“Never view challenges as a disadvantage. Instead, it is important for you to understand that facing and overcoming difficulty is actually one of your biggest advantages since it teaches you perseverance, resilience and adaptability.” This is the message from Prof Linda du Plessis, acting campus rector of the Vanderbijlpark Campus of the North-West University (NWU) to all members of the campus community.

The following article represents an opinion piece by Dr Ilyayambwa Mwanawina, an expert in regional integration, international law, good governance and human rights from the North-West University (NWU). He explains what he believes the African Union and African universities should learn from this watershed legal ruling – especially with regards to African integration.

A woman is often referred to as a full circle: within her is the power to create, nurture and transform. When you look at the calibre of finalists for the 2017 rendition of the Woman Of Stature (WOS): Woman of the Year Awards, these words indeed ring true. Amongst these finalists are Shannon Roscher, an alumna of the North-West University’s (NWU) Vanderbijlpark Campus.

The resurgence of anti-immigrant violence in Johannesburg and Pretoria has send shockwaves across the continent and prompted calls for robust dialogue and pro-active interventions to stamp out xenophobia.

Two years ago Avril Bromfield from Henley on Klip took a giant leap of faith: she quit her job in office administration to become a fulltime entrepreneur. Initially she did not start out as an entrepreneurial expert – as is the case with many start-up business owners. Apart from an enormous amount of hard work, starting a business without money or financial backing was a daunting endeavour.

The Optentia research focus area on the Vanderbijlpark Campus and the Faculty of Education Sciences on the Potchefstroom Campus of the North-West University (NWU) is hosting the 2nd Bi-Annual Symposium on Teacher Education for Inclusion in collaboration with De Vlaamse Vereniging voor Ontwikkelingsamenwerking en Technische Bijstand. 

The North-West University’s Vanderbijlpark Campus (NWU Vaal) is joining hands with the Social Sciences Research Society in Turkey to host the 8th International Conference on Social Sciences (ICSS) later this year.

The Optentia Research Focus Area on the Vanderbijlpark Campus of the North-West University (NWU Vaal) will welcome Dr Carina Venter from Oxford University in England on 22 March this year. Dr Venter will be hosting a workshop entitled: Ambiguous Intervention – The work of music in unequal times.  

Not many university campuses in South Africa can boast with canoeing as a competitive sporting code, but at the North-West University’s Vanderbijlpark Campus (NWU Vaal), the sport is going from strength to strength. 

Two Social Work students from the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven (KU Leuven) in Belgium is currently doing their third year internship under the watchful eye of Prof. Ansie Fouché, at the Department of Social Work in the Faculty Humanities on the Vanderbijlpark Campus of the North-West University (NWU).  Paulien Heylen and Elisa Vanderwegen will spend the next three months in the employment of Child Welfare, Vanderbijlpark.