Princeton Program: University of Cape Town
Cape Town, South Africa
Program Overview
Through an agreement between the University of Cape Town (UCT) in South Africa and Princeton University, Princeton undergraduates may enroll directly in UCT for a semester or a year. Princeton students study alongside South African university students and are eligible to participate in the many activities sponsored by UCT and its student body.
Woodrow Wilson School offers a policy seminar at UCT in the spring.
The University
The University of Cape Town began as the South African College in 1829, providing secondary and tertiary education for young men. In the late 1890's, the college grew in response to South Africa's needs and also began to include women. Full university status was achieved in 1918, when it took on the name of the University of Cape Town. Now UCT has four campuses and around 20,000 students, including those enrolled in Master or Ph.D. degree programs. The university is divided into six faculties, each of which is made up of a number of closely related departments: Commerce, Engineering and the Built Environment, Health Sciences, Humanities, Law, and Science.
Like Princeton, UCT is dedicated to both teaching and research. It is one of South Africa's leading universities with a distinguished worldwide reputation. The university is committed to being a fully non-racial institution, opposed to any sort of discrimination and sees itself as an active participant in the issues and challenges confronting post-apartheid South Africa.
The Setting
The city, dominated by a towering, table-shaped mountain, lies at the northern end of the Cape peninsula, where the Indian and Atlantic oceans converge. Cape Town has immense natural beauty and a cosmopolitan community. Cultural and sports activities are offered both on campus and in the city.