The North-West University’s (NWU’s) Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences again took top honours at this year’s Excellence in Research Awards on 27 October. The faculty won the titles of Most Productive Senior Researcher and Most Productive Junior Researcher, just as they did last year.

Many outstanding staff members from other disciplines were also acknowledged for excellence in research, innovation, community involvement and creativity.

Tourism at the NWU continues to rake in the awards. Prof Melville Saayman from the Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences on the campus in Potchefstroom is the NWU’s Most Productive Researcher for 2016. Melville has now received this honour three times, demonstrating the consistent excellence of his research.

He is the director of the research focus area Tourism Research in Economic Environs and Society (TREES). Melville’s research has two distinctive focus areas. The first addresses poverty alleviation through tourism and deals with aspects such as job creation and how tourism improves and enhances people’s quality of life. The second part of his research looks at how tourist’s value wildlife species in South Africa.

Prof Leon de Beer, also from the Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences, is this year’s Most Productive Junior Researcher. 

His research is about burnout and work engagement in organisations. He is from the WorkWell Research Unit for Economic Management, whose research assists business and industry to create more efficient organisations.

Fourth win for Theology

For the fourth consecutive year, the award for the Most Productive Research Entity went to the research unit Reformed Theology and the Development of the South African Society in the Faculty of Theology.

The unit has a dedicated team of 19 permanent staff members and published an impressive 103 articles in accredited journals in 2016.

Click here for a complete list of all the researchers.

Prof Melville Saayman is the NWU’s Most Productive Researcher for the third year in a row. His research has made meaningful contributions to better tourism management. 

The trophy for Most Productive Junior Researcher went to Prof Leon de Beer of the Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences.

Prof Ferdi Kruger, director of the research unit Reformed Theology and the Development of the South African Society, received the award as Most Productive Research Entity on behalf of the unit. It was the fourth win in a row for the entity.

Enquiries:                  Willie du Plessis: 082 590 0692

                                   Corporate Communication, NWU

Date:                           1 November 2017