Academic joins inaugural global cohort for IOC diploma in sports pharmacy

A North-West University (NWU) professor has been selected for a new diploma in sports pharmacy offered by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), marking a significant milestone for both the institution and the pharmacy profession.

Prof. Stephan Steyn, an associate professor in Pharmacology, will join the inaugural 2026 intake of the…

Translating academic work into societal value

South Africa does not suffer from a knowledge deficit. It suffers from a translation deficit. The country produces knowledge at scale as universities generate research, publishing extensively and graduating thousands of students each year. Yet, despite this intellectual productivity, graduate unemployment remains high, critical skills shortages…

Academic support programme introduced to address students’ concern

The Students’ Campus Council (SCC) at the Mahikeng Campus of the North-West University (NWU) has introduced academic support programme to address student concerns related to academic matters and services offered by faculties.

The initiative was developed in response to ongoing student concerns about marks, credits, graduation outcomes…

Indigenous languages key in fight against crime

As crime continues to ravage communities across South Africa, a North-West University (NWU) researcher has highlighted how indigenous languages play an active role in strengthening crime prevention efforts through communication strategies in rural areas.

Dr Kgomotso Bosilong, a research support coordinator at the NWU, is focusing her…

NWU students take on the Dusi

The Dusi Canoe Marathon is not for the faint-hearted. Known as one of South Africa’s toughest endurance races, it pushes paddlers to their limits with punishing portages, technical rapids, and the relentless heat of the valley. For North-West University (NWU) students Craig Cribbins and Ethan Kleu, the 2026 Dusi was more than just a race. It…

Academic takes public health leadership role on global stage

Taking along the spirit of Ubuntu, a North-West University (NWU) academic is stepping onto the international stage to connect South African public health research with global networks through her appointment to a key leadership role at a major international conference.

Dr Mpho Chipu from the School of Nursing has been appointed by the…

Researchers call for stronger community involvement in wetland management policies

A recent study, co-authored by Dr Mandla Dlamini, researcher from the Unit of Environmental Management and Sciences (UESM) at the North-West University (NWU), emphasises that floodplain wetland management and disaster risk reduction efforts are unlikely to succeed without the active participation of affected communities.

The research…

Nanostar technology at the NWU brings hope for early disease detection

At the North-West University (NWU), research is more than publishing, it is about transforming lives. This is the vision driving a team at the Centre for Human Metabolomics (CHM), where scientists developed a nanostar-based reagent that could revolutionise how rare diseases such as galactosemia are detected. The reagent promises significant…

South Africa’s municipal crisis is moving to the urban edge

• By Prof. Joseph Sekhampu, chief director of the NWU Business School

Approaching Johannesburg along its main entry routes, or entering Cape Town, Durban, or Tshwane from their peripheries, a pattern becomes difficult to ignore. Long before the formal city appears, informal settlements stretch along highways and vacant land. The city…

NWU hosts critical dialogue on the future of Local Government

In communities across the country, frustration is quietly building. What begins as a missed service or delayed response often grows into something deeper, a sense that the system meant to serve the people is no longer working for them. The failures of local government are no longer distant policy concerns or abstract…