University of the Witwatersrand

De **University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg** (/vətˈvɑːtəsrɑːnt/), commonly dem know as **Wits University** anaa **Wits**, be multi-campus public research varsity wey dey situate insyd de northern areas of central Johannesburg, South Africa. De varsity get ein roots insyd de mining industry, as do Johannesburg den de Witwatersrand in general. Dem found am insyd 1896 as de South African School of Mines insyd Kimberley, ebe de third oldest South African varsity for continuous operation.

De varsity get enrolment of 40,259 students as of 2018, of wich approximately 20 percent dey live for campus insyd de varsity ein 17 residences. 63 percent of de varsity ein total enrolment be for undergraduate study, plus 35 percent be postgraduate den de 2 percent wey remain be Occasional Students.

## History

### Early years: 1896–1922
Dem found de varsity insyd Kimberley for 1896 insyd as de **South African School of Mines**. Ebe de third oldest South African varsity for continuous operation, after de University of Cape Town (dem found insyd 1829), den Stellenbosch University (dem found insyd 1866). Eight years later, for 1904 insyd, dem move de school go Johannesburg wey dem rename am de **Transvaal Technical Institute**. De school ein name change yet again insyd 1906 to **Transvaal University College**. For 1908 insyd, dem establish fresh campus of de Transvaal University College for Pretoria insyd. De Johannesburg den Pretoria campuses separate for 17 May 1910, each cam turn separate institution. Na dem reincorporate Johannesburg campus as de **South African School of Mines and Technology**, while de Pretoria campus remain de Transvaal University College til 1930 wen e cam turn de University of Pretoria. Insyd 1920, dem rename de school de **University College, Johannesburg**.

### Growth den opposition to apartheid: 1959–1994
As de varsity continue dey grow (from mere 6,275 students insyd 1963, to 10,600 insyd 1975, to ova 16,400 by 1985), de expansion of de varsity ein campus cam turn imperative. Insyd 1964, de medical library den administrative offices of de Faculty of Medicine move go Esselen Street, insyd de Hillbrow district of Johannesburg. Insyd 1968, na dem gbele de Graduate School of Business insyd Parktown. Year later, de Ernest Oppenheimer Hall of Residence den Savernake, de fresh residence of de Vice-Chancellor (dey replace Hofmeyr House for de main campus top) na dem establish both, sanso dey insyd Parktown. Dat same year, dem gbele de Medical School ein fresh clinical departments.

## Governance den administration
As set out insyd de *Higher Education Act* (Act No. 101 of 1997) den insyd de Statute of de University of the Witwatersrand, de varsity be govern by Council. De Chancellor of de varsity be de ceremonial head of de university wey, for de name of de varsity insyd, dey confer all degrees. Dem merge de positions of Principal den Vice-Chancellor, plus de Vice-Chancellor responsible for de day-to-day running of de varsity den accountable to Council. Council be responsible for de selection of all Vice-Chancellors, Deputy Vice-Chancellors den Deans of Faculty.

De responsibility make dem dey regulata all teaching, research den academic functions of de varsity dey fall for Senate top. Additionally, dem dey represent de interests of de varsity ein students by de Students' Representative Council (SRC), wich sanso dey select representatives to Senate den Council.

## Academics

### Research
Wits University be de home to 28 South African Research Chairs den six DST-NRF Centres of Excellence. Der be just more dan 423 NRF rated researchers, of whom 28 be 'international leading scholars' for dema research fields insyd, anaa so called A-rated researchers. De varsity sanso get wide range of research entities wey dey include 10 national Centres of Excellence.

### Faculties
De varsity dey consist of five faculties: Commerce, Law den Management; Engineering den de Built Environment; Health Sciences; Humanities; den Science.

#### Commerce, Law, den Management
Dis Faculty currently dey offer various undergraduate den postgraduate degrees insyd accountancy, economics, management, den law. De faculty dey participate insyd de WitsPlus programme, part-time programme give students, wey edey base insyd de Commerce, Law den Management Building for West Campus top.

### Reputation den ranking

Insyd 2019 na dem rank Wits 201–300 globally den 2nd nationally insyd de Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU), commonly dem know am as Shanghai Ranking. Insyd de 2019/2020 Centre for World University Rankings (CWUR) Wits dey rank 254 globally (top 1.3% insyd de world). Insyd de 2019 US News Best global Universities Rankings, na dem rank Wits 2nd insyd Africa den #197 globally plus Global score of 59.9. Wits rank #194 globally insyd de 2020 Times Higher Education World University Rankings.

## Student demographics

### Gender composition
De gender composition of de varsity be shown below.

## Notable alumni den academics

* Nandipha Magudumana, celebrity doctor
* Motswedi Modiba, singer-songwriter.
* John Burland, Professor of Soil Mechanics, Imperial College London. Well known give stabilizing The Leaning Tower of Pisa
* Cheryl Cohen, alumna, professor den public health researcher
* Jef Valkeniers, Doctor den Politician
* Jonathan Drummond-Webb, pediatric cardiac surgeon
* Tingye Li, optical communications pioneer

### Nobel Prize Laureates

* Aaron Klug, 1982 Nobel Prize in Chemistry
* Nadine Gordimer, 1991 Nobel Prize insyd Literature
* Nelson Mandela, wey attend buh no graduate from de varsity, 1993 Nobel Peace Prize
* Sydney Brenner, 2002 Nobel Prize insyd Physiology anaa Medicine

## References


## Bibliography

* Yamashiro, Shin (2014). "American Sea Literature—*on* the Sea". *American Sea Literature: Seascapes, Beach Narratives, and Underwater Explorations*. New York: Palgrave Macmillan. pp. 12–47. doi:. ISBN 978-1-349-49967-0. Online ISBN 978-1-137-46330-2. Print ISBN 978-1-349-49967-0. 
* *The Golden Jubilee of the University of the Witwatersrand* 1972 ISBN 0-85494-188-6 (Jubilee Committee, University of the Witwatersrand Press)
* *Wits: The Early Years : a History of the University of the Witwatersrand Johannesburg and its Precursors 1896 – 1936* 1982 Bruce Murray ISBN 0-85494-709-4 (University of the Witwatersrand Press)
* *Wits Sport: An Illustrated History of Sport at the University of the Witwatersrand* 1989 Jonty Winch ISBN 0-620-13806-8 (Windsor)
* *Wits: A University in the Apartheid Era* by Mervyn Shear (1996) ISBN 1-86814-302-3 (University of the Witwatersrand Press)
* *Wits: The "Open Years": A History of the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 1939–1959* 1997 Bruce Murray ISBN 1-86814-314-7 (University of the Witwatersrand Press)
* *A Vice-Chancellor Remembers: the Memoirs of Professor G.R. Bozzoli* 1995 Guerino Bozzoli ISBN 0-620-19369-7 (Alphaprint)
* *Wits Library: a Centenary History* 1998 Reuben Musiker & Naomi Musiker ISBN 0-620-22754-0 (Scarecrow Books)

## External links

* Official website
* History of Transvaal University College
* Rock art within Google Arts & Culture