Gone are the days of the throwaway economy. Environmental scientists and pioneers like Prof Linda Godfrey of the North-West University (NWU) are leading the charge towards a thriving circular economy.

With over 20 years dedicated to studying the waste sector, Prof Godfrey has observed the unsustainability of the traditional linear economy model, characterised by extraction, production, consumption, and disposal. She argues that this model has severe environmental and health impacts and advocates a shift to a circular economy.

North West Premier Lazarus Kagiso Mokgosi has appointed Prof Raymond Parsons and Prof Mokgadi Molope from the North-West University (NWU) as members of the provincial Economic and Investment Advisory Council (EIAC). The announcement comes at a critical period in the developmental trajectory of the province, with the expanded unemployment rate stubbornly at 54%.

African Women in Business (AWiB) and Regenesys Business School honoured the chancellor of the North-West University (NWU) with their prestigious Outstanding Leadership Award during the AWiB Inaugural Conference awards ceremony in Sandton on 24 August.

Dr Anna Mokgokong, who was inaugurated as the NWU’s chancellor in 2019, received this special award in recognition of her entrepreneurship journey.

Prof Hans de Ridder, director of the School of Human Movement Sciences at the North-West University (NWU), was recently acknowledged with the President’s award at the biannual International Society for the Advancement of Kinanthropometry (ISAK) conference on 7 August in London, England.

This award is in recognition of his unwavering commitment to contributing to a field that blends science, health and sport, while impacting lives positively. Prof De Ridder is among the only two individuals honored with this distinction in the history of ISAK.

Research with impact ─ this is what the North-West University (NWU) is renowned for. The university’s researchers continue to shine nationally and internationally. This was again evident at the recent 2024 National Research Foundation (NRF) awards, where a young NWU researcher was honoured in the Early Career/Emerging Researchers category. 

North-West University (NWU) academic Prof Olubukola Oluranti Babalola and PhD student Sinenhlanhla Mthembu were recognised at the 2024 South African Women in Science Awards (SAWiSA) on 15 August in Mbombela. 

Prof Babalola was named the first runner-up in the Distinguished Women Research category, while Sinenhlanhla won the DSI Esther Mahlangu Doctoral Fellowship award. 

The North-West University (NWU) is still among the cream of the crop locally and internationally. The latest rankings of the ShanghaiRanking Consultancy again placed the NWU among the top seven South African universities in its 2024 Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU).  

Two stars from North-West University (NWU) have added their own sparkle to the Parisian skyline, joining the ranks of other greats in the city known for its lights. Jo-Ané van Dyk (javelin) and Bradley Nkoana (4x100 m) captured silver medals at the Paris Olympic Games and showed that greatness knows no geographical boundaries, but is defined by determination and skill.

NWU athletics manager at the Potchefstroom Campus, Wade Fraser, was very pleased with how both athletes performed.

We thank the South African Olympic team for flying our flag high at the Olympic Games Paris 2024. We are pleased with the overall efforts and performance of the team.

The field of industrial and organisational psychology has witnessed a remarkable evolution over the years, and at the forefront of this transformative journey is the North-West University’s (NWU's) Prof Lené Graupner.