Oasis of Learning report 2015

OASIS

AN OF LEARNING From hope to action through knowledge.

Department for Institutional Advancement University of the Western Cape

Welcome to our Oasis of Learning The University of the Western Cape (UWC) is located in the

Regional facilities, such as the Bellville central station

Northern Suburbs of greater Cape Town – an area that is

and the Cape Town International Airport are a few

central to all facilities and amenities on the Peninsula.

minutes’ drive from campus.

UWC is home to 20 000 students who engage in

Three major shopping malls and many historical

undergraduate and postgraduate studies in our

cultural and recreational facilities are within half

seven faculties. UWC’s residential village on campus

an hour’s drive of the University. These include

accommodates 5 000 students.

international sports stadiums, theatres and concert

UWC’s campus includes an important nature reserve and the mountains of the Cape Peninsula and Stellenbosch afford beautiful landmarks to the east and west.

halls, beaches and some of the most beautiful mountain hikes in the world.

The Western Cape region is a place of vibrant diversity,

The University is readily accessible by car, taxi, bus or

which has a rich history as a cultural crossroads on the

train, and even has its own railway station, Unibell.

continent of Africa.

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University of the Western Cape

A Proud Legacy

A METAPHOR FOR THE NEW SOUTH AFRICA The University of the Western Cape has a history

UWC opened its doors in 1960 in an old school

of struggle against oppression, discrimination and

building for 166 students who could choose from

disadvantage. Among academic institutions it has

limited undergraduate courses only. In the 1970s

been in the vanguard of South Africa’s historic change,

rudimentary buildings were erected on the present

playing a distinctive academic role in helping to build

campus with uninsulated prefabricated rooms serving

an equitable and dynamic nation.

as lecture theatres.

Alert to its African and international context, it strives

Since then the campus has steadily been transformed

to be a place of quality, a place to grow; and it is

from a barren, isolated site into an Oasis of Learning

committed to excellence in teaching, learning and

– a green lung in an industrial area that breathes new

research, to nurturing the cultural diversity of South

knowledge into society through cutting edge research

Africa, and to responding in critical and creative ways

and highly regarded undergraduate programmes within

to the needs of a society in transition.

an emerging world class infrastructure.

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University of the Western Cape

Changing the Knowledge Landscape TAKING THE LEAD IN RESEARCH

UWC has 20 000 registered students in its seven

The University boasts 10 South African National

faculties - Arts, Community & Health Sciences,

Research Chairs (SARChi Chairs) as well as a joint SKA/

Dentistry, Natural Sciences, Economic & Management

UCT/UWC Chair.

Sciences and Education – in both under graduate and post graduate programmes.

Annually, UWC caps 4 000 students, including an average of 70 Doctoral Degrees. Recently the Centre for Higher Education Transformation (CHET) rated UWC in the top tier of South African universities with regards

The most recent cause for academic celebration is the acceptance of the proposal to host the Centre of Food Security with the University of Pretoria. This is the first Centre of Excellence to be hosted by a previously disadvantaged university.

to research and knowledge production.

According to a National Research Foundation research Also, the Ministerial Committee for the Review of

report of 2007 to 2011, UWC leads South African

Funding of Universities recommended that UWC be

universities in Physics; Molecular Biology & Genetics;

placed in the top cluster because of its research output

and Biology & Biochemistry. It takes second place in

– which has grown by 365% in 12 years.

Computer Science.

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University of the Western Cape

Research Focus

GROWING KNOWLEDGE, SEEKING SOLUTIONS HUMANITIES & SOCIAL SCIENCES

vocational education in order to address the challenges

The Centre for Humanties Research is a leading

facing Africa’s development needs that inhibit the

niche area, promoting cross-disciplinary research, and

youth and adults from reaching their full potential.

is supported by a team of senior researchers and an archival collection contained in the UWC-Robben Island Mayibuye Centre housed at UWC.

UWC hosts the UNESCO Chair in Science & Mathematics Education which researches areas of scientific and technological literacy, and instructional

UWC has recently established the Centre for

issues in science education.

Multiligualism and Diversities Research (CMDR) in order to focus on transmigrational and global

The UWC Science Learning Centre for Africa

economies of the South.

(UWC-SLA) supports primary and secondary teachers and learners in mathematics and science education,

The Institute for Post School Studies (IPSS) brings

specifically in disadvantaged pre-urban schools on the

together research, teaching and social engagement

Cape Flats and in rural schools in the Western and

in the areas of adult education, higher education and

Northern Cape provinces of South Africa.

