NWU’s Itumeleng Dinku wrestles with the call for meaningful research

Societies depend heavily on women for health care, yet women's own health needs are frequently neglected, their contributions to health development undervalued, and their working conditions ignored.

This is the opinion of Itumeleng Dinku, a master’s student in population studies and sustainable development in the Faculty of…

NWU student housing shortages addressed

The North-West University (NWU) is not allowing the Covid-19 pandemic to interfere with its commitment to dealing with student accommodation. Work on residences with hundreds of beds is under way.

The university recently conducted a site handover and briefed successful contractors on expectations ahead of the start of a two-year…

IMF loan goes wider than just helping the budget

“The welcome special loan facility from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to help South Africa deal with the socio-economic impact of Covid-19 goes wider than just helping to balance the budget.”

Prof Raymond Parsons, well-known economist and academic from the NWU Business School, says that – as was widely expected – the IMF has…

The plastic problem: NWU researchers highlight major data gaps

Our oceans are choking on plastic debris. In fact, marine plastic debris is one of the most pressing environmental concerns facing the world today, with devastating effects for both humans and the environment.

But just how big a culprit is South Africa?

Prof Henk Bouwman, from the North-West University’s (NWU’s) Faculty of…

NWU Professor takes a psychological peep into the 2020 class of learners

Due to the devastating effects of the global Covid-19 outbreak, uncertainty, worry, fear and anxiety have become the order of the day for many families – particularly for those with learners in schools, says North-West University (NWU) Humanities professor, Erhabor Idemudia.

This issue is again in the spotlight after President Cyril…

NWU academic editor of book examining African language media

North-West University (NWU) academic Abiodun Salawu, a professor of journalism, communication and media studies and director of the research entity Indigenous Language Media in Africa, recently lent his critical editor’s eye to the book African Language Media: Development, Economics and Management.

This book examines the reasons for…

New lichen species discovered

Prof Stefan Siebert from the Unit for Environmental Sciences and Management at the North-West University (NWU), together with academics from various American universities, recently described two new lichen species, the first discoveries of its kind in three decades. Lichens are a complex life form that is a symbiotic partnership between two…

The cut in interest rates is good, but more would have been better

The further 25 basis-point cut in interest rates is positive, but 50 basis points would have been better. This is the view of Prof Raymond Parsons, well-known economist and academic from the NWU Business School.

“The decision by the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) to cut interest rates by another 25 basis points is broadly in line…

NWU Soccer Institute perseveres during the pandemic

The effects of the Covid-19 pandemic continue to ripple through the world’s health, educational, financial and commercial institutions, and the sports environment is no different.

The nonstop entertainment ardent fans of university sports have come to expect, came to a grinding halt with the 2020 season of the Varsity Football…

Consumer-driven innovation keeps NWU student on his toes

To understand Africa’s digital opportunity, one only has to look at the numbers: six out of the 10 fastest-growing economies are in sub-Saharan Africa, with Africa being the second-biggest mobile market in the world. This is according to the poll blog ICT works.

Despite the challenges facing Africa, and South Africa in particular,…