It has happened. The world is 1,5 degrees Celsius warmer than it was in preindustrial times. A threshold has been breached, and the times they are a-changin’.

When Prof Francois Engelbrecht, president of the South African Society for Atmospheric Sciences (SASAS), opened the 38th Annual Conference of the South African Society for Atmospheric Sciences at the Potchefstroom Campus of the North-West University (NWU), he did so in a sombre tone, even with a sense of disbelief. Because history has been made for the wrong reasons.

The Technology Transfer and Innovation Support (TTIS) team from the North-West University (NWU) participated in the prestigious Cape Town Tech Transfer Week from 23 to 25 October 2024. The event was held at the Graduate School of Business Conference Centre at the University of Cape Town.

On Tuesday 5 November, Americans will cast their votes to elect the 47th president of the United States of America. The latest polls show that the current vice president and Democratic nominee, Kamala Harris, has a slight, one point lead, with Republican and former president, Donald Trump, a very close second. This is a neck and neck race with no certain outcome, and the world waits to see who will lead the last global superpower from 2025 to 2029.

In an outstanding achievement, two students from the North-West University (NWU) claimed victory for the second consecutive year in a national telecommunications industry competition.

Karabo Makau, a third-year BCom information systems student, and Ferdi Steyn, a BSc honours student in computer science, won first place in the 2024 Industry Solutions Challenge of the South African Telecommunication Networks and Applications Conference (SATNAC).

Given the fine budgetary line that still had to be walked by Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana, the first Medium-Term Budget Policy Statement (MTBPS) of the Government of National Unity (GNU) comes across as a pragmatic, realistic and credible strategy to tackle South Africa’s challenges of low economic growth and high public debt again.

Nico Kroucamp, a senior IT technician at North-West University (NWU) and an accomplished sailor, has had an unforgettable season, making his mark in competitive sailing with one remarkable success after another. Earlier this year, from August 9 to 11, Nico and his team achieved an impressive second-place finish at the J22 Keelboat Nationals, a challenging three-day event filled with top-tier competitors and unpredictable conditions. This outstanding performance was just the beginning of an even greater journey.

As a pillar of the Potchefstroom community, with an unshakeable commitment to quality policing, Brigadier Steven Moodley has been awarded the Chancellor’s Medal by the North-West University (NWU).

He received this honour during a graduation ceremony on 24 October. The Chancellor’s Medal is awarded to people who show exceptional merit or have made significant contributions to society.

Visiting universities is a critical step towards empowering students, as future leaders, to understand the role of the South African Reserve Bank (SARB).

Dr Mampho Modise, Deputy Governor of the SARB, made this observation during her prestige lecture on 21 October 2024, at the North-West University (NWU), Potchefstroom Campus.

In her lecture, Dr Modise outlined the role of the SARB and spoke about the importance of monetary policy, financial stability and economic statistics.

The School of Computer Science and Information Systems (SCSIS) at the Potchefstroom Campus of the North-West University held its annual Honours Project Presentation Day on 10 October 2024 at The Roots venue in Potchefstroom. The event showcased the innovative projects and research conducted by the school’s 32 honours-degree students, providing a platform for them to present their research findings and group projects.