University Of Johannesburg
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The University of Johannesburg (UJ) is a
public university A public university or public college is a university or college that is in owned by the state or receives significant public funds through a national or subnational government, as opposed to a private university. Whether a national universit ...
located in
Johannesburg Johannesburg ( , , ; Zulu and xh, eGoli ), colloquially known as Jozi, Joburg, or "The City of Gold", is the largest city in South Africa, classified as a megacity, and is one of the 100 largest urban areas in the world. According to Demo ...
,
South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring countri ...
. The University of Johannesburg came into existence on 1 January 2005 as the result of a merger between the
Rand Afrikaans University The Rand Afrikaans University (RAU) was a prominent South African institution of higher education and research that served the greater Johannesburg area and surroundings from 1967 to 2004. It has since merged with the Technikon Witwatersrand ...
(RAU), the
Technikon Witwatersrand The Technikon Witwatersrand was a technikon located in Johannesburg, South Africa. On 1 January 2005, it merged with Rand Afrikaans University and the Soweto and East Rand campuses of Vista University to form the University of Johannesburg. The fo ...
(TWR) and the
Soweto Soweto () is a township of the City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality in Gauteng, South Africa, bordering the city's mining belt in the south. Its name is an English syllabic abbreviation for ''South Western Townships''. Formerly a s ...
and
East Rand The East Rand is the urban eastern part of the Witwatersrand that is functionally merged with the Johannesburg conurbation in South Africa. The region extends from Alberton in the west to Nigel in the east, and south down to Nigel. It includes ...
campuses of
Vista University Vista University, South Africa was established in 1981 by the apartheid government to ensure that urban black South Africans seeking tertiary education would be accommodated within the townships rather than on campuses reserved for other populatio ...
. Prior to the merger, the
Daveyton Daveyton is a township in the Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality of Gauteng in South Africa. It borders Etwatwa to the north-east, Springs to the south and Benoni to the south-west. The nearest town is Benoni, which is approximately 18 kilome ...
and Soweto campuses of the former Vista University had been incorporated into RAU. As a result of the merger of Rand Afrikaans University (RAU), it is common for alumni to refer to the university as RAU. The Vice-Chancellor and Principal of UJ is Professor
Tshilidzi Marwala Tshilidzi Marwala (born 28 July 1971) is a South African artificial intelligence engineer, a computer scientist, a mechanical engineer and a university administrator. Early life and education Marwala was born at Duthuni Village in the Li ...
who took office on 1 January 2018. Between 2005 and 2017, UJ's Vice-Chancellor and Principal was Prof Ihron Lester Rensburg. The newly emerged institution is one of the largest comprehensive contact universities in South Africa from the 26 public universities that make up the higher education system. UJ has a student population of over 50 000, of which more than 3000 are international students from 80 countries.


History


Early developments

British Rule, 1900s
During the Johannesburg
gold rush A gold rush or gold fever is a discovery of gold—sometimes accompanied by other precious metals and rare-earth minerals—that brings an onrush of miners seeking their fortune. Major gold rushes took place in the 19th century in Australia, New Z ...
a number of training institutions were founded to supply skilled labour to the gold mines demands. One of those institutions was ''Witwatersrand Technical Institute'', founded in 1903, with its roots in the Kimberly School of Mines. It eventually became
Technikon Witwatersrand The Technikon Witwatersrand was a technikon located in Johannesburg, South Africa. On 1 January 2005, it merged with Rand Afrikaans University and the Soweto and East Rand campuses of Vista University to form the University of Johannesburg. The fo ...
in 1979. This institute was based on the British system and the medium of instruction was English. Not only did its policies restrict access to white students only, but it also restricted admission to those who were well versed in the English language. In 2006, the property belonging to the Technikon Witwatersrand was sold by the University of Johannesburg, which had already absorbed the operations of the Technikon Witwatersrand at that stage. Independence, 1960s
It would take more than half a century before the independence of South Africa from the British, that the newly elected National Party sought to provide education in the
Afrikaans Afrikaans (, ) is a West Germanic language that evolved in the Dutch Cape Colony from the Dutch vernacular of Holland proper (i.e., the Hollandic dialect) used by Dutch, French, and German settlers and their enslaved people. Afrikaans gra ...
language, the third most spoken mother tongue language in South Africa. This led to the foundation of Rand Afrikaans University (RAU) in 1966. At the time of its founding, RAU was the second university to be established in Johannesburg and it was established through an act of parliament as the academic hub for
Afrikaner Afrikaners () are a South African ethnic group descended from Free Burghers, predominantly Dutch settlers first arriving at the Cape of Good Hope in the 17th and 18th centuries.Entry: Cape Colony. ''Encyclopædia Britannica Volume 4 Part 2: ...
s. After the fall of
Apartheid Apartheid (, especially South African English: , ; , "aparthood") was a system of institutionalised racial segregation that existed in South Africa and South West Africa (now Namibia) from 1948 to the early 1990s. Apartheid was ...
in 1994, African students started to become more involved in previously white institutions of higher education. RAU was no exception as for the first time in 1995, it had the largest number of African students in its ranks, followed by the
University of the Witwatersrand The University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg (), is a multi-campus South African Public university, public research university situated in the northern areas of central Johannesburg. It is more commonly known as Wits University or Wits ( o ...
,
Rhodes University Rhodes University is a public university, public research university located in Makhanda, Eastern Cape, Makhanda (Grahamstown) in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. It is one of four universities in the province. Established in 1904, ...
and the
University of Cape Town The University of Cape Town (UCT) ( af, Universiteit van Kaapstad, xh, Yunibesithi ya yaseKapa) is a public research university in Cape Town, South Africa. Established in 1829 as the South African College, it was granted full university statu ...
. In 1982,
Vista University Vista University, South Africa was established in 1981 by the apartheid government to ensure that urban black South Africans seeking tertiary education would be accommodated within the townships rather than on campuses reserved for other populatio ...
admitted the first black students in designated urban black settlements across South Africa. It was established in
Port Elizabeth Gqeberha (), formerly Port Elizabeth and colloquially often referred to as P.E., is a major seaport and the most populous city in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa. It is the seat of the Nelson Mandela Bay Metropolitan Municipality, Sou ...
. It had seven satellite campuses throughout South African townships, making tertiary education accessible to most African people, and it had its first academic year in 1983.


