Winning an award once is admirable. Winning it twice is even better. Winning it again and again is a feat.

Students and graduates of the North-West University’s (NWU) Graphic Design subject group shine in national and international awards competitions year after year. Showing incredible consistency, they have been bagging awards through their distinctive creativity and skills.

This year, true to their tradition, NWU designers again excelled at the international Loerie Awards and the Student Gold Pack Awards.

On Friday, 3 November, the three campuses of the North-West University (NWU) each hosted their annual memorial service in honour of all the staff and students who had sadly passed away during the past year.

Thirty-two students and eight personnel had passed away – a figure the NWU could never have anticipated.

“These individuals are not just a number or a statistic; they are people who touched our lives and we are thankful that in their lives our paths crossed,” said Prof Linda du Plessis, deputy vice-chancellor for Planning and Campus Operations (Vanderbijlpark Campus).

By Mbali Skosana

A second chance to achieve better matric results may just be the key to a thriving career in engineering. Through the innovative Xcel programme, the North-West University (NWU) is giving talented matrics whose final results stand in the way of their dream to become engineers the opportunity to pursue their passion.

The commitment of the North-West University (NWU) to helping ensure that all the citizens of the continent have access to safe water was again evident when the 24th WaterNet/WARFSA/GWP-SA Symposium was held in Zanzibar, in the United Republic of Tanzania, on 25 October. The NWU is home to the SADC WaterNet Secretariat.

The symposium was held under the theme of Accelerating Change: Fostering Innovation and Integration for Sustainable Water Resources Management in Eastern and Southern Africa.

Prof Raymond Parsons, economist from the North-West University (NWU) Business School, says in the face of pressing economic and fiscal challenges, the Medium-Term Budget Policy Statement (MTBPS) offered a realistic but vulnerable fiscal picture for South Africa.

In commenting on the MTBPS that was presented to Parliament on 1 November by Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana, Prof Parsons points out that several of the fiscal risks outlined in the main February Budget have materialised and were recognised by the minister.

It was decided on an impulse, but she knew it would work. Like the Springboks and their millions of supporters, she believed.

When captain Siya Kolisi lifted the Webb Ellis Cup after the Springboks beat the All Blacks 12-11 in the final of the IRB Rugby World Cup in France, Nomvula Chasakara, chairperson of the Potchefstroom Campus Student Council (PCSC) at the North-West University (NWU), and her dedicated team had ensured that R100 000 would be allocated to aid struggling students with their registration fees in 2024.

On Friday, 20 October, the Faculty of Education at the North-West University (NWU) launched the Centre for Higher Education Professional Development (CHEPD), and the Centre for African Language Teaching (CALT) – Setswana.

Clad in a variety of African cultural attires, distinguished speakers and esteemed guests descended on the beautiful Roots Café in Potchefstroom to witness the inauguration of the two centres.

By Vukosi Mathale

As a testament to their dedication and commitment to innovation, the North-West University’s (NWU’s) Technology Transfer and Innovation Support (TTIS) office has been honoured with the esteemed Department of Science and Innovation / Southern African Research and Innovation Management Association (DSI/SARIMA) Award for Organisational Excellence in Innovation Management.

The announcement was made during the 2023 SARIMA Connect, Celebrate, Collaborate event held in Johannesburg on 19 October.

“The foundations of the 2023 Medium-Term Budget Policy Statement (MTBPS) on 1 November need to be realistic and sound, given the additional fiscal and economic challenges it faces.”

Prof Raymond Parsons, economist at the North-West University (NWU) Business School, says the National Treasury has already warned of the tough decisions that will need to be made in the medium-term Budget.