Soft notes floated through the afternoon air like a gentle breeze across lavender fields. The scent of sunflowers and the glow of golden light transformed Prof Paul Smit’s home into a small corner of Provence, carrying guests on a journey of music, memory and quiet celebration.

On Saturday, 13 September, Prof Smit, associate professor in the School for Industrial Psychology and Human Resource Management at the North-West University (NWU), hosted the second house concert in memory of his late wife, Elmain.

North-West University (NWU) extraordinary professor Linda Godfrey has been elected as an International Fellow of the prestigious Royal Academy of Engineering (RAEng) in the United Kingdom.

This is the second key role she has had within the ambit of the RAEng. For the past four years, Prof Godfrey has served on the Board of the Academy’s Safer End of Engineered Life Programme, which aims to improve safety in the decommissioning of engineering products, structures and infrastructure.

In a world where numbers and words often dominate research, a North-West University (NWU) scholar is urging academics to “picture it”. During her inaugural lecture Prof Vicki Koen from the Faculty of Health Sciences argued that images, drawings and photographs can unlock new ways of understanding family well-being that traditional methods cannot.

On 19 August 2025, the university hosted a transformative sustainability workshop aimed at strengthening pathways for female students into impactful careers. With support from the British Council South Africa, the event created an inspiring platform for students to engage with practitioners, explore career options, and build the skills required to drive meaningful change.

In South Africa, a degree no longer guarantees a job. Youth unemployment hovers at crisis levels, and many graduates struggle to find stable work. Entrepreneurship, often touted as a remedy, is still seen by many as a last resort rather than a viable career path. The result is a paradox: at a time when the economy urgently needs new ventures, the very people best positioned to create them hesitate to take the leap.

Prof Klaus Beiter from the Faculty of Law at the North-West University (NWU) participated in the intergovernmental working group of the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva from 1 to 3 September 2025.

During this time the working group evaluated proposals for a fourth Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child ensuring free early childhood care and free secondary education.

A timely new academic publication has joined South Africa’s shelves of legal scholarship. Commercial Law and Related Issues: A Review of Contemporary Legal Issues and Regulatory Development in South Africa and Selected Jurisdictions, published by Juta, was officially launched during a recent legal research conference at the Potchefstroom Campus of the North-West University (NWU).

The United Nations Human Rights Council will hear next week from international legal experts, including the North-West University’s (NWU’s) Prof Klaus D Beiter, on whether a new protocol should guarantee children free early childhood care and secondary education.

“This process is about identifying whether existing international law adequately secures children’s right to education,” Prof Beiter says.

On 8 August 2025, the Sports Village at the Potchefstroom Campus was the setting as the School of Nursing hosted a Women’s Day celebration together with the NuMIQ research entity.

The theme, “Be yourself”, encouraged women who balance careers, families and research to embrace their identity.

The deputy director of the School of Nursing, Dr Khumo Shopo, told the gathering: “You are capable of doing extraordinary things. You are authors, innovators and trailblazers.”

In their 2025 Varsity Netball campaign opener, the North-West University (NWU) Eagles displayed confidence and teamwork in their convincing 63-29 victory against Varsity College at the Maties Coetzenburg Indoor Centre in Stellenbosch on Sunday, 24 August.

The Eagles dominated from the outset, taking the lead in the first quarter and maintaining their momentum throughout the match. By the end of the second quarter, they were leading 32-14, showcasing a stellar team performance.