Recent history

It was envisioned that a modern university would spring from unification, and not separation, as it was enforced in the past. The University of Johannesburg, established on 1 January 2005, is the result of the incorporation of the
East Rand The East Rand is the urban eastern part of the Witwatersrand that is functionally merged with the Johannesburg conurbation in South Africa. The region extends from Alberton in the west to Nigel in the east, and south down to Nigel. It includes ...
and
Soweto Soweto () is a township of the City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality in Gauteng, South Africa, bordering the city's mining belt in the south. Its name is an English syllabic abbreviation for ''South Western Townships''. Formerly a s ...
campuses of Vista University into the Rand Afrikaans University (RAU) (1 January 2004). The merger of the modified RAU and the Technikon Witwatersrand took place on 1 January 2005 thus creating the University of Johannesburg (UJ). The integration of these institutions – with seemingly more differences that similarities, offers UJ a unique identity and character, which serves to bridge the chasms that previously divided South Africa. Indeed, no other university in South Africa truly represents the
rainbow nation Rainbow Nation is a term coined by Archbishop Desmond Tutu to describe post-apartheid South Africa after South Africa's first fully democratic election in 1994. The phrase was elaborated upon by President Nelson Mandela in his first month of ...
like University of Johannesburg. The incorporation and merger was part of a series of major programmes which restructured
higher education in South Africa Education in South Africa is governed by two national departments, namely the Department of Basic Education (DBE), which is responsible for primary and secondary schools, and the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET), which is res ...
; a result of the National Plan for Higher Education (2001). Consequently, this meant there was a reduction from 36 universities and technikons to 22 higher education institutions. South Africa now has 11 traditional universities, five universities of technology and six comprehensive institutions. Logo and brand identity
The University of Johannesburg distinguishes itself from its previous institutions as a new, adaptable and progressive institution. Early on it was decided that UJ did not want a
coat of arms A coat of arms is a heraldry, heraldic communication design, visual design on an escutcheon (heraldry), escutcheon (i.e., shield), surcoat, or tabard (the latter two being outer garments). The coat of arms on an escutcheon forms the central ele ...
and motto, as are custom with other tertiary educational institutions in South Africa. The administration decided rather to opt for a logo and
brand identity A brand is a name, term, design, symbol or any other feature that distinguishes one seller's good or service from those of other sellers. Brands are used in business, marketing, and advertising for recognition and, importantly, to create a ...
. An internal competition was held where current students could put forward their proposals. In the interim, the previous motto of the
Rand Afrikaans University The Rand Afrikaans University (RAU) was a prominent South African institution of higher education and research that served the greater Johannesburg area and surroundings from 1967 to 2004. It has since merged with the Technikon Witwatersrand ...
"Diens Deur Kennis" (Afrikaans for ''Service Through Knowledge'') was maintained. The design by Joey Hifi was chosen as the official logo of the university. Present in the design are two hoopoos
upupa africana The African hoopoe (''Upupa africana'') is a species of hoopoe in the family Upupidae. Previously considered as a subspecies (''Upupa epops africana'') of the Eurasian hoopoe, it is a resident species of southern Africa. Taxonomy The African ...
. The hoopoo is the official mascot of the UJ Sports Bureau.


Leadership


Chancellor

* Wendy Luhabe * Professor
Njabulo Ndebele Njabulo Simakahle Ndebele (born 4 July 1948) is an academic and writer of fiction who is the former vice-chancellor and principal of the University of Cape Town (UCT). On November 16, 2012, he was inaugurated as the chancellor of the Univer ...
* Dr
Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka (; born 3 November 1955), South African Government Information. is a South African politician and former United Nations official, who served as the Executive Director of UN Women with the rank of Under-Secretary-General ...


