Academic News

Professor Marietjie Havenga delivers inaugural lecture

An inaugural lecture is considered an important rite of passage in the life and career of an academic.

Professor Marietjie Havenga delivered her inaugural lecture, titled Cooperative problem-based learning in Information Technology: Active learning for the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

In this lecture, Prof Havenga argued that…

QS World University Rankings reconfirm NWU to be among the best

The latest Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) ranking has placed the North-West University (NWU) among the top eight South African universities in the QS World University Rankings, which were released on 8 June.

Globally, the NWU has been placed in the 1 001 to 1 200 ranking category for the 2022/2023 QS World University Rankings – the same as…

New language resources for the four South African Nguni languages

Better technology tools are on the way for South Africa’s four Nguni languages. Research being done at the Centre for Text Technology (CTexT®) at the North-West University (NWU) is helping to fill in the missing links about how these languages are being used, which will in turn lead to the development of language tools based on the latest…

Microscopic wonder on yellow-bellied sea snake is a scientific breakthrough

Just as vastness induces awe, so there is wonder to be found in the miniscule. For Dr Roksana Majewska from the Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences at the North-West University (NWU), this is an absolute truth. Before we zoom in, we need to talk about Hydrophis platurus – or the more friendly sounding yellow-bellied sea snake. This…

NWU alumnus is an Unsung Hero

North-West University (NWU) alumnus Keatlegile Mabena has recently been selected as one of the Sunday World Unsung Heroes for 2022. He received an award under the category Youth in Education and Academia.

The Unsung Heroes Awards were launched in 2021, as a tribute to the many young people across the country who are not afraid to dream…

NWU teaches high school learners more about geographic mapping

The subject group Geography on the North-West University’s (NWU’s) Mahikeng Campus recently hosted 44 Grade 11 and 12 learners from the Tiego Tawana High School to teach them more about the Geographic Information System (GIS) software application.

GIS is a system that creates, manages, analyses, and maps all types of data. GIS connects…

NWU alumnus nominated for most influential young person in North West Province

By Ontiretse Motingwa

Tebogo Phakedi, a North-West University (NWU) alumnus has been nominated as one of the 50 most influential young people in the North West province.

Tebogo, a journalist at the SABC, was nominated after local newspaper Naledi News requested its readers and the general public to…

NWU principal and vice-chancellor joins world leaders in nuclear science for international webinar

North-West University’s principal and vice-chancellor, Dr Bismark Tyobeka, has been invited by prominent global leaders in nuclear affairs to be a panelist in an international webinar on the role of nuclear and radiology safety in the peaceful applications of nuclear science and technology.

The webinar is organised by the…

Renowned educationist passed away

A well-known former dean of the Faculty of Education and vice-rector at the North-West University’s (NWU’s) Vanderbijlpark Campus, Prof Dewey de Wet, passed away in the early hours of Saturday, 2 July in his house in Potchefstroom.

Prof de Wet studied at the former Potchefstroom University for Christian Higher Education (PU for CHE),…

Golden opportunity to help vulnerable learners become healthy adults

The surge in lifestyle diseases in South Africa could be halted by paying more attention to the lifestyle choices of young and vulnerable learners, especially in rural areas.

“The period of rapid growth and development that occurs in childhood has a profound impact on future health and quality of life enjoyed in adulthood, and…