The North-West University (NWU) continues to feature in international rankings. The latest Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) World University Rankings by Subject includes the NWU in two subject areas: agriculture and forestry, and medicine.

The 2023 QS World University Rankings by Subject ranked the NWU in the 351 to 400 category for agriculture and forestry and in the 551 to 600 category for medicine. This is the first year that the NWU has featured in the ranking table for agriculture and forestry.

Some call them the purple army, others call them the noble boys, but officially known as the North-West University (NWU) Eagles, the team’s on-field performance in the 2023 ABC Motsepe League is like a tsunami that can’t be stopped.

With one game left to determine the log leaders of the league’s Group B stream, the NWU Soccer Institute is leading the pact with 34 points. They have scored 37 goals so far, with 13 of these goals scored in March alone.

The North-West University’s (NWU’s) Indigenous Knowledge Systems (IKS) Centre has once again teamed up with the Department of Science and Innovation and Prof Mziwoxolo Mzo Sirayi, an adjunct professor from Nelson Mandela University, to develop a one-of-its-kind indigenous knowledge-led smart village in Nyandeni in the Eastern Cape.

South Africa is dipping its toes into a recession, and the continued decline of parastatals such as Eskom and Transnet is escalating the country’s economic woes. One of the many sectors that are facing suffocating constraints is also one of the most important ones: agriculture.

The punishment does not fit the crime. South Africa has an endemic, growing and unique disease that is not only affecting the health of our country’s democratic structures, but is also an ill-conceived form of retribution for the lack of service delivery. Voter turnout continues to decline, but abstention is not the cure for consternation. It is a matter the North-West University (NWU) is hoping to address through its unique blend of teaching-learning initiatives.

The North-West University’s (NWU’s) People and Culture division recently hosted a "People and Culture and Employee Wellness Roadshow" on the university’s three campuses.

NWU employees were assisted with and received information on People and Culture matters such as conditions of employment, performance management, learning and development, employment equity and many more.

Staff members were also treated to health screenings, massages, nail care, biokinetic assessments, medical aid advice, and received information about various topics such as bone marrow donation.

The North-West University (NWU) and the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) signed a memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Friday, 10 March 2023.

This MoU was signed by Prof. Daryl Balia, deputy vice-chancellor for information technology and Potchefstroom Campus operations, alongside Ms Shirley Mlombo, SAHRC provincial manager.

The areas of cooperation for this collaboration include but are not limited to Information sharing, research,advocacy programmatic cooperation, policy formulation, enhancing capacity, investigations and special projects.

North-West University statistics lecturer Dr Piet Ntema recently presented a paper at the 17th annual International Technology, Education and Development Conference (INTED2023) in Spain.

He presented the paper from his PhD thesis titled “Feature selection of student(s) at risk of dropout using administrative data at a university in South Africa”. He was among six other participants from South Africa who presented at the conference.

Article by Phenyo Mokgothu and Mafumane Tlhapi

The North-West University (NWU) GoAllOut organisation’s student chapter will attempt a Guinness World Record for the longest line of sanitary pads, spanning a distance of 4 km to 6 km.

The attempt will take place on 25 March at the Great Hall on the NWU’s Mahikeng Campus, and will see students taking part in making a line spanning up to 6 km with 60 000 sanitary pads.

Prof Ewelina Niemczyk from the North-West University’s (NWU’s) Faculty of Education and member of the Edu-HRight research unit has been appointed an associate fellow at the University of Westminster in London.

She says this is another important link to foster sustainable collaboration between the two institutions.