Two books have just been published on the creation of the North-West University (NWU) in 2004. The first decade of the merged university is also covered.

The North-West University (NWU) Council appointed Prof Marilyn Setlalentoa as the new deputy vice-chancellor for assigned functions and operations for its campus in Mahikeng during its meeting on 23 November. She is appointed for a term of five years.

The North-West University’s (NWU’s) Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences again took top honours at this year’s Excellence in Research Awards on 27 October. The faculty won the titles of Most Productive Senior Researcher and Most Productive Junior Researcher, just as they did last year.

The North-West University (NWU) honoured the cream of the crop of its alumni at an awards ceremony on 6 October in Sandton. This year’s awards ceremony included the prestigious NWU Lifetime Achievement Award, and also recognised an NWU alumna who has excelled in the international arena in 2017.

The North-West University (NWU) Council, during its extraordinary meeting on 17 August 2017, took a decision to appoint the two candidates indicated below, in order to fill the positions of Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Teaching and Learning and Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Research and Innovation for a term of five years.

On 10 May 2017, the North-West University (NWU) received allegations of plagiarism against some of our academics based on our campus in Mahikeng, from the Council on Higher Education. We view these allegations in a very serious light, hence we have instituted vigorous processes to determine their authenticity before making any pronouncements.

It pays to share words of wisdom and the North-West University’s (NWU’s) top spokespersons can attest to that. The university held its annual Spokespersons of the Year awards evening for the 2016 period on Thursday, 27 July 2017.

Over the past few years, the management of the North-West University (NWU) has focused on a strategy to transform and position the NWU as a unitary institution of superior academic excellence with a commitment to social justice. This culminated in major structural changes embodied in our new statute, which we are in the process of implementing.

At the meeting of the NWU Council on 16 March 2017, Dr Mzubanzi Bismark Tyobeka was elected as the new chairperson who will steer the Council for the next three years. This follows the expiry of the previous chairperson, Adv Johan Kruger's term of office at the end of March 2017. He did not avail himself for re-election.

The new academic year is off to a good start with enthusiastic students registering on all three of the North-West University’s (NWU) campuses. As on 26 January nearly 7 000 first years have already enrolled. The NWU’s target for first-year enrolments for 2017 is 8 894.