Kicking off the year on a positive note, alumnus Ndleleni Maxongo motivated the first-year students on our campus in Mahikeng. Ndleleni, a radio presenter and motivational speaker known as Sir Max, addressed the students on 2 February 2018.

This year will once again see a myriad of alumni events, ranging from golf days to faculty and regional gatherings.

Believing that well begun is half done, the alumni office on the campus in Mahikeng is being proactive in recruiting alumni. On 22 February, the office held an information session for the Campus Student Council and its substructures – who are our future alumni.

 

The programme for the rest of the year includes visits to Botswana in March and to Klerksdorp and Potchefstroom on 16 and 17 April respectively.

 

June will see a get-together of the Christian and ZCC chapters, followed by a Bloemfontein visit in July. In August there will be a reunion for LLB alumni in Gauteng, and the usual annual farewell event for final-year students will take place in October.

 

Another highlight is the meeting and gala dinner for the Department of Transport Economics chapter after the graduation ceremony on 25 April 2018.  Also on the cards for 2018 is the establishment of new chapters, and regional and specific interest groups.

 

Programme filled to the brim

 

As usual, Potchefstroom alumni should prepare themselves for a full programme. There will be faculty, regional and residence-based reunions in different parts of the country, an alumni breakfast, work-readiness workshops, the usual annual event for final-year students and a get-together for the first years of 1968.

 

Chartered accounting alumni, as well as business management and information alumni, are welcome to attend the faculty reunion on 6 September in the Johannesburg region. Alumni of the Karlien, Eikenhof and Vergeet-My-Nie residences will be able to share memories from 27 to 29 July, 3 to 5 August and 31 August to 2 September respectively.

 

The alumni breakfast is earmarked for 17 July and the work-readiness workshops for 8 May and 18 September. During these workshops, alumni will talk to students about the demands of the world of work.

 

From north to south and back again

 

Alumni of the campus in Vanderbijlpark have already gathered for their annual business breakfast. This year’s event, held on 1 March at the Big Lapa on the campus, saw a panel of experts debating the State of The Nation Address (SONA) and the national Budget Speech. Click here to read more about this event.

 

Other events that the alumni can look forward to include get-togethers in Cape Town and Johannesburg and an event for economic and information technology alumni.

 

The two regional events will be held in partnership with the other two campuses and will take place in Cape Town on 21 April and in Johannesburg on 17 May. During both events we will tell our alumni about recent developments at the NWU and network with them.

 

Then, on 15 June in Vanderbijlpark, money matters will be in the spotlight again when alumni of the former Faculty of Economic Sciences and Information Technology meet.

 

The goal is to organise one faculty event each year. We hope that these gatherings will lead to the establishment of faculty advisory committees, mentorship programmes and giving back to the university by the alumni of a particular faculty.