Engineering education in KwaZulu-Natal began a century ago with humble yet determined beginnings. In 1925, the first three engineers graduated from the Natal University College (NUC), having transferred from the Durban Technical Institute when NUC began offering engineering degrees. For several years, engineering remained located at the Technical Institute until the opening of Howard College in 1931 provided a dedicated university campus in Durban.

“With the establishment of the University of Natal (UN) in 1949, engineering at the institution expanded significantly. Over the next five decades, new disciplines were introduced, including Agricultural Engineering in 1951 (UN being the only university in South Africa to offer this degree), Chemical Engineering in 1957, and Electronic Engineering in 1979 when Electrical Engineering was divided into two distinct departments. Land Surveying had also become part of the Faculty from 1948, initially housed within Civil Engineering,” the university shared.

Meanwhile and in parallel, the University of Durban-Westville (UDW) had developed its own strong foundation in engineering education. Engineering was first offered when the Indian University College moved from Salisbury Island in Durban Harbour to the newly built Westville campus in 1972. UDW launched with four engineering departments – Civil, Mechanical, Electrical and Chemical – and established impressively equipped laboratories that supported robust undergraduate and research activity.

“A defining moment in the history of engineering education in KwaZulu-Natal came in 2004 with the merger of the University of Natal and UDW to form the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN). It was decided that all engineering programmes, except Agricultural Engineering which remained in Pietermaritzburg, would be housed at the Howard College campus.

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“In recent years, the School has introduced curriculum transformation efforts to align with the Fourth Industrial Revolution, prioritising digital fluency, sustainability and systems thinking.

“Today, UKZN’s School of Engineering stands proudly as one of Africa’s top engineering institutions, rooted in a century of excellence, access and innovation. Reflecting this international reputation, UKZN was recently ranked among the top 200 universities in the world for engineering and technology.”

From its first three graduates to a globally respected institution, engineering education in KwaZulu-Natal has been shaped by a century of purpose and progress. UKZN’s School of Engineering promises to continue to carry this legacy forward into the next 100 years.

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