A North-West University (NWU) delegation visited the University of Melbourne, Australia’s highest-ranked institution, on 20 November to benchmark international best practices and explore avenues for future collaboration.

The visit comes as the NWU accelerates plans to establish the Desmond Tutu School of Medicine, scheduled to welcome its first cohort in 2028, and advances discussions to launch a School of Mining and Mining Engineering.

The North-West University (NWU) and its AI Hub are continuing to strengthen the institution’s digital capacity through an incentive programme aimed at encouraging academic staff to complete the AI and Assessment course. This initiative is a collaborative effort between the office of the Senior Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Teaching and Learning, the AI Hub, the Centre for Teaching and Learning (CTL), and People and Culture.

During a visit to Australia, a delegation from the North-West University (NWU) held a series of engagements with The University of Western Australia (UWA) on 18 November 2025, opening discussions on collaboration in research, teaching and learning, and student and staff mobility.

The visit to UWA – the first by a South African university – aligns with the NWU’s strategy of developing long-term international partnerships across key academic disciplines.

For more than two decades, the African Nutrition Leadership Programme (ANLP) of the North-West University (NWU) has been shaping the future of nutrition leadership on the continent. Since its first programme in 2002, this flagship 10-day residential initiative, hosted annually at the NWU, has developed over 500 professionals from more than 40 African countries. This year alone this flagship programme will reach close to 50 professionals from 10 African countries.

• STEM education needs to be put in the spotlight for South Africa to revive its ailing education sector. 
• The education system is not producing underachievers; it is manufacturing exclusion. 
• Teaching must be restored to its former prestige, which is a respected, aspirational career rather than a reluctant fallback. 
• The state must confront its own complacency.

The battle against HIV in sub-Saharan Africa has always been as much about systems and science as about the virus itself. Antiretroviral therapy has turned what was once a death sentence into a manageable condition.

Yet, as Dr Monray Williams of the North-West University (NWU) cautions, “millions of people still face barriers to prevention and treatment. Poverty, limited healthcare infrastructure, and social stigma continue to shape who gets care and who does not.”

By Prof Linda du Plessis

The North-West University (NWU) proudly celebrates one of its shining stars, Dr Moleboheng Mokhele-Ramulumo from the Research Unit for Self-Directed Learning.

Dr Mokhele-Ramulumo received the South Africa’s Young Leader in Education award at the prestigious 40 Under 40 Awards ceremony held at Melrose Arch, Johannesburg.

This national recognition honours exceptional young professionals under the age of 40 who are making significant contributions as influential leaders and trailblazers in their respective fields.

The North-West University (NWU) continues to build on its reputation as a globally competitive and innovative institution, maintaining its position among the world’s leading universities in the latest Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings. This achievement reaffirms the standing of the NWU locally and internationally and highlights its consistent pursuit of academic and research excellence. The new strategy of the NWU, Taking the NWU forward: 2024 and beyond, is firmly guiding the institution in its pursuit of distinction.