“So amazing how this world was made, I wonder if God is a woman. The gift of life astounds me to this day. Give it up for the woman, oh, that woman. With a smile and a style, she’ll protect you like a child, that’s a woman.”

These powerful lyrics from Shaggy’s Strength of a Woman perfectly captured the spirit of the Faculty of Humanities at the North-West University’s (NWU’s) Potchefstroom Campus’ Women’s Month celebration, which was wrapped in gratitude and admiration.

On 6 August 2025, during a Human Resource Management (HRMA121) class at the Mahikeng Campus of the North-West University, male and female first-year students exchanged professional roles in a creative learning exercise aimed at building empathy, understanding and workplace diversity awareness.

Dr Thapelo ChaaCha, deputy director of the School of Industrial Psychology and Human Resource Management at the Vanderbijlpark Campus of the North-West University (NWU), will be among the distinguished speakers at the HR Leadership & Strategy Summit 2025, taking place in person from 20 to 21 August 2025 at the NH Johannesburg, Sandton.

North-West University (NWU) Mahikeng Campus lecturer Emile Coetzee has been accepted into the South African Academy for Arts and Sciences (Suid-Afrikaanse Akademie vir Wetenskap en Kuns), an organisation dedicated to supporting and strengthening work in the sciences and arts completed in Afrikaans.

“It was a long journey for me to reach a point where I could be accepted into the academy. It took me over a decade to achieve. I had to increase my number of publications and become more active in my field of research,” Coetzee said.

Correctional Services Minister, Dr Pieter Groenewald, recently stated his intention to deport foreign criminals in South African jails back to their countries of origin. The Minister said that about 26 000 foreigners are either serving sentences in South African prisons or are awaiting sentencing. This places a massive burden on taxpayers, equating to R463 per day for each incarcerated foreigner, or around R11 million per year. With a target set for 2026, Minister Groenewald also acknowledged that a number of legal constraints must be addressed before the deportation process can begin.

Appointed by the Minister of Sports, Arts and Culture, Gayton McKenzie, Emile Coetzee, a lecturer in the History department at the North-West University (NWU) Mahikeng Campus, will serve a three-year term as chairperson of the South African Heraldry Council, bringing his expertise in history and heritage to the national stage.

By Gofaone Motsamai and Keaoleboga Motshabi

Final-year students at the North-West University’s (NWU’s) Mahikeng Campus were challenged to think beyond graduation during a public lecture hosted by the Humanities Student Academic Chapter.

The event took place on 24 July 2025, and brought together current students and NWU alumni working across different sectors to share their personal experiences and highlight the importance of planning, networking and mentorship.

“Success is no accident. It is hard work, perseverance, learning, studying, sacrifice and most of all, love of what you are doing.” – Pelé

This quote could not be more fitting for the occasion, as the North-West University’s (NWU’s) Faculty of Humanities honoured academic excellence on 30 July during the Dean’s List Award Ceremony held at the D'vine venue on the Potchefstroom Campus.

The way technology shapes power, and how power defines technology, is the focus of a new study led by Amantle Mothelesi, a lecturer at North-West University’s (NWU) School of Philosophy, which argues that Africa needs a locally grounded philosophy of technology, shaped by post-colonial realities.

By Gofaone Motsamai

In a hall filled with eager students and guests, the air buzzed with anticipation as the North-West University’s (NWU’s) Faculty of Humanities prepared to host its annual Dean’s Merit Awards.

The Dean’s Merit List recognises students who achieve an average of 75% and above in all their modules. Only 138 students from the Faculty of Humanities– just 2% of the 7 000 enrolled – earned a place on the 2025 list for excelling academically in the previous year.