More than a thousand maths and science learners from high schools in Mahikeng, Potchefstroom and Vanderbijlpark have had a front row seat and experienced – first-hand – the wonders of the universe.

Faster than the blink of an eye, bigger than our entire galaxy and pulsating with unimaginable intensity, it is one of the most energetic cosmic events visible from earth observed and captured on record ― a shock wave that extends for 6,5 million light years.

Blood parasites were recently shown to be highly prevalent in African wild dog populations, according to Dr Edward Netherlands and colleagues from the Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences at the North-West University (NWU).

Their study on blood parasites of species of Hepatozoon indicates that these parasites are common in African wild dog or painted wolf (Lycaon pictus) populations.

​The United Kingdom’s Royal Astronomical Society (RAS) has presented its 2022 Service Award for Astronomy to Prof Don Kurtz of the North-West University (NWU).

"I am delighted to be recognised by the RAS for my outreach and service activities over my 55-year career," says Prof Kurtz.

He joined the NWU’s Mahikeng Campus as extraordinary professor in 2021, and has an A1 research rating from the South African National Research Foundation.

According to Sir David Attenborough, who has at least 17 species named in his honour, having a species named after you is the “biggest of compliments that you could ask from any scientific community.” 

Internationally acclaimed North-West University (NWU) researcher, Prof Nico Smit was recently complimented in such a way.

Researchers from the Queensland Museum in Australia and the Prince of Songkhla University in Thailand named a new species of cirolanid isopod in his honour.

Malebo Makgale, Lerato Makgae, and Ntsoaki Tlape, all three North-West University (NWU) alumni, have recently been appointed to serve on the board of Women in Nuclear South Africa (WiNSA).

Hannes Lombard, manager at the North-West University (NWU) farm in Mahikeng, says that the persistent heavy rains since November last year have posed major challenges for farmers, and in particular crop farmers.

There was a time when superpowers fought proxy wars and the world teetered on the brink of oblivion. There was a time when men rode behemoths called Redstone, Atlas, Titan and Saturn to the heavens underneath hundreds of thousands of pounds of thrust, and the names Sputnik, Laika, Gagarin, Shepard and Glenn reverberated around the eastern and western hemispheres of our world.

During a virtual ceremony on 25 November the North-West University (NWU) acknowledged staff for their exceptional contributions to teaching and learning, research and community engagement.