Vice-Chancellor and Principal

* Professor
Ihron Rensburg Ihron Rensburg is a South African leader who served as Vice-Chancellor and Principal of the University of Johannesburg. He completed his undergraduate degree from Rhodes University and a Ph.D. in International Development Education from Stanfor ...
* Professor
Tshilidzi Marwala Tshilidzi Marwala (born 28 July 1971) is a South African artificial intelligence engineer, a computer scientist, a mechanical engineer and a university administrator. Early life and education Marwala was born at Duthuni Village in the Li ...
* Professor Lethokwa Mpedi


Chair of Council

* Professor Roy Marcus * Mr
Mike Teke Mike may refer to: Animals * Mike (cat), cat and guardian of the British Museum * Mike the Headless Chicken, chicken that lived for 18 months after his head had been cut off * Mike (chimpanzee), a chimpanzee featured in several books and docume ...
* Ms Xoliswa Kakana


Campuses

UJ has four campuses: the Auckland Park Kingsway, Auckland Park Bunting Road, Doornfontein and Soweto campuses – all located in the metropolitan area of the City of Johannesburg. The university comprises a built-up area in excess of 45,000m2 and the facilities available at the respective campuses include: * Lecture rooms and micro-laboratories * Libraries * Sports facilities * Auditoriums, halls, galleries and conference venues * Student shopping centres, restaurants and cafeterias * Campus and health clinics. * A villa for postgraduate students * Court rooms UJ owns an island in the
Vaal River The Vaal River ( ; Khoemana: ) is the largest tributary of the Orange River in South Africa. The river has its source near Breyten in Mpumalanga province, east of Johannesburg and about north of Ermelo and only about from the Indian Ocean. ...
, formerly known as RAU Island.


Auckland Park, Kingsway

* Auckland Park (APK), or the
Kingsway Campus Auckland Park Kingsway Campus Auckland Park, also known as APK, is the largest and most populated of the four campuses of the University of Johannesburg. It is also the seat of the administration and governance body of the university. The campus was formerly t ...
(former RAU campus) APK, is the largest and most populated campus of the University of Johannesburg. It is also the seat of the administration and governance body of the university. The campus was formerly the only educational campus of the Rand Afrikaans University. The campus gets its name from a major
Johannesburg Johannesburg ( , , ; Zulu and xh, eGoli ), colloquially known as Jozi, Joburg, or "The City of Gold", is the largest city in South Africa, classified as a megacity, and is one of the 100 largest urban areas in the world. According to Demo ...
road, Kingsway Avenue, that runs along the north-east side of the campus. The roads that form the boundary of the campus are (clock-wise) University Road, Ditton Avenue, Ripley Road, Hampton Avenue, Studente Avenue, Akademie Road and Perth Road. Although the official name of the campus implies that it is in
Auckland Park Auckland Park is a suburb of Johannesburg, South Africa. It lies on a gentle slope, and is in close proximity to the suburbs of Melville, Brixton, Westdene and Richmond. Auckland Park is one of the few suburbs close to the Johannesburg city c ...
, it actually falls just out of that suburb by one street. It is technically in the suburb of Rossmore with the first-year parking lot bordering the suburb of
Melville, Gauteng Melville is a bohemian suburb of Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa. It is the location of many restaurants and taverns, which are mostly frequented by students from the nearby University of Johannesburg, located in Auckland Park, and the ...
.


Auckland Park, Bunting Road

* Auckland Park, Bunting Road (APB), or the Bunting Road Campus Auckland Park (former TWR campus) The ABP was originally a campus of the Technikon Witwatersrand. Uniquely, the campus is an enclosed section of a suburb. The main thoroughfare of the suburb is Bunting Road. The name Bunting Road, according to the City of Johannesburg archives is derived from a subspecies of bird and not the decorative banner it is currently associated with. It houses the Faculty of Art, Design and Architecture.


Doornfontein

* Doornfontein (DFC), or the
Doornfontein Doornfontein is an inner-city suburb of Johannesburg, South Africa, located to the east of the city centre, Region 8. History The area, whose name means "thorn fountain", was originally the southern part of a farm owned by Frederick Jacobus Bez ...
Campus (former TWR campus). It houses the administrative offices of the Faculty of Health Sciences, as well sub faculties of Engineering and Built Environment as well as Science. The campus offers several health services to the public via its private, yet affordable clinics. These clinics are most served by students obtaining clinic hours required prior to that of the completion of qualification. The faculty has several practical and academic workspaces available for students including a large practical workshop for the Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment; Rescue Simulation Center; Laser Research Facilities and Anatomical Dissection Hall for the Faculty of Health Sciences; and several laboratories serving for faculties of Health Science, Engineering and Built Environment, and Science.


Soweto

* Soweto (SWC), or the
Soweto Soweto () is a township of the City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality in Gauteng, South Africa, bordering the city's mining belt in the south. Its name is an English syllabic abbreviation for ''South Western Townships''. Formerly a s ...
Campus (former RAU campus, previously former Vista University Soweto campus) The East Rand Campus (ERC) was temporarily closed halfway through 2007 pending proposed redevelopment of the campus, provisionally planned for reopening in 2009.


