In addition, UWC Honours and Master's graduates have won a number of major international scholarships. UWC's key concerns with access, equity and quality in higher education arise from exte… UWC started as a "bush college", a university college without autonomy under auspices of the During the first 15 years, the board and staff were primarily whites, supporting the In the late 1980s and early 1990s, numerous UWC students were involved in the creation of UWC is the only African institution that is a member of the UWC is a research-rich environment. The academic staff is highly qualified, with 50% holding doctorates. There are also joint endeavours between the University of the Western Cape and the universities of Cape Town and Stellenbosch. 20% of all students at UWC are postgraduates. There are many institutes and centres with a strong research emphasis. Many UWC scholars speak at international conferences and publish in internationally respected journals and books. They have done well in doctoral programmes abroad. Like other South African universities, UWC has been affected by sporadic student protests since 2015. Among academic institutions it has been in the vanguard of South Africa's historic change, playing a distinctive academic role in helping to build an equitable and dynamic nation. Most departments have graduate programmes, some with the largest intake in the country. Some major projects are undertaken jointly with partners abroad.
And there is a strong and growing relationship with institutions in other countries in Africa, Europe and North America, leading to research partnerships, joint capacity building, and a flow of postgraduate students to UWC. The reasons for the protests change with each new period of protest. The University of the Western Cape has a history of creative struggle against oppression, discrimination and disadvantage. The University of the Western Cape (UWC) is a public university located in the town of Bellville near Cape Town, South Africa. They began with the Fees Must Fall movementResearch at UWC has an international dimension. And there are significant projects and programmes which draw on expertise across departments and faculties. UWC's major network of international partners ensures a flow of students and eminent scholars from other countries to enrich the environment.