Prof. Olubukola Oluranti Babalola from the North-West University (NWU) has been recognised among the world’s leading researchers in plant science and agronomy after being ranked 448th globally and fifth in South Africa in the 2026 edition of the Research.com rankings.

Prof. Babalola, who is based on the Mahikeng Campus, also received the 2026 Research.com Plant Science and Agronomy in South Africa Leader Award in recognition of her contribution to research in the field.

Science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Together they are called STEM fields, and they drive the systems that power modern civilisation, from healthcare and infrastructure to energy, food security and communication. Even our growing dependence on artificial intelligence and other emerging technologies. These fields equip societies to solve complex problems and to innovate.

The Big Lapa at the North-West University’s (NWU’s) Vanderbijlpark Campus came alive with energy, emotion and shared memories as members of the NWU Convocation gathered for the NWU Convocation Braai.

The event, a brainchild of NWU Convocation president Tutu Kgobane, brought Convocation members from different generations together for an evening dedicated to reconnecting, reflecting on their journeys and strengthening lifelong ties with the university community.

A study by researchers at the North-West University (NWU) shows that it is possible for poultry farmers to reduce the use of antibiotics and still produce safe food.

The digital shift in communication is forcing organisations to rethink how they engage with the public, manage crises and protect their reputations. That was the message shared by Prof. Gilbert Motsaathebe during an online guest lecture hosted by Koladaisi University in Ibadan, Nigeria on 18 May 2026.

Pumpkin leaves, sorghum porridge and bone marrow remain on the menu in parts of Mahikeng, even as younger generations drift toward processed foods. A new study by Modjadji Mandy Rasehlomi, a North-West University (NWU) master’s student, found that indigenous foods continue to support dietary diversity, household nutrition and the preservation of indigenous knowledge in communities in the Mahikeng Local Municipality.

Around the world, up to 90% of people living with mobility disabilities are unable to afford advanced prosthetic devices. A team from the North-West University (NWU) is demonstrating that when it comes to prosthetic devices, affordability and performance can go together.

At the Vanderbijlpark Campus of the North-West University (NWU), Cebolenkosi Mkhize moves between two worlds that rarely sit in the same sentence – information technology and contemporary portraiture. Yet for him, they are not opposites. They are extensions of the same language: creation.

In villages across North West, livestock owners still turn to roots, bulbs and leaves to treat infections, wounds and reproductive problems in cattle, goats and sheep. A new study now shows that several of those remedies used by Batswana traditional healers and farmers also carry measurable antioxidant properties linked to disease treatment.

A student from the North-West University (NWU) Mahikeng Campus is using poetry and storytelling to address gender-based violence, mental health and youth development while building his profile in the literary space of South Africa.

Bokamoso Edward Nkunyane, originally from Taung, is studying towards a Bachelor of Indigenous Knowledge Systems. His work focuses on the connection between culture, heritage and contemporary expression.