Organisation and administration

The Senate is the body responsible for academic matters at the university and is mainly made up of full professors and heads of departments. By law, the Senate is accountable to the university's Council for all the teaching, learning, research and academic functions of the institution and all other functions delegated or assigned to it by the Council. The UJ Senate currently comprises about 250 members under the chairperson-ship of Vice-Chancellor Prof
Tshilidzi Marwala Tshilidzi Marwala (born 28 July 1971) is a South African artificial intelligence engineer, a computer scientist, a mechanical engineer and a university administrator. Early life and education Marwala was born at Duthuni Village in the Li ...
. The Registrar is the Secretarial of the UJ Senate. The UJ's main shareholder is the Department Of Higher Education and Training - which at the present moment is led by Minister Blade Ndzimande


Academic profile


Admission and registration

As it is a common practice with all South African universities, South African applicants to the University of Johannesburg are required to apply in advance for admission into their preferred course by no later than the end of September. Therefore, prospective South African matriculants must apply for their preferred course of study before the completion of their matric year. As of 2013, the University of Johannesburg has adopted a "no walk-in" policy and therefore, prospective and current students are required to apply for admission and complete their registration online. International students have to comply with a specialised admission process and must apply for admission into their preferred course by no later than the end of September. Registration for undergraduates and postgraduates takes place before the commencement of the academic year. New registrations for qualifying matriculants takes place in January shortly after the matric results are released.


Teaching and degrees

Undergraduate teaching takes place over the duration of four terms or two semesters during the course of the year. Some subjects are taught throughout the duration of the year known as year-long subjects and other subjects are taught over the course of two terms or one semester. Some subjects have prerequisites such as a requirement for a student to complete a specific course or subject/s before they are permitted to continue with a related subject. The teaching terms usually coincide with
Gauteng Gauteng ( ) is one of the nine provinces of South Africa. The name in Sotho-Tswana languages means 'place of gold'. Situated on the Highveld, Gauteng is the smallest province by land area in South Africa. Although Gauteng accounts for only ...
public school terms though can change as the university administration sees fit. Undergraduate programme
Once a high school student has passed their Matric examinations obtaining an NQF level 5 qualification and meeting the minimum requirements of their chosen undergraduate programme the student may pursue a bachelor's degree, Advanced Diploma, Post Graduate Certificate or B-tech which are set to be completed within three years for most faculties however, there are sometimes options to extend ones undergraduate programme usually by an extra year. Once a graduate has passed all of the requisite modules for their degree, the graduate will obtain a degree certificate (NQF level 7) with all the rights and privileges conferred on them by the university in accordance with the National Qualifications Framework ( NQF). The University of Johannesburg also offers undergraduate Higher Certificates and Advanced National (vocational) Certificates (NQF level 5) as well as National Diplomas and Advanced certificates (NQF level 6) which usually require fewer than three years to complete. Graduate programme
Once an undergraduate has obtained their undergraduate bachelor's degree, Advanced Diploma, Post Graduate Certificate or B-tech, the undergraduate may wish to pursue further education and research by obtaining a post-graduate degree. The South African Qualifications Authority ( SAQA) is a statutory body, regulated in terms of the National Qualifications Framework Act that governs the National Qualification Framework (NQF) where an undergraduate may progress to further levels of education. The highest level the university may confer on a student is an NQF level of 10, also known as a PhD. The progression from one NQF level to the next after obtaining a bachelor's degree, advanced diploma, post-graduate certificate or B-tech is the following: * NQF level 8 - honours degree, post-graduate diploma and professional qualifications * NQF level 9 - master's degree * NQF level 10 - doctor's (PhD) degree


Scholarships and financial support

There are many opportunities for students studying at the University of Johannesburg to receive financial support. One of the primary methods in which a student may receive financial support is as a result of a students academic performance at the end of their matriculation year. This type of financial support is known as an academic merit bursary that is only awarded to students who observe the stringent "M-score" academic requirements of such support. The academic merit bursary offers up to 100% payment of tuition fees and an additional stipend amount to qualifying applicants. An alumni bursary is offered to qualifying postgraduate students that may be applied for in the applicants respective faculty offices. Postgraduate students may apply for funding through the National Research Foundation (NRF) that offers up to 100% payment of tuition fees and an additional stipend amount to qualifying applicants. Alternative funding includes applying for funding through the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) as well as through applying for funding through external sponsorship bursaries.


Rankings and reputation

* UJ is the first and only African university admitted to the highly respected consortium of 28 research-intensive universities in the world, Universitas 21 – a significant endorsement of the growing international stature of UJ. Under South Africa's National Development Plan (NDP), the Vision 2030 Awards honoured UJ in 2017 for the role the university plays in providing sound education to a diverse South African and international population. * UJ is now ranked 2nd amongst Africa's universities, 2nd in South Africa, and ranked within the top 2.3% of universities in the world as published in the QS World University Rankings 2022/2023. * UJ is ranked 63rd among all BRICS universities. * International recognition for the University of Johannesburg has been included within the top 200 universities listed in the THE Young University Rankings 2017 results.


