On Thursday, 24 July, the 2025 Leopards Lair® Student Pitching event showcased a vibrant celebration of innovative ideas. Held at the D’Vine VenU on the Potchefstroom Campus, the event highlighted exceptional student talent across two categories: Side Hustles and Research-Based Ventures.

TTIS and the bhive Enterprise Development Centre collaborated to host an event that brought together a panel of esteemed judges, industry professionals, staff, and students, creating an atmosphere of ambition and creativity.

The high calibre of postgraduate research at the North-West University (NWU) has been nationally recognised. Seven NWU students were awarded top honours at the South African Institute of Physics (SAIP) annual conference, the country’s leading platform for physics scholars.

The awards span three fields: space science, astrophysics and condensed matter physics. Six students from the NWU’s Centre for Space Research (CSR) and one student from the Physics subject group walked away with the spoils.

Tanya Lerm never imagined herself in the aerospace sector. But nearly seven years after joining NewSpace Systems, she now leads it.

“Stepping into the role of CEO at NewSpace Systems has been one of the most significant moments of my career, both professionally and personally,” said Tanya, who holds a Bachelor of Engineering degree in Metallurgical Engineering from the North-West University (NWU). “It is a company I have grown with, a team I believe in, and an industry that never stops pushing boundaries.”

The North-West University (NWU) continues to affirm its leadership in student success, and has been nominated as one of the top three universities in South Africa in the Best Career Service category at the South African Graduate Employers Association (SAGEA) Awards 2025.

The nomination places the NWU in the same league as long-established institutions such as the University of Cape Town and the University of Pretoria – a significant milestone for the university’s career development efforts.

A vibrant trial run took place this past Saturday, 19 July at Matlosana Mall in Klerksdorp, setting the pace for the upcoming TRACTOR Awareness Rally, an inspiring campaign by North-West University (NWU) aimed at raising awareness around dementia and Alzheimer’s in South Africa.

The TRACTOR campaign (Together Rallying Across Communities to Overcome Remembrance-loss) is a collaborative initiative driven by NWU’s Faculty of Health Sciences, Engineering Compliance, and the Department of Sustainability and Community Impact, in partnership with corporate and community stakeholders.

In the heart of the Northern Cape, science will step out of the classroom and into the community as the North-West University (NWU) brings its third Vice-Chancellor’s Science Day to Mothibistad on 6 August 2025.

The event, to be held at the Thabo Moorosi Multi-Purpose Hall in Kuruman, is part of a growing outreach initiative by the NWU to strengthen public engagement with science and spark the interest of rural learners in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) careers. It follows successful editions in Mabieskraal (2023) and Taung (2024).

The concert hall was silent. When the words came, they came almost reluctantly. “Here I am, having to give a lecture,” said Prof Piet Koornhof, a violinist. “I would much rather perform music. So, I shall do both.”

With that, Prof Koornhof from the North-West University’s (NWU’s) School of Music set the tone for an inaugural lecture that merged scholarship with stagecraft.

Held at the Potchefstroom Campus on 25 June 2025, his lecture traced the anatomy of expressive musical performance, not just as a technical exercise, but as a deeply human act.

The NWU’s Development and Fundraising department has teamed up with the non-profit organisation Meals on Wheels Community Services (MOWCS) to effect change through a new partnership. The collaboration was launched on Friday 18 July at the Vanderbijlpark Campus, where the spirit of ubuntu was evident. To celebrate Nelson Mandela Day, they hosted a sandwich drive at the Tsebonokeng Hall, serving around 1500 sandwiches to students.

Drought, intensified by global warming and compounded by human action, has taken a devastating toll on wildlife across Africa and the Amazon between 2023 and 2025. According to a sobering new United Nations report, animal populations are being ravaged not just by thirst and starvation, but by human intervention as fragile ecosystems buckle under climatic stress.

Tissue bioprinting and regenerative medicine are critical new frontiers in advancing human health. In partnership with a top Spanish researcher, the NWU has dramatically expanded its bioprinting research and innovation capabilities in its quest to find alternatives to animal testing and enhance personalised medicine.