University of Rhodesia
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Former names
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University College of Rhodesia and Nyasaland, University College of Rhodesia, University of Rhodesia, University of Zimbabwe-Rhodesia |
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| Motto | Knowledge Diligence, Integrity |
| Type | Public |
| Established | 1952 |
| Chancellor | Robert Mugabe ex officio as President of Zimbabwe |
| Vice-Chancellor | Prof Levi Nyagura |
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Academic staff
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109 professor, 545 lecturers, 155 teaching and research assistants (2011) |
| Undergraduates | 11,200 |
| Postgraduates | 500 |
| Location | Mount Pleasant, Harare, Zimbabwe |
| Campus | Urban |
| Website | www2.uz.ac.zw |
The University of Zimbabwe (UZ) in Harare, is the oldest and formerly largest university in Zimbabwe. It was founded through a special relationship with the University of London and it opened its doors to its first students in 1952. The university has ten faculties (Agriculture, Arts, Commerce, Education, Engineering, Law, Science, Social Studies, Veterinary Sciences and College of Health Sciences) offering a wide variety of degree programmes and many specialist research centres and institutes. The university is accredited through the National Council for Higher Education, under the Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education. English is the language of instruction. Although once a very successful university, UZ has been facing challenges since 2008 and now the University is on a rebounding drive. Major work is being done to uplift the status of the University. Refurbishments are being carried out on the Main campus and many facilities are being upgraded to make the university an International Academic Brand. The university has faced criticism for awarding fraudulent degrees to members of the Mugabe regime particularly the obscure PhD given to Grace Mugabe.
In 1945, Manfred Hodson (after whom a residence is now named) formed the Rhodesia University Association, inspired by the promise of £20,000 by J.F. Kapnek for establishing such a university. The following year, the Legislative Assembly of Southern Rhodesia adopted a motion proposed by Hodson for the establishment of a university college to serve the needs of Rhodesia and neighbouring territories. The Governor of Southern Rhodesia established the Rhodesia University Foundation Fund in 1947. The Legislative Assembly accepted an offer of land in Mount Pleasant from the City of Salisbury (now Harare) for the construction of the campus in 1948. Four years later a bill was enacted for the incorporation and constitution of the university. First classes began for some 68 students on a temporary site at 147 Baker Avenue (now Nelson Mandela Avenue). Independent of the initiatives of Hodson and the Legislative Assembly, the Central African Council's commission on higher education, led by Sir Alexander Carr-Saunders (after whom another residence is now named) recommended the establishment of a university college to serve Rhodesia and Nyasaland, with its first preference being to integrate with the Southern Rhodesian initiative.
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