Two students from the North-West University (NWU) recently clinched the championship title in the prestigious Southern Africa Debating Championships, hosted by die University of Botswana in Gaborone.

With this amazing performance, they marked a historic achievement for the university, as it was the first time the NWU reached the finals and took the spoils.

The winning students were part of a group of six talented students from the Debate Society on the Potchefstroom Campus who represented the university at the championships.

The North-West University (NWU) hosted the Young African Entrepreneurs Institute (YAEI) and Absa Youth Entrepreneurship Northwest Tour (YET), from 6 to 7 August, welcoming young impactful entrepreneurs to the Potchefstroom Campus.

The YET aims to extend entrepreneurship development support across South Africa. The tour visits each province, providing a platform where young entrepreneurs can showcase their ventures. 

A new book written by a group of researchers from the TRADE research entity at the North-West University (NWU) delves into digital developments in Africa and their effects on employment. Titled Digital developments and employment: Understanding trends in Africa, the book is published by AOSIS under an open-access licence.

The North-West University (NWU) bestowed an honorary doctorate on internationally renowned pharmaceutical business leader and NWU alumnus Jannie Oosthuizen on Friday, 2 August.

Mr Oosthuizen is recognised for his exceptional contributions to and significant standing in the international health sector, where he is considered a key role player.

The Faculty of Engineering at the North-West University (NWU) held its Postgraduate Open Day on 25 July, granting prospective students the opportunity to engage with the faculty and peers.

The Open Day served as a platform for students to explore Engineering PhD programmes, the diverse research fields and advanced facilities of the NWU. Attendees also discovered more about interdisciplinary possibilities, application procedures and funding opportunities through presentations by leading experts in the faculty.

Researchers across the faculties at the NWU continue to produce exciting work in their fields of expertise.

We introduce the work of two researchers - Prof Anja Franken and Dr Suranie Horn, both from the Occupational Hygiene and Health Research Initiative (OHHRI).

Artificial intelligence (AI) has significantly transformed communication systems in today’s modern world. The integration of AI into various communication systems will likely lead to more advanced capabilities and the invention of new applications. Autonomous vehicles, exceptionally fast communications speeds and smart cities come to mind.

The South African Centre for Digital Language Resources (SADiLaR) at the North-West University (NWU) had a significant presence during South Africa’s winter conference season.

Prof Wannie Carstens, the former director of the School of Languages at the North-West University (NWU), has been awarded the prestigious Jan H Marais Prize for his exceptional contributions to Afrikaans as a scientific language by the Suid-Afrikaanse Akademie vir Wetenskap en Kuns (the South African Academy of Science and Arts). This is in recognition of his high level and high quality of work, as well as his expert contribution to Afrikaans linguistics.

The staff soccer and netball teams of the North-West University’s (NWU’s) Potchefstroom Campus demonstrated their athletic prowess and team spirit during a friendly tournament held at the University of Johannesburg (UJ) this past weekend. The event also featured teams from the University of Pretoria (UP) and Metropolitan Life, offering a thrilling mix of competition and camaraderie.

Soccer team results