The British Council in South Africa has selected two innovators of the North-West University (NWU) to participate in its inaugural Strengthening Commercialisation Skills (SCS) programme. This programme is directed towards the fields of humanities, arts and social sciences (HASS).

Dr Mesuli Mbanjwa, a commercialisation manager at the NWU’s Technology Transfer and Innovation Support (TTIS) office, and Prof Henk Louw, an associate professor of Academic Literacy in the Faculty of Education, have been chosen for the programme, which kicked off on 29 November 2022.

’tis the season to be jolly, but many a South African will feel more trepidation than delight as the celebrations of the festive season loom. These South Africans are shackled by the chains of reckless spending and unsound financial advice. Including by friends and family, they will be visited by the Fiscal Ghost of 2022 Past, but – to keep misquoting and paraphrasing Charles Dickens – the best of times can follow the worst of times.

A courtroom can be a daunting place ― especially for a child. Young victims of domestic violence and sexual abuse have to deal not only with their trauma but also with court proceedings, cross-examination and giving testimony in an environment that they can perceive as hostile and scary.

This is where social workers in the field of forensic practice make a difference. They not only provide the emotional support and guidance to prepare child victims for the demands of court proceedings, but also serve as expert witnesses in building a strong case against perpetrators.

The North-West University’s (NWU’s) research niche area Visual Narratives and Creative Outputs (ViNCO) presented a group exhibition, CLOUD MATTERS, from 2 to 4 November 2022.

Stemming from the Faculty of Humanities’ international Digital Humanities in Precarious Times conference, the exhibition showcased the impact of cloud computing and servers on the environment.

The winners of the 2022 North-West University (NWU) School of Philosophy Essay competition were recently announced.

They are:

1. Mkhize Talent Faith - essay: The effects of technology on the environment: A case of environmental degradation.

2. Melisa Siziba - essay: How madness is socially constructed.

3. Aviwe Puluma - essay: The invention and artificial intelligence of technology and its impact on the environment.

The North-West University (NWU) Debating Union on the Mahikeng Campus was recently invited to take part in the SA FM University Debate Challenge against the University of Pretoria.

The invitation is the result of the union's exceptional performance, despite this being their first venture into participating in external competitions.

Prof Blessed Nhlanganiso Ngwenya is the latest expert to join the renowned Optentia research unit of the North-West University (NWU).

Upon graduating from the University of the Witwatersrand with a BA with honours and an MA, he went on to study at the famed University of Oxford in England, where he earned a DPhil in socio-legal studies and a master's degree in legal research.

The passionate academic and researcher is the father of three children; daughter Bulelwa and sons Wandi and Lwandle, who still live in the United Kingdom.

North-West University (NWU) academics recently attended an international conference themed "The Russia–Ukraine Crisis and its Impact on Africa".

The conference, jointly organised by the Institute of African Diaspora Studies (IADS) and GLOTAN Research Services at the University of Lagos, Nigeria, took place on 16 and 17 November 2022.

Meelan Roopa, a lecturer in the North-West University’s (NWU’s) Faculty of Engineering, received the award for Best Industrial Engineering Excellence in Teaching and Learning at the Southern African Institute for Industrial Engineering’s (SAIIE’s) 2022 awards ceremony.

Meelan received this prestigious award in recognition of his teaching prowess in business engineering, a capstone module for final-year industrial engineering students.

The North-West University’s (NWU’s) History subject group recently hosted Prof Jill Kelly, assistant professor of History at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas, USA as part of its history seminar series.

The seminar, held in hybrid format and hosted by the NWU’s Vanderbijlpark Campus, attracted students and staff members across the NWU and external scholars.

Prof Kelly presented a paper titled “A woman doctor and activist: Healing, politics, and policing in the life of Dr Margaret Chuene Mncadi”.