A new state-of-the-art R150-million building for the School of Public Health is designed to link the Education Campus to the Medical School. A new R145-million Science Building is on the cards and a new home for the R70-million Wits Arts Museum is planned on the corner of Jorissen Street and Jan Smuts Avenue. Several of the infrastructure development projects are already underway. As part of its Infrastructure and Efficiency Funding programme, the Department of Education has invested in developing infrastructure at Wits and other higher education institutions, with the intention of stimulating further industry and private sector funding. To this end, three major projects were funded as follows:
- FNB building, a large teaching venue, at a cost of R70 million, completed by May this year
- Chamber of Mines building, completion of the fourth quadrant, at a cost of R70 million, to be completed by December
- The Undergraduate Science Centre, phase one, at a cost of R145 million, which was begun in January this year.
The Minister of Education announced a further infrastructure allocation to the higher education sector totalling R3.2-billion for 2010 – 2012. Wits has received an allocation of R268.7-million towards approved projects, totalling at least R718-million in the priority areas designated by government.
Some of the proposed projects due to be developed in the next four years include a new building for the School of Construction Economics and Management, supporting the expansion needs of the School of Architecture and Planning; the refurbishment and expansion of the Chamber of Mines and Richard Ward Buildings; new Health Sciences and Undergraduate Science Buildings; and additional residence space and the refurbishment of the Sunnyside residence.
Read more about the development of the Capital Projects at www.wits.ac.za/AboutWits/capitalprojects. For more information on Wits’ priority fundraising projects and other funding needs, visit www.witsfoundation.co.za