Research & Innovation
Welcome to Stellenbosch University

Research Stats and Facts

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​SU has set itself the vision to be established as a leading research-intensive university on the African continent by pursuing excellence and remaining at the forefront of its chosen focal areas, by gaining national and international standing on the basis of its research outputs, by being relevant to the needs of the community, and by being enterprising, innovative and self-renewing.​

RESEARCH FOR IMPACT​, IN NUMBERS

​​​

  ​
Distinguished researchers (2022)​



​​​Postgraduate Students
​​44 
research chairs, of which 23 are National Research Foundation (NRF) South African Research Chairs Initiative (SARChI) chairs, funded by the Department of Science and Innovation
493
NRF rated researchers, of which 20 are A-rated

310
doctoral degrees
awarded in 2021
4960
master's students registered as at June 2022

​>350
postdoctoral research fellows
1611
PhD students registered as at June 2​022
​​

Networks & Partnerships​​​​ ​​
​​

​​Innovation


​​320
bilateral partner institutions in 64 countries, across 6 continent​​s


​​2​5
formal bilateral agreements
​wit​h other African universities
​​​​27

Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) applications submitted

since 2019 (more than any other entity in SA)

​​​30
spin-out companies ​launched sin​ce 2014​​​​
​​35
SU innovations aligned with the African Union’s Agenda 2063 goals
​​​​​​​
​ ​ ​​​​​

 

​​​​Rankings


​​​ ​Contracts
2nd
on the Times Higher Education World University Rankings’ (THE WUR’s) list of South African universities

​1446
research​ contracts processed in 2021, compared​ to 956 in 2018 (a 66% increase in 4 years)

​24th
on the THE WUR’s list of universities in emerging economies

70%
of SU's research contract funding from international funders in 2022​​​