Situated in Johannesburg, South Africa - a vibrant, leading commercial city on the African continent - Wits University is internationally distinguished for research, high academic standards and commitment to social justice in Africa and beyond. The history of Wits is linked with mining, academic excellence, as well as political and civic activism. An open public university, Wits cherishes academic freedom and pursues the truth, upholding no distinctions of class, wealth, race or creed.

Wits is among the top 1% universities in the world (out of about 25,000) - equivalent to top 10 in Canada and Australia, top 30 in the UK, and top 65 in the EU and US. The Faculty of Humanities, in which EU-CIEMBLY is located, is ranked number one in Africa. So far, Wits has produced four Nobel Prize Laureates (Nelson Mandela - Peace, Sydney Brenner - Medicine, Nadine Gordimer - Literature and Aaron Klub - Chemistry), 91 Rhodes Scholars, four National Planning Commissioners, 32 Mandela Rhodes Scholars, and two Chief Justices.

With about 1500 academics and 6000 employees, as well as nearly 45,000 students, the university is home to 56 research entities, 12 donor-sponsored research chairs, 30 South African research chairs, six centres of excellence, and 434 National Research foundation-rated researchers.

96% of Wits’s research is published in international, peer-reviewed high-impact journals. We have over 50 active projects around Africa, and the university is represented globally through various partnerships. Wits is also the co-founder of the African Research Universities Alliance. Wits fosters innovation throughout the university, embracing the diversity of our people, disciplines and ideas. The university’s vision is to make a positive impact on society through creating and advancing global knowledge, as well as through fostering graduates to be leaders with integrity.