Wits Humanities ranked top in Africa
- Wits University
The Faculty of Humanities provides the best education in Africa, according to a global survey zooming in on the work of leading universities across the globe.
The World University Rankings 2020 by subject, measuring key indicators in the arts and humanities, ranked the Faculty number one in Africa. A total of 536 universities worldwide were evaluated for performance in teaching, research, citations, industry income and international outlook. Wits teaching was on par with leading institutions and distinguished itself in research and the number of citations in academic literature.
These findings validate previous surveys conducted by Wits, measuring the quality of teaching and the employability of its graduates. The 2018/2019 Wits Graduate Exit Survey found that 92% of surveyed graduates in the Faculty of Humanities were snatched up by industry within six months of completing their qualifications.
Professor Garth Stevens, Acting Head of the Faculty of Humanities, has welcomed the results adding that “the real strength of the Faculty is found in its commitment to developing the next generation of critical thinkers and developing a vibrant academic and cultural space on the African continent.”
Public perception has often undervalued the contribution of humanities graduates and questioned the relevance of their skills. In an interview on radio 702, Professor Sarah Nuttall, Director of Wits Economic and Social Research Institute (WISER), argued that a humanities qualification will continue to be relevant, and that its value is not under threat by the fourth industrial revolution.