A team of North-West University (NWU) students will represent South Africa at the 5th International Soil Judging Competition, scheduled for June 2026 in Nanjing, China. This will place the institution on a global platform for soil science training and research.

The team, led by NWU lecturer and research scientist Angelique Daniell from the School of Geo- and Spatial Sciences, includes Wehan Voges, Heike Steinberg, Botha du Plessis and Sebastian Burger, who will compete against teams from 23 countries.

The North-West University (NWU), through its Nano-Environment Incubation Programme (NanoEnv) in the Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences on the Mahikeng Campus, successfully hosted a Water Week awareness campaign at Mogakolodi Masibi Comprehensive High School in Disaneng Village on 19 March 2026.

The Food Security and Safety (FSS) research niche area at North-West University (NWU) has secured a state-of-the-art automated greenhouse that will strengthen research capacity, support student training and expand crop production studies under controlled conditions.

The initiative is meant to equip students with both skillsets to operate both traditional and highly conventional automated greenhouse systems.

Sunflowers stretching towards the sky and rows of green maize plants swaying in the breeze set the tone for a day rooted in growth, learning and possibility at Pienaarskamp Farm.

Just a day earlier, the farm had already made an impression. Prof. Bismark Tyobeka, principal and vice-chancellor of the North-West University (NWU), had taken members of the NWU Council on a tour of Pienaarskamp. They left inspired by what they saw, a space where vision is not only imagined, but actively lived out.

The Nano Environment Incubation Programme (NanoEnv) team from the Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences (FNAS) at the North-West University’s (NWU’s) Mahikeng Campus engaged with the management of the Groot Marico Biosphere Reserve and local stakeholders on 20 February 2026.

The purpose of the engagement was to present scientific findings from integrated water and sediment analyses conducted at previously sampled sites within the Biosphere, and to discuss key physicochemical parameters influencing water quality in the region.

The opportunity to learn from some of South Africa’s top scholars is a major advantage for up-and-coming academics who participate in the Future Professors Programme (FPP), a national initiative.

One such academic is Prof. Thembinkosi Malevu, an associate professor in the subject group Physics at the North-West University (NWU). He joined the FPP in January 2024 for its current two-year cycle.

Plant waste is everywhere, in harvested fields, forestry sites and processing plants. A new study argues it could play a bigger role in the energy economy if it can be processed in a cleaner way.

Researchers and students at the North-West University (NWU) will livestream a partial solar eclipse from the NWU Solar Observatory* on the Potchefstroom Campus. This gives the public a safe way to experience the breathtaking celestial event on 17 February 2026.

Dr Ruhann Steyn, senior lecturer and researcher at the Centre for Space Research in the School of Physical and Chemical Sciences, says the eclipse will be visible across most of South Africa, including all three NWU campuses.

When wildfires tear through landscapes, the flames disappear quickly but the damage they leave behind can last for years. A new study by North-West University (NWU) academics shows how satellite technology is helping scientists and decision-makers better understand the true impact of wildfires and plan smarter responses for the future.

North-West University (NWU) academic Prof Patrick Tchepmo Djomegni, Associate Professor in Applied Mathematics has added an important scholarly contribution to the field of applied mathematics with the completion of his new book on mathematical modelling techniques, a project that reflects both academic excellence and deep personal meaning.