Academic News
NWU Council chair presides over international convention
The chairperson of the North-West University’s (NWU’s) Council, Dr Bismark Tyobeka, presided over the international Atomic Energy Agency’s (IAEA’s) sixth Joint Convention Review Meeting.
The meeting on the safety of spent fuel management and radioactive waste management started on 21 May in Vienna, Austria and will conclude on 1…
Law’s new chair will help promote environmental sustainability
The Faculty of Law at the North-West University (NWU) has just received its first-ever Research Chair under the National Research Foundation’s South African Research Chair Initiative (SARChi).
The Chair in Cities, Law and Environmental Sustainability (CLES) was secured by Prof Anél du Plessis who will direct its activities for the…
Taxing answers to carbon emissions
Studies have shown South Africa is one of the world’s largest carbon emitters. Dr Michelle Barnard, a senior lecturer from the North-West University’s (NWU’s) Faculty of Law, has pledged to try and change this.
Dr Barnard recently published an award-winning article on this topic. The article focused on greenhouse gases, climate…
NWU student investigates indigenous precautions for the safe use of plant medicine
Simangaliso Lesley Mashego, a master’s student in Indigenous Knowledge Systems at the North-West University’s (NWU’s) campus in Mahikeng, is doing research about safety measures employed by a rural Khoi-San community for commonly used medicinal plants as a way to improve health care in South Africa.
The research focused on 10…
"Green coal": fuel of the future
Coal in its traditional form might soon be a relic of the past, but ground-breaking research by the North-West University (NWU) is showing how a face-lift to this fossil fuel has numerous safe, green possibilities. A revolutionary process to manufacture “green” coal that will reduce the amount of carbon dioxide emissions by up to 80% is…
The NWU shines with 13 ‘Science Oscar’ finalists
Thirteen of the North-West University’s (NWU’s) esteemed researchers and academics are finalists for the prestigious annual awards of the National Science and Technology Forum (NSTF). The NSTF-South32 Awards, also known as the ‘Science Oscars’, are sought after each year by the who’s who of science, engineering, technology and innovation in…
Action-based research brings positive environmental change
Climate change is not something that happens at a distance, to other regions and other people, but is a phenomenon that has an impact on everyone, everywhere. This is a lesson that grade 7 learners are being exposed to through a research project involving researchers from the North-West University’s (NWU's) campus in Vanderbijlpark.
This…
NWU graduation ceremonies a celebration of diversity
The third day of the four-day graduation ceremony of the North-West University’s (NWU’s) campus in Vanderbijlpark did not only represent the culmination of years of study for graduates, but also bore witness to the rich cultural diversity evident at the institution.
A total of 442 students from the Faculty of Humanities obtained their…
A new frontier: The Creative Arts and Law project
“All aspects of society are effected by law therefore we encourage interdisciplinary cooperation,” explains one of the most popular lecturers at the North-West University (NWU), René Koraan. That is why the Faculty of Law, in conjunction with the Faculty of Education, launched the Creative Arts and Law project.
The project is a…
NWU and German university solidify their partnership
“Great things in business are never done by one person; they're done by a team of people." This quote by Steve Jobs rang true at the third public lecture within the North-West University’s (NWU’s) Research and Innovation Seminar Series.
The NWU, together with Justus Liebig University Giessen in Germany, decided to celebrate their 10…