The alumni of the North-West University (NWU) continuously shine in their respective fields of expertise, both nationally and internationally. The NWU recognised ten of these remarkable career professionals during the university’s prestigious Alumni Awards of Excellence event in Pretoria on 9 November.

These awards acknowledge exceptional alumni who are making impactful contributions in their careers and to society.

By Mbali Skosana

“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.

The North-West University (NWU) has bestowed an honorary doctorate on Prof Herman Hubert van der Spuy for his exceptional contributions that have helped shape the South African musical landscape.

Prof Van der Spuy’s influence and contributions as an adjudicator, examiner and adviser at music institutions throughout South Africa earned him this recognition on 26 October.

The first-ever North-West University (NWU) Student Leadership Summit held on 6 October 2023 at the Birchwood Hotel and OR Tambo Conference Centre witnessed the participation of more than 150 students representing various student leadership structures from all three campuses.

The theme, "Navigating your journey", served as a guiding compass throughout the summit, emphasising the significance of goal setting, planning, and progress tracking in one's personal and professional life.

The North-West University (NWU) hosted a donors' event in Sandton, Johannesburg on 5 October 2023 to reach out to its various donors, bringing them up to date with what is happening at the university and to discuss the dilemma of the “missing middle”.

A recurring theme at the event was the challenge faced by "missing middle" students. The parents of these students earn too much to qualify for funding from the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS), yet they can't afford to pay for their children’s education.

• Nepotism is not limited to isolated cases in Africa, but a trend throughout the continent.
• Allowing nepotism practices through family, friends and those least qualified to occupy leadership positions is tantamount to stealing Africa’s future from its young generation.
• The liberation movement of the 1960s has not succeeded in addressing nepotism successfully as we see today that the post-colonial project has failed to resolve many socio-economic issues.

Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa recently raised eyebrows – and elicited no shortage of critici

• Crude oil prices are set to skyrocket after the attack on Israel.
• Israel is going to retaliate with full force.
• The attack has massive global implications.

On Saturday, 7 October, southern parts of Israel suffered a surprise attack on an unprecedented scale by Palestinian military group Hamas, leaving a wake of destruction, with more than 700 dead, thousands of injuries and a host of civilians taken hostage.

Israel’s response has been swift, with targeted air strikes in Gaza and talk of a ground incursion into the disputed region abounding. 

The Faculty of Law and the Faculty of Humanities at the North-West University (NWU) jointly hosted the Artificial Intelligence (AI) Forum on the evening of Wednesday, 27 September.

The event centred around AI-generated knowledge and its implications for copyright, originality, and embodiment.

• Contrary to the general belief that Nigeria is the giant of Africa, incessant violence and armed conflicts have drastically reduced the influence of Nigeria on the continent.
• Despite its huge resources, the country still suffers from poverty, inequality, unemployment, insecurity, corruption, high fuel and commodity prices, and other political and economic hardships.
• The biggest threats to Nigeria’s stability include bad governance, electoral mal-practices, corruption, economic hardship, inflation, terrorism, kidnapping, and ethnic divisions.

It is one o