The latest Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) World University Rankings by Subject places the agricultural and medicine offerings of the North-West University (NWU) among those of the leading universities in the world.

Both the subject groups for agriculture and medicine retained their positions from last year’s ranking edition. According to QS, agriculture remains in the 301 to 350 category and medicine in the 701 to 850 ranking category. QS published this latest ranking on 25 March.

North-West University (NWU) nursing student Mecayla Johnson will represent South Africa at the 46th International WorldSkills Competition after winning the WorldSkills South Africa Occupational Standards national competition.

Mecayla represented the NWU at the national competition from 8 to 12 March 2026 in KwaZulu-Natal where she competed against seven participants from across the country. They were tested on their knowledge and grasp of their respective talents in simulated hospital and clinic scenarios.

NWU sprint hurdler Franco le Roux delivered a standout performance at the World Athletics Indoor Championship in Poland On Saturday 21 March. He set a new time of 7.50 seconds in the men’s 60 m hurdles, surpassing Shaun Bownes’ record of 7.52 seconds, set in Belgium in 2001, and thereby wrote his name in the history books of African athletics.

Competing in his first Indoor Championships, Le Roux broke the continental record set by his coach, Shaun Bownes, one that stood untouched for 25 years. In a moment of rich significance, the student surpassed the teacher.

The role of nuclear science in energy security, skills development and national partnerships took centre stage when the North-West University (NWU) hosted its Nuclear Alumni Engagement in Sandton, bringing together graduates, industry leaders, government representatives and academics to strengthen collaboration in the sector.

The North-West University (NWU) reaffirmed its commitment to internationalisation on 23 March 2026 by engaging in high-level discussions with the National University of Science and Technology MISIS in Moscow, aiming to expand its global academic and research footprint.

Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) colleges and universities are central to solving South Africa’s skills crisis, bridging the gap between practical training and academic knowledge to drive economic growth.

It is within this context that the North-West University (NWU) and Vuselela TVET College held high-level talks on 23 March 2026, setting the stage for a strategic partnership aimed at reshaping skills development, strengthening research collaboration and expanding socio-economic impact.

The better-than-expected headline inflation of 3% in February is welcome, but has now already been overtaken by a highly negative inflationary outlook.

In commenting on this easing in the CPI from 3,5% in January, Prof. Raymond Parsons, economist from the North-West University (NWU) Business School, says it is no longer only the external oil price shock that will have a likely future impact on the economy, but also the extent to which it will coincide with several domestic price increases on 1 April.

As South Africa marks Human Rights Day on 21 March, the commemoration is again drawing attention to the gap between constitutional rights and the lived conditions of many citizens, with analysts saying the day should serve both as an opportunity for remembrance and as a measure of government performance.

The recent escalation in the United States/Israeli war with Iran has now injected new urgency into assessing the economic and business implications for countries like South Africa.

Prof. Raymond Parsons, economist of the North-West University (NWU) Business School, says with the Brent crude oil price opening at over $100 a barrel this week, the Middle East conflict is widely seen as becoming increasingly protracted.

The North-West University (NWU) recently took centre stage as co-host of the 5th World Association for Sport Management (WASM) Conference, held from 3-6 March 2026 at the Newlands Cricket Ground in Cape Town.

Hosted in partnership with the Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT), this landmark event marked the first WASM Conference ever held on African soil.