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University of the Western Cape

SOCIAL POLICY & DEVELOPMENTAL SCIENCES The Institute for Poverty, Land & Agrarian Studies (PLAAS) focuses on policy and development studies with regard to South Africa’s chronic poverty and

UWC’s Community Law Centre (CLC) hosts a SARChi Chair in Multi-level Government, Law & Development.

The CLC played a key role in drafting the Children’s Act and the 2008 Child Justice Bill, and enjoys observer status with the African Commission on Human Rights.

structural inequality. The DST/NRF Chair is situated within PLAAS.

The African Centre for Citizenship & Democracy (ACCEDE) focuses on civil society and democracy on

UWC’s Institute for Social Development (ISD) offers

the continent, and offers a postgraduate programme in

post graduate programmes to students in 24 countries.

Citizenship Studies.

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HEALTH & WELLNESS UWC hosts two World Health Organisation (WHO) Collaborating Centres. The School of Public Health is a WHO Collaborating Centre for Research & Training in Human Resources for Health, and was recently awarded the SARChi Chair in Health Systems Complexity & Change. The Faculty of Dentistry is a WHO Collaborating Centre for Oral Health.

The South African Herbal Health Science & Medicine Institute (SAHSMI) is the only institute in the country accredited to offer research degrees in herbal sciences; and focuses on drug recovery and the development of plant medicines for HIV/Aids, TB, Malaria and Diabetes.

The UWC HIV & Aids Research Centre conducts multi-disciplinary research into HIV/Aids prevention and care, focusing on health policies and systems;

The South African National Bioinformatics Institute

education; and gender-based violence.

(SANBI) hosts a SARChi Chair in Bioinformatics and Human Health. SANBI focuses on the development of

The Interdisciplinary Centre of Excellence for Sport

databases and genome annotation tools to support the

Science & Development (ICESSD) promotes sport as a

molecular epidemiology and drug resistant profile of

powerful tool for development, health, wellbeing and

HIV, trypanosomiasis, TB and cancers.

social change.

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INNOVATION & TECHNOLOGY The Sensorlab hosts the SARChi Chair in Nanoelectrochemistry and Sensor Technology and is the top national laboratory for smart sensing devices.

(NNPTTP), offering Master’s degrees in Nanoscience and Nanotechnology.

ASTRONOMY & SPACE SCIENCE The DST/NRF Research Chair in Astrophysics conducts

UWC’s South African Institute for Advanced

research using data from the SALT optical telescope at

Materials Chemistry (SAIAMC) is a HySA Competence

Sutherland and the MeerKAT array of radio telescopes near

Centre in Systems Analysis, Integration and Technology

Carnarvon to answer questions about the universe. UWC

Validation for Hydrogen and Fuel Cell technologies.

also holds the SARChi Chair in Cosmology & MultiWavelength Data. In addition, UWC co-hosts the Chair

The Institute for Microbial Biotechnology &

in Radio Astronomy with the University of Cape Town

Metagenomics (IMBM) conducts research on the

and the international Square Kilometre Array (SKA) project.

exploitation of the microbial genome diversity, and is home to the SARChi Chair in Microbial Genomics.

ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES The UNESCO Centre for Groundwater Studies

The MANuS/MatSci Programme offers a Master’s

researches and advises on sustainable groundwater use

Degree in Accelerator and Nuclear Science, and a Master’s

and management in Africa.

Degree in Materials Science.

The Environmental & Nanosciences Group (ENS) has a UWC is the hub of the National Nanoscience

number of industrial projects in the areas of nanoscience,

Postgraduate Teaching & Training Platform

environmental remediation and water-related research.

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Investing in the Future LABS, LAND & LEARNING SPACES

Ironically, this academic success presents a new

density and is marked by facilities for innovation,

“struggle” for UWC – that of generating the capital to

learning, engaged living and working.

provide the necessary infrastructure to meet students’ needs, while still keeping fees the lowest in the country

Other developments include refurbishing the old JS

to enable formerly disadvantages learners to access

Marais Hospital for Nursing; and talks continue

higher education.

around changing the shunting yard opposite campus into a “University Village” to link the Bellville campus,

Plans for the next five years will see the campus expand

the new Department of Nursing and Tygerberg

into a more vibrant space that is urban in scale and

Hospital that is home to the Faculty of Dentistry.

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In 2008 and 2009 UWC invested R600m on new

In other areas of campus, UWC is in the process of

buildings and the upgrade of existing facilities,

upgrading the Sports Precinct.

including the Public Health and Life Sciences buildings.

