Human Interest News

Inclusive education: developing support for all learners’ learning needs

The Optentia research focus area on the North-West University’s (NWU’s) campus in Vanderbijlpark recently hosted a conference entitled “Developing Support for the learning needs of ALL learners”.

The conference was sponsored by Mark Hayter from Edtechink and the Deputy Vice Chancellors’ office on the Vanderbijlpark campus. It was organised…

NWU signs memorandum of understanding with Ndebele Kingship Council

A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was signed between the Ndebele Kingship Council and the North-West University (NWU) on Wednesday, 18 July 2018. An opportunity for cooperation between the Ndebele Kingship Council and the university was identified and the MOU captures the joint interest and establishes a long-term relationship.

Easier treatment on the way for diabetes and some cancers

Imagine a world where diabetics no longer have to inject themselves and where radio-pharmaceutical drugs against certain types of cancer can be administered orally. These are some of envisaged outcomes of research at the North-West University’s Department of Science and Technology (DST)/NWU Pre-Clinical Drug Development Platform (PCDDP).…

Nuclear does NOT mean bomb!

South Africa needs a library of its uranium reserves in order to be able to trace the origins of nuclear material, and the North-West University’s (NWU’s) Centre for Applied Radiation Science and Technology (CARST) is playing a leading role towards this goal.

Prof Manny Mathuthu from CARST delivered his inaugural lecture in front of…

NWU is banking on a new method

Globally, banks are faced with ATM crimes, system security breaches and other types of fraud. These operational risks have to be carefully managed in order to minimise losses, with regulators requiring banks to set aside capital to safeguard themselves against unexpected losses that may occur. Many models have been developed to enable banks…

International researchers collaborate to understand unemployment

“No job, no food, please help.” These words on makeshift cardboard signs can be seen at every street corner on any given day in South Africa. With an unemployment rate of 26,7% in the first quarter of 2018, it comes as no surprise that South Africa is one of 20 nations with the highest unemployment figures in the world.

Yet there is hope.…

Talking export opportunities at the Agbiz Congress 2018

With populations expanding in many parts of the world and rapid urbanisation straining countries’ resources, the need for food and food security has never been so great. While this has created enormous opportunities for farmers in many parts of the world, including South Africa, our agricultural sector is facing significant challenges – not…

HCS 2018: industry experts debate human capital management

The most important asset for any company is not something palpable. It is not equipment, infrastructure, data or even intellectual property. No. The most valuable asset of any business is the people (human capital).

In a world where business leaders are often running a full-time sprint just to keep up with the day-to-day demands of business…

NWU doing its bit to build a better Africa

BRICS* countries delegates recently witnessed what the NWU is accomplishing in the field of research and innovation when they attended an exhibition of thirteen of the university’s top of the range technologies.

The technologies that were exhibited were the Green Coal initiative, Moonshine, Hanks TB, Extrusion Tchnology-CFAM, Jonker…

Social scientists to reimagine the future

 “Social scientists hold the key to imagining and realising an alternative future, not only for South Africa but for the world. Through social sciences we are offered the opportunity to open up debate, to collaborate and ultimately shape our collective future.”

This is according to Prof Linda du Plessis, the North-West University’s (NWU’s)…