Dear alumni

The annual Alumni Awards have become a tradition and a much-anticipated event, but even the best traditions can be improved upon. From now on the Alumni Awards will be presented only every second year instead of annually, with the next nomination process starting in 2019.

The main reason for this decision, taken at the Convocation’s triennial general meeting on 10 March 2018, is to give our alumni ample time to nominate deserving alumni, thereby ensuring that we receive enough high-quality nominations.

In the meantime, meet some of our remarkable alumni in this edition of the NWU & U. Some of them are living in interesting places, such as Miranda Nel who has written to us about her life in Uganda. Others have interesting careers through which they improve other people’s lives, such as Thinus Booysen, who has developed a water-saving app.

Furthermore, we quite often feature alumni who are admirably resilient. This edition is no exception – in the article about The Muffineers, you can read how alumnus Tshepiso Maimane and his two student friends exchanged their dire financial circumstances for a taste of “the sweet life” – literally and figuratively.

In this edition of the NWU & U, we also say goodbye to Susan van Rooyen, the alumni relations practitioner on the campus in Mahikeng. Susan, an alumna of the former PU for CHE, retired recently and will be fondly remembered by many colleagues and alumni.

I trust that you will find the articles in this edition stimulating and thought provoking.

Happy reading!

Nelia and the

NWU & U team