These are two of 10 initial sites that have been identified, with the others including Glengory (located along the M32 and Glengory Road), OR Tambo North, Jan Smuts Ext 2 and surrounds, Aerotropolis (Aero City Centre), Rondebult (located at the Rondebult Bird Sanctuary), Tambo Springs (along the N3 Corridor, south of Vosloorus), Carnival Junction (located along the R23 road, north of Dalview) and the land located in and around the Brakpan Civic Centre and Jan Smuts Dam.
This was revealed by Pieter Swanepoel, Divisional Head: Specialist Projects of Ekurhuleni Metro City Planning, when addressing the Captains of Industry Forum recently.
Swanepoel presented a feasibility study into the opening of a university within the metro.
Taking into consideration the amount of land needed for the university, and the proximity of hubs of population and economy, the R21 Corridor and Green Reef are the locations that will be reviewed further as the metro pushes for a local institution of higher learning to become a reality.
The feasibility study looked at factors such as what other institutes of higher learning are offering, the funding models of competitor universities and fields of study.
According to Swanepoel, the study has proved that the metro, with a population of 3 379 104, definitely needs a university, considering the shortage of skills.
“The metro identified a need for an institution of higher learning, based on the economic background of the city and the need to support this base, because it is the only metro without a university and there is a shortage of youthful skilled labour. It is also of concern the far distances so many have to travel to gain access to tertiary education facilities,” said Swanepoel.
He said the metro needs to create an institution that will enable skills development and enhance and support economic growth.
He revealed in the short term, the university will cost around R1.2-billion, and over the long term this estimate will balloon by around five times.
The size of the land that the metro will require is about 46 hectares of land for now, which will balloon to at least 180 hectares over the long term, to cater for the expansion of facilities and services
Swanepoel pointed out that the Ekurhuleni metro sits with smaller households than most other metros, and also lower income per household, which causes a less effective economic contribution.
“Education in Ekurhuleni shows that four per cent have no schooling, 35 per cent have completed secondary schooling
and only 15 per cent have a tertiary education. This therefore needs to be addressed.”
He said the metro is looking at a possibility of a comprehensive university, which is an institution of higher learning focused on teaching that combines elements of conventional and university of technology fields of study.
“It provides programmes typical of vocational and technical courses at traditional and universities of technology. It can conduct some research, which is valuable in terms of generating funding as with Witwatersrand, and it typically has a myriad of satellite campuses that reach multiple areas throughout a metro.”
Swanepoel said, based on the studies, it is estimated that over the short-term phase (three to five years), 10 571 students can be enrolled and over the long-term phase (30 years) 45 687 students can be enrolled.
“The aim of the proposed Ekurhuleni Institute of Higher Learning should be to establish a Comprehensive Higher Education Institution that is funded by a collaboration of public and private entities.
“The core characteristic of a comprehensive HEI is that it provides a diverse set of academic programmes that not only creates horizontal accessibility (variety of study programmes), but also enables vertical access (numerous study programme entry points).
“It is the metro’s proposal for under graduate and post graduate programmes to be offered. Goals and objectives of a comprehensive HEI is increased access, in particular, to career-focused programmes with prospective students able to choose from a wider variety of programmes with different entry requirements.”
Swanepoel stressed plans to see the university come into fruition is in an early stage, with an education symposium planned for September.
Continuous engagements with various stakeholders, private and public, will begin to flesh out the funding model, ownership structure, the vision, the mission and fields of study,
q Last year Swanepoel gave a progress report on the development on Green Reef, which is an economically inclusive and socially integrated mixed-use/mixed income innovation district.
GreenReef is centrally located in Boksburg and will develop on the mining belt.
Swanepoel said it is set to transform Ekurhuleni through the development and fusion of a new CBD hub, high-density residential precincts, innovative, knowledge-based, technology and manufacturing industries, and state-of-the-art, basic, vocational and tertiary education facilities.
