Artificial intelligence (AI) is a major force driving the Fourth Industrial Revolution. It will have a profound impact not only on new technological advances, but also on how education and research are taken into the future.

The North-West University (NWU) will not allow persons who did not qualify for admission, did not receive an offer to study or who applied late to enter its campuses as so-called walk-ins during the registration period for first-year students in 2021.

Covid-19 introduced a number of challenges to tertiary education, not the least of which is preparing postgraduate students to become confident researchers in their chosen field of study. This year the North-West University (NWU) introduces a new online short learning programme (SLP) in Research Design that will change the way researchers learn their craft.

With more than 2 000 students attending the North-West University’s (NWU’s) Virtual Career Fairs in 2020, the Career Centre promises to pull out all the stops in 2021.

The centre will be hosting four virtual career fairs in March 2021.

The NWU honoured the best of its best researchers and innovators during a virtual awards evening on 3 December 2020.

Many outstanding staff members were acknowledged at the event for achieving excellence in research during 2019, including researchers with new NRF ratings.

The North-West University (NWU) community is deeply saddened by the news of the passing away of the Queen Mother of the Royal Bafokeng nation, Semane Bonolo Molotlegi. Since the King of the Royal Bafokeng, Kgosi Leruo Tsekedi Molotlegi became the second chancellor of the NWU in 2009 (and served for two terms until 2019), a very strong working relationship developed between the university, in particular the Faculty of Education, and the Bafokeng nation.

The North-West University’s (NWU’s) research on the genetic data of the nine lovebird species (genus Agapronis) that are native to Africa and Madagascar has been included in a comprehensive international bird study.

This year the North-West University’s (NWU’s) Career Centre hosted two very successful virtual career fairs.

During the virtual events hosted on 5 August and 21 October, more than 2 000 students engaged with various employers regarding their careers.

The latest rankings by Times Higher Education (THE) World Rankings and the 2021 Best Global University Rankings again, like various previous rankings, recognised the good standing of the North-West University (NWU) among the best tertiary-education institutions. This is not only locally but also internationally, as measured in international rankings.

The North-West University (NWU) successfully hosted its second annual public lecture on academic freedom on 2 September. This year’s lecture was presented by Dr Sijbolt Noorda, the current president of the Magna Charta Observatory in Bologna, Italy.