The Optentia Research Unit at the North-West University (NWU) has officially launched two innovative hybrid short courses designed to build mentoring capacity and strengthen professional development among university support staff. These short courses, which were developed and presented in collaboration with People and Culture at the NWU, follows the implementation of two short courses for academics, namely Being a Successful Academic Mentor and Being a Successful Academic Mentee.

The second annual Industry Summit of the School of Communication brought together nearly 600 students across the North-West University (NWU) campuses in October 2025, marking a significant milestone in Prof Lida Holtzhausen's vision to connect communication students directly with industry leaders.

By Gofaone Motsamai

When water gushes from a rural borehole, many see purity, but beneath that clear stream could lie invisible fungal organisms capable of causing serious infections. To protect public health, South Africa should introduce inclusive microbial monitoring, according to a North-West University (NWU) study.

Recognising prior learning in indigenous knowledge (IK) will ensure that people and communities who have preserved traditional knowledge for generations are included in South Africa’s national innovation agenda.

This is the intention of the national Department of Science, Technology and Innovation (DSTI), which in partnership with the North-West University (NWU) and several other universities, is facilitating the development of norms and standards for IK as a discipline.

After long days of teaching English in South Korea, Marcel van der Westhuizen would often find himself pondering the biggest questions imaginable: How will the universe ultimately end? His persistence and curiosity have now paid off.

What a wonderful and historic moment for South African cricket. The Proteas have finished runners-up at the ICC Women’s World Cup after a thrilling final against hosts India on Sunday, 2 November 2025.

Although they narrowly missed out on the title, they made history by becoming the first South African senior side ever to reach an ICC Cricket World Cup final in any format. Their run to the final has been nothing short of inspirational.

In a region grappling with youth unemployment and slow economic growth, the North-West University (NWU) is actively tackling these issues through its robust entrepreneurship development initiatives.

Each year, the University’s bhive Enterprise and Development Centre supports sustainable business creation for students, staff and the wider community by hosting competitions and offering skills development programmes.

The North-West University (NWU) honoured ten remarkable professionals at its prestigious biennial Alumni Excellence Awards ceremony held in Pretoria on 30 October.

This year’s distinguished honourees include veteran South African actor Hans Strydom, World Cup cricket star Tazmin Brits, and health economist Prof James Avoka Asamani, among others.

Through the Alumni Excellence Awards, the NWU recognises exceptional alumni whose work is making a lasting impact in their respective fields and in society.

Donors and industry partners play a vital role in keeping dreams alive at the North-West University (NWU). This was highlighted at the annual Donors and Stakeholders Luncheon, held in Pretoria on 28 October, at which the university expressed its deep appreciation for these invaluable partnerships.