Very few eyebrows lifted on Wednesday, 4 October when Vernon Paulo, the NWU’s ace hooker, was crowned as the Player of the Year by the NWU Rugby Institute.

Paulo was rewarded with the Johan Claassen Trophy for his outstanding play in the Varsity Cup, and was exceptional throughout the series. Not only did he score the most tries in the competition – definitely a rare occurrence for a tight forward – but his work ethic and leadership were also some of the main features in the course of the competition.

The North-West University’s (NWU’s) Faculty of Health Sciences hosted its first Community Engagement Colloquium on the Vanderbijlpark Campus on 2 and 3 October.

The purpose of this colloquium - titled "Health sciences and partnerships for sustainable communities" - was to bring together academics, practitioners, and community members to start a conversation about the ways in which they can work together to improve health outcomes for communities.

As the world undergoes rapid technological and societal transformations, educational institutions face the urgent need to reimagine their teaching and learning methodologies.

In the midst of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR), an online open-access book titled Problem-based Learning and Pedagogies of Play: Active Approaches Towards Self-Directed is Learning explores active learning.

Carla Horn, a master's degree student in nursing sciences at the North-West University (NWU), stood out in the FameLab competition held on 21 September at the National Research Foundation Auditorium in Pretoria.

Securing her a spot among the top 10 participants, Carla’s presentation focused on how our government healthcare system can prepare itself to deliver effective patient care and save lives in the event of disasters, specifically based in obstetric wards or maternal wards.

by  Menziwa Msibi

Student Life on the Mahikeng Campus of the North West University (NWU) hosted the first Annual Arts Award ceremony at the Mocoseng Sundown’s Resort on 30 September 2023.

Charmaine Molosioa from the Arts Office of the NWU said the purpose of the award ceremony was to recognise the participation of students in structures such as the Student Campus Council (SCC), student residences, the campus radio station, NWUfm, and various student societies on campus.

Times Higher Education (THE) has ranked the North-West University (NWU) among the top seven local universities in their latest World University Rankings.

The ranking agency released the rankings for their 2023 cycle on 27 September. It places the NWU in the 601 to 800 category - the same as in last year’s ranking.

Compared to last year, the NWU improved its placing overall in the teaching, industry income and international outlook areas.

by  Vukosi Mathale

In the dynamic landscape of innovation and entrepreneurship, students are emerging as a powerful force, armed with fresh perspectives and bold ideas to start new businesses.

Pitching for competitions like Leopards Lair® has become the proving ground for these aspiring young minds.

The placement of students in community service positions is a top priority for the North-West University’s (NWU’s) newly launched Community Engagement Stakeholders Forum.

“We are very excited about the new forum. The goal is to form reciprocal relationships with our communities and develop a database of stakeholders aligned with the NWU, especially for the purpose of placing students in community service positions,” says Bibi Bouwman, director for sustainability and community impact.

The faculties at the North-West University (NWU) are doing exciting work on the research front.

Prof Moses Retselisitsoe Phooko is the director of Professional Development and Community Engagement in the Faculty of Law. His research is on the Southern African Development Community (SADC). He explains more about what his research entails.

Research Week at the North-West University (NWU) was jam-packed with events showcasing the excellent and impactful work NWU researchers do.

This week is a biennial series of events that has been established to put the spotlight on postgraduate research programmes and researchers’ work, thereby enhancing excellence, visibility, collaboration, and networking.

This year’s Research and Innovation Week took place from 18 to 22 September with the theme "Research and innovation for sustainable impact".