On September 13, 2024, the Library and Information Services (LIS) staff participated in the NWU Women's Conference, organized by People and Culture. The hybrid conference, hosted across all three NWU campuses, centred around the theme: “Empowering Current and Future Women Leaders: Building Trust and Authenticity while Addressing Gender-Based Violence (GBV) and Sexual Harassment.”
Monica Brown from DEIB/GBV Consultancy delivered a thought-provoking keynote address, emphasizing the importance of balancing empathy with authority. Ms Mmutle from LIS also contributed with an impactful presentation on GBV. This was followed by a dynamic panel discussion led by Vedhna Lala, focusing on creating safe work environments. Prof Linda du Plessis further enriched the discussion with her insights on authentic leadership.
The conference highlighted the crucial role of women in leadership and the need to foster trust and inclusivity within safe and supportive workplaces.
Contributors: Ms Mmutle, Ms Gcawu, Ms Mosetlhi, and Ms Maake
The NWU LIS is delighted to announce that Mr. Maropene Thomas Ramabina, Information Services Manager and also serving the Faculty of Law on the library of the Vanderbijlpark Campus, has received a highly competitive international grant from the International Association of Law Libraries (IALL). The IALL Grants Committee selected Mr. Ramabina as a recipient of the Non-Members Grant to attend the 2025 IALL Annual Conference, scheduled to take place in Houston, Texas, USA, in October 2025.
His application was considered exceptionally promising and merited, earning him a grant of up to $3,000.00. This generous award will cover his participation in the conference, including the pre-conference workshop and the optional day programme. This achievement highlights Mr. Ramabina’s growing international profile and reflects the academic and professional excellence nurtured within NWU LIS.
His involvement will elevate NWU LIS’s presence on a global stage and promote international exchange of knowledge in the field of law librarianship and legal information services. Upon his return, Mr. Ramabina will share his experiences and key insights during an upcoming NWU LIS Knowledge Sharing Session, where he will discuss the highlights of the IALL Conference and their relevance to our library practices and strategic objectives. We are immensely proud of this milestone and wish Mr. Ramabina a successful, inspiring, and safe journey to the USA. Congratulations once again on this well-deserved recognition.