Academic News
Recognition of Sign Language a progress step for inclusivity
North-West University (NWU) academic Prof Moses Phooko has lauded the National Assembly’s approval of South African Sign Language as the 12th official language on 2 May 2023.
The South African Constitution previously provided for 11 official languages, which include Sepedi, Sesotho, Setswana, siSwati, Tshivenda, Xitsonga, Afrikaans,…
PhD student embarks on exchange programme to Belgium
Ryan du Toit, a PhD student in psychology from the North-West University’s (NWU’s) Faculty of Health Sciences, will soon leave for Belgium, after he has been selected for an international priority country exchange programme.
The exchange programme comprises a fully paid scholarship, starting in September 2023 until the end of January…
Optentia to host top international scientist
The North-West University’s (NWU's) Optentia research unit will host a top international scientist, Prof Alexandre JS Morin, on its Vanderbijlpark Campus on 29 May 2023.
Prof Morin will present a hybrid workshop on structural equation modelling, targeted at academics and master’s and PhD students who use quantitative data-analysis…
Exploring indigenous knowledge to combat cattle diseases
For centuries small-scale livestock farmers have been relying on plants to ensure the health of their animals, knowledge which could benefit veterinary science.
“Cattle farming is a traditional agricultural system that contributes to the rural economic, social and cultural values of communities. Cattle, and other livestock are affected…
BAQONDE aims to open the world of higher education
Promoting indigenous African languages as a medium of instruction is imperative if we want to preserve our cultural heritage, improve learning outcomes and reduce language barriers. This was again evident during the 2023 BAQONDE congress, which was held at the North-West University (NWU) from 1 to 5 May.
BAQONDE is a collaborative…
René believes that miracles still happen
Giving up has never been an option for 23-year-old René Engelbrecht, who recently graduated with her BEd Foundation Phase degree at the North-West University (NWU). She obtained her degree with cum laude.
She was born without a corpus callosum, which is a band of nerve fibres…
Academics look at science and faith
Two North-West University (NWU) academics, Prof Frikkie van Niekerk and Prof Nico Vorster, are the proud editors of the transdisciplinary book titled Science and Faith in Dialogue. It is published in open access format by AOSIS Scholarly Books.
Prof van Niekerk was the main editor and also contributed a book chapter, and Prof Vorster…
GIFT students and staff off to Hungary in May
Several lecturers from the Global, Innovative, Forefront, Talent (GIFT) Management research niche area in the North-West University’s (NWU’s) Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences (FEMS) will soon depart for Hungary, courtesy of funding received from the European Union’s Erasmus funding programme.
According to Prof Anna-Marie…
Support and guidance from the NWU community eased rating journey
The subject group Information Systems at the North-West University (NWU) has its first National Research Foundation (NRF) Y2-rated researcher in Prof Joshua Chukwuere.
He is an NWU-grown scholar in information systems, specifically emerging and digital technologies. Prof Chukwuere is an associate professor in the research focus area…
MASARA focuses on music and the conservation of indigenous music
Aristotle said that music has the power to form the character and should therefore be introduced into the education of the young. This quote is befitting of the Musical Arts in South Africa: Resources and Applications (MASARA) research niche area at the North-West University (NWU).
MASARA is part of the NWU’s School of Music and…