Prof Marianne van Woerkom examined the importance of identifying and utilising the strengths and talents of employees in the workplace during a recent public lecture hosted by the Optentia research unit on the North-West University’s (NWU’s) Vanderbijlpark Campus.

Prof Van Woerkom, a professor of positive psychology and human resource studies at Tilburg University in the Netherlands, explained that harnessing employees’ strengths not only can help them to cope with work pressure, but it can also add value in their personal and professional development.

By Mbali Skosana

A second chance to achieve better matric results may just be the key to a thriving career in engineering. Through the innovative Xcel programme, the North-West University (NWU) is giving talented matrics whose final results stand in the way of their dream to become engineers the opportunity to pursue their passion.

As the debate on the effect of fossil fuels on climate change rages on, questions regarding the use of fossils fuels as a major part of the country’s energy-producing package are hotly disputed. Now, Prof Marco le Roux of the Faculty of Engineering at the North-West University (NWU) asks: Is it still ethical to conduct coal research in South Africa?

The commitment of the North-West University (NWU) to helping ensure that all the citizens of the continent have access to safe water was again evident when the 24th WaterNet/WARFSA/GWP-SA Symposium was held in Zanzibar, in the United Republic of Tanzania, on 25 October. The NWU is home to the SADC WaterNet Secretariat.

The symposium was held under the theme of Accelerating Change: Fostering Innovation and Integration for Sustainable Water Resources Management in Eastern and Southern Africa.

The North-West University (NWU), in collaboration with AOSIS – an open access publishing platform – recently released two volumes in the Reformed Theology in Africa series.

The books titled Biblical Theology of Prayer in the Old Testament and Biblical Theology of Prayer in the New Testament, have diligently been crafted by co-editors Prof Albert Coetsee and Prof Francois Viljoen from the NWU’s Faculty of Theology.

The Higher Education Learning and Teaching Association of Southern Africa (HELTASA), in collaboration with the North-West University’s (NWU’s) Centre for Teaching and Learning (CTL), held its annual (Un)conference at the Tsebonokeng Hall on the NWU’s Vanderbijlpark Campus from 24 to 26 October 2023.

Colleagues from across Southern Africa came together to discuss and share ideas on enhancing teaching and learning in higher education.

Prof Raymond Parsons, economist from the North-West University (NWU) Business School, says in the face of pressing economic and fiscal challenges, the Medium-Term Budget Policy Statement (MTBPS) offered a realistic but vulnerable fiscal picture for South Africa.

In commenting on the MTBPS that was presented to Parliament on 1 November by Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana, Prof Parsons points out that several of the fiscal risks outlined in the main February Budget have materialised and were recognised by the minister.

It was decided on an impulse, but she knew it would work. Like the Springboks and their millions of supporters, she believed.

When captain Siya Kolisi lifted the Webb Ellis Cup after the Springboks beat the All Blacks 12-11 in the final of the IRB Rugby World Cup in France, Nomvula Chasakara, chairperson of the Potchefstroom Campus Student Council (PCSC) at the North-West University (NWU), and her dedicated team had ensured that R100 000 would be allocated to aid struggling students with their registration fees in 2024.

The North-West University (NWU), Career Centre, in collaboration with the Department of Language Practice, recently organised a work-readiness seminar on the Mahikeng Campus.

’The session served as a pivotal bridge between academia and the world of work, equipping students and alumni with practical skills and industry insights, to prepare them for the challenges and opportunities in the professional sphere.