DUT ranked as one of the top 13 universities in sub-Saharan Africa

THE Durban University of Technology (DUT) has been ranked as one of the Top 13 universities in sub-Saharan Africa by the 2023 Times Higher Education Sub-Saharan Africa University Rankings. This first-ever ranking of the universities in sub-Saharan Africa was officially announced at the Times Higher Education Sub-Saharan Universities Forum at Ashesi University in Berekuso, Ghana, on Monday, June 26.

DUT was ranked among 88 universities from 20 countries in sub-Saharan Africa. The adjudication process for the Times Higher Education Sub-Saharan Africa University Rankings was based on a comprehensive range of performance indicators across five pillars:

• accessibility and fairness
• impact on Africa
• teaching skills
• student engagement
• resources and finances

The ranking explored the impact of the universities in addressing some of the toughest challenges encountered in Africa, such as graduate employability, teaching quality, research impact and inequality. The current performance of ranked universities was assessed to identify key areas where they can improve.

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Sharing her excitement after hearing the good news about the latest DUT global ranking, Prof Keolebogile Motaung, the acting deputy vice-chancellor: Research, Innovation and Engagement, said: “Congratulations to the entire university community on this great achievement. A special thank you goes out to the chair of the DUT Council, Mr Wiseman Madinane, and the DUT vice-chancellor and principal, Prof Thandwa Mthembu, for their immense support and great leadership. Both have always reiterated that excellence is a consistent dedication to sustained quality improvement that exceeds expectations in all that we do and are. I would also like to applaud our researchers for their sheer dedication to their work; we would not have achieved this accolade without them. This also proves DUT excellence which enhances our university rankings, and currently, we are listed in the Top 13 among 88 universities in sub-Saharan Africa. This ranking will ensure that DUT continues to shine nationally, on the African continent and in the world.”

Motaung further elaborated that the recent ranking speaks to the University’s ENVISION2030 strategy, of improving lives and livelihoods. Innovative curricula and research is also one of the enabling strategic objectives of ENVISION2030.

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Times Higher Education’s chief global affairs officer, Phil Baty, said the introduction of this unique pioneering ranking, developed specifically for and led by African education organisations, was a significant moment. He indicated that the ranking demonstrated the broad and diverse strengths of a wide range of universities across the African continent.

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