Collaborations


Libraries, collections and museums

* The Kingsway Library serves the Kingsway campus (APK) and contains an extensive selection of research literature spread over seven levels. It is located at the main entrance to the Kingsway campus in the vicinity of the administrative department of the campus. * Bunting Road Campus Library * Doornfontein Campus Library * Soweto Campus Library


Research

The University of Johannesburg has a large research compendium, with researchers in various fields and research focus areas. The university has 176 rated researchers, six of whom are NRF "A-rated" researchers, internationally recognised in their fields. Research centres Below is a list of all the research centres at the University of Johannesburg with information regarding their efforts, breakthroughs and other information where applicable. * Centre for Visual Identities in Art and Design: The Centre for Visual Identities in Art and Design (CVIAD) is a crucial part of the University of Johannesburg's Faculty of Art, Design and Architecture. Established in 2007, CVIAD's main objectives include developing the faculty as a renowned hub for practice-based research via involvement with issues of image pertaining to text within art and design practices, and developing a body of knowledge in the fields of visual identities in art and design through the research of its Research Associates, Post-doctoral Fellows, and Staff Researchers as well as through Post-Graduate research efforts. The centre presents research in many formats, such as: exhibitions, installations, video screenings, live performances, curatorial practices, textual outputs by academics (including journals and periodicals), research projects undertaken by individuals and groups, workshops, seminars, conferences, discussions and presentations. * Centre for Education Rights and Transformation: The Centre for Education Rights and Transformation (CERT) forms part of the Faculty of Education and was founded on 15 October 2009 at the Bunting Road Campus. One of the keynote speakers at the founding of CERT was Dr.
Neville Alexander Neville Edward Alexander (22 October 1936 – 27 August 2012) was a proponent of a multilingual South Africa and a former revolutionary who spent ten years on Robben Island as a fellow-prisoner of Nelson Mandela. Early life Alexander was born ...
, a former prisoner who served time with
Nelson Mandela Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela (; ; 18 July 1918 – 5 December 2013) was a South African Internal resistance to apartheid, anti-apartheid activist who served as the President of South Africa, first president of South Africa from 1994 to 1 ...
at
Robben Island Robben Island ( af, Robbeneiland) is an island in Table Bay, 6.9 kilometres (4.3 mi) west of the coast of Bloubergstrand, north of Cape Town, South Africa. It takes its name from the Dutch word for seals (''robben''), hence the Dutch/Afrik ...
. All the staff members that form part of the CERT have an avid interest in linking academic scholarship with societal changes and public involvement. * Centre for Education Practice Research: The Centre for Education Practice Research (CEPR) forms a part of the Faculty of Education and was officially established on 24 April 2007 at the University of Johannesburg's Soweto Campus. CEPR's main objective is to foster research efforts which are dedicated to the generation of knowledge with regards to the practices and development of education in Southern African region. * Advanced Composite Materials * Industrial Electronics Technology Research Group * Mineral Processing & Technology * Photonics Research Group * Stream Processing Research Group * Telecommunications Research Group: The Telecommunications Research Group forms part of the Faculty of Engineering and the Build Environment. * Laser Research Centre * Research Centre on Civil Engineering Materials: The Research Centre on Civil Engineering Materials is presently being founded in the ABA Brink Materials Laboratory and will form part of the operations of the Faculty of Engineering and the Build Environment. * Water & Health Research Centre: The Water and Health Research Centre consists of a Water Research Group based in the Department of Civil Engineering Science, which forms part of the Faculty of Engineering and the Build Environment, and various other water-related groups in the university, like the Water and Health Research Unit. The Water and Health Group involves various researchers working on water research from several faculties at the University of Johannesburg and from other universities as well. * Centre for Culture and Languages in Africa * Centre of Social Development in Africa * Centre for Sociological Research * South African Institute for Advanced Constitutional, Public & Human Rights * The Institute of Transport and Logistics Studies in Africa * Centre for Aquatic Research * African Centre for DNA Barcoding: The African Centre for DNA Barcoding (ACDB) is a subsidiary of the University of Johannesburg and an academic unit contained within the departments of Botany & Plant Biotechnology and Zoology, and jurisdiction of the Faculty of Science. The mission of ACDB is to facilitate the gap of knowledge and to enhance the research frameworks for global, regional and inter-institutional co-operation in
Africa Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent, after Asia in both cases. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of Earth's total surface area ...
in relation to key fields of DNA technology, such as biodiversity and DNA barcoding. As of July 2013, ACDB has catalogued barcodes for 15 584 plant specimens across 8 352 species and 14 253 animal specimens across 1 493 species, resulting in 29 837 specimens across 9 845 species overall. The International Barcode of Life project received a financial grant of $2.2 million from
Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...
's
International Development Research Centre The International Development Research Centre (IDRC; french: Centre de recherches pour le développement international, ''CRDI'') is a Canadian federal Crown corporation that funds research and innovation within and alongside developing regions ...
so that researchers from
Argentina Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the second-largest country in South America after Brazil, th ...
,
Costa Rica Costa Rica (, ; ; literally "Rich Coast"), officially the Republic of Costa Rica ( es, República de Costa Rica), is a country in the Central American region of North America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the no ...
,
Kenya ) , national_anthem = "Ee Mungu Nguvu Yetu"() , image_map = , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Nairobi , coordinates = , largest_city = Nairobi , ...
,
Peru , image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg , image_coat = Escudo nacional del Perú.svg , other_symbol = Great Seal of the State , other_symbol_type = Seal (emblem), National seal , national_motto = "Fi ...
and South Africa could play key roles in the project, of which ACDB forms an important part. The
Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...
ese car manufacturer
Toyota is a Japanese multinational automotive manufacturer headquartered in Toyota City, Aichi, Japan. It was founded by Kiichiro Toyoda and incorporated on . Toyota is one of the largest automobile manufacturers in the world, producing about 10 ...
also sponsors ACDB in the form of a fleet of vehicles which researchers utilize to access rough terrains. They work together with the research team in a project called the ''Toyota Enviro Outreach''. * Centre for Nanomaterials Sciences Research: The Centre for Nanomaterials Sciences Research (CNSR) was established in 2007 and was founded on four key aspects: nanomaterials for water treatment, nanomaterials for catalysis applications, bio-nanomaterials, and nanomaterials for sensors and photovoltaic applications. The CNSR supports and facilitates the individual and cooperative research efforts and is a part of the Department of Applied Chemistry, which is a department which falls under the Faculty of Science. The centre has worked with the South African Chemical Institute, the Water Institute of Southern Africa, the South African Nanotechnology Initiative, the
American Chemical Society The American Chemical Society (ACS) is a scientific society based in the United States that supports scientific inquiry in the field of chemistry. Founded in 1876 at New York University, the ACS currently has more than 155,000 members at all d ...
and the
Royal Society of Chemistry The Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) is a learned society (professional association) in the United Kingdom with the goal of "advancing the chemistry, chemical sciences". It was formed in 1980 from the amalgamation of the Chemical Society, the Ro ...
in the past. * Paleoproterozoic Mineralisation Research Group: The Paleoproterozoic Mineralisation Research Group (PPM) falls under the jurisdiction of the Department of
Geology Geology () is a branch of natural science concerned with Earth and other astronomical objects, the features or rocks of which it is composed, and the processes by which they change over time. Modern geology significantly overlaps all other Ear ...
, which falls under the Faculty of Science. The PPM's main objectives include studying and modelling the relationship between environmental change and styles of mineralization in the Precambrian Era, particularly on the Paleoproterozoic Era, studying the temporal and spatial distribution, composition, and origin of mineral deposits on local and regional scales, and training postgraduate students in the field of Economic Geology. The PPM is financed by grants provided by the
National Research Foundation of South Africa South Africa’s National Research Foundation (NRF) is the intermediary agency between the policies and strategies of the Government of South Africa and South Africa's research institutions. It was established on 1 April 1999 as an autonomous ...
and the Faculty of Science. * Sustainable Energy Technology and Research Centre * Centre for Catalysis Research * Centre for Banking Law * Centre for International Law * Centre for Africa-China Studies Research focus areas Below is a list of the spread of the NRF rated researchers per faculty as at April 2013. * Science 42% * Humanities 21% * Engineering and the Built Environment 7% * Health Sciences 7% * Law 7% * Education 5% * Art, Design and Architecture 4% * Management 4% * Economic and financial sciences 3%


