Dear alumnus,

 

As alumni of the North-West University, you will be pleased to hear that we have been quietly getting on with our core business with minimal disruptions. In fact, we have not lost any academic time so far this year. For this we are thankful.

 

I trust that you have also noticed some of the wonderful achievements of the NWU’s staff, students and alumni. Click here to view how the NWU is structured for success.

 

Our sporting teams have for instance been participating in their new purple kits. The purple is striking and the teams are representing the unitary university in various codes and on various stages with distinction.

 

Our students and staff also continue to excel in their various disciplines. Two examples are Prof Ilani Loubser, who received the Distinguished Young Woman Researcher: Astronomy award and Prof Nicolene Barkhuizen who walked away with the Distinguished Young Researcher: Humanities and Social Sciences award. Both awards were handed over during the 2018 South African Women in Science Awards (SAWiSA) ceremony on 23 August.

 

While the NWU may not look like the university you left behind, we hold the same core values and are striving to achieve our dream of being an internationally recognised university in Africa, distinguished for engaged scholarship, social responsiveness and an ethic of care.

 

Of great importance to us is the extent to which we have achieved our objective of delivering graduates that make a real difference. One indicator is the leaders we have produced. I am delighted to point out that the NWU has produced yet another vice-chancellor (VC) of a South African university. Dr Chris Nhlapo took office as VC of the Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT) in Cape Town recently.

 

Dr Nhlapo thereby joined the cadre of NWU alumni at the helm of some of the largest and most reputable higher education institutions in the country. The others include Prof Mamokgethi Phakeng, VC of the University of Cape Town, Prof Henk de Jager, VC of the Central University of Technology in Bloemfontein, and Prof Chris de Beer of the Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University.

 

I am, as you know, also an alumnus of the NWU, having studied at the former University of Bophuthatswana and the Potchefstroom University for Christian Higher Education.

 

Keep our flag flying high!

 

​

Prof Dan Kgwadi

Vice-Chancellor