The Principal and Vice-Chancellor of the North-West University,
Prof Bismark Tyobeka invites you to join him in attending the
Feather Hill, Potchefstroom - 18:00 PM
Excellence is one of the NWU's values, which the University believes is vital to achieving its vision of being a world-class institution of higher learning. Our core business values have its DNA.
This yearly award ceremony is among the most treasured occasions in our university calendar. It honours all our excellent academics across our three legs of the core business: Teaching and Learning, Research and Innovation, Community Engagement and. This auspicious occasion not only allows NWU to celebrate the achievements of these academics but also provides us with an opportunity to reflect on the preceding year and address all our stakeholders.
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We have many reasons to celebrate. This academic year has brought stability to our patterns of research, teaching, learning and community engagement, allowing our staff to interact in person with colleagues and communities and to be able to teach face-to-face. Thanks to technology, this year has also seen upgrades and transformations in teaching practices and improvements in engagement and experience. We have also joyfully watched as our students graduate in person. As things are slowly returning to normal, it is worth reflecting on and celebrating the achievements of the past academic year.
THE AWARDS
Teaching and Learning Awards
The North-West University is renowned for Teaching Excellence, a display of the most esteemed and celebrated university educators in South Africa. At the North-West University, academic members, as university teachers, are annually invited to showcase excellent teaching contributions, by participating in the NWU Teaching Awards.
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The rationale for diversifying the teaching awards is to embrace diversity and to create a platform for a larger group of academics to display their excellence in various fields of teaching and learning practices. More so, excellence in teaching is measured in various forms through these diverse teaching awards. Embracing diversity in the teaching awards further contributes toward the inclusion of teachers in the university community and celebrates the uniqueness of each university teacher while remaining respectful of different cultures and teaching practices.​ The seven types of teaching awards include the Faculty Teaching Award, Teaching with Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) Award, Innovation in Teaching and Learning Award, Blended Teaching Award, Novice Teacher Award, Team-Teaching Award and the University Teaching Excellence Award (UTEA).​
As NWU Teaching Awards are part of the rewards and recognition programme, the value of excellence in all endeavours is shared, striving towards achieving high-quality standards in all doings that meet personal, university, community, and social expectations. In doing so, the NWU Teaching Awards promote and sustain a passion among academics for continuous learning, professional development across their career trajectories, as well as innovation in teaching and learning while maintaining a positive and productive work ethic, striving toward outputs and contributions that improve the quality of teaching and learning. In addition, we use the teaching awards as an evaluative pedagogy to deepen the understanding of challenges and successes in the learning, teaching, and assessment space in the university space.
Research and Innovation Awards
The NWU Excellence Awards in the domain of Research and Innovation recognise outstanding achievements of various categories of academics, from young and upcoming to emerging and seasoned, including academics with new and upgraded NRF ratings.
The excellent performance of postgraduate students, our next generation of scientists, is celebrated by awarding the Vice Chancellor’s medal for the best master’s degree student in all Faculties to acknowledge the efforts of study leaders and other academics in creating and sustaining a nurturing environment for these students. The S2A3 award for the best master’s degree is granted to a student in one of the three (3) Faculties: Engineering, Health Sciences, or Natural and Agricultural Sciences.
Community Engagement Awards
At North-West University, community engagement is at the heart of what we do, embodying the Scholarship of Engagement in every aspect. It’s not just about charity; we’re committed to making a real difference by working alongside our community partners to tackle challenges together. Our mission is to foster an "ethic of care" and continuously contribute to social justice, making these values a fundamental part of our identity and the graduates we produce.
We believe that by leveraging our expertise, we can support and enhance the incredible work our community partners are already doing. Our efforts are truly meaningful and sustainable when we actively collaborate with both our local communities and professional networks. This ensures that the university's knowledge and the rich experiences of those we serve are utilized to their fullest potential.
Our commitment to sustainability isn't just about environmental efforts; it's about social improvement and empowerment too. We are dedicated to the pursuit of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), aligning our initiatives with these global objectives to create a more equitable and just world. We listen to the needs of our community and base our research activities on their requests, ensuring our work has a lasting impact and positive change. Plus, we’re developing new courses focused on community-oriented research and development, backed by top-notch teaching and learning. By integrating the Scholarship of Engagement into our core activities, we are not only advancing academic knowledge but also creating a profound and positive impact on society. Our approach goes beyond traditional methods, fostering a partnership where the expertise of the university and the lived experiences of the community converge to drive social change and development. At this event, we recognise the excellence of our various stakeholders that are participating in community engagement.
THE SPEAKERS
THE ENTERTAINMENT
