The University of the Witwatersrand

Johannesburg, South Africa

About

The University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, known as Wits is renowned for its intellectual leadership and its commitment to nurturing critical thinkers, creative innovators, problem-posers and problem-solvers.  “Witsies” are exposed to a comprehensive academic programme, participate in leading research prorammes across the 5 faculties and constantly engage in current developments in South Africa, the rest of Africa and the world.

The origins of Wits lie in the South African School of Mines established in 1896, with full university status granted in 1922.  Wits is home to over 25000 students and has produced more than 100,000 graduates, has made and will continue to make its mark nationally and internationally.  Wits boast 88 Rhodes Scholars and 4 Nobel Prize winners.  Spread over more than 100 hectares over 7 campuses, Wits University is an urban, comprehensive university.  Wits is also home to the Origins Centre, a world class museum facility comprising two independent, but closely linked, museums.  The First of these is the South African Museum of rock Art (SAMORA) and the second is the James Kitching Gallery (JKG). The Museums of the university include the Adler Museum of the History of Medicine, Bernard Price Institute Paleontology Museum, Bleloch Museum (Department of Geology), C. E. Moss Herbarium, Ethnology Museum (Department of Social Anthropology), Department of Historical Papers, and the Zoology Museum. 

With more than 1500 international students registered in 2005 from more than 90 countries and speaking more than 130 languages, Wits offers the perfect mix of academic excellence, cultural diversity and great social life.  Furthermore, for cultural, social, economic and political exchange, the University is a cosmopolitan, exciting vibrant place to live and study.  Wits alumni include, among many distinguished graduates, Nelson Mandela.

The University is structured into five faculties comprising 37 schools and has over 83 research entities (10 of which are recognized Medical Research Council units).  The faculties are: Commerce; Law and Management; Engineering and the Built Environment; Health Sciences; Humanities; and Science.  Almost a third of our 4,500 staff members are academics.

The University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, South Africa is also home to the International Human Rights Exchange, which is a collaborative program between Bard College and 'Wits' that will take place beginning in July 2007.  Please visit our IHRE website for more information about this program.

Location

The main campus of Wits university is at Milner Park, Johannesburg.  It occupies 68 hectares including the newer West Campus which houses the faculties of Law, Education, Commerce and part of the Faculty of Engineering. The university's facilities include two art galleries, Wits TV, 26 museums, and the Wits Theatre and the Planetarium, which was built to mark Johannesburg’s 70^th anniversary.

About Johannesburg

The area of Johannesburg began as unassuming farm land in an area known as The Witwatersrand; named after the white water springs that coursed the land which is layered by gold underneath.  Johannesburg has always attracted diverse people and been a place of extremes; its been everything from the best to the worst of cities since 1886.  It has become a hotbed of radical economic, social and political transformation.

Research results measuring Human Development Index (HDI) show Johannesburg as the most prosperous place to live in Sub-Saharan Africa.  Johannesburg also rates just over 70% on the City Development Index (CDI) – a measure of general living standards – compared with other South African cities.

Johannesburg is home to 7% of South Africa’s total population.

About Gauteng

Gauteng is the smallest of South Africa’s nine provinces yet it is the densely populated province with 8.8 million people (20% of national total).  Its history dates back to 218 000 BC when a meteorite created the Tswaing crater north of Tshwane (Pretoria).  It is the most multi-cultural, most industrialized province, the economic hub of South Africa and also a gateway to all of Africa.  Gauteng receives 50% of all tourists to South Africa.  The three main cities in Gauteng are Johannesburg (Home to the Constitutional Court), Tshwane (the Administrative Capital of South Africa) and SOWETO (home to the Hector Peterson Museum)

Johannesburg and Tshwane are home to some of the world’s finest zoological gardens making South Africa a respected world leader in the breeding and relocation of endangered species.  A 2.2 million-year-old cave, the wonder Cave is situated within the Cradle of Humankind (A World Heritage Site owned by Wits University).  The cavern contains spectacular stalactites, stalagmites and underground pools. 

Curricula

A full range of courses are available in the departments of Architecture, African History, Arts, Anthropology, Commerce, Economics, Economic History, Education, History, International Relations, Language, Literature, Philosophy, Political Science, Sociology, Southern African Studies, Natural Science.

Sample Courses

"Political Culture and Citizenship," "Political Economy of South Africa," "Colonial History," "The Democratization of South Africa," "Demography and Population Studies," "The Sociology of Ethnicity," "War, State and Society," "Urban Sociology," "South Africa to 1870," "Sub-Saharan Africa: the Partition and the 20^th Century," "Peaceful Economic Change," "Radicalism and Reaction in Late 18^th and Early 19^th Century," "The Creation of Zulu Nationalism." Language instruction is available in all the language used in South Africa including Afrikaans, SiSwati, Sestho, Xhosa, and Zulu.

Student Enrollment

The student body is composed of undergraduate and graduate students from nations across Africa and from Europe, the Americas and Asia. The total student population is approximately 19,000 and 3,500 students live on campus full-time. Approximately 4,500 degrees are granted annually.  The number of academic faculty members is 1,250.

Travel Plans

The average cost of round trip airfare is US $2000.

Regional History and Travel

Johannesburg is linked to other major South African cities, the Provinces (Cape, Natal, Orange Free State, and the Transvaal), the Independent Homelands, and to the coast by train. The University provides excursions to a variety of National Parks and wilderness areas administered by the Homelands. All of South Africa’s great diversity of natural habitat can be visited from rain forests, to mountain, river, and coastal regions; to deserts and wildlife preserves.

This information is subject to change. Please refer to the university webpage for the latest information.

For further information please contact:

Institute for International Liberal Education
Blithewood Gatehouse
Bard College
Annandale-on-Hudson, NY 12504-5000
Telephone: 845-758-7076
Fax: 845-758-7040
Contact Us

or contact:
Susan Gillespie, Director, 845-758-7082
E-mail: gillespi@bard.edu