The North-West University's (NWU’s) Indigenous Knowledge Systems (IKS) Centre has recently sealed a significant cooperation pact with three communities in the North West province.

This agreement aims to safeguard South African indigenous knowledge by ensuring it is managed and utilised for the benefit of the communities and rights holders from which it originates.

The communities involved in this initiative are Batlharo booMasibi, Batloung ba ga Shole, and Barolong booMotshegare.

Prof Binu Luke is a distinguished health expert and extraordinary associate professor at AUTHeR in the Faculty of Health Sciences at the North-West University (NWU). In February 2024, the South African Medical Association (SAMA) gave due recognition for his exceptional contributions by nominating him for the prestigious Extraordinary Service to Medicine Award at the SAMA Merit Awards 2024. This award acknowledges Prof Luke's outstanding dedication and expertise in the field of medicine.

The Debate Union on the North-West University’s (NWU’s) Mahikeng Campus recently participated in a debate tournament hosted by Wits University.

The team competed in the Public Speaking and Debate categories, achieving notable results. In Public Speaking, Thato Katametsi secured second place and received the Best Speaker award for the tournament. In Debate, representatives Lethabo Mathatho and Makhosini Dlamini reached the finals in the novice category, securing second place.

- Africa must take ownership of its own wildlife.

- Botswana has proven how effective it is at sustainable wildlife conservation.

- Hunting is an effective tool to manage wildlife sustainably.

Germany’s proposed ban on the import of hunting trophies over poaching concerns has drawn the ire of Botswana’s President, Mokgweetsi Masisi. Botswana is home to the world’s largest elephant population, which has grown to more than 130 000.

Professor Quentin Campbell from the Faculty of Engineering at the North-West University (NWU) has an eloquent, soft-spoken way with words. Therefore, when he said, “it is time to make mining sexy”, the attendees at the NWU’s first ever mining indaba immediately took note with a chuckle.

Prof Campbell was serving as moderator during a group discussion, and his quick wit summed up a few of the delegates’ comments. The NWU’s mining indaba served to bring together leaders in the mining industry with the NWU to discuss establishing a mining school in the Rustenburg area.

The Faculty of Health Sciences at the North-West University (NWU) is proud to announce that one of our students, Jayson Clancy, will be receiving the Health Science Student Award at the ASAIPA National Medical Awards in 2024. The award ceremony will take place in Johannesburg on 29 June 2024 and marks the first time an NWU student has received this honour.

Commencing in 2024, Prof Alistair Mokoena, Google South Africa’s country director, pledged to donate R50 000 to the North-West University (NWU) annually. According to Prof Mokoena, the sum of the funding will go into the Dr Alistair Mokoena Education Fund and will be used to support any student in need of financial assistance.

Prof Mokoena believes contributing towards the advancement of knowledge and innovation can help enrich the educational experience of students beyond the classrooms.

To unearth potential, you need to dig deep. To break new ground, knowledge is needed. The North-West University (NWU) brought these two themes together on Wednesday, 3 April, when the NWU held its first mining indaba at the Capitol on Park Hotel in Sandton.

The postgraduate students (honours and master’s degree) of the Centre for Business Mathematics and Informatics (CBMI) were treated to a transformative workshop on emotional intelligence on Friday, 8 March 2024. The workshop is part of a series of engagements presented by ABSA to assist the North-West University (NWU) in preparing the students for the work environment.

By Kangwa Nkonde

An initiative by Dr Willem van Niekerk, a senior lecturer in the North-West University’s (NWU’s) School of Mechanical Engineering, aims to assist the community in turning waste into compost.