North-West University scoops best governed university award once again

For the third year in a row, the North-West University’s (NWU) commitment to upholding best practice in effective management and corporate governance was acknowledged on 25 August, when the University received first place in the 2009 PricewaterhouseCoopers Higher Education Excellence Award for Corporate Governance, during their annual Conference on Higher Education held in Port Elizabeth.

In 2007 the NWU was jointly ranked first together with the Central University of Technology Free State. In 2008, the NWU walked away with the honours, and now again in 2009 the NWU is ranked as the best governed university of all in the South African higher education landscape.

“Winning this award demonstrates that the stability and success of this University as a merged institution is highly appreciated in the higher education sector and beyond, and is yet another step in positioning the NWU as a leading university” says Dr Theuns Eloff, Vice-Chancellor.

He added that because we support our core business with good and effective corporate governance and management, we are also experiencing growth in our core business namely teaching-learning, research and the implementation of expertise.

The competition is held annually and aims to encourage higher education institutions to strive for the highest standards in corporate governance and compliance with the good governance principles of the 2002 King II report on Corporate Governance in South Africa. This report emphasises seven principles of good governance, namely discipline, transparency, independence, accountability, responsibility, fairness and social responsibility.

Enquiries:
Louis Jacobs, Director Corporate Communication, Institutional Office
North-West University
(018) 299 4918 / 082 901 6435

Date: 26 Augusts 2009