Academic News

Prof Jacques Petzer honoured as Best Examiner by SAPC

The North-West University (NWU) continues to shine in academic excellence as Prof Jacques Petzer, professor in Pharmaceutical Chemistry in the Faculty of Health Sciences, has been recognised as the Best Examiner in professional exams for 2024 by the South African Pharmacy Council (SAPC).

This prestigious honour celebrates Prof Petzer’s…

TELIT-SA’s digital futures symposium explores how artificial intelligence is reshaping education

The landscape of education is transforming at an unprecedented pace, driven by the rapid advancement of artificial intelligence (AI). This year’s iTLT Digital Futures Symposium, themed “Accelerating education through AI: Collaborative innovation for the future”, brought together leading experts from around the world to explore the ways AI is…

Academic earns spot in global grant programme

Articulating the social value of her research is a key priority for North-West University (NWU) researcher Prof Olubukola Oluranti Babalola, who has been selected for a top global programme on cutting-edge grant-writing and related skills.

Prof Babalola, director of the Food Security and Safety research niche area at the university, has…

Setswana experts assist the NWU Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences to translate study guides

By Phenyo Mokgothu and Gofaone Motsamai

In a significant move to enhance multilingualism at the North-West University (NWU), a team of Setswana language experts is assisting the Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences (FNAS) to translate study guides into Setswana. This initiative aligns with the NWU’s…

First-ever publication in Nature highlights space debris threat

The North-West University (NWU) has achieved a milestone with its first-ever publication in the journal Nature with Prof Thembinkosi Malevu of the subject group Physics sharing possible solutions to the risks posed by space junk.

Co-authored with Prof Richard Ocaya from the University of the Free State, the research focuses on the risks…

Faculty of Law to host lecture on judicial limits and apex court authority

Is the Constitutional Court within its powers when it rules against decisions made in Parliament? Or is it stepping across the line between separate branches of government?

Setting out to answer these questions, the North-West University’s (NWU’s) Faculty of Law is set to host a public lecture, “The functions of an apex court: Who…

Dr Masego Matjila’s fight to keep Setswana alive

For decades Dr Masego Ezekiel “Easy” Matjila’s voice has carried the baton of the Setswana language in the hope of handing it over to the younger generation. This message came across loud and clear at a recent event at the North-West University (NWU).

On 13 March 2025, he shared his journey in Setswana broadcasting at the annual public…

Budget seeks balance between fiscal sustainability and economic growth

The revised Budget statement presented to Parliament by Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana on 12 March, proposing a new fiscal mix of spending, borrowing and taxing as a response to the previous opposition to the 2% rise in VAT proposed in the original Budget, diverges to some extent from the parameters outlined in the original Budget.

Sustainability reporting poses challenges for JSE-listed companies

Companies listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) must navigate evolving sustainability reporting requirements to ensure compliance, credibility and investor confidence.

Prof Neels Kilian of the North-West University’s (NWU’s) Faculty of Law outlined the complexities of this shift in his inaugural lecture – titled “The legal…

New research offers hope in Africa’s malaria crisis

A new weapon in the battle against malaria is emerging, and this time not from a laboratory, but rather driven by machine learning.

Researchers at the North-West University (NWU) have leveraged artificial intelligence (AI) to accelerate the search for life-saving drugs, a breakthrough that could shift the tide against this deadly…