In a world of extreme climate change where air pollution is rife and people’s health is at stake, it has become paramount to predict the impact of chemical processes within the Earth’s atmosphere to plan measures for the future. A researcher at the North-West University (NWU) has made it his life’s labour to study atmospheric sciences.

He has found a home away from home. Prof Paul Smit, associate professor for Labour Relations Management at the Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences at the North-West (NWU), has been elected to Life Membership of Clare Hall, University of Cambridge, during their most recently held governing body meeting.

Clare Hall is a college for advanced study at the University of Cambridge.

Smit has an extensive collaborative history with the United Kingdom based university, having been a visiting fellow with Clare Hall earlier in the year.

Prof Frances Siebert from the subject group Botany at the North-West University (NWU) was recently invited to publish in the Annual Reviews journal series.

This paper is the first from the NWU’s Unit for Environmental Sciences and Management (UESM) in this highly regarded publication series on ecology, evolution and systematics.

On Thursday, 28 November the North-West University (NWU) conferred an honorary doctorate on the renowned economist Prof Raymond Parsons.

The honorary doctorate was awarded in recognition of the exceptional contribution Prof Parsons has made to the country throughout his distinguished career as an organised business leader, academic, media personality, economic commentator and author. Among his many achievements is the groundbreaking work he has done on the development and refinement of the NWU Policy Uncertainty Index, the first of its kind in South Africa.

The North-West University (NWU) Council reappointed Dr Anna Mokgokong, renowned business leader and entrepreneur, as its chancellor during its meeting on 13 November 2024.

As chancellor, she serves as titular head of the NWU, and all qualifications awarded by the university are formally conferred by her.

Prof Dumisani Moyo, executive dean of the Faculty of Humanities at the North-West University (NWU), delivered his inaugural address on Wednesday, 13 November 2024. The title of his presentation was “Moving the Centre of Media and Communicative Power in the Digital Age: Promise, Pitfalls, and Perspectives”.

It has happened. The world is 1,5 degrees Celsius warmer than it was in preindustrial times. A threshold has been breached, and the times they are a-changin’.

When Prof Francois Engelbrecht, president of the South African Society for Atmospheric Sciences (SASAS), opened the 38th Annual Conference of the South African Society for Atmospheric Sciences at the Potchefstroom Campus of the North-West University (NWU), he did so in a sombre tone, even with a sense of disbelief. Because history has been made for the wrong reasons.

Since the rise of artificial intelligence (AI), accounting students have been worried about their future in the profession. Kurt Naicker CA(SA), a senior lecturer at the School of Accounting Sciences at the North-West University (NWU), recently shared his insights on how to keep students motivated and inspired in the age of AI in the ASA Magazine.

Seeking to reinvigorate partnerships with universities and explore collaborative opportunities with students, the South African Reserve Bank (SARB) visited the Mahikeng Campus of the North-West University (NWU) on 30 October 2024.

“This is not a one-time event; we plan to hold similar outreach programmes more frequently in the future,” said Mr Rowan Walter, the Divisional Head of SARB’s Modelling Development within its Economic Research Department.

The Centre for Applied Risk Management (UARM) at the North-West University (NWU) recently celebrated the 10th anniversary of its master’s-degree programme in behavioural risk work.

The theme, "Celebrating 10 years of excellence in applied risk management", was inspired by the programme’s pioneering role in offering an applied risk management course in South Africa. At the time it was introduced, only two other universities abroad offered a similar course, making the NWU's initiative a significant milestone in the region.