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.
“This visit is an important step as we expand our international collaborations. Opportunities such as co-publishing, research partnerships and student exchanges form part of our strategic direction,” said Nontsikelelo Kote-Nkomo, executive director for strategy and strategic projects and head of the delegation.
The NWU team held sector-focused meetings across various UWA schools. At the host’s School of Earth and Oceans, Beatrix Bouwman and Lester Mpolokeng engaged with senior academics on research into mineral studies, environmental systems and regional scientific networks. The discussions highlighted possible cooperation in postgraduate training, joint field-based research and specialised short-course development.
At the UWA’s School of Engineering, Dr Sihle Nhleko, director of the Centre for Sustainable Mining, met with engineering academics to explore shared interests in mining systems, research integration and potential academic exchange models. The team reviewed UWA’s practice-focused teaching approach and identified opportunities for collaboration in curriculum innovation and research-led training.
Prof Molekodi Matsipane and Phillip Malan engaged with counterparts in the School of Anatomy, Physiology and Sports Science. Their discussions focused on teaching models, research strengths and the potential to align expertise in human movement, performance sciences and applied physiology.
At the UWA’s School of Agriculture and Environment, Prof Thebe Medupe explored areas of shared interest in environmental stewardship, climate-linked research themes and potential networks for cross-institutional collaboration in agricultural sciences.
“This visit is important to our goal of deepening global partnerships. The NWU is the first university from South Africa to visit UWA, and this sets the foundation for conversations about working together,” said David Connell, associate director in the UWA’s Global Engagement Office.
The institutions agreed to continue engagement with the aim of developing structured collaboration.
The visit contributes to the NWU’s broader effort to strengthen its international academic footprint through targeted partnerships.
The NWU delegation with executives from the University of Western Australia.
