Opinion piece by Dr Lehlohonolo Mofokeng, a lecturer in education management and leadership at the NWU
October serves as an important reminder of the transformative impact of teachers in society. This year is no exception.
A researcher in physiology at the North-West University (NWU) has received one of the highest levels of recognition for excellence in higher education teaching in South Africa. Dr Annemarie Wentzel, senior lecturer and researcher in physiology, is one of only six recipients of the 2026 National Teaching Awards (NUTA).
Protest is a democratic right, but violence and intimidation threaten the very student success activists seek to protect.
South Africa’s post-school education system faces R59 billion in outstanding debt, placing both students and universities under immense pressure.
South Africa already knows which skills its economy needs. Prof. Linda du Plessis says the real failure lies in not using that information to guide university funding, enrolment planning and programme development.
A two-week visit by United States-based Fulbright specialist Dr Maryalice “Ali” Mazzara has helped the North-West University (NWU) strengthen its focus on global partnerships and leadership development.
The North-West University (NWU) has achieved an exceptional 99% pass rate in the combined January and June 2026 Initial Assessment of Competence (IAC) examinations administered by the South African Institute of Chartered Accountants (SAICA).
The achievement places the NWU well above the national combined pass rate of 73%. In the January examination, the university recorded a pass rate of 97%, compared with the national average of 65%.
The North-West University (NWU) has reached a decisive milestone in establishing the Desmond Tutu School of Medicine following the accreditation of its Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBChB) programme by the Higher Education Quality Committee (HEQC) of the Council on Higher Education (CHE).
The CHE confirmed the accreditation in correspondence dated 21 August 2026. The six-year, 940-credit programme will be offered in contact mode at the Potchefstroom Campus.
Students from the School of Industrial Psychology and Human Resource Management at the Vanderbijlpark Campus of the North-West University (NWU) had the opportunity to hear directly from professionals about life after university during a panel discussion held on 31 July 2026.
South Africa’s infrastructure is failing, but the deeper crisis is that we are not developing the engineers, scientists and innovators needed to rebuild it.
The North-West University (NWU) and Pukyong National University (PKNU) in Busan, South Korea, have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) and a student exchange agreement aimed at advancing academic cooperation and international mobility.
The agreements mark a new chapter in the NWU’s internationalisation efforts and strengthen its strategic engagement with the East Asian region.
The respective delegations were led by Dr Myunshin Ha, vice-president of PKNU, and Prof. Linda du Plessis, senior deputy vice-chancellor of the NWU.