Overview of the NWU
Performance highlights
In 2021 we continued to create value for the NWU and for our stakeholders.
The following achievements – and in many instances also improvements – are noteworthy:
14 484
qualifications awarded in 2021
(2020: 15 454)
215
postdoctoral fellows in *2020
(2019: 231)
R2,69 billion
financial aid administered by the
offices on the three campuses
(2020: R1 565 million)
89,2%
undergraduate success rate in 2021
(2020: 92,3%)
|
264 PhDs awarded in 2021 |
 |
263
NRF-rated researchers in *2020
(2019: 248)
9 830
distance students enrolled
(2020: 11 640)
R163 million
spent on infrastructure and
facilities
(2020: R273 million)
|
Ranked
96th out of 698 universities globally |
Nationally: 5th Emerging
Economies University
Ranking of Times Higher
Education (THE)
(2020: ranked 97th out of
606 universities)
1 536,59
article equivalents approved in *2020 |
 |
5
NWU centres of excellence
(2020: 5)
7 |
 |
hosted research entities (centres,
platforms, institutes)
(2019: 7)
| * | Please note that the research figures lag two years behind |
Who we are
The North-West University is one of the 26 public higher education institutions in South Africa. We have three campuses: two in the North West province and another in Gauteng.
We have a single set of policies, systems and standards, and are driven by a set of constitutionally based values, a core value being ethics in all our endeavours.
We wish to foster engaged and caring staff and students, ensuring a suitable environment in which we can reach our purpose and realise our dream.
Our
purpose
To excel in innovative learning and teaching and cutting-edge research, thereby benefiting society through knowledge.
Our
dream
To be an internationally recognised university in Africa, distinguished for engaged scholarship, social responsiveness and an ethic of care.
Our
strategy
To transform and position the NWU as a unitary institution of superior academic excellence, with a commitment to social justice.
What we do
Our core business is teaching-learning and research, with community engagement and innovation intertwined in these activities.
Ultimately, though, our core business is about creating value in the form of outputs and outcomes, while pursuing an ethic of care.
Where we operate
We operate in South Africa but collaborate extensively with institutions and people all over the world. In 2021, the NWU had approximately 2 147 active collaboration agreements.
What sets us apart
- The NWU ranks in the top 4,7% of universities worldwide.
- Students have ranked the NWU as the safest university in South Africa.
- We had more than 1 600 international students from over 60 countries in 2021.
Harnessing the Covid-19 storm
The Covid-19 pandemic had a far-reaching social and economic impact on how institutions conduct their business and people live their lives. It also had a huge transformative impact on the higher education sector, triggering new innovations and what might be described as a revolution in how universities teach and students learn.
The NWU was no exception. Although not discussed below as a separate influencing factor in our external environment, the impact of the pandemic has been extensive.
see how addressing the challenges posed by the pandemic was intertwined with all our activities, influencing our value-creation story and taking us on a journey to become greater than before.
