Human Interest News

SADiLaR celebrates PhD aimed at improving Sesotho learners' reading skills

A former high school teacher's quest to improve the poor reading ability of learners in low-resource languages has resulted in a groundbreaking PhD. Centered on the development of a means to measure text readability while developing digital language resources for Sesotho, this research is the first of its kind and will also serve as a model for…

First-of-a-kind study measures children’s utterances

A study published by the Child Language Development Node of the South African Centre for Digital Language Resources (SADiLaR) at the North-West University (NWU) is the first of its kind to measure children’s utterances in isiXhosa, Sesotho, Setswana and Xitsonga.

The research team, led by node manager and principal investigator Prof…

Convocation hosts debate on the battle for the youth vote

On 24 May 2024 the Executive Committee (ExCo) of the North-West University’s (NWU’s) Convocation hosted a public discussion themed “Battle for the youth vote – 30 years into democracy”.

Held at the NWU’s Mahikeng Campus and moderated by ExCo of Convocation member Bongani Mahlangu, attendees had the opportunity to engage with political…

Paving the way for ethical leadership from Potchefstroom to Geneva

The North-West University's (NWU’s) Unit for Distance Learning (UDL) emerged as a pivotal voice at the recent International Council for Open and Distance Education (ICDE) Leadership Summit that took place from 5 to 7 June 2024.

This summit was a collaborative effort between the ICDE, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and…

Delving into socio-economic issues to strengthen global engagement

The North-West University’s (NWU’s) long-standing commitment to building a diverse plethora of global relationships resulted in a noteworthy event encouraging the exchange of ideas on Friday, 21 June.

A delegation of about 30 individuals from the University of Pennsylvania’s Africa Center in Philadelphia in the United States (US) and…

Transformative workshop examines energy resilience and sustainability within BRICS+ nations

Prof Kedibone Phago, director of the School of Government Studies at the North-West University (NWU), recently had the opportunity to attend a landmark workshop with the BRICS Research Community of Practice.

Hosted by the Pandit Deendayal Energy University in Gujarat, India, the event drew scholars from BRICS and BRICS+ nations,…

Venture leads to turnkey solutions to everyday problems

The Faculty of Engineering at the North-West University (NWU) prides itself on its cutting-edge innovations and research. One of the faculty’s internal corporate ventures called STRIDE is unique in that it is able to timeously produce business-ready solutions for everyday challenges.

STRIDE, which was founded in 2022, recently rebranded…

Executive dean to be acting judge in the High Court

Being appointed to the bench is the pinnacle of achievement for any legal professional, signifying the highest recognition of one’s ability and commitment to justice.  Serving as a judge in the superior courts of the country is a prestigious honour sought after by most in the legal fraternity.   

Dr Neo Morei, the…

Subject group History hosts insightful pre-conference presentations

The subject group History at the North-West University's (NWU’s) Vanderbijlpark Campus recently hosted a series of insightful postgraduate history presentations, serving as a rehearsal for the upcoming South African Hydrological Society (SAHS) Conference set to take place from 26 to 28 June at the University of Johannesburg.

The event…

First Sesotho Language Colloquium to further discourse on the importance of indigenous languages

The School of Languages and the Language Directorate at the North-West University (NWU) will host a Sesotho Colloquium from 27 to 28 June to celebrate and promote the Sesotho language.

This colloquium is significant as it marks the first time a conference of this scale will be conducted entirely in an African indigenous language and is…