Faculties

The University of Johannesburg is composed of eight faculties.


Art, Design and Architecture

The Faculty of Art, Design and Architecture (FADA) offers programmes in eight creative disciplines. FADA is home to the following departments: * Department of Industrial Design * Department of Architecture * Department of Fashion Design * Department of Graphic Design * Department of Interior Design * Department of Jewellery Design and Manufacture * Department of Multimedia * Department of Visual Art


College of Business and Economics

The University of Johannesburg's College of Business and Economics (CBE) was launched on 1 July 2017. The college emerged from the former Faculty of Management and the former Faculty of Economic and Financial Sciences. It has succeeded in helping a lot of students academically and is preferred by many SA students


Education

The faculty of Education's research focus areas include
ecologist Ecology () is the study of the relationships between living organisms, including humans, and their physical environment. Ecology considers organisms at the individual, population, community, ecosystem, and biosphere level. Ecology overlaps wi ...
s of learning to ecologists of practice, learning to be a teacher – towards learner outcomes in schools, discourse and performative practice of teachers in language literacy and communication, keystone species in the science and mathematics classrooms of two schools, teachers building practice as community counselors, teachers and tools: crafting technology education in practice, teacher identity and the culture of schools, Information and communication technology in schools, Values and human rights in education, and aggression in secondary schools in South Africa.


