Rugby World Cup-winning coach and former Director of Rugby of SA Rugby, Johan “Rassie” Erasmus, is to be awarded an honorary doctorate by the North-West University (NWU). The NWU Council approved the decision during their ordinary meeting on Thursday, 16 November 2023. The request for the awarding of the degree Philosophiae Doctor (Honoris Causa), in the discipline Coaching Science, was made by the NWU’s Faculty of Health Sciences.

The South African Centre, for Digital Language Resources (SADiLaR) at the North-West University (NWU) recently facilitated a successful online dictionary training workshop at the University of KwaZulu-Natal.

During the one-day workshop staff, students, and language practitioners had the opportunity to delve into the world of online dictionaries and discover the numerous benefits they hold for research and learning.

Prof Langa Khumalo, director of SADiLaR, kicked-off the workshop with a talk about the need for an online dictionary.

In a heart-warming celebration of commitment and dedication, the North-West University’s (NWU’s) Vanderbijlpark Campus recently honoured its staff members for their long-standing service to the institution.

The university recognised employees who have reached milestones of 10, 15, 20, 25 and an astonishing 30 years of service. Together, these recipients commemorated a remarkable combined tenure of 835 years, symbolising not just loyalty, but a profound dedication to the university's mission and values.

North-West University (NWU) academic Prof Olubukola Oluranti Babalola has been appointed as the foreign affairs secretary of the Nigerian Academy of Science for a two-year term beginning in May 2024.

Prof Babalola, director of the Food Security and Safety research niche area, brings a wealth of experience to her new role. Having collaborated on research projects with various countries, including Nigeria, her appointment highlights her commitment to fostering global partnerships.

In an inequitable world, achieving social justice is central to bringing about a better world. We need a new breed of legal leaders ready to make the law in all its fields and services more accessible to people.

On Friday, 8 March we celebrate International Women’s Day. It is a time for reflection and remembrance, and a time when we recognise the sacrifices of the past and accomplishments to come. It has been 113 years since the first International Women’s Day was celebrated in 1911, and we live in a world that has been irrevocably changed since then.

Prof Leenta Grobler, deputy director of the Business School at the North-West University, explains why it is imperative that the 2024 school governing body elections must be characterised by informed decisions.

“The good news is that South Africa has, after all, narrowly avoided a ‘technical recession’ (two successive quarters of negative growth) by registering a scant gross domestic product (GDP) growth rise of 0,1% in the fourth quarter of 2023.”

In commenting on the growth figures for the fourth quarter of 2023 that were released on 5 March, Prof Raymond Parsons, economist from the North-West University (NWU) Business School, says this followed on a -0,2% GDP decline in the third quarter of 2023.

A team of students from the North-West University (NWU), under the guidance of computer scientist and lecturer Dr Japie Greeff, recently participated in the BRICS Skills competition in China in the Data Analysis and Visualisation and Machine Learning and Big Data categories.

More than 138 participants from over 60 universities in 13 countries participated in the event, and the NWU walked away with various medals and awards.

The double burden of malnutrition – undernutrition and obesity happening at the same time – affects most low- and middle-income countries. In Africa, which has a complicated food system, it poses complex health challenges that need to be addressed by nutrition professionals on the continent.

The African Nutrition Leadership Programme (ANLP) has for 22 years played a pivotal role in leadership capacity building and the development of early- and mid-career nutrition professionals and institutions, not only locally, but also on the rest of the African continent.