DUT offers academic programs at a number of campuses situated in Durban and Pietermaritzburg, in the KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) province, South Africa. A popular tourist and business destination, KZN is noted for its diversity of people, but also its remarkable environmental diversity. Natural forests, imposing mountains, warm Indian Ocean beaches and subtropical climate, as well as historic battlefields and other sites of importance, all attract numerous visitors to the province. KZN is the second most populated region in South Africa, with large rural areas. Poverty and unemployment unfortunately remain prevailing challenges across communities.

Within this context, DUT is keenly aware of its role in facilitating economic progress, consistently offering high quality teaching and pertinent research programs in science, engineering and technology, ever mindful of South African development issues. The University continues to work closely with industry, government, NGO's and communities to impart practical knowledge. Receiving far more applications for first year entry than can be accommodated, DUT is already a popular choice for many young South Africans, progressing towards its aim to be the preferred university for technology leadership. The student body of about 25,000 students is largely drawn from lower economic income groups and previously disadvantaged demographics, many from deep rural communities. Most DUT students are the first in their families to attend university.

Each year considerable financial aid is allocated to support deserving students; in 2013 this amounted to almost R320 million. Since inception as a University of Technology in 2008, DUT has produced 53 Doctorates, 707 Masters, 10 940 Bachelor graduates and 29 992 National Diplomas. Emphasis is on preparing students for the world of work and for entrepreneurship. In addition to marked academic achievements, DUT boasts a vibrant, flexible approach and strong industry connections, to facilitate student placement for work-integrated learning, as required for graduation. The DUT student-centered culture emphasizes comprehensive development, providing more than mere academic support, attentive to the needs of students from diverse backgrounds.

The University's strategic direction is driven by two imperatives: student-centredness and engagement. These are the threads that constitute the fabric out of which DUT is created; the two strands in its DNA. The notion of student-centredness is that DUT exists to provide its students with the kind of learning environment that helps them grow intellectually, socially and emotionally. Student-centredness is predicated on the University's understanding of its students and what they bring with them to this place of learning so that it designs its programmes, its interaction and social interfaces, its physical spaces and its technological capacities to impact maximally on their growth as rounded, productive, responsible human beings.

Engagement has many dimensions but is always predicated on the core functions of the university - teaching-learning and research. As a university of technology, DUT must engage with local industry so as to support the development of the strategic parts of the economy. The engagement of the institution with local and national government is critical if DUT is to contribute to improving the quality of life of people - through its research and teaching. Vital to this role is engagement with communities built on strong bonds between the University and its social context. This has strong resonance at DUT where the majority of its students derive from the communities in which such engagement will occur.