The corporate publications of the North-West University (NWU) have excelled in this year’s South African Publication Forum and Marketing, Advancement and Communication in Education (MACE) competitions.

It is a proud achievement for the university in its pursuit of excellence.

Twelve awards from the South African Publication Forum

In addition to receiving two certificates of excellence, two wins, a runner-up position and two special mentions, the corporate publications also produced five finalists in four categories.

The unexpected and disappointing gross domestic product (GDP) growth figures for the third quarter of 2024 confirm the extent to which South Africa’s growth prospects remain vulnerable to negative factors such as adverse weather conditions, weakened exports and other lagging sectors.

World Prematurity Day, observed annually on 17 November, is a global awareness day dedicated to raising awareness about the challenges of preterm birth and the impact it has on families and communities worldwide.

Every year, approximately 15 million babies are born preterm (before 37 weeks of gestation), making preterm birth a leading cause of death in children under five years old. World Prematurity Day aims to highlight the urgent need for action to reduce preterm birth rates and improve care for preterm infants.

The global impact of preterm birth

The Occupational Hygiene and Health Research Initiative (OHHRI) at the North-West University (NWU) has once again showcased the outstanding calibre of its postgraduate students at the Southern African Institute for Occupational Hygiene (SAIOH) Annual Conference 2024. This prestigious event, which was recently held in Gaborone, Botswana, gathers top talent and professionals in occupational hygiene and rewarded three NWU students for their excellence in research, publications and presentations: Monica Young, Marelizé van Ree, and Nadia Botha.

Self-directed learning can make the process of learning more enjoyable and allow students to personalise the learning experience, which is empowering and motivating.

Prof Elsa Mentz, director of the Research Unit Self-Directed Learning from the North-West University (NWU), is a true advocate for self-directed learning in higher and school education. She firmly believes that it not only enables students to take responsibility for their own learning, but also equips them with the necessary skills for both the 21st century and 4th Industrial Revolution.

They are too often forgotten and relegated to an afterthought – their plight unheard, their future uncertain. They are the women in South Africa’s low- and middle-income communities who suffer from perinatal mental health issues, and the North-West University (NWU) is putting their needs in the spotlight.

Crop production in South Africa is overshadowed by storm clouds, and not the type that farmers crave. A multitude of uncertainties combine to darken prospects for the country’s crop farmers, which include climate change, water shortages, soil degradation, disease, economic instability and infrastructure and energy restrictions. That is why researchers at the subprogramme for Crop Production and Soil Management at the Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences of the North-West University (NWU) pursue concerted solutions for the country’s most critical agricultural issues.

From 11 to 15 November 2024, the North-West University’s (NWU) Research and Postgraduate Support Directorate hosted a successful writing camp aimed at tackling the challenges faced by postgraduate students. Held in collaboration with the Writing Centre and the Chemical Resources Beneficiation (CRB) group, the camp provided a transformative experience for selected Master’s and Doctoral (M&D) students across NWU’s three campuses.

"Language is a process of free creation; its laws and principles are fixed, but the manner in which the principles of generation are used is free and infinitely varied. Even the interpretation and use of words involves a process of free creation."

These words by Noam Chomsky encapsulate the core of SADiLaR’s mission - harnessing the creative potential of language and technology to shape the future of South Africa’s indigenous languages.

The 2024 final-year Nursing students at the North-West University (NWU) recently took the spotlight as they displayed their research projects during the undergraduate research day, which took place on the Potchefstroom and Mahikeng campuses on separate days.