Inaugural lecture traces operational research back to World War II

Operational research (OR) is modern and highly sophisticated but its origins can be traced back to 1939 when the Royal Air Force began expanding the range of radar.

Prof Philip Pretorius recently took the audience on a bit of a history lesson on OR with his inaugural lecture on the North-West University’s (NWU’s) campus in Vanderbijlpark.…

Uncharted waters await two NWU researchers

Two North-West University (NWU) researchers will navigate uncharted waters with their research, using fourth-generation cultural-historical activity theories (CHAT) to find solutions to the complex educational problems confronting South Africa.

Prof Elsa Mentz and Prof Josef de Beer from the research focus area Self-directed Learning…

NWU academic walks away with a Science Oscar

Prof Elvis Fosso-Kankeu from the North-West University’s (NWU’s) School of Chemical and Minerals Engineering walked away with the Engineering Research Capacity Development Award at the recent NSTF-South32 Awards.

The national NSTF-South32 Awards are the largest science, engineering, technology (SET) and innovation awards in South…

Wellness of North West communities a priority

It is a disturbing fact that approximately 61% of the North West population is classified as impoverished. This shocking figure is the biggest contributing factor to the inadequate wellness of communities in this province, and according to the government it is an important social, economic and political developmental challenge.

The…

Mahikeng Astronomical Observatory hosts NASSP Winter School

Mahikeng Astronomical Observatory (MAO) of the North-West University (NWU) is hosting the annual Winter school of the National Astrophysics and Space Science Programme (NASSP) from 28 June to 6 July 2019.

The event brings together young South African final-year physics students from previously disadvantaged universities to experience…

Xcel students prove to be innovative

The 2019 group of Xcel students are not only improving their Grade 12 Mathematics and Physical Sciences results, but are also gaining experience in the skill of problem-solving.

The North-West University’s (NWU’s) Xcel programme aims to prepare students for university studies, especially students aiming to study engineering. This is…

A commitment to matric excellence – the NWU way

This year, the North-West University (NWU) will see more than 2 200 eager Grade 12 learners from various districts in the North West and Gauteng Province descend to the campuses in Mahikeng and Vanderbijlpark for the annual Matric Winter School programme.

This annual programme, facilitated by qualified and experienced tutors, will…

NWU challenging the gender gap in engineering

The days of men dominating the engineering scene are still evident and an alarming fact. Despite an improvement in recent years, a serious shortage of women pursuing careers in engineering remains. The North-West University (NWU) aims to change this – one semester at a time …

Over the past few years, the NWU’s Faculty of Engineering…

Workshop teaches reliable data collection on land use

Accurate data collection is one of the most crucial elements of research and the North-West University (NWU) has always prided itself on the excellent quality of its research.

Fittingly, the NWU was chosen to host this year’s Collect Earth workshop, presented by the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), the European…

Major funding awarded to large-scale collaborative projects at NWU

“In this period of economic austerity, governments are forced to cut their spending and budgets in order to remain financially viable or sustainable. Universities are therefore more and more challenged to find alternative means to meet the growing demands of financial resources to fulfil the academic project.”

Prof Refilwe Phaswana…