Image: NWU Science Centre Manager, Ms. Lerato Molebatsi; DSTI Director: Science Promotion, Mr. Isaac Ramovha; NRF-SAASTA MD, Dr Mamoeletsi Mosia; Mr. TLG Shoai, Subject Specialist for Physical Science from the Department of Basic Education in the Kenneth Kaunda District of the North West Province; and NWU Executive Dean, Prof. Francois van der Westhuizen celebrate the 20 year anniversary of the NWU Science Centre.

NRF-SAASTA Managing Director, Dr Mamoeletsi Mosia, acknowledged and commended the sterling work of the North West University (NWU) Science Centre in popularising science, during the facility’s 20^th Birthday Celebrations in Potchefstroom on 4 November 2025. In the interest of continuous improvement, Dr Mosia issued a challenge to the Science Centre management to expand their sphere of influence beyond their mastery of engagement with traditional beneficiaries such as leaners, educators and researchers; to also encompass the other eight sectors of society identified in the Department of Science, Technology and Innovation (DSTI) Science Engagement Strategy Implementation Plan.

NWU’s Potchefstroom campus Science Centre was established under the leadership of the late Prof. JJA Smit, with financial backing from the Department of Science and Technology (DST) in 2005. A satellite science centre at the university’s Mahikeng campus followed in 2010. DSTI Director: Science Promotion, Mr. Isaac Ramovha, recalled the early days of conceptualising the Potchefstroom Science Centre, speaking about the role that a passion for science engagement played in making the dream a reality, despite challenges around the building of science exhibits.

“Prof. JJA Smit addressed the lack of capacity in the country to build interactive science exhibits in an innovative way by drawing on the skills of NWU engineering students. In the process of creating the Science Centre exhibits, we also therefore improved the capacity and creativity to support other Science Centres in the country with the building of exhibits,” Isaac explained. To this day, the Centre still develops experimental apparatus for other Science Centres throughout the country.

The main goal of the Science Centre is to support schools in popularising the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) and to assist educators and learners with interactive and practical learning experiences that enhance traditional education. They assist individuals of all ages to grasp intricate scientific principles through captivating exhibits, workshops, and demonstrations.

A representative from the Department of Basic Education in the Kenneth Kaunda District of the North West Province, Mr. TLG Shoai, attested to the role that the Science Centre plays to empower educators, especially from under-resourced schools in the area with teaching support materials, but also with practical guidance on the implementation of materials in the classroom.

This expertise to make practical STEM education enticing and impactful for learners was ably demonstrated during the 20^th birthday celebration event, when Science Centre staff entertained young and old with science experiments and quizzes.