Rand Afrikaans University
The Rand Afrikaans University (Afrikaans: Randse Afrikaanse Universiteit) 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 and two campuses of Vista University to form the University of Johannesburg.[2][3][4]
Origins[edit]
On 5 November 1968, 468 delegates at a conference unanimously accepted a motion to establish an Afrikaans university. An act of Parliament was promulgated on 4 August 1965 to establish such a university in Johannesburg.
Rand Afrikaans University (RAU) was founded as an Afrikaans language university in 1967 with just over 700 registered students. The first campus was situated in a brewery in Braamfontein.
The RAU was officially opened on 24 February 1968. The first chancellor of the university was Nicolaas Diederichs[2] (then Minister of Finance of South Africa) and the first rector was Gerrit Viljoen.[2][4]
Over time the university evolved to a dual medium institution, offering nearly all degree courses in both Afrikaans and English.[4]
The faculties of the RAU were as follows:[2]
Location[edit]
What was the main campus is now the APK Kingsway Campus Auckland Park of the University of Johannesburg (UJ) and is situated in Auckland Park, Johannesburg, South Africa. Satellite campuses in Auckland Park, Soweto and Doornfontein are now APB, DFC and SWC campuses of UJ.
Merger[edit]
On 1 January 2005, Rand Afrikaans University, Technikon Witwatersrand and the Soweto and East Rand campuses of the Vista University ceased to exist as such, when they merged to become the University of Johannesburg, as part of a broader reorganisation of South African universities.[3][5][6][7] The outgoing and final vice chancellor of the university was Roux Botha.