Professor in mechanical engineering Prof LJ Grobler represented the North-West University (NWU) at the Association of Energy Engineers (AEE) World conference that took place from 25 to 27 October 2023 at the Orange County Convention Centre in Orlando, Florida.

The AEE is an international non-profit membership association focusing on professional development in the energy sector. To help professionals working in the energy sector develop their skills, they offer a variety of training and certification programmes.

The North-West University (NWU) gave recognition to its outstanding staff during the annual NWU Excellence Awards ceremony, which took place in Potchefstroom on 23 November.

Staff were acknowledged for their exceptional contributions to teaching and learning, community engagement, and research and innovation.

As was widely anticipated, the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) of the South African Reserve Bank (SARB) by a unanimous vote decided at a third consecutive meeting (and its last meeting of the year) to again keep interest rates unchanged, with the repo rate staying at 8,25%.

South Africans know El Niño means a hot, dry summer, but climate experts from the North-West University (NWU) warn the El Niño impact extends beyond just drought – there is some evidence, although not significant, that it also brings severe weather events and increased risk of heat stress.

The staff newsletter of the North-West University (NWU) recently entered the international arena when it scooped an Award of Excellence at the Silver Quill awards ceremony of the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC) Africa Region.

The May 2023 publication edition, life@NWU, received a Silver Quill in the category for publications.

• The share of the population unable to afford a healthy diet has fallen across all income groups

• Loadshedding has increased costs and pushed up prices throughout the food production value chain

• Food prices are not only determined by supply and demand, but also by policies and politics

A delegation from Kohinoor Business School in Mumbai, India, recently embarked on a week-long visit to the North-West University (NWU).

Ten delegates, including eight master's students and two professors, visited the three NWU campuses, marking a pivotal step in fostering educational and cultural exchanges.

The North West Sports Awards took place on 18 November, and the North-West University (NWU) scored two top spots.

Onalenna Tsae, alumnus and former coach of the NWU boxing team, clinched the title of Sports Administrator of the Year.

NWU student and a netballer of note, Elmeré van der Berg, walked away with the Sportswoman of the Year award.

Onalenna's accolade recognises her contributions, in particular her pivotal role in the women's commission of the North West Provincial Sport Confederation.

Through a collaborative effort between the North-West University (NWU) and the universities of Pretoria, Venda, and Limpopo, the Ubuntu Community Model in Nursing hosted a poignant gender-based violence (GBV) awareness event at the Mahikeng Provincial Hospital on 21 November.

The event, strategically aligned with the annual 16 Days of Activism for No Violence Against Women and Children campaign, aimed to draw attention to the pressing issue of GBV.

The Voices of the River choir from the North-West University (NWU) recently participated in The Lengau Choral Music Association (LECMA) competition. They came second in the wafa wafa large category.

They performed an extract from Giuseppe Verdi’s opera, Macbeth, even though it is regarded as one of the most dramatic and vocally intensive operas in the world, they did it with ease.

This chorale group from the Vanderbijlpark Campus has gone from strength to strength under the baton of Calvin Mofokeng, who also won the award for Best Choir Conductor.