# North-West University

> university in South Africa

**Wikidata**: [Q1998811](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1998811)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North-West_University)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/north-west-university

## Summary
North-West University (NWU) is a public university located in Potchefstroom, South Africa. Established in 2004, it serves a large student body of over 72,000 students and functions as a multi-lingual institution offering diverse academic programs. The university also operates as a publishing house and open-access publisher.

## Key Facts
- **Official Name:** North-West University (also known as *Noordwes-Universiteit* and *Yunibesiti ya Bokone-Bophirima*).
- **Location:** Potchefstroom, South Africa (Coordinates: -26.693492, 27.093062).
- **Inception:** 2004.
- **Student Enrollment:** 72,994 students.
- **Type:** Public university; also classified as a publishing house and open-access publisher.
- **Motto:** "Dit Begin Alles Hier" (It All Starts Here).
- **Website:** https://www.nwu.ac.za/
- **Social Media:** Twitter handle @theNWU (28,852 followers as of Feb 2023).
- **Identifiers:** ISNI 0000000097692525, ROR ID 010f1sq29, GRID ID grid.25881.36.

## FAQs
### Q: When was North-West University established?
A: North-West University was established in 2004.

### Q: Where is North-West University located?
A: The university is located in Potchefstroom, South Africa.

### Q: How many students attend North-West University?
A: The university has a student count of 72,994.

### Q: Is North-West University involved in publishing?
A: Yes, the institution is classified not only as a public university but also as a publishing house and an open-access publisher.

## Why It Matters
North-West University holds significant weight in the South African higher education landscape due to its impressive scale and multi-faceted operations. With a student body of nearly 73,000, it is a major hub for tertiary education, contributing substantially to the region's intellectual capital. Its status as a public university combined with its function as an open-access publisher distinguishes it from many other academic institutions; it actively contributes to the global knowledge economy by making research widely accessible.

The university maintains a strong international presence through its membership in prestigious organizations such as the Association of African Universities and the International Council for Open and Distance Education. This connectivity ensures that the institution remains integrated with global academic standards and collaborative research networks. Additionally, the university supports a multilingual environment, officially recognizing names in English, Afrikaans, and Setswana (*Yunibesiti ya Bokone-Bophirima*), which reflects its commitment to cultural diversity and inclusivity in South Africa. Through affiliated entities like its Faculty of Law and researchers such as economist David Mhlanga, the university continues to drive scholarly research and economic discourse.

## Notable For
- **Scale of Education:** Managing a large enrollment of 72,994 students, making it a significant educational provider in the region.
- **Dual Academic Role:** Functioning simultaneously as a public university, a publishing house, and an open-access publisher.
- **Multilingual Identity:** Operating under official names in three languages: English, Afrikaans, and Setswana.
- **Global Connectivity:** Holding memberships in international bodies like ORCID, The Carpentries, and the International Council for Open and Distance Education.
- **Digital Reach:** Maintaining an active digital footprint with verified profiles on Google Scholar, Crunchbase, and social media platforms.

## Body

### Identity and Location
North-West University (NWU) is a public university situated in Potchefstroom, South Africa. The institution's geographic coordinates are latitude -26.693492 and longitude 27.093062. It operates under the motto "Dit Begin Alles Hier" (It All Starts Here). The university officially inceptioned in 2004 and has since grown into a major academic institution.

### Academic Structure and Affiliations
The university is classified as an instance of a "public university," a "university," and notably, a "publishing house" and "open-access publisher."
*   **Affiliates:** Notable affiliates include researcher and economist David Mhlanga (born 1986).
*   **Faculties:** The institution includes the Faculty of Law, North-West University, which is involved in scholarly research.
*   **Memberships:** The university is a member of several key organizations, including:
    *   ORCID, Inc.
    *   The Carpentries
    *   South African National Library and Information Consortium (SANLIC)
    *   International Council for Open and Distance Education
    *   Association of African Universities

### Operational Statistics
*   **Student Body:** The university serves 72,994 students.
*   **Social Media:** As of February 9, 2023, the university's Twitter account (@theNWU) had 28,852 followers.
*   **Network:** The university utilizes the IPv4 routing prefix 196.252.0.0/15.

### Digital and Library Identifiers
North-West University is indexed and verified by numerous international academic and library systems:
*   **ISNI:** 0000000097692525
*   **ROR ID:** 010f1sq29
*   **GRID ID:** grid.25881.36
*   **VIAF ID:** 144596657
*   **Library of Congress Authority ID:** no2004005780
*   **Open Funder Registry ID:** 501100005274
*   **Google Scholar Organization ID:** 11645421742814355066

### Naming and Aliases
The institution is known by various names and aliases across different languages and platforms:
*   **Official Names:** North-West University, Noordwes-Universiteit, Yunibesiti ya Bokone-Bophirima.
*   **Aliases:** NWU, North West University, University of Bophuthatswana, Universität Potchefstroom, ノースウエスト大学.

## References

1. Directory of Open Access Journals
2. GRID Release 2017-01-10
3. Virtual International Authority File
4. [Source](https://orcid.org/members/001G000001pVaSeIAK-north-west-university-nwu)
5. [Source](https://web.archive.org/web/20231020113811/https://orcid.org/members)
6. [Source](https://carpentries.org/members/)
7. [Source](https://web.archive.org/web/20230905131850/https://sanlic.org.za/about/)
8. [Source](https://web.archive.org/web/20240407191925/https://www.icde.org/members-community/)
9. [Source](https://www.aau.org/subs/membership/)
10. Freebase Data Dumps. 2013
11. [Source](http://www.nwu.ac.za)
12. GRID Release 2015-12-14
13. GRID Release 2016-12-06
14. Aligned ISNI and Ringgold identifiers for institutions
15. [Source](https://tools.wmflabs.org/whois/gateway.py?lookup=true&ip=196.252.0.0)
16. Microsoft Academic Knowledge Graph
17. [Source](https://ror.org/010f1sq29)