In January 2004, as part of South Africa's national restructuring of higher education, the Technikon Free State and the Welkom campus of Vista University merged to form the Central University of Technology, Free State (CUT). Read more about the two institutions.

This merger created a unified institution positioned as a University of Technology, dedicated to serving the central region of South Africa and contributing to national socio-economic development.

Vision 2030: Strategic Direction

CUT's vision statement

A leading University of Technology – changing lives, transforming society and shaping the future.

Mission statement

CUT delivers quality academic programmes and applied research, promotes access with success, engages meaningfully with communities, and leverages strategic partnerships to drive innovation, entrepreneurship, social impact, and inclusive development.

Progress toward this vision is driven through three strategic goals:

1. To promote an integrated student-centred ecosystem that enhances academic success, support, and experiences throughout the student journey.
2. To ensure institutional sustainability, expand streams of income, and enhance the CUT brand.
3. To promote good governance, human rights and social justice.

The Strategic Plan 2026–2030 sets a clear course for focused execution, guiding the university into a new era of transformative development.

Current focus areas for strategic projects

CUT's Strategic Plan 2026–2030 (see current strategic projects) is guided by five flagship themes that serve as the foundation for all university initiatives, aligned with the vision of becoming a leading African University of Technology by 2030.

Environmental Sustainability: This theme focuses on reducing the university's environmental footprint through initiatives such as recycling programs, renewable energy adoption, and enhancing green spaces across both campuses.

Human Capital and Social Impact: Aimed at improving the skills and well-being of the university community and broader society, this theme encompasses professional development, diversity and inclusion efforts, health and wellness programs, and meaningful community engagement.

Institutional Effectiveness and Efficiency: This theme seeks to optimise university operations by enhancing resource utilisation and efficiency. Initiatives include process automation, performance improvement, cost reduction, and better decision-making to ensure competitiveness and responsiveness.

Transformation: Projects under this theme integrate advanced technologies into academic and administrative functions, including online learning platforms, software deployment, data analytics, and digital literacy enhancement to modernise the university's operations.

Academic Excellence: This theme emphasises outstanding performance, critical thinking, and innovation, fostering the skills and values that empower individuals for lifelong success and meaningful contributions to society.

These strategic themes work in concert with CUT's three overarching strategic goals: promoting an integrated student-centered ecosystem, ensuring institutional sustainability and brand enhancement, and promoting good governance with a focus on human rights and social justice.

Current student body and growth

Today, CUT has grown significantly from its humble beginnings. During the 2026 academic year registration cycle, a total of 22 380 students were registered, including 4 768 first-time entering students.

Sporting Excellence

CUT offers a vibrant student life experience that extends beyond academics, with sports playing a central role in campus culture and student development. The university has excellent sporting facilities available to registered students who wish to participate in sport on a recreational basis.

Sports Offered: CUT provides opportunities for students to engage in a wide range of sporting activities, including Athletics, Rugby, Soccer, Netball, Cheerleading, Volleyball, Boccia, and E-sports. These programmes cater to both competitive athletes and students seeking recreational participation.

Sporting Achievements: CUT's student-athletes have achieved remarkable success at national and international levels. Recent accomplishments include gold medals in athletics, international podium finishes in boccia, and national league triumphs in cheerleading and volleyball.

Sporting Legends: CUT honours its Sporting Legends, those who have shaped the university's sporting past and those who are writing the next chapter today.  Notable alumni include national and international heroes such as Trevor Nyakane, Os Durant, as well as Olympians Zola Budd and Thuso Mpuang.

Competitive Participation: CUT teams actively compete in national competitions, including the FNB Varsity Cup, where the CUT’s rugby, football and netball teams, represents the university against other top institutions. These competitions provide students with opportunities to showcase their talents while representing CUT on national platforms.

Academic structure: Four Faculties

CUT's qualifications reside in four faculties, each offering a comprehensive range of programmes:

• Faculty of Health and Environmental Sciences
• Faculty of Humanities
• Faculty of Engineering, Built Environment and Information Technology
• Faculty of Management Sciences

The university offers certificates and diplomas at undergraduate level, as well as advanced diplomas, postgraduate diplomas at honours level, and master's and doctoral degrees to increase the production of world-class postgraduate programmes and high-quality research outputs.

Research and innovation excellence

CUT hosts several specialised research centers and units that drive innovation, industry partnerships, and societal impact across multiple disciplines.

Centre for Rapid Prototyping and Manufacturing (CRPM)

Established in 1997 as part of a research initiative at the Faculty of Engineering, Built Environment and Information Technology, the CRPM was a pioneer in Additive Manufacturing (AM), commonly known as 3D printing, when the technology was still in its infancy worldwide. Through the foresight of its founders, a laser sintering machine was imported from Germany for research purposes, becoming the fifth such machine in the country. The centre soon realised its equipment could benefit industry by offering rapid prototyping services, fulfilling the university's mission to introduce new technology to the South African manufacturing industry. The CRPM achieved a significant milestone by receiving ISO 13485 certification for 3D printing of medical devices, making it the first centre in South Africa and Africa to receive this prestigious certification for an Additive Manufacturing Centre.

