The University of the Western Cape

The University of the Western Cape (UWC) was founded in 1960 and occupies a unique space in the South African higher education landscape. It is a dynamic institution committed to excellence in learning, teaching, research and innovation in a globally competitive environment whilst remaining true to the values and ethos that have shaped its identity as a university rooted in serving the public good.The University employs 2400 academic, professional and support staff. UWC is home to more than 23 000 students who engage in undergraduate and postgraduate programmes in seven faculties, namely:

• Faculty of Arts and Humanities
• Faculty of Community Health Sciences
• Faculty of Dentistry
• Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences
• Faculty of Education
• Faculty of Law
• Faculty of Natural Sciences

Overview

From inception, 60 years ago, the University of the Western Cape (UWC) has been at the heart of the struggle to enable full access to society through education. Pursuing a motto of “from hope to action through knowledge”, our abiding aim has been to help the marginalised to participate fully in the life of the nation and the wider world. We absolutely believe that one’s origins do not define one’s destiny.

However, the disadvantage for black and coloured youth in South Africa remains endemic. The unemployment rate has reached a truly alarming level of 59% during the first quarter of 2020, and poverty disproportionately affects racial groups in South Africa. Approximately 66% of black African youth and 44% of coloured youth live in poverty, compared to 16% of Indian youth and 4% of white youth. Each of these figures is getting worse as the effects of the pandemic continue.

Those in poverty often look to higher education as a means to a better life, and we know the transformative effect that UWC has had on the lives of our more than 24,000 students and the alumni that have preceded them. In fact, we are ranked in the Top 200 universities in the world according to The Times Higher Education University Impact Ratings 2019.

“It is not beyond our power to create a world in which all children have access to a good education. Those who do not believe this have small imaginations.” – President Nelson Mandela