2017-06-12
Wesgro would like to congratulate the University of Cape Town (UCT), Stellenbosch University and the University of the Western Cape (UWC) on their recently-announced QS World University Rankings.
At 191 worldwide for the second consecutive year, UCT maintained its top African ranking while the University of Stellenbosch climbed 34 places to 361 and is now the second-highest ranked university in the country. The University of the Western Cape also made its first appearance on the expanded rankings list.
QS World University Rankings provide annual rankings of universities across the globe based on six key indicators; academic peer review, faculty/student ratio, citations per faculty, employer reputation, international student ratio and international staff ratio.
One of the Cape's most valuable economic assets are the number of higher education institutions based within it such as UCT, Stellenbosch University, UWC and the Cape Peninsula University of Technology. These institutions produce approximately 12 000 science, technology, engineering and mathematics graduates annually and host close to 11 000 students from other African countries.
A number of these students remain in the Cape after graduation and go on to use their newfound skills and qualifications in offices across the province, and even open ones of their own. Those that leave act as ambassadors for our region when they return home or move to other countries.
It is therefore important that we support these institutions and maintain relations with their students as they grow to shape our economy and continent.
It is our hope that in doing so, coupled with the numerous resources and opportunities the Cape has to offer, the province will continue to be a place of innovative ideas, attracting young entrepreneurs that will help grow our economy and create jobs.