Crime is destined to remain one of our most pressing social problems in South Africa if the stigmatisation of criminals is not addressed.

South Africa has one of the highest and most unsustainable rates of recidivism (reoffence) in the world.

First-time offenders, especially, are desperate to rejoin mainstream society. Government is failing in its responsibility to help reintegrate this marginalized group which would mean a safer South Africa for all.

“We are on a journey.” Duncan Raftesath’s elbows are resting on the desk in front of him, his hands clasped together, and as he speaks, his smile widens. “We are on a very exciting journey,” the project manager of NWU Enterprises reaffirms with contagious energy.

If all goes according to plan, the expedition that Duncan Raftesath is referring to will pending Council approval – lead to the establishment of NWU Enterprises (Pty) Ltd within a year.

For the past seven years, the Hillensberg Trust has made the dreams of several North-West University (NWU) students come true.

Celeste Rossouw, acting director for development and fundraising explains that the trust increased its grant amount by one million, which means this year the NWU can put four million to good use to assist approximately 35 students.

The Early-Career Assistant Programme hosted by the Hypertension Journal, a journal of the American Heart Association (AHA), is a two-year programme that grants early-career researchers the opportunity to be involved and mentored in the peer reviewing and publishing of scientific articles. It entails involvement in the peer review process (in the role of assistant reviewer), and in the decision and production process of the journal (in the role of an assistant editor).

Professor Waldo Krugell, an economist at the Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences at the North-West University (NWU), looks ahead at what to expect when the Minister of Finance, Enoch Godongwana, delivers the 2024 Budget speech on 21 February.

The Enterprise African Regional Network (EARN) will continue to be a major factor in luring young people into the agricultural sector as it provides African entrepreneurs with the knowledge and skills needed in the food-producing industries. On Monday, 5 February 2024, African Greeneurs from EARN conducted a visit to the Faculty of Engineering at the North-West University (NWU) to explore further collaboration on engineering research in agriculture.

The biennial postgraduate coding summer school was jointly hosted by the National Institute for Theoretical Computational Science (NITheCS) and the Centre for High Performance Computing (CHPC) of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR). The programme is offered at all 26 universities across the country, catering for over 800 students who enrolled.

Excellence seems to follow the Graphic Design subject group at the North-West University (NWU), which has a well-deserved reputation for walking off with the top honours in national and international competitions.

They are continuing this winning streak with top positions in the recently released Loeries official rankings for Africa and the Middle East. These rankings have placed the NWU among the top four educational institutions for 2023.

The South African private wildlife hunting industry is one that should be treasured. This was again made evident by the research conducted by the research unit for Tourism Research in Economics, Environs and Society (TREES) at the North-West University (NWU), which was steered by Prof Peet van der Merwe, Andrea Saayman and Elmarie Slabbert. The research showed that the industry ploughs billions of rands back into South Africa’s economy.

The North-West University (NWU) officially welcomed its first-year students to its three campuses on 10 February 2024.

The event was marked by a live-streamed address by the principal and vice-chancellor, Prof Bismark Tyobeka. The address, delivered from the newly constructed Tsebonokeng hall at the Vanderbijlpark Campus, set the tone for the upcoming academic year.

The ceremony was attended by several dignitaries, including members of the NWU Council, senior management and student leadership.