This will include a revitalisation of the 5 000 seat The newest addition to the emerging Science Precinct

stadium, that has played host to Iraq in a Soccer

is the R220 million New Chemical Sciences Building

World Cup friendly football match, has served players

(NCSB), comprising 8 600 sq m of research and teaching

in the Junior Rugby World Cup, and which is home

space for Applied Geology, the Department of Earth and

base to the UWC Rugby 15 which has been competing

Water Sciences, and the Department of Chemistry.

in Varsity Shield since 2011.

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UWC Sport comprises 22 codes, and engages with

a tartan athletics track; a cricket oval; netball, squash

provincial and national federations (Centre of

and tennis courts; hockey, rugby and soccer fields; a

Excellence for Swimming South Africa and Learn

fully equipped gymnasium; and indoor and outdoor

to Swim programmes) for development initiatives

swimming pools.

through Western Cape School Sport.

In 2011 the University topped up its new outdoor A major renovation of the floodlit stadium is underway

diving and water polo swimming pool to add to the

to upgrade the sports precinct that currently includes

Olympic-sized heated indoor pool.

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UWC Foundation Jakes Gerwel Education Endowment and Development Fund As an institution that subscribes to sound governance

The UWC Foundation, under the umbrella of the Jakes

and responsible management, the UWC Foundation

Gerwel Education Endowment and Development Fund,

incorporates the expertise of key public professional

coordinates fundraising towards sustainability.

roleplayers and executive management, as members of the board, to oversee the strategic direction of

The trustees aim to ensure UWC’s sustainability through

fundraising and development at UWC.

professional networking.

TEACHER • LEADER • ACTIVIST • INTELLECTUAL ACADEMIC • FAMILY MAN • FRIEND University of the Western Cape

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UWC Alumni Association PRIDE, ENGAGEMENT, LEGACY

The Alumni Association, within the Department for

Africa and on the African continent. Our Alumni’s

Institutional Advancement, is tasked with helping past

research continues to have a positive global impact.

students remain connected through Chapters around the country; and through networking, knowledge-

The success of our Alumni, coupled with the

building and fundraising activities.

transformation of UWC, give staff, current students and Alumni reason to be Proudly Udubs!

The might and courage of the activists in the 1980s who rose up to fight for change, earned UWC the name:

The Association was launched in 2011 out of the

Intellectual Home of the Left.

former Alumni Office, and with it a range of campaigns to attract Alumni involvement; branded wear; and a

When South Africa became independent in 1994, 23

logo that says it all: Pride; Engagement; Legacy.

UWC staff members were called to serve in President Nelson Mandela’s government.

This logo is derived from the imposing pillared archway that leads students into the Main Square towards their

Today, UWC’s past students are continuing to drive

Orientation Ceremony; and which leads them into the

transformation in every sphere of society, both in South

world after Graduation.

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Join our Knowledge Evolution SUPPORT OUR VISION

INSTITUTIONAL

The Department for Institutional Advancement (IA) is tasked with advancing the image of the University and communicating its excellence. This is done through its Media, Communications, Brand and Eventing units.

IA is also tasked with generating third stream income in order to help finance the infrastructure requirements needed to realise the University’s Institutional Operating Plans and credo. This hefty task is managed by the Donor Relations Unit.

IA also binds the UWC Alumni through the Alumni Relations Office.

Contact us:

ALUMNI RELATIONS:

PATRICIA LAWRENCE Pro-Vice Chancellor: Institutional Advancement plawrence@uwc.ac.za 021 959 3905

SAMANTHA CASTLE Manager scastle@uwc.ac.za 021 959 9790

DONOR RELATIONS: INGRID FOURIE Manager ifourie@uwc.ac.za 021 959 9517

BRANDING & MARKETING: TRISHA BAM Manager tbam@uwc.ac.za 021 959 9352 WWW.UWC.AC.ZA

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MEDIA & COMMUNICATIONS: LUTHANDO TYHALIBONGO Manager xtyhalibongo@uwc.ac.za 021 959 9566

EVENTING: AMANDA WILLIAMS Manager awilliams@uwc.ac.za 021 959 2114

UWC is committed to creating, preserving and disseminating knowledge that is dynamic and relevant to the challenges of a modern world and a transforming society.

Inseparable from the notions of hope and knowledge, is that of agency - the will and the ability to act, to be an agent of change.

This is UWC’s credo.

UNIVERSITY OF THE WESTERN CAPE CAPE TOWN SOUTH AFRICA www.uwc.ac.za