South Africa does not suffer from a knowledge deficit. It suffers from a translation deficit. The country produces knowledge at scale as universities generate research, publishing extensively and graduating thousands of students each year. Yet, despite this intellectual productivity, graduate unemployment remains high, critical skills shortages persist and a divide remains between what graduates know and what they are able to do.
A cut-down piano that emits a single high-pitched note drew students and academics into a discussion on memory, absence and artistic practice when the North-West University (NWU) hosted one of the country’s leading art awards.
The university hosted the Helgaard Steyn Award for Sculpture 2025 at the NWU Gallery, bringing together artists, academics and representatives from the Helgaard Steyn Trust. The award, regarded as the largest art prize in South Africa, forms part of a four-year cycle that alternates between sculpture, painting, musical composition and literary arts.
A team of North-West University (NWU) students will represent South Africa at the 5th International Soil Judging Competition, scheduled for June 2026 in Nanjing, China. This will place the institution on a global platform for soil science training and research.
The team, led by NWU lecturer and research scientist Angelique Daniell from the School of Geo- and Spatial Sciences, includes Wehan Voges, Heike Steinberg, Botha du Plessis and Sebastian Burger, who will compete against teams from 23 countries.
The FNB North-West University (NWU) Eagles booked their place in the 2026 Varsity Cup Final in emphatic fashion, dismantling FNB Maties 50 – 10 in a blockbuster semi-final fixture at the Fanie du Toit Sportsgrounds on Monday, 6 April. The dominant victory extends the Eagles’ unbeaten home run and avenges their 26 – 30 defeat to Maties in their round-six clash at the Danie Craven Stadium on 23 March.
Twelve years ago, Prof. Liezl van Dyk, executive dean of the Faculty of Engineering, came to the North-West University (NWU) on a mission: to play a central role in developing industrial engineering as an impactful discipline at the university. Her daughter, Karla, was 10 years old at the time. Now, on 31 March this year, Prof. van Dyk experienced the fruits of her labour first-hand when Karla graduated as an industrial engineer.
The FNB North-West University (NWU) Eagles secured a dramatic, hard-fought 56 -53 victory over the FNB University of Cape Town (UCT) Ikeys on Monday, 20 March in front of a boisterous crowd at the Fanie Du Toit Stadium. In a game of two halves, defined by moments of magic and mistakes, the Eagles were waiting in the wings.
North-West University (NWU) student Makatu Mashanyu has been selected as one of the 100 South African Shining Stars by Inside Education for his contribution to education in disadvantaged communities.
“Being recognised among the 100 South African Shining Stars is both humbling and deeply encouraging. Personally, it reminds me how far I have come as both as a student, while keeping me grounded in the understanding that there is still so much to learn and become,” says Makatu, a PhD candidate in chemical and mineral engineering at the NWU.
The University of Zululand recently played host to a dynamic and impactful two-day Corpus Creation and Linguistic Text Processing Tools Workshop, held at its KwaDlangezwa campus on 17 and 18 March 2026.
The North-West University's (NWU) Faculty of Law hosted a seminar which provided an in-depth exploration of the Companies Tribunal and its essential role in alternative dispute resolution, offering students a closer look at real-world legal practices.
The seminar, held across the Potchefstroom and Mahikeng campuses, was specifically tailored for final-year law students enrolled in the Specific Contracts module (IURI413) and timed to coincide with national and global Consumer Week.
Sunflowers stretching towards the sky and rows of green maize plants swaying in the breeze set the tone for a day rooted in growth, learning and possibility at Pienaarskamp Farm.
Just a day earlier, the farm had already made an impression. Prof. Bismark Tyobeka, principal and vice-chancellor of the North-West University (NWU), had taken members of the NWU Council on a tour of Pienaarskamp. They left inspired by what they saw, a space where vision is not only imagined, but actively lived out.