FUTURE OUTLOOK FOR THE NWU

Impact — Creating real academic and social impact by embracing fresh, forward-thinking ideas and programmes.

Growth — Expanding the quality, impact and relevance of what we offer while also growing our postgraduate student community.

Diversity — Celebrating the diversity of the NWU’s people by putting inclusive practices into action.

Partnerships — Achieving impact by working through meaningful, value-driven partnerships.

Internationalisation — Raising the NWU’s global profile by building collaborations with international partners across a range of fields and expanding our international engagement in flexible learning.

Operational excellence — Consistently driving our strategy forward through strong, effective operations.

Excellent, relevant, student-focused teaching and learning are at the core of our mission as a university. We aim to continue investing in supporting the digital transformation of teaching and enhancing multilingualism.

Our research and innovation are strategically focused on creating global impact, developing the next generation of researchers and raising our international profile and the visibility of our researchers and academic staff.

We are committed to integrating community engagement with our teaching and research efforts.

In the medium term, we will move forward with establishing the Desmond Tutu School of Medicine and exploring the growth of sustainable mining, among others.

We are well aware of the multitude of challenges that await higher education internationally and nationally but are ready to transform these into opportunities for growth and sustainability.

In 2024, as we looked back on two decades of excellence as an institution, we were also looking ahead to positioning the NWU as a university of choice.

We strive to benefit society through the provision of knowledge, excelling in innovative teaching, cutting-edge research and focused engagement with the community. Our increased focus on impact and relevance is taking the NWU forward as we explore new horizons and possibilities.

While harnessing the potential of new technologies and the increasingly important role artificial intelligence plays in the academic environment, we have been preparing for the implementation of the Student Information System in 2025.

By engaging in innovative research and sharing knowledge for the benefit of society, we have been able to attract excellent researchers and postgraduate students, while providing even greater value to the communities we serve.

In 2024, we strengthened our intellectual and collaborative networks both nationally and internationally, while delivering a new generation of NWU graduates, ready to make an impact.

In a world that is constantly changing and bringing new challenges to the fore, we remain optimistic about the future. We recognise that the funding of higher education is a key area of concern, along with water, energy and waste management.

Click on the links below to access several annexures to this report.