Prof Elsa continues her lifelong journey to promote self-directed learning

Self-directed learning can make the process of learning more enjoyable and allow students to personalise the learning experience, which is empowering and motivating.

Prof Elsa Mentz, director of the Research Unit Self-Directed Learning from the North-West University (NWU), is a true advocate for self-directed learning in higher and…

North-West University expertise puts rural women’s mental health in the spotlight

They are too often forgotten and relegated to an afterthought – their plight unheard, their future uncertain. They are the women in South Africa’s low- and middle-income communities who suffer from perinatal mental health issues, and the North-West University (NWU) is putting their needs in the spotlight.

Perinatal mental health issues…

North-West University at the forefront of agricultural innovation

Crop production in South Africa is overshadowed by storm clouds, and not the type that farmers crave. A multitude of uncertainties combine to darken prospects for the country’s crop farmers, which include climate change, water shortages, soil degradation, disease, economic instability and infrastructure and energy restrictions.

That is…

Success and insights from NWU’s collaborative writing camp, empowering postgraduate researchers

From 11 to 15 November 2024, the North-West University’s (NWU) Research and Postgraduate Support Directorate hosted a successful writing camp aimed at tackling the challenges faced by postgraduate students. Held in collaboration with the Writing Centre and the Chemical Resources Beneficiation (CRB) group, the camp provided a transformative…

A new era for SADiLaR: Advancing South Africa's digital language revolution

"Language is a process of free creation; its laws and principles are fixed, but the manner in which the principles of generation are used is free and infinitely varied. Even the interpretation and use of words involves a process of free creation."

These words by Noam Chomsky encapsulate the core of SADiLaR’s mission - harnessing the…

Nursing’s undergraduate research day: showcasing future healthcare scientists

The 2024 final-year Nursing students at the North-West University (NWU) recently took the spotlight as they displayed their research projects during the undergraduate research day, which took place on the Potchefstroom and Mahikeng campuses on separate days.

This annual event was collaboratively led by Francois Watson, senior lecturer…

SADiLaR launches Higher Education Support Programme to advance multilingualism at universities

The South African Centre for Digital Language Resources (SADiLaR) at the North-West University (NWU) is intensifying its efforts to support the higher education sector in advancing the implementation of the Language Policy Framework for Public Higher Education Institutions.

Following the successful completion of the national language…

Professor Ype Poortinga urges cross-cultural psychology to focus on global unity

Professor Ype Poortinga, emeritus professor at Tilburg University and the University of Leuven, delivered an insightful lecture at the Optentia Research Unit at the Vanderbijlpark Campus. His talk, titled “Exploring the History of Cross-Cultural Psychology: The Primacy of Method over Theory,” explored the evolution of research methods in cross-…

Society of Atmospheric Sciences awards highest honour in the field to NWU researcher

In a world of extreme climate change where air pollution is rife and people’s health is at stake, it has become paramount to predict the impact of chemical processes within the Earth’s atmosphere to plan measures for the future. A researcher at the North-West University (NWU) has made it his life’s labour to study atmospheric sciences.

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Animal health students present entrepreneurial solutions for agriculture

By Gofaone Motsamai

Instead of focusing on formal employment when they graduate, final-year animal health science students at the North-West University (NWU) are tapping into their entrepreneurial spirit to explore ways to generate an income.

As part of a specialised entrepreneurship module, students…