Rich History
The prestigious University of Stellenbosch has a long and rich history dating back to the 17th century. With the start of the Theological Seminary of the Dutch Reformed Church in 1859, higher education became established in the town of Stellenbosch.
Originally called the Stellenbosch Gymnasium, its foundations were laid in 1863, and in 1874 an Arts Department was established. The school started with 120 scholars and two professors of Mathematics and Natural Sciences. In 1879, it was decided that a proper college building had to be erected for more teaching space. In 1886 the institution was named Victoria College in honor of Queen Victoria’s golden jubilee.
Over the period 1897 - 1900, Victoria College grew and various facilities were added, such as the Physics laboratory, the library and buildings for Education and Science. Research chairs in Zoology, Botany, History and Applied Mathematics were also added a few years later. In 1911, the first professor of Education was appointed.
Finally in 1918, Victoria College became Stellenbosch University. The University’s faculties expanded dramatically during the course of the 20th century, and now boasts with 10 faculties spread across 5 campuses: AgriSciences, Economic and Management Sciences, Medical and Health Sciences, Engineering, Military Sciences, Arts and Social Sciences, Science, Education, Law and Theology.
Stellenbosch is undoubtedly one of the prettiest little towns in South Africa, founded in 1679 and the second oldest town in the country. Th...