Centre for Quality of Health and Living (CQHL)

The Centre for Quality of Health and Living (CQHL) advances knowledge and innovation in basic medical sciences and clinical research. The center focuses on improving public health outcomes and partners with CRISMO to develop clinical research opportunities in the Free State region.

Unit for Sustainable Water and Environment (USWE) 

The Unit for Sustainable Water and Environment (USWE) aims to provide scientific information on sustainable use of water for strategic decision support, enhancing water security and sustainable water management. The unit contributes to addressing critical water challenges facing South Africa through applied research and innovation.

Centre for Applied Food Security and Biotechnology (CAFSaB) 

The Centre for Applied Food Security and –Biotechnology (CAFSaB) offers high-quality research outputs that culminate in postgraduate research opportunities. As one of the most comprehensive research and commercialisation entities at CUT, CAFSaB serves as a national authority in food security and biotechnology fields, aspiring to become the leading center of research in food sustainability and biotechnology.

Other research entities:

• Product Development Technology Station (PDTS)
• Unit for Lean Construction and Sustainability (ULCS)
• Centre for Sustainable Smart Cities 4.0
• Research Centre on Human-Technology Interaction (HTi)

NRF Rated Researchers

The NRF Rated Researchers programme is a national initiative that evaluates the impact of researchers on their research environment through independent peer review. The NRF rating system is a key driver in building a globally competitive science system in South Africa.

CUT has one B-rated researcher who enjoys considerable international recognition for the high quality and impact of their research. The university continues to grow its cohort of rated researchers, with recent achievements including academics receiving C3 ratings as established researchers. In April 2025, CUT's NRF Research Chair Status was upgraded to Tier 1, demonstrating the NRF's ongoing support for research excellence at the university.

CUT is developing a new Research Strategic Plan 2026–2030, which will incentivise impact rather than just output, setting the course for a new era of transformative research.

International partnerships and global engagement

CUT has received accreditation from the Accreditation Council for Entrepreneurial and Engaged Universities (ACEEU), an international body that specialises in acknowledging and fostering the entrepreneurial and engaged potential of universities at both institutional and divisional levels. This prestigious accreditation recognises CUT's commitment to entrepreneurial education and community engagement on a global scale.

The Center for Global Engagement (CGE) proudly embraces and manages 49 dynamic international collaborations on behalf of CUT, with partnerships spreading over four continents. The CGE's new trajectory is to serve as a Knowledge Hub for CUT on comprehensive internationalisation in the fields of International Academic Partnerships.

CUT continues to reach out to students and academics from the Southern African Development Community (SADC), Germany, Belgium, Finland, the Netherlands, and China, creating cross-border partnerships and contributing to South Africa's status as a participant in innovation and world markets.

Recent partnerships include:

• A strategic alliance with the French South African Institute of Technology (F'SATI) network to advance technology and innovation
• Reaffirmed commitment to global partnerships with institutions like Mittweida University of Applied Science, Germany.

Institutional Governance

CUT has made significant strides in institutional governance, with a new Governance Framework providing clearer decision-making matrices, enhanced role clarity, and improved decision-making processes across all levels of the institution.

The university has received recognition from the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) for significant advances in university capacity development.

Estates and Infrastructure

CUT's Estates and Infrastructure section maintains and develops the university's physical assets across both the Bloemfontein and Welkom campuses, ensuring modern, well-maintained facilities that support teaching, learning, research, and administrative functions. The university's infrastructure includes state-of-the-art academic buildings, research laboratories, student residences, sports facilities, and administrative offices designed to create an optimal environment for academic excellence.

Mega Projects

The university has undertaken significant infrastructure development through its mega projects initiative. At the Welkom Campus, three major building projects were launched, including the Teacher Education Building, the largest construction project on campus designed to address the growing need for educational facilities, which was completed at the end of 2025, along with a new residence completed in October 2024 that added 221 beds, and a landmark multi-purpose hall completed in December 2024.

At the Bloemfontein Campus, world-class facilities have been completed, including the Jewellery and Sculpting Studios in the Faculty of Humanities (completed at the end of 2025), and a new student residence that added 126 beds. Together, these new residences bring CUT's total on-campus accommodation to approximately 1,500 beds, enhancing student life and supporting the university's growing enrolment.

Core values and commitment

CUT remains committed to its core values of ubuntu, integrity, diversity, innovation, excellence, sustainability and digital citizenship as well as the institution's transformation agenda.

The university continues to strive for academic excellence in all endeavours, making a difference in socio-economic development as a preferred local, national, and international partner.

Looking Forward

As CUT begins the 2026 academic year guided by its approved Strategic Plan 2026–2030, the institution is setting a clear course for focused execution and transformative growth. CUT's achievements reflect its significant contribution to socio-economic development and its position as a preferred partner for regional and national economic growth.