversities.com/university-rankings-articles/brics-rankings/top-10-universities-south-africa-2018. live.
  32. Web site: South Africa's best universities to study maths, science and technology. BusinessTech. 6 April 2018. 6 April 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180406231612/https://businesstech.co.za/news/lifestyle/190954/south-africas-best-universities-to-study-maths-science-and-technology/. live.
  33. Web site: Rating of unicorn universities in Q4 2020. 26 March 2021. 9 March 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210309151601/https://unicorn-nest.com/ratings-lists/rating-of-unicorn-universities-in-q4-2020/. live.
  34. Web site: University of KwaZulu-Natal. QS World University Rankings 2018. 6 April 2018. 6 April 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180406231529/https://www.topuniversities.com/universities/university-kwazulu-natal. live.
  35. Web site: 2024-10-20 . World University Rankings 2024 (South Africa) . 2024-02-27 . Times Higher Education (THE) . en.
  36. Web site: 2023-10-20 . World University Rankings 2023 (South Africa) . 2024-02-27 . Times Higher Education (THE) . en.
  37. Web site: 2022-10-20 . World University Rankings 2022 (South Africa) . 2024-02-27 . Times Higher Education (THE) . en.
  38. Web site: 2021-10-20 . World University Rankings 2021 (South Africa) . 2024-02-27 . Times Higher Education (THE) . en.
  39. Web site: 2020-10-20 . World University Rankings 2020 (South Africa) . 2024-02-27 . Times Higher Education (THE) . en.
  40. Web site: 2019-10-20 . World University Rankings 2019 (South Africa) . 2024-02-27 . Times Higher Education (THE) . en.
  41. Web site: 2018-10-20 . World University Rankings 2018 (South Africa) . 2024-02-27 . Times Higher Education (THE) . en.
  42. Web site: 2017-10-20 . World University Rankings 2017 (South Africa) . 2024-02-27 . Times Higher Education (THE) . en.
  43. Web site: 2016-10-20 . World University Rankings 2016 (South Africa) . 2024-02-27 . Times Higher Education (THE) . en.
  44. Web site: 2015-10-20 . World University Rankings 2015 (South Africa) . 2024-02-27 . Times Higher Education (THE) . en.
  45. Web site: 2014-10-20 . World University Rankings 2014 (South Africa) . 2024-02-27 . Times Higher Education (THE) . en.
  46. Web site: 2013-10-20 . World University Rankings 2013 (South Africa) . 2024-02-27 . Times Higher Education (THE) . en.
  47. Web site: 2012-10-20 . World University Rankings 2012 (South Africa) . 2024-02-27 . Times Higher Education (THE) . en.
  48. Web site: 2011-10-20 . World University Rankings 2011 (South Africa) . 2024-02-27 . Times Higher Education (THE) . en.
  49. News: Sharon. Dell. UKZN staff prepare for strike. The Witness. 14 November 2008. 26 August 2011. 1 October 2011. https://web.archive.org/web/20111001170626/http://www.witness.co.za/index.php?showcontent&global%5B_id%5D=16128. live.
  50. News: Gugu. Mbonambi. March disrupts lectures on KZN campus. The Mercury. 9 March 2010. 26 August 2011. 24 April 2011. https://web.archive.org/web/20110424221756/http://www.iol.co.za/news/south-africa/march-disrupts-lectures-on-kzn-campus-1.475804. live.
  51. News: Thrishni . Subramoney . UKZN management to take action against strike . https://archive.today/20110928052148/http://www.ecr.co.za/kagiso/content/en/east-coast-radio/east-coast-radio-news?oid=895536&sn=Detail&pid=490476&UKZN-management-to-take-action-against-strike . dead . 28 September 2011 . East Coast Radio . 9 September 2011 . 26 August 2011.
  52. News: Sinegugu. Ndlovu. Campus turns into battlefield. The Mercury. 31 March 2011. 26 August 2011. 24 August 2011. https://web.archive.org/web/20110824215502/http://www.iol.co.za/news/south-africa/kwazulu-natal/campus-turns-into-battlefield-1.1050125. live.
  53. News: Campus turns into battlefield. Sapa. 30 March 2011. 26 August 2011. 24 October 2012. https://web.archive.org/web/20121024022009/http://www.iol.co.za/news/south-africa/kwazulu-natal/students-protest-at-ukzn-1.1049758. live.
  54. News: UKZN Student Protest Turns Ugly. https://web.archive.org/web/20121106104416/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-196296674.html. dead. 6 November 2012. The Mercury. 24 March 2009. 26 August 2011.
  55. News: NOMPUMELEL . MAGWAZA . Blind student hurt as protest turns ugly . https://archive.today/20121121171554/http://lists.fahamu.org/pipermail/debate-list/2009-March/021267.html . dead . 21 November 2012 . The Mercury . 24 March 2009 . 26 August 2011 .
  56. News: Craig. McKune. Management shows contempt for academic freedom at UKZN. South African Journal of Science. 20 January 2009. 8 December 2008. 8 October 2011. https://web.archive.org/web/20111008195909/http://www.scielo.org.za/scielo.php?pid=S0038-23532009000100003&script=sci_arttext. live.
  57. News: FXI distressed by disciplinary action against two UKZN Professors . NTSEU . 26 August 2011 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20120316133527/http://ntesu.ukzn.ac.za/node/2 . 16 March 2012.
  58. News: UKZN academics question senate probe. PRIMARASHNI. Gower. Mail and Guardian. 15 March 2008. 26 August 2011. 13 October 2012. https://web.archive.org/web/20121013121903/http://mg.co.za/article/2008-04-15-ukzn-academics-question-senate-probe. live.
  59. News: Controversy and transformation at UKZN. Science and Development Network. 26 August 2011. 12 August 2011. https://web.archive.org/web/20110812014133/http://sharondavis.co.za/content/view/92/35/. live.
  60. News: Agiza. Hlongwane. Clean up your act, UKZN warned. Sunday Tribune. 1. 7 December 2008. 8 December 2008.
  61. Web site: Ex Varsity prop/hooker John Smit's blazer available at auction Mon,17 March 2014. 30 March 2020. UKZN. 29 March 2020. 29 March 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200329234242/http://alumniaffairs.ukzn.ac.za/News/14-03-03/Ex_Varsity_prop_hooker_John_Smit_s_blazer_available_at_auction_Mon_17_March_2014.aspx. live.

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