Academic News
NWU academic walks away with SAIEE President’s Award
Mafumane Thlapi
Prof Leenta Grobler, an academic in the North-West University (NWU) Business School, was announced the recipient of the South African Institute of Electrical Engineers’ (SAIEE’s)…
The war in Ukraine: a costly inflection point
Bertie Jacobs
The war in the Ukraine continues to rage on. Thousands are dead, millions have been displaced and the world awaits an uncertain outcome. The conflict has had many consequences on many different fronts, and the continent it is based on has not…
Researcher rings alarm bells over use of alcohol among students
Mafumane Thlapi
High prevalence rates of alcohol use among students in higher education are a public health concern. This is according to a study conducted by Prof Miriam Moagi from the School of Nursing at the North-West University (NWU).
Prof Moagi reviewed existing evidence to address alcohol abuse…
Project explores how to boost profitability of indigenous language media
The research niche area Indigenous Language Media in Africa (ILMA) at the North-West University (NWU) is embarking on a three-year research project to assist South Africa’s struggling indigenous language media.
The past few years have seen massive closures and restructuring of media houses in South Africa, partly due to the introduction…
Covid-19 pandemic has further weakened South Africa’s fragile peace
In the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, the exclusion of even more South African residents from economic activity has further weakened the country’s already fragile peace.
This is one of the conclusions drawn by North-West University (NWU) academic Dr Gideon van Riet, who recently published an article based on three years of research in…
Cyberattacks likely to increase as connectivity grows
Cyberattacks are occurring thick and fast as the world becomes more connected and the rewards greater. According to a North-West University (NWU) academic, the possible rewards for cyberattackers will continue to increase, as more aspects of our everyday lives become interwoven and reliant on online interaction.
Prof Wian Erlank from…
Conserving African biodiversity through genomics has a food security link
Using genomics to understand and protect the African continent’s biodiversity could improve the resilience of plants, animals and other life forms to climate change, with a knock-on effect on food security, says North-West University (NWU) researcher Dr Roksana Majewska.
She and fellow researchers at the African BioGenome Project (…
NWU researchers help map the way forward for hydrogen in South Africa
The Earth is in trouble. It is suffocating under clouds of carbon dioxide emissions from the use of coal and other environmentally damaging resources to generate energy. These emissions are the primary cause of global warming, and if humanity wants to avoid the worst consequences of global warming*, we have to find alternatives for our energy…
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine: what does it hold for South African consumers?
The invasion of Ukraine by Russia has sent shockwaves across the globe, causing significant uncertainty in global markets.
Although geographically far removed from these warring countries, the modern era of globalisation and fierce integration of markets through trade and financial flows means that South Africans will possibly feel the…
Anja sets her sights on early detection of kidney disease in young South Africans
The earlier kidney disease is detected, the more effectively it can be treated. Anja Degenaar, a master’s student in physiology at the North-West University (NWU), has set out to identify the biomarkers which will indicate deteriorating kidney function in young South Africans, ensuring early detection and treatment.
“The global…