"Green coal": fuel of the future

Coal in its traditional form might soon be a relic of the past, but ground-breaking research by the North-West University (NWU) is showing how a face-lift to this fossil fuel has numerous safe, green possibilities. A revolutionary process to manufacture “green” coal that will reduce the amount of carbon dioxide emissions by up to 80% is…

Faculty of Engineering investigates the mystery of artificial intelligence

The Multilingual Speech Technologies (MuST) research group is a research niche area associated with the North-West University’s (NWU’s) Faculty of Engineering. It focusses on machine learning and statistical pattern recognition, as well as their application in speech technologies.

Over the years, the group has been involved in…

Passion for environment culminates into insightful doctoral study

Irene Muller obtained her PhD degree in development and management at the recent Autumn Graduation Ceremonies of the North-West University’s (NWU’s) campus in Vanderbijlpark. Irene’s passion for the environment culminated into an insightful study.

In her thesis titled “A citizen science water quality monitoring project’s contribution to…

Faculty of Engineering brings industrial innovation to Delmas

Innovation is heading to Delmas and the Faculty of Engineering at the North-West University (NWU) is at the helm.

The German-based conglomerate Siemens, in conjunction with Eskom, approached Hasan Darwish, an industrial engineer at the Faculty of Engineering, early in 2018 to assist with a project that will introduce industrial…

The NWU shines with 13 ‘Science Oscar’ finalists

Thirteen of the North-West University’s (NWU’s) esteemed researchers and academics are finalists for the prestigious annual awards of the National Science and Technology Forum (NSTF). The NSTF-South32 Awards, also known as the ‘Science Oscars’, are sought after each year by the who’s who of science, engineering, technology and innovation in…

Study explores resilient children from divorced homes

They say that children are the ones who suffer most when a couple goes through a divorce. This however, does not need to be the norm.

During the recent Autumn Graduation Ceremony of the North-West University’s (NWU’s) campus in Vanderbijlpark, the focus fell on the doctoral thesis of Carla Bezuidenhout – a PhD graduate who scrutinised ways…

Model proposes innovative approach to performance management in the public sector

John Bester knows the value of innovative performance management: a concept that he has applied in a study towards his PhD degree in public management and governance from the North-West University’s (NWU’s) campus in Vanderbijlpark.

In his theses, “Innovative performance management in the public sector in Botswana: towards a new model”,…

Action-based research brings positive environmental change

Climate change is not something that happens at a distance, to other regions and other people, but is a phenomenon that has an impact on everyone, everywhere. This is a lesson that grade 7 learners are being exposed to through a research project involving researchers from the North-West University’s (NWU's) campus in Vanderbijlpark.

This…

Faculty of Engineering: Towards an integrated energy approach

Energy needs across the globe are rising while fossil fuels are being depleted. Since fossil fuels result in various detrimental emissions, new and renewable energy sources can alleviate the drain on our natural resources and help in the mitigation of the harmful emissions.

Viewed in isolation, neither of these energy sources may…

NWU discusses the virtue of rice

With a number of farmers in the North-West province currently struggling to produce maize due to climate change and global warming, it is clear that South Africa needs crop diversification in order to promote food security.

The North-West University (NWU), together with the North West Department of Agriculture (NWDA), is in the…