In a gym-turned-arena in the North West Province, 17 student-athletes from the North-West University (NWU) stepped forward one by one, each bringing months of repetition, routine and self-control to the spotlight.

Competing against 54 of the province’s best, they left with 21 trophies, one overall title and 11 invitations to the national stage.

Representing the NWU’s Mahikeng Campus, the team competed in the International Fitness and Bodybuilding Federation (IFBB) North West Provincial Bodybuilding and Fitness Championships on 2 August 2025.

The STEM education specialist behind Renewable Rangers, a digital educational game designed for children aged 4 to 6, has been selected as one of South Africa’s Forty Under 40 leaders for 2025 in the Education category.

Dr Moleboheng Mokhele-Ramulumo is a senior lecturer in the Faculty of Education and a member of the Research Unit for Self-Directed Learning at the North-West University (NWU). The official Forty Under 40 awards ceremony will be held on 18 October 2025 at the Marriott Hotel in Johannesburg.

Researchers from the Hypertension in Africa Research Team (HART) at the North-West University (NWU) are making meaningful contributions to cardiovascular health in southern Africa. A member of this dedicated team, Prof Ruan Kruger, will now also contribute to the workings of the professional organisation representing cardiologists and cardiothoracic surgeons in South Africa – SA Heart®.

South Africa’s rising sprint star, Chardoné Karla Smidt, made her mark on the world stage recently as she competed in the 4x100 m relay at the prestigious Rhine-Ruhr 2025 FISU World University Games in Germany.

Representing her country with speed, poise and pride, Smidt was backed every step of the way by her home institution – the North-West University (NWU) Vanderbijlpark Campus.

Chardoné, a 19-year-old BCom student majoring in business operations and logistics management, described the experience as “unreal.”

The high calibre of postgraduate research at the North-West University (NWU) has been nationally recognised. Seven NWU students were awarded top honours at the South African Institute of Physics (SAIP) annual conference, the country’s leading platform for physics scholars.

The awards span three fields: space science, astrophysics and condensed matter physics. Six students from the NWU’s Centre for Space Research (CSR) and one student from the Physics subject group walked away with the spoils.

Mari Prinsloo, director for enterprise systems at the North-West University (NWU), has received international recognition as one of three recipients of the 2025 Anthology Impact Award. The award honours higher education professionals who make a meaningful difference in their institutions and contribute actively to the broader academic community.

In a landmark development for South Africa’s energy transition, Prof. Bismark Tyobeka, principal and vice-chancellor of the North-West University (NWU) and former CEO of the National Nuclear Regulator, has been appointed both a member and chairperson of the Ministerial Expert Panel on Nuclear.

The appointment, announced by the Minister of Electricity and Energy, Dr Kgosientsho Ramokgopa, places Prof. Tyobeka at the helm of a body tasked with advising government on the pace, scale, and procurement approach for new nuclear capacity.

A change in leadership has set a new course for one of the North-West University’s (NWU’s) most strategically positioned research chairs. The National Research Foundation (NRF) has officially upgraded the South African Research Chair in Cities, Law and Environmental Sustainability (CLES) to a Tier 1 position and appointed a new chairholder, Prof Oliver Fuo.

Dr Mathew Moyo, chief director for Library and Information Services at the North-West University (NWU), has been reappointed as a board member of the National Council for Library and Information Services (NCLIS).

“I am very honoured and grateful for this opportunity,” says Dr Moyo. “It is encouraging to see that one’s contribution to the sector is acknowledged at this level.”

The appointment, which runs for three years until May 2028, was made by the Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture, Gayton McKenzie.

North-West University (NWU) is playing an important role in the newly launched Palladium Global Science Award, a major international initiative recognizing research in advanced palladium-based materials. With a substantial prize fund of $350,000, the award supports innovation in one of the most critical fields of materials science.

Professor Dmitri Bessarabov of NWU has been appointed to the international jury, joining a panel of renowned scientists tasked with evaluating submissions from researchers, startups and academic teams worldwide.