NWU rewards its exceptional achievers

During a virtual ceremony on 25 November the North-West University (NWU) acknowledged staff for their exceptional contributions to teaching and learning, research and community engagement.

These torchbearers were honoured during the first ever NWU Excellence Awards ceremony. The…

Sydwell’s ideas mushroom into commercial success

Universities across the country are producing ground-breaking research with great economic potential, but often the question is how this can be translated into commercial enterprises.

To address this issue, the North-West University (NWU) recently hosted a webinar titled “Mushrooming of ideas: Converting a postgraduate study into a…

Growing successful emerging farmers through partnerships

What does it take for emerging farmers to be successful? This is the question North-West University (NWU) academic Dr Faan Pelser and Prof Theuns Pelser from the University of KwaZulu-Natal’s Graduate School for Business and Leadership set out to answer in their recent research paper.

The paper is titled “The factors that contribute to…

Sounding out the stars

Space is not as silent as it may seem, and asteroseismologists know this. Asteroseismology is a booming field full of opportunity for students and young researchers and has an impact on many other fields of astronomical research.

But what is asteroseismology all about? Prof Don Kurtz, an A1-rated professor now based at the North-West…

NWU to lead agricultural intervention to empower local communities

To promote mental health and wellbeing and prevent substance abuse among young people in Lokaleng village in Mahikeng, the North-West University’s (NWU’s) Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences will be leading the agricultural intervention section of the multi-sectoral collaborative care community intervention…

NWU IKS celebrate September as African New Year and the month of new beginnings

African indigenous astronomy (bolepa dinaledi in Setswana) is one discipline of competencies of the broader African indigenous knowledge systems negated by the modern education system, including modern astronomers, researchers and policy makers. This is according to Dr Motheo Koitsiwe, indigenous astronomer researcher and director of the North-…

Oyster mushrooms could make brown seaweed rich pickings for indigenous chickens

Brown seaweed is known to be a rich source of minerals such as calcium, manganese, potassium, sodium, phosphorus, sulphur and iron. Add oyster mushrooms to the mix and the result could be a highly nutritious source of feed for indigenous chickens. This is the thinking of Godfrey Mhlongo, North-West University (NWU) PhD student in animal health…

Wasps zoom in on metal contamination

Wasps are often viewed as pests but they can play a huge role in the ecosystem, from pollination to being a link in the food chain. North-West University (NWU) master’s student Yasfir Tarif Nadat is now undertaking a study to show how wasps can be indicators of pollution. His study is inspired by a paper he and a team of researchers from the…

Mines are contaminating useful plants in Limpopo

Chromium from mining activities has been found in high concentrations in plant species commonly grown in household gardens in Sekhukhuneland, Limpopo, representing a potential health hazard. These are some of the findings of Sutapa Adhikari, a doctoral student from the North-West University (NWU), who has been studying the contamination of food…

Plants offer home-grown solutions to healthcare

Approximately 80% of South Africa’s population depend on medicinal plants for their healthcare needs, leading to an increased interest in the commercialisation of plant-based remedies.

Research by Tshepiso Ndhlovu, a PhD candidate at the North-West University (NWU), is shedding light on the potential of medicinal plants in the skincare…