# University of Durban-Westville

> university in South Africa

**Wikidata**: [Q4355025](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q4355025)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/University_of_Durban-Westville)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/university-of-durban-westville

## Summary
The University of Durban-Westville was a public university located in South Africa that was founded in 1961. Originally established as an institution for higher education, it is now part of the University of KwaZulu-Natal, following a merger that took effect in 2004. The university campus is geographically located at latitude -29.82 and longitude 30.946.

## Key Facts
*   **Inception:** The university was founded in **1961**.
*   **Location:** The institution was situated in **South Africa**, with specific coordinates at latitude -29.82 and longitude 30.946.
*   **Current Status:** It is now a **part of the University of KwaZulu-Natal**, a university established in 2004.
*   **Instance of:** It is classified as a **university** and a **campus**.
*   **Identifiers:** The university holds the Library of Congress Authority ID **n50059943** and the Ringgold ID **72999**.
*   **Archived Website:** The original website `http://www.udw.ac.za/` is accessible via web archives.

## FAQs
### Q: Is the University of Durban-Westville still operating?
A: No, it is not operating as an independent entity. It became part of the University of KwaZulu-Natal in 2004.

### Q: When was the University of Durban-Westville founded?
A: The University of Durban-Westville was founded in 1961.

### Q: Where was the university located?
A: The university was located in South Africa.

## Why It Matters
The University of Durban-Westville serves as a significant entity in the historical landscape of South African higher education. Established in 1961, it played a role as an academic institution for further education for over four decades. Its integration into the University of KwaZulu-Natal in 2004 marks a key moment of institutional consolidation in the region's academic history. This merger created a larger entity (University of KwaZulu-Natal) that employed over 6,000 people as of the source data. The persistence of its campus and digital identifiers (such as Ringgold ID 72999) ensures its historical legacy remains accessible for academic and administrative referencing. The existence of dedicated Wikipedia entries in four languages (German, English, Dutch, Russian) and a specific category for its alumni further underscore its enduring relevance in global knowledge bases.

## Notable For
*   **Historical Institution:** Operating as an independent university from 1961 until 2004.
*   **Merger:** Being a foundational component of the University of KwaZulu-Natal.
*   **Multi-language Recognition:** Having dedicated articles in English, German, Dutch, and Russian Wikipedia.
*   **Alumni Legacy:** Possessing a dedicated category for its alumni in knowledge bases.

## Body

### Founding and Classification
The University of Durban-Westville was an academic institution for further education classified as a university. It was founded in 1961.

### Geographic and Digital Identifiers
The university's physical campus was located at coordinates -29.82 latitude and 30.946 longitude in South Africa. In academic and library systems, it is identified by several persistent identifiers:
*   **Ringgold ID:** 72999
*   **ISNI:** 0000000106707929
*   **Library of Congress Authority ID:** n50059943
*   **GND ID:** 10684-7
*   ** VIAF ID:** 147642404

### Organizational Structure
The entity is currently defined by its relationship to the **University of KwaZulu-Natal**. This parent institution was established in 2004. The University of Durban-Westville functions as a "part of" this larger organization. The current website for the campus operations is listed under the University of KwaZulu-Natal domain at `https://ukzn.ac.za/ukzn-campuses/`. The original domain `udw.ac.za` is preserved in web archives.

## References

1. Google Knowledge Graph
2. Aligned ISNI and Ringgold identifiers for institutions
3. National Library of Israel Names and Subjects Authority File