While many developing countries are still in the early stages of establishing governance frameworks for Artificial Intelligence (AI), NWU master’s student Lebogang Marago is advocating for its responsible and secure use.

Born in a rural community in the Ventersdorp region, where young people face high unemployment and limited prospects, Lebogang was motivated to ask deeper questions about governance, development, inequality and policy making.

Twelve years ago, Prof. Liezl van Dyk, executive dean of the Faculty of Engineering, came to the North-West University (NWU) on a mission: to play a central role in developing industrial engineering as an impactful discipline at the university. Her daughter, Karla, was 10 years old at the time. Now, on 31 March this year, Prof. van Dyk experienced the fruits of her labour first-hand when Karla graduated as an industrial engineer.

The opportunity to learn from some of South Africa’s top scholars is a major advantage for up-and-coming academics who participate in the Future Professors Programme (FPP), a national initiative.

One such academic is Prof. Thembinkosi Malevu, an associate professor in the subject group Physics at the North-West University (NWU). He joined the FPP in January 2024 for its current two-year cycle.

North-West University (NWU) academic Prof Patrick Tchepmo Djomegni, Associate Professor in Applied Mathematics has added an important scholarly contribution to the field of applied mathematics with the completion of his new book on mathematical modelling techniques, a project that reflects both academic excellence and deep personal meaning.

Roughly 384 400 km from the pale blue dot we call Earth hangs an orb that has fascinated humanity for millennia. The Moon is our planet’s only natural satellite and is about a quarter of Earth’s size. Only 12 people set foot on it between 1969 and 1972, but more than 50 years later the Artemis programme aims to add to that number.

In early March, NASA’s Artemis II mission will carry four astronauts on a lunar flyby during a 10-day trip, with later missions set to put feet back on the Moon’s surface.

Ahead of the opening of the 2026 academic year, Higher Education and Training Minister Buti Manamela led a high-level oversight visit to the North-West University. Joined by Waseem Carrim, the acting chief executive of the National Student Financial Aid Scheme and senior Department of Higher Education officials, the minister assessed infrastructure, student accommodation, funding systems and campus safety.

The North-West University (NWU), a South African public higher education institution, whose policies and rules are governed in accordance with the supreme law of the country – the South African Constitution – has the responsibility and accountability to ensure access and success of students. 

As a public institution, the university recruits and admits qualifying students, regardless of their origin (village/township/town/region), race, religion, or gender.

The North-West University (NWU) begins 2026 on a positive trajectory, recording a notable improvement in the Computer Science subject group of the Times Higher Education (THE) Rankings by Subject. This latest ranking underscores the continued commitment of the university to academic excellence and global relevance.

In the most recent THE Rankings by Subject, which was published on 21 January, the rankings place the Computer Science offerings of the NWU in the 601 to 800 group globally, while it featured in the 801 to 1 000 position last year.