Durban University of Technology
The Durban University of Technology (DUT) in English and "Inyuvesi Yasethekwini Yezobuchwepheshe" in isiZulu, is a university in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. It was formed in 2002 following the merger of Technikon Natal and ML Sultan Technikon and it was initially known as the Durban Institute of Technology. It has five campuses in Durban, and two in Pietermaritzburg. In April 2021, approximately 30,439 students were enrolled to study at DUT. The university is one of five technical institutions on the African continent to offer Doctoral Degrees. The current Chancellor is Nonkululeko Nyembezi. History. The Durban University  of Technology is a result of the merger, in April 2002, of two technikons, ML Sultan and Technikon Natal. It was named the Durban Institute of Technology and later became the Durban University of Technology in 2007. KwaZulu-Natal's Indian population began arriving in the 1860s to primarily work as indentured labourers on the sugar plantations. In 1927, those with no formal educational qualifications were threatened with repatriation. This threat stimulated adult classes in literacy, as well as a range of commercial subjects, held in a mission school and a Hindu Institute, but it was not until after the  Second World War, and thanks to substantial financial support from the public, that ML Sultan College came into being. It would be another decade, however, before the City Council, now preoccupied with the structures of the first Group Areas Act of 1950, allocated suitable land for a permanent campus. The Natal Technical College was founded in 1907 and immediately began providing tuition to more than 350 part-time students. The structures of apartheid as it was codified through legislation weighed heavily on this institution as well. In 1955 the college was taken over by national education authorities; and in 1967  it became an exclusively white institution. DUT Council. The DUT student body elects a Student Representative Council annually. Academics. The university employs 841 academic staff, 51 percent of them female and 48 percent holding masters and 43 percent doctoral degrees. Some of the senior members of the leadership team include: The six faculties include: Each Faculty is led by an Executive Dean. The academic ambit of DUT resides under the Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Teaching & Learning. DUT Business School. The Durban University of Technology launched the DUT Business School in 2021. The Business School offers its new Masters of Business Administration  (MBA) programme, Postgraduate Diploma in Business Administration (PDBA) programmes, Higher Certificate programmes and a variety of Executive Education and short learning programmes. The DUT Business School also designs tailor-made, in-house programmes and collaborates with corporate, public and non-profit organisations to develop and capacitate employees in various areas. Student enrolment. Whilst the Durban University of Technology offers contact learning, DUT is also a member of COIL, which is the Collaborative Online International Learning consortium. In April 2021, there were 30,439 registered students. This includes under-graduates, Masters and Doctoral/PhD candidates. Rankings. In 2021, the university was ranked  by the Times Higher Education World University Rankings for the first time in its history. It ranked within the top 500 universities in the world, and within the top 5 in South Africa. It was also the first time in history that the province had two universities rank within the top 5 in the country. Notable alumni. The university has a large alumni body. Siyabonga Vezi is the current President of the Convocation and Chairperson of the Convocation Executive. The university has a list of famous alumni, including: