Botany professor and leading scholar on forbs publishes in respected journal series

Prof Frances Siebert from the subject group Botany at the North-West University (NWU) was recently invited to publish in the Annual Reviews journal series.

This paper is the first from the NWU’s Unit for Environmental Sciences and Management (UESM) in this highly regarded publication series on ecology, evolution and systematics.

Faculty of Theology initiative improves pass rates of matrics

Two Potchefstroom secondary schools are reaping the benefits of an initiative of the North-West University’s (NWU’s) Faculty of Theology aimed at improving study methods and motivating learners.

According to Prof Fazel Ebrihiam Freeks, project leader, there has been a definite improvement in the pass rates of Grade 12 learners at…

African needs and engineering expertise converge

The Faculty of Engineering at the North-West University (NWU) participated in the World Association of Industrial and Technological Research Organizations (WAITRO) Summit 2024, which took place in Nanjing, China from 13 to 15 November.

The summit’s theme, “From innovation to impact: Strategies for sustainable solutions”, highlighted the…

Academy of Science of South Africa honours professor of Radio Chemistry as a top scholar

Nuclear technology is a powerful instrument, and research has shown that it can have a significant impact on disease prevention and treatment. An extraordinary professor at the North-West University (NWU) and specialist in nuclear technology – in radiochemistry in particular – is one of 44 leading scholars and scientists to be inaugurated as…

Good news for interest rates as 2024 draws to a close

It is good news for business and consumers that the repo rate was unanimously reduced by 25 basis points (bps) on 21 November.

In commenting on the latest Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) statement to again reduce the repo rate by 25 basis points (bps), Prof Raymond Parsons, economist from the North-West University (NWU) Business School…

Professor advocates for ‘pracademics’ in bridging media and academia

By Gofaone Motsamai

When individuals blend professional media experience with academic work, they are “pracademics” who build bridges between the two spheres. This is according to Prof Gilbert Motsaathebe, research professor at the North-West University (NWU), who used the term during his recent inaugural…

Education expert weighs in on North West Department’s mother-tongue education pilot

Mother-tongue education for North West Province school learners is set to be expanded through a pilot project in January 2025. The expert view of Dr Judicial Sebatana of the North-West University’s (NWU’s) Faculty of Education is that the provincial government’s plans are a critical step forward for mother-tongue learning. However, some…

NWU researchers publish South Africa's first space biology article

The first space biology article has been published in South Africa, marking an important advancement for African space science – and potentially for the world.

The article, based on a study of young earthworms exposed to various hypergravity conditions for eight days, was authored by researchers at the North-West University (NWU). For…

Inaugural lecture explores the relationship between media, power and society

Prof Dumisani Moyo, executive dean of the Faculty of Humanities at the North-West University (NWU), delivered his inaugural address on Wednesday, 13 November 2024. The title of his presentation was “Moving the Centre of Media and Communicative Power in the Digital Age: Promise, Pitfalls, and Perspectives”.

Prof Moyo is the former vice-…

North-West University expertise addresses catastrophic teacher shortfall

Thirty-one thousand. That is the conservative estimate of the current teacher shortage in South Africa. Classrooms are overcrowded, with ballooning learner-to-teacher ratios, especially in rural and under-resourced schools. This severely impacts dropout rates and education quality.

This is not where the woes of future learners end. It…