Book about faculty’s successful 100-year legacy launched

A prestigious publication with the inspiring story of the Faculty of Natural Sciences of the North-West University (NWU) over the past more than a hundred years was recently published.

This book, “ʼn Bekroonde nalatenskap: Die Fakulteit Natuurwetenskappe van die NWU oor 100 jaar”, was compiled by Dr Elize van Eeden, an experienced…

NWU unveils new nursing building

Prof Dan Kgwadi, vice-chancellor of the North-West University (NWU), led the celebrations on the Mahikeng Campus, on 30 March 2017 during the unveiling of its new nursing building.

Unveiling the new nursing building plaque are Prof Sevid Mashego, Prof Mashudu Davhana-Maselesele, campus rector, and Prof Dan Kgwadi,…

NWU Department of Social Work hosts oath-taking and celebrates World Social Work Day The Department of Social Work on the Mafikeng Campus of the North-West University (NWU) hosted an oath-taking ceremony for second-year social work students while celebrat

The Department of Social Work on the Mahikeng Campus of the North-West University (NWU) hosted an oath-taking ceremony for second-year social work students while celebrating World Social Work Day on 29 March 2017 at the Student Centre Hall.

Oath-taking is usually done by all registered social work students. With this oath they…

Maintaining the balance between protection and use of SA’s most diverse floodplain ecosystem

Thousands of people rely on the floodplain of the Lower Phongolo River in KwaZulu-Natal, as do millions of fish, frogs, birds, insects and other aquatic animals. But how can they all co-exist sustainably and what is needed to maintain the delicate balance of South Africa's biggest, richest and most diverse floodplain ecosystem?

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It’s time to recognise waste pickers

They are a sight common in South Africa as they scavenge landfills and go through bins in suburbs, business and industrial districts. Yet little is known about the role waste pickers play in the economy.

Sights set on shedding light on the factors that enable waste pickers to make a living, Professor Derick Blaauw of the Faculty of…

A South African web-based platform for speech transcription

With 11 official languages in South Africa, finding an effective yet affordable way to transcribe speech to text was never going to be easy, but that is set to change with some innovative thinking from researchers who are creating an open source web-based platform for speech transcription.

Researchers from North-West University’s…

Metals in bird eggs a source of concern in Orange River catchment area

The heron that laid the golden egg? Scientists from the North-West University (NWU) have found several metals and metalloids in bird eggs in the catchment area of the Orange River which could pose a potential health risk to humans.

Prof Henk Bouwman from the Faculty of Natural Sciences says this study was part of a larger project to…

Survivor to thriver: creating a brighter future for victims of sexual abuse

The heart-wrenching reality of childhood sexual abuse is a global scourge which two researchers from North-West University (NWU) are tackling by assisting survivors to deal with their trauma and thrive.  

The worldwide prevalence as measured in 22 countries indicates that 18% to 20% of girls and 8% to 9% of boys have to cope with this trauma…

Social sciences the Rubik’s Cube of humanity – Prof Herman van der Merwe

Did you know that it took the Hungarian inventor and professor of architecture Erno Rubik one month to master his own mechanical puzzle, the Rubik’s Cube? With 42 Quintillion possibilities but only a few correct solutions, the Rubik’s Cube is the epitome of human society: with each block representing a social science topic.

This is…

Social sciences the Rubik’s Cube of humanity – Prof Herman van der Merwe

Did you know that it took the Hungarian inventor and professor of architecture Erno Rubik one month to master his own mechanical puzzle, the Rubik’s Cube? With 42 Quintillion possibilities but only a few correct solutions, the Rubik’s Cube is the epitome of human society: with each block representing a social science topic.

This is…