The University of Technology Versus The Traditional Universities. Is the Gap Being Closed?

Abstract

In 2003 six new Universities came into existence in South Africa. Their existence has to be justified by the quality technological innovation they will foster in the socio-economic development of the country. These are the Universities of Technologies (UOTs). The UOTs are the new-generation knowledge Institutions. This conceptually put a demarcation between the UOTs and the traditional Universities (TUNIV), which can be defined as Science and theoretical Institutions of higher learning. Ten years after the inception of UOTs, Is the gap between the two types of Institutions widening or is the gap actually lessening. In order terms Is there any apparent sign which shows that the difference between these two types of institutions of higher learning is becoming clear. Can it be said that there is enough ground to justify the inception of the universities of technology?

DOI: 10.5901/mjss.2014.v5n23p2126