Natural and Agricultural Sciences News

Passionate young water professionals win the Wetskills Water Challenge

Seipati Poopedi, a master’s student at the North-West University (NWU), recently participated in the Wetskills Water Challenge in Cape Town and her team walked away with the spoils.

Her team members were Tariro Marekwa, an MSc student from the University of Cape Town, Dr Fulya Kandamir from Antalya Metropolitan Municipality Climate…

Guiding Grade 9 learners on their path to success

You should start planning your future career as early as in Grade 9. This was what North-West University (NWU) statistics lecturer Dr Piet Ntema, told Grade 9 learners during a recent career guidance workshop.

Dr Ntema hosted the workshop in partnership with the office of Prof Rodney Medupe, deputy dean for community engagement and…

Newly discovered frog species named after Prof Louis du Preez

Prof Louis du Preez, professor of zoology at the Potchefstroom Campus of the North-West University (NWU), was honoured by having a newly discovered Malagasy frog species named after him.

The honour was bestowed by a group of German scientists from the University of Braunschweig, Landesmuseum in Darmstadt, and the Zoological Museum in…

ANSTI appoints dean to its interim council

NWU staff continue to make significant contributions, not only locally but also internationally. The executive dean of the Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, Prof David Modise, has been appointed to the interim governing council of the African Network of Scientific and Technological Institutions (ANSTI).

Prof Modise will…

Leaf blight in maize has complex causes but can be combated

Leaf blight in maize poses a threat to food security but, although it has complex causes, it can be effectively managed. This is one of the findings of a group of North-West University (NWU) researchers who have been investigating this plant disease at the university’s Molelwane farm in Mahikeng.

Their research shows that the disease…

Antimicrobial resistance threatens Africa’s future (SASUF 2023)

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) poses a huge threat to Africa’s and, by extension, the world’s health care systems and should be addressed with haste. This according to Prof Carlos Bezuidenhout, director of the Unit for Environmental Sciences and Management, Microbiology (METSI) at the North-West University’s Faculty of Natural and Agricultural…

NWU water expert presents water policy brief at UN Conference

Prof Frank Winde, a professor in environmental science at the North-West University (NWU), recently presented a Water Policy Brief at the United Nations (UN) Water Conference that took place at the UN Headquarters in New York. 

This was the first global water conference in nearly 50 years and stakeholders across the globe were welcome…

NWU academic appointed as president of SA Association of Botanists

North-West University (NWU) academic at the Indigenous Knowledge Systems Centre, Prof Adeyemi Oladapo Aremu, has been inaugurated as the president of the South African Association of Botanists (SAAB) during the annual SAAB conference that took place at the University of Limpopo earlier this year.

He will serve as president from January…

QS World University Rankings include NWU in two subject areas

The North-West University (NWU) continues to feature in international rankings. The latest Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) World University Rankings by Subject includes the NWU in two subject areas: agriculture and forestry, and medicine.

The 2023 QS World University Rankings by Subject ranked the NWU in the 351 to 400 category for…

NWU lecturer presents at prestigious education and technology conference in Spain

North-West University statistics lecturer Dr Piet Ntema recently presented a paper at the 17th annual International Technology, Education and Development Conference (INTED2023) in Spain.

He presented the paper from his PhD thesis titled “Feature selection of student(s) at risk of dropout using administrative data at a university in…