Potchefstroom Campus News

Special moment for dean as daughter graduates in programme she championed

Twelve years ago, Prof. Liezl van Dyk, executive dean of the Faculty of Engineering, came to the North-West University (NWU) on a mission: to play a central role in developing industrial engineering as an impactful discipline at the university. Her daughter, Karla, was 10 years old at the time. Now, on 31 March this year, Prof. van Dyk experienced the fruits of her labour first-hand when Karla graduated as an industrial engineer.

“It is a full-circle moment that highlights the impact of academic leadership and the inspiration it offers to future generations of women in engineering… Read more

Momentum Investments Aardklop 2023 celebrates its success

“The productions and fun of the past week in Potchefstroom are proof that Aardklop is back with a vengeance.”

These words of Prof Daryl Balia, chairperson of the Aardklop board and the deputy vice-chancellor for information technology and Potchefstroom Campus operations at the North-West University (NWU), are echoed by Alexa Strachan,…

Bridging the gap: Fostering collaborations between academia and public service

The School of Government Studies in the Faculty of Humanities at the North-West University (NWU) hosted a public seminar on Tuesday, 3 October.

The seminar's primary objective was to address bridging the gap between academia and practice, with a particular emphasis on the role of the School of Government Studies.

Events of this…

Nepotism is stealing Africa’s future

Nepotism is not limited to isolated cases in Africa, but a trend throughout the continent. Allowing nepotism practices through family, friends and those least qualified to occupy leadership positions is tantamount to stealing Africa’s future from its young generation. The liberation movement of the 1960s has not succeeded in addressing…

Hamas attack on Isael: What does this mean for South Africa?

Crude oil prices are set to skyrocket after the attack on Israel. Israel is going to retaliate with full force. The attack has massive global implications.

On Saturday, 7 October, southern parts of Israel suffered a surprise attack on an unprecedented scale by Palestinian military group Hamas, leaving a wake of destruction, with more than…

Fortunate’s passion for herpetology takes him to Brazil

Postdoctoral researcher Fortunate Mafeta Phaka recently represented the North-West University (NWU) at the 10th Brazilian Herpetology Congress that took place in Porto Seguro.

This is the largest herpetology event in Brazil, bringing together researchers, students and professionals in the field to discuss the latest discoveries and…

Academic to lead preclinical GLP toxicity hub for pharmaceuticals development

South Africa and the North-West University (NWU) are stepping up to develop the African continent’s capabilities to develop its own human vaccines.

The glaring disparities in vaccine access during the Covid-19 pandemic has led to South Africa taking significant strides to bridge the gap between the global north and the African continent…

Forum explores originality and copyright challenges of AI-generated knowledge

The Faculty of Law and the Faculty of Humanities at the North-West University (NWU) jointly hosted the Artificial Intelligence (AI) Forum on the evening of Wednesday, 27 September.

The event centred around AI-generated knowledge and its implications for copyright, originality, and embodiment.

Among the speakers were Prof Dumi…

SADiLaR researcher selected for Open Seeds OLS-8 cohort

A digital humanities researcher from the South African Centre for Digital Language Resources (SADiLaR) at the North-West University (NWU) has been selected for the next cohort of the Open Life Science (OLS) Open Seeds programme.

This is an international mentoring and training programme for early-stage researchers and young leaders…

Digital upskilling in the spotlight at third DH-IGNITE regional event

The South African Centre for Digital Language Resources (SADiLaR) at the North-West University (NWU) recently hosted another successful DH-IGNITE regional event at the Premier Hotel OR Tambo in Kempton Park.

Staff and students from various universities and participants from the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research and the…

New Carpentries-certified instructor trainers to bolster digital skills in research

Two digital humanities researchers from the South African Centre for Digital Language Resources (SADiLaR) at the North-West University (NWU) have been included in The Carpentries' newest cohort of certified instructor trainers.

Following the completion of a 10-week long Train-the-Trainer course, Mmasibidi Setaka and Rooweither Mabuya…