4IR and its impact on academia and curricula development

The Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) has ushered in rapid progress that is fundamentally reshaping various facets of human life, including career opportunities and educational methodologies. Kurt Naicker, senior lecturer and chartered accountant from the North-West University’s (NWU’s) School of Accounting Sciences, delves into the ongoing…

Inaugural lecture examines the vital role of indigenous knowledge

In his inaugural lecture on 14 September, North-West University (NWU) academic Prof Adeyemi Oladapo Aremu shed light on the significance of indigenous knowledge and its role in medicine.

He delivered his lecture titled "Indigenous knowledge: Connecting plants, people, and everything in between" on the Mahikeng Campus.

Prof Aremu…

NWU hosts successful regional conference on sustainability

The North-West University’s (NWU’s) School of Social Sciences played host to the successful Planetary Utilisation of Sustainability Strategies (PLUS) Southern African Regional Conference from 11 to 13 September at its Mahikeng Campus.

The conference, themed "Land, Landscape, Local Knowledge, and the Pursuit of Sustainable Ontologies,"…

Africa’s stomach is empty and the hunger is growing

The continent is ravaged by a host of factors inhibiting food security and is trapped in what a recent report by the World Bank calls “the perfect storm”. Its consequences are disastrous. The Covid-19 pandemic was followed by the war in the Ukraine, which has led to severe food and fertiliser shortages. Now, Africa is in the midst of a tempest…

Scarce skill puts NWU taxonomist at forefront of describing parasites

“What is in a name?” William Shakespeare wanted to know.  A young researcher from the North-West University (NWU) knows exactly how important a name is. She is currently believed to be the youngest gnathiid taxonomist in the world, at the forefront of describing these parasites and identifying their names – or the lack thereof.

Dr Anja…

Academic lauds Transport Department's nanotechnology road rescue

North-West University (NWU) academic and professor in chemistry, Prof Lebo Seru, has praised the Department of Transport’s announcement that they will be embarking on a pioneering plan to reinforce collapsing roads in the North West province through the innovative application of nanotechnology.

The department has committed to launching…

Community engagement initiative aimed at smallholder farmers earns fourth place

The North-West University (NWU) has secured fourth place in the Sustainable Development Goals Initiative of the Year category of the 2023 Global Triple E Awards for Africa. These awards – made by the Accreditation Council for Entrepreneurial and Engaged Universities (ACEEU) – recognise universities worldwide that exhibit an exceptional…

Researcher brings African populations into previously Eurocentric cell research

Why did some people experience more severe coronavirus symptoms than others during the Covid-19 pandemic? International researchers believe part of the answer may lie deep within human cells, specifically in the small circular chromosome inside each cell, called the mitochondrial DNA.

Genetic variations in mitochondrial DNA are…

Study explores the use of medicinal plants to treat childhood diseases

Dr Tshepiso Ndhlovu, a PhD graduate from the North-West University (NWU), has completed promising research on the use of medicinal plants to treat children’s diseases.

Childhood illnesses make a major contribution to infant mortality rates worldwide, and the high cost of conventional treatment exacerbates the problem by putting a…

Solar telescope expands research horizons into solar physics

Located on the roof of building G5 at the North-West University’s (NWU’s) Potchefstroom Campus, the solar telescope of the Centre for Space Research has garnered attention from organisations such as the BBC and the Royal Astronomical Society.

Dr Ruhann Steyn, senior lecturer and principal scientist involved in the project, recently…