 Identity Statement
St Augustine is a centre of research and higher education seeking to promote intellectual and ethical leadership by contributing the resources of the Catholic intellectual tradition to the critical development and transformation of human culture. It is a higher education provider offering a critically grounded values-based education for the development and renewal of the southern region of Africa and for the continent of Africa.
Addressing the Context
We situate ourselves in a complex and ambiguous global context, keenly aware of the impact of economic globalisation, as we address the problems of marginalisation and development in Africa as a whole along with the challenges of culture, renewal and intercultural dialogue, poverty, unemployment, crime, democratisation, human rights and interfaith dialogue within South Africa.
Educational Character
As a university our aim is to be a centre of academic excellence which engages with full academic rigour in a wide range of fields in a way that opens up horizons. As a Catholic university we operate out of a vision that is truly catholic in its inclusiveness. Such a perspective takes integrative and evaluational thinking that discerns the genuine public and common good to be proper to the university. Our approach will be based on a critical realism that is able to integrate the humanities and the sciences as well as give a central place to philosophy and theology.
 Statement of Purpose
The aim of research and education will be a Catholic humanism that involves the integral development of person, society, culture and humanity as whole. We aim at a liberating education that combines career competence and technical expertise with the development of social and moral responsibility in order to form leaders who will benefit the life of the nation as a whole. We wish also to articulate a proper understanding of the transformative significance of different religions and to show how authentic spirituality can contribute to the renewal of the wider society. The Statements above inform not only the ethos of the College, but influence the very design of its programmes.
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