Students and graduates of the NWU’s Graphic Design subject group have again dazzled with numerous wins and nominations in the recent international Loerie Awards and national Pendoring Awards.

A new study has lifted the veil on some of the mysteries of the Milky Way. It has found that the Earth is moving faster than it used to and is nearly 2 000 light-years closer to the black hole in the centre of the Milky Way Galaxy.

This is according to new data, documented over a period of 15 years, by the Japanese radio astronomy project, VLBI (very long baseline interferometry) Exploration of Radio Astrometry (VERA.)

A North-West University academic, Prof James Chibueze, is the only researcher from Africa who has made contributions to this specific VERA finding.

Over the past five months there have been numerous stories in the media about victims being harassed, attacked and even murdered by their intimate partners.

Prof Raymond Parsons, economist at the North-West University (NWU) Business School, says the latest decision by the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) to again leave interest rates unchanged was widely expected, given the economic model on which the South African Reserve Bank (SARB) is operating.

“The election of Joe Biden as United States (US) president-elect could eventually create an opportunity for South Africa to buttress its economic narrative with the US from both a trade and an investment point of view.”

According to Prof Raymond Parsons, economist at the North-West University (NWU) Business School, the difficulties and dilemmas facing Minister of Finance Tito Mboweni in the latest MTBPS must be acknowledged, and the credibility of the latest fiscal framework will now largely rest on the extent to which the growth plan and other structural reforms are actively implemented and deliver a better economic performance.

What does it mean to you to be elected to the board?
The board of The South African Academy for Science and Arts (SAASA) consists of a number of outstanding and authoritative academics – all of them heavy-weights who have made their mark internationally.

The Trade and Development (TRADE) research entity at the North-West University (NWU) and the TRADE Research Advisory, a spin-off company of the university, hosted the eighth TRADE-Decision Support Model User Group webinar, drawing more than eighty international attendees.

The month of October marks breast cancer awareness month – also known as Pinktober. This is an annual campaign to increase awareness of this dreaded and dark disease – ironically, at the time of the year when most trees here are blossoming and beautifully covered in pink. Cancer is often a very lonely and emotional battle to fight, but it does not have to be. There is hope and support out there – you just need to reach out.

While there are positive features to the latest economic reconstruction and recovery plan, it needed to say much more about implementation processes and timelines, says North-West University (NWU) Business School economist, Prof Raymond Parsons.