“The inaugural lecture ceremony marks the rite of passage into the ranks of a professorship. It is also an occasion that celebrates one’s academic career achievements,” said Prof Jeffrey Mphahlele, North-West University (NWU) deputy vice-chancellor for research and innovation, during the inaugural lecture of Prof Indra Bahadur.

Prof Bahadur from the Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences presented his inaugural address – titled “From toxic to greener world” – on 14 September 2022.

By Ontiretse Motingwa

The School of Accounting Sciences at the North-West University's (NWU’s) Mahikeng Campus recently recognised its top achievers during a special ceremony.

The goal of the event – sponsored by the South African Institute of Chartered Accountants, Maine Incorporated, and RAin Chartered Accountants – was to acknowledge those students who did well during the first semester and to inspire others to do the same during the second half of the year.

During his inaugural lecture, Prof Aubrey Golightly discussed the influence of problem-based learning (PBL) on students’ self-directed learning (SDL) skills, and looked at PBL as a means to foster SDL in Geography education. SDL is a process during which individuals take ownership of their own learning.

By: Phenyo Mokgothu and Fambisa Mabotse

The Faculty of Law on the North-West University’s (NWU’s) Mahikeng Campus hosted its first-ever cross-campus student seminar aimed at empowering women in the faculty.

North-West University (NWU) nursing student and the winner of the WorldSkills South Africa Occupational Standards National competition, Tshiamo Mokgoetsi, is preparing in all earnest for the international WorldSkills competition that will take place in France in October 2022.

With the assistance of the Health and Welfare Sector Education and Training Authority (HWSETA), Tshiamo was coached and mentored by two national experts in August.

By Oldrin Masowa

Prof Shan Simmonds, North-West University (NWU) academic in the research unit Education and Human Rights in Diversity (Edu-HRight), has been elected as the South African representative of Women in Higher Education Management (WHEM).

The WHEM network is an international feminist research consortium. It analyses challenges for women in higher education and in university management, and finds ways to develop strategies that can empower women to apply for positions in and succeed in higher education.

By Oldrin Masowa

Although the words ‘charisma’ and ‘sharks’ are not often used in the same sentence, Prof Serena Lucrezi believes that the charisma of sharks can be the centre of attraction for shark tourism.

That is indeed the focus of project “Brand South Africa” she and her research team from the Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences at the North-West University (NWU) recently launched.

The nuclear debate has raged for more than three quarters of a century. Proponents of nuclear power continue to extol its virtues, while its detractors remain steadfast in their belief that its risks outweigh its benefits. Renowned nuclear energy expert and vice-chancellor of the North-West University (NWU), Dr Bismark Tyobeka, was recently nominated to serve as South Africa’s representative on the Senior Industry Advisory Panel (SIAP) of the Generation IV International Forum (GIF).

Dr Tyobeka gives his thoughts on what the future holds for nuclear energy.

By Angeline Marokoane and Ontiretse Motingwa

This annual event takes place across campuses, and aims to showcase the NWU's cultural diversity, to broaden horizons, to strengthen respect for each other, and to enable the renewal of ideas. This year’s theme was “Multilingualism: a powerful resource for inclusion and academic development”.