By Angeline Marokoane

North-West University (NWU) students recently participated in the Universum Career Test survey, which resulted in the planting of 2 353 trees. As part of a global reforestation initiative called "One Tree Planted", an amount (in dollars) was donated. The initiative aims to plant trees around the world.

Universum is a global Data-driven, insight-led employer branding agency, focusing on brand perception. The organisation collaborates with partners around the globe to help create a more transparent world around education and career readiness.

According to Kelebogile Motsa, partner relations manager at Universum, the organisation takes part in various initiatives to give back, with this year’s initiative focusing on restoring the environment.

This collaboration with the NWU spans more than 10 years, according to Kelebogile. “I am extremely proud of the involvement of the students and the Career Centre in this initiative, which has resulted in 8 000 trees being planted worldwide,” she says.

Thoriso Maseng, Career Centre manager at the NWU, explains that partnering with Universum allows the university to assess its impact as an academic institution. 

“It provides insight on NWU student and alumni experiences by giving feedback on how students experience student life and academic support and programmes, among others. Additionally, the report gives us an indication as to whether we are producing work-ready individuals that are progressively making an impact in the job market.”

Thoriso adds, “In addition to benchmarking our curriculum against those of other academic institutions, the Universum report also allows us to judge our competitiveness. This is essential to improving our service offering and maintaining our reputation as a reputable and leading institution of higher education and training.”

According to Thoriso, the high survey participation rate of 15 182 in 2022, up from 8 125 in 2021, is a significant improvement. He attributes it to the active marketing and promotion efforts made by various departments within the university and through a variety of channels, including social media platforms.

The university was awarded the 2021 Universum Student Experience Certificate of Recognition for its “Outstanding Institutional Offering”. Thoriso is extremely proud of this and coveys his gratitude to the entire university fraternity.

More information can be found here: AFR100: Plant Trees for Africa | One Tree Planted.

(One Tree Planted is a 501(c)(3) non-profit dedicated to global reforestation. They plant trees to restore nature and biodiversity. They also raise awareness about the importance of trees, offer businesses a simple sustainability solution, and motivate younger generations to do something positive for the environment.)