Engineering and the Built Environment

The faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment's research focus areas include
civil engineering Civil engineering is a professional engineering discipline that deals with the design, construction, and maintenance of the physical and naturally built environment, including public works such as roads, bridges, canals, dams, airports, sewage ...
materials research, chromium steels, control and image processing, industrial electronics technology, manufacturing, mineral processing and technology, optical communications, process optimization of thermodynamic systems, small-scale mining and minerals, speech and signal processing, telecommunications, unmanned aerial vehicles, water research. * Department of Aircraft Maintenance and Engineering * Department of Chemical Engineering * Department of Civil Engineering Science * Department of Civil Engineering Technology * Department of Construction Management and Quantity Surveying * Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering Science * Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering Technology * Department of Metallurgy * Department of Mechanical & Industrial Engineering Technology * Department of Mechanical Engineering Science * Department of Mine Surveying * Department of Mining Engineering * Department of Quality and Operations Management * Department of Town and Regional Planning.


Health Sciences

The faculty of Health Sciences' research focus areas include Laser Research, optometrics science, Water and Health Research. There is also a big department for sport studies which includes sport psychology, sport management, sport communication, sport development and sport science. It houses the following departments (some of which serve as the best in the country): * Department of Biomedical Technology * Department of Chiropractic * Department of Emergency Medical Care * Department of Environmental Health * Department of Homeopathy * Department of Human Anatomy and Physiology * Department of Medical Imaging and Radiation (Radiography) * Department of Nursing * Department of Optometry * Department of Podiatry * Department of Somatology * Department of Sport and Movement Studies


Humanities

The faculty of Humanities' research focus areas include social development in Africa, sociological research, culture and languages in Africa, African-European studies, and the study of democracy.


Law

The faculty of Law's research focus areas include the study of economic crime, private international law in Africa, banking law, international law in Africa, international and comparative labour and social security law, and sport law.


Science

The faculty of Science's research focus areas include nanotechnology, energy and sustainable development, aquatic eco-toxicology, and economic geo-metallurgy. The faculty currently has 11 departments: Academy of Computer Science and Software Engineering; Biochemistry; Biotechnology and Food Technology; Botany and Plant Biotechnology; Chemical Sciences; Geography, Environmental Management & Energy Studies; Geology; Physics; Pure and Applied Mathematics; Statistics; and Zoology.


Traditions and student activities

The University of Johannesburg has a
students' representative council {{Unreferenced, date=July 2014A students' representative council, also known as a students' administrative council, represents student interests in the government of a university, school or other educational institution. Generally the SRC forms par ...
(SRC) referred to as the UJSRC, as well as an SRC for each of the four campuses. The UJSRC consists of eight members, two members per campus, and they are elected by the student bodies of each campus. The UJSRC represents all UJ students, addressing issues and concerns which are of relevance to the whole student body. Each individual campus has its own Campus SRC which is elected from members of that particular campus' student body. The powers and functions of Campus SRCs are delegated to them by the UJSRC and Campus SRCs consist of ten members. The most outstanding UJSRC president was Tshireletso Mati in 2019. Tshireletso became president of the UJSRC following a victory for the EFF Students Command at three of the university's four campuses.


Media and societies

The University of Johannesburg has a radio station that airs on its campuses called
UJFM UJFM 95.4 is a Community Radio Station Radio broadcasting is transmission of audio (sound), sometimes with related metadata, by radio waves to radio receivers belonging to a public audience. In terrestrial radio broadcasting the ra ...
which aims to reflect the demographics of the university by airing content that is relevant to the target market. In April 2010, UJFM moved to the Bunting Road Campus where it has access to more professional, state of the art equipment. UJFM operates on a frequency of 95.4 FM. The university also has its own student newspaper, the ''UJ Observer''. The purpose of the paper is to act as a communication medium for the student community with the goal of providing information to the student community, investigating issues of importance to the student community, and reflecting debates about current affairs on the various campuses of the university. The ''UJ Observer'' also offers journalism students a practical platform to learn and develop journalistic and managerial skill sets. However, students do not necessarily have to be journalism students to be a members of the ''UJ Observer''s editorial team. The paper operates on all of the campuses of the University of Johannesburg. Students interested in taking part in charity events can do so via UJ's RAG (Remember and Give) committees, which are voluntary student organizations that raise funds and take part in community relief efforts. It is a tradition at UJ to host a RAG Week during the opening week of the academic year, in which events like musical performances, beauty competitions, fun days and float processions take place to generate funds. However, RAG committees operate throughout the academic year in various activities. Registered students have the option to take part in societies at UJ which are divided into four broad kinds of society: academic societies, political societies, religious societies and social societies.


