Youth Day message by the Chancellor of the NWU

We live in a country of astounding beauty where vast rivers flow and mountains reach to the skies. We live in a country where our expertise is renowned, and we are one of the icons of Africa. We also live in a country where opportunities are not equal, and our youth face challenges that can seem insurmountable.

It shouldn’t be. At the North-West University we subscribe to an ethos of care whilst we also aim to realise the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals which were established to ensure a global society where no person is excluded from their fundamental human rights.
As a nation we need our youth to build our future and we need to allow their expertise to thrive. The North-West University is committed to doing this.

The motivation of our youth, their determination and their unrelenting pursue of excellence are just some of the bedrocks that makes us as an institution and country thrive.

By empowering our youth and giving them the freedom to express their ingenuity we are aiding to foster responsible citizens.

I am proud to be the chancellor of a university that cares, and I am privileged to be part of a community that aspires to define their own tomorrow.

It is my hope as chancellor that we build on every idea, dream, and opportunity, and that we search for answers to the questions that our society holds.

As the late President Nelson Mandela said: “Education being empowering.. it’s a tool to be utilised for uplifting and transforming our country.. through our youth we can achieve his realm and wishes..”

NWU is a great institution to enable that! Study Hard!

I thank you
Dr Anna Mokgokong
Chancellor of the North-West University

Full Youth Day message by the NWU principal and vice-chancellor.

To my dear colleagues and our cherished students,

On Youth Day, we take a moment to reflect and honour the extraordinary courage demonstrated by over 20,000 pupils on 16 June 1976 in Soweto. They bravely marched against a grave injustice of the time. Their protests have had a lasting impact, paving the way for the democracy we enjoy today.
As times have changed, so too have the challenges faced by our youth. One such challenge is the alarming rate of unemployment, particularly among young people. According to a recent study by Stats SA, the youth unemployment rate for the first quarter of 2023 stands at a staggering 46.5%, far surpassing the national average of 32.9%. This is a distressing reality that demands urgent attention.
At the NWU, we strive to produce graduates who are well-prepared to seize opportunities in both the public and private sectors. We recognize that our skilled youth are invaluable assets, essential for the socio-economic development and growth of our country. We must harness their vibrancy, verve, and ingenuity. However, they face numerous challenges on their journey to realizing their dreams and fulfilling their potential.
The youth are the custodians of our future, and it is our responsibility to equip them with the tools they need to succeed. At the North-West University (NWU), we firmly believe that the broad set of skills needed by tomorrow's workforce necessitates a fresh approach to the structure of education delivery. Disciplinary boundaries will be much more porous, and new programmes need to be developed at the intersections of traditional fields, such as behavioural economics, computational biology, and the nexus of design, arts, and technology.
This is why we have embraced the T-shaped approach to Teaching & Learning. The T-shaped approach entails educating our graduates to become experts in their chosen fields, diving deep into the technical knowledge specific to their disciplines. Simultaneously, we encourage interaction and exposure to multidisciplinary offerings from related fields, enabling students to acquire generalist knowledge. This versatility is crucial, as it empowers graduates to apply their generalist skills as entrepreneurs or employers should the market become saturated with specialized expertise.
Surveys consistently demonstrate that students from the North-West University are highly sought after in the employment sector. Our reputation for academic excellence, diversity, and other distinctive graduate attributes distinguishes our students and give them a competitive edge.
This is just one of the ways we ensure that our students have the best possible opportunities to not only meet but surpass their own expectations, even in a potentially limited job market.
To our students, I also implore you to look beyond your immediate horizons. The NWU is an internationally recognized university, offering a passport to a world of possibilities limited only by your imagination. We are fully prepared to support you in your endeavours wherever they may take you.
On this historic and momentous day, I wish to leave you with two aspirations. First, the North-West University prides itself on an ethic of care, and it is my hope that you, our students, will carry this ethic with you as well-rounded graduates. Plant the seeds of empathy and kindness in the communities and companies you become a part of, leaving a lasting impact wherever you go.
Secondly, I echo the sentiments of our former President, Nelson Mandela, who urged us to "be the scriptwriters of our destiny and feature ourselves as stars that show the way towards a brighter future."
I want to conclude by saying, embrace boldness and bravery, always remembering to be kind and compassionate. Be involved, believe in yourself, prove the naysayers wrong, and reach your full potential. The future rests in your capable hands.
I thank you.
Ndiyabulela
Enkosi
Baie dankie
Kealeboga

Professor Waldo Krugell speaks about unemployment and youth month

As we celebrated Youth Day again last week, the challenge of youth unemployment looms large. Data from the Quarterly Labour Force Survey show that from the start of the Covid-19 pandemic in the second quarter of 2020, South Africa lost more that 2 million jobs. Much of that was regained by the first quarter of 2023, but the loss of jobs, and subsequent creation of jobs, differed by industry, gender and age. Job losses disproportionally affected younger workers. The job gains were in knowledge-based work in the formal sector. Trade and Industrial Policy Strategy researcher Neva Makgetla writes that the pandemic increased the labour market return to qualifications: “It opened some doors for people who managed to complete matric or university but closed them for less-qualified workers”. This is food for thought on two other big issues of the day: the dire state of South Africa’s education system and the bigger role that technology and skills-biased technical change is set to play in the economy. Read more

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Can you imagine how difficult it is to wake up in the morning, drag yourself out of bed, and pretend to put on a happy face as you embark on your journey to the office, school or shopping mall? As you enter the office, you are reminded of the dominance of the heteronormative culture, which does not embrace self-identity and considers any deviation an abomination. The simplest thing, like going to the bathroom, becomes a challenge to navigate. You constantly fear judgment and discrimination because others feel that you do not belong there.

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