The NWU honoured the best of its best researchers and innovators during a virtual awards evening on 3 December 2020.

The North-West University (NWU) community is deeply saddened by the news of the passing away of the Queen Mother of the Royal Bafokeng nation, Semane Bonolo Molotlegi. Since the King of the Royal Bafokeng, Kgosi Leruo Tsekedi Molotlegi became the second chancellor of the NWU in 2009 (and served for two terms until 2019), a very strong working relationship developed between the university, in particular the Faculty of Education, and the Bafokeng nation.

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.

The North-West University’s (NWU’s) Mahikeng Astronomy Observatory now boasts a new, bigger and better telescope – the New Mahikeng Astronomy Telescope.

The new telescope, manufactured by Planewave Instruments in the USA, has a 50 cm diameter which is significantly bigger than the older 41 cm Meade LX200 GPS telescope that was unveiled in 2018.

The latest decisions by both Fitch and Moody’s to cut South Africa’s investment grade rating further into junk status are not good news for the South Africa economy.

Prof Raymond Parsons, economist at the North-West University (NWU) Business School, says it again highlights the urgent need for South Africa to change its economic narrative.

One North-West University (NWU) student and two alumni will represent the university when netball stars from South Africa and Malawi battle it out in a three-match series in Rustenburg from 26 to 30 November 2020.

The IT department at the North-West University (NWU) recently launched a series of online training sessions for staff and students at the university. Themes included mobile cyber security, remote working and cyber security and phishing.

The North-West University’s (NWU’s) research on the genetic data of the nine lovebird species (genus Agapronis) that are native to Africa and Madagascar has been included in a comprehensive international bird study.

This year the North-West University’s (NWU’s) Career Centre hosted two very successful virtual career fairs.

During the virtual events hosted on 5 August and 21 October, more than 2 000 students engaged with various employers regarding their careers.