Athletics, sport, arts and culture

Athletics and sport The university offers many different kinds of sport: * Athletics *
Basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appr ...
* Canoeing * Climbing * Cricket * Cycling * Golf * Gymnastics * Hockey * Judo * Karate * Netball * Rowing * Rugby * Soccer * Softball * Squash * Swimming * Tennis * Triathlon * Volleyball * Water polo As with the former RAU,
rugby Rugby may refer to: Sport * Rugby football in many forms: ** Rugby league: 13 players per side *** Masters Rugby League *** Mod league *** Rugby league nines *** Rugby league sevens *** Touch (sport) *** Wheelchair rugby league ** Rugby union: 1 ...
is a large focus of many students. UJ's competitive sport is regulated by the UJ Sports Bureau. Sport education is regulated by the Faculty of Health Science and Department of Sport and Movement Studies. UJ has made a name for itself in athletics, hockey, basketball and rowing particularly. 2008
Olympic Olympic or Olympics may refer to Sports Competitions * Olympic Games, international multi-sport event held since 1896 ** Summer Olympic Games ** Winter Olympic Games * Ancient Olympic Games, ancient multi-sport event held in Olympia, Greece b ...
representative Juan Van Deventer was at the time a student. Several players who competed for the South Africa national basketball team at the 2011 African Basketball Championship in Madagascar were UJ Alumni. UJ has numerous sporting venues: * UJ Gymnasium – located on APK campus; used for various sports * UJ Hockey Stadium and Grounds – located in Melville; used for hockey *
UJ Stadium The UJ Stadium is a multi-sports stadium facility in Westdene, Johannesburg. It is mainly used for rugby games. The stadium was used as an official training venue during the 2010 FIFA World Cup , image = 2010 FIFA World Cup.svg , size ...
– located in
Westdene Westdene is an area of the city of Brighton and Hove, East Sussex. It is an affluent northern suburb of the city, west of Patcham, the A23 (London Road) and the London to Brighton railway line, north of Withdean and northeast of West Blat ...
; used primarily for athletics but also soccer * Grasdak – located in Westdene; used primarily for rowing * Soweto Stadium – located in
Soweto Soweto () is a township of the City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality in Gauteng, South Africa, bordering the city's mining belt in the south. Its name is an English syllabic abbreviation for ''South Western Townships''. Formerly a s ...
; used primarily for soccer *
Kingsway Campus Auckland Park Kingsway Campus Auckland Park, also known as APK, is the largest and most populated of the four campuses of the University of Johannesburg. It is also the seat of the administration and governance body of the university. The campus was formerly t ...
– contains squash courts, a swimming pool and volleyball courts Arts and culture The University of Johannesburg has an arts centre, comprising a 436-seat theatre, an art gallery and rehearsal studios where the UJ Arts Academy rehearses. This academy consists of the University of Johannesburg Choir (conducted by Renette Bouwer and Sidumo Jacobs), the UJ Drama Company, the UJ Dance Company and the UJ Song and Dance Company.


People


Students

UJ enrolled 43,630 undergraduates and 6,280 graduate students in 2011. Women constituted 55 percent of the total student headcount. Residence life The Student Accommodation & Residence Life division is mainly responsible for the accommodation of approximately 19,000 students in both university owned and managed residences as well as off-campus accredited privately owned accommodation. This is a vast division with 35 residences, including the seven day houses, spread over four campuses at the University of Johannesburg. Off-campus accommodation's accredited properties are within 2 km of each campus and where they are beyond the prescribed radius; the set condition is that service providers are obliged to provide transport. Additionally, inter-campus transportation is provided for all students residing in off-campus residences and houses. The university offers to all students, a list of accredited off-campus accommodation.


Faculty and staff

* Ramani Durvasula, Ph.D. - Visiting Professor of Psychology


Notable alumni

The University of Johannesburg has numerous alumni and faculty members distinguished in their respective fields.


Popular culture

Notable events * United States president Barack Obama visited the University of Johannesburg's Soweto campus on Saturday 29 June 2013. The main reasons for his visit included addressing questions relating to terrorism, the economy, trade in Africa and the US foreign policy. Obama addressed the young African leaders in Soweto, a historic part of South Africa which is now symbolic of tourism, culture, and a growing middle class. He received an honorary doctorate from the University of Johannesburg. Controversy In 2011 the university decided to suspend ties with Israeli
Ben-Gurion University Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU) ( he, אוניברסיטת בן-גוריון בנגב, ''Universitat Ben-Guriyon baNegev'') is a public research university in Beersheba, Israel. Ben-Gurion University of the Negev has five campuses: the ...
, citing the university's support for the Israeli military. The decision was seen to affect projects in biotechnology and water purification. However, two days later, Ihron Rensburg, vice-chancellor and principal of the university issued a statement saying that "UJ is not part of an academic boycott of Israel...It has never been UJ's intention to sever all ties with BGU, although it may have been the intention of some UJ staff members."U. of Johannesburg Official: 'UJ Is Not Part of an Academic Boycott of Israel'
Matthew Kalman, 25 March 2011


References


General references

* Mthembu, A.2013. Soweto campus history. 17Sep2013. vol.1. Unpublished.


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Johannesburg, University of
University of Johannesburg The University of Johannesburg (UJ) is a public university located in Johannesburg, South Africa. The University of Johannesburg came into existence on 1 January 2005 as the result of a merger between the Rand Afrikaans University (RAU), the ...
University of Johannesburg The University of Johannesburg (UJ) is a public university located in Johannesburg, South Africa. The University of Johannesburg came into existence on 1 January 2005 as the result of a merger between the Rand Afrikaans University (RAU), the ...
Public universities in South Africa Educational institutions established in 2005 2005 establishments in South Africa