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Rand Afrikaans University

Coordinates: 26°11′05″S 27°59′51″E / 26.18472°S 27.99750°E / -26.18472; 27.99750
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26°11′05″S 27°59′51″E / 26.18472°S 27.99750°E / -26.18472; 27.99750

Rand Afrikaans University
Randse Afrikaanse Universiteit
TypePublic university
Active24 February 1968–2004[1]
Location, ,
LanguageAfrikaans, English
ColorsGreen and Grey
   

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

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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]

Faculties

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The faculties of the RAU were as follows:[2]

Location

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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.

Leaders

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Rector of the university

Surname Name From To
Viljoen G. vN. 1966 1979
de Lange J. P. 1979 1987
Crouse C. F. 1987 1995
van der Walt J. C. 1995 2001
Botha T. R. 2002 2005

Chancellor of the university

Surname Name From To
Diederichs N. J. 1966 1978
Meyer P. J. 1978 1983
Viljoen G. vN. 1983 2000

Merger

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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.

References

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  1. ^ "The Rand Afrikaans University opens". SA History Online. Retrieved 8 December 2017.
  2. ^ a b c d Klee, J.N. (May 2017). "The establishment of the Rand Afrikaans University" (PDF). North-West University. Retrieved 8 August 2023.
  3. ^ a b Asmal, Kader (14 November 2003). "Higher Education Act, 1997 (Act No. 101 OF 1997) Merger of Higher Education Publications: The Rand Afrikaans University and the Technikon Witwatersrand". South African Government. Retrieved 8 August 2023.
  4. ^ a b c Brink, Elsabé (2010). University of Johannesburg: the university for a new generation. Johannesburg: Division of Institutional Advancement, University of Johannesburg. ISBN 978-0-86970-689-3.
  5. ^ "Higher Education Act: Merger of Rand Afrikaans University, Technikon Witwatersrand and East Rand and Soweto campuses of Vista University: Comments invited | South African Government". www.gov.za. Retrieved 8 August 2023.
  6. ^ Mouton, N., Louw, G,P. & Strydom, G.L. (2013). "Restructuring and mergers of the South African post-apartheid tertiary education system (1994-2011) : A critical analysis". Journal of International Education Research. 9 (2): 127–144.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  7. ^ "THE University of Johannesburg". CO South Africa. Retrieved 8 August 2023.