Prof De Ridder’s advice needed on international level

Prof Hans de Ridder, director of the School of Biokinetics, Recreation and Sport Science at the North-West University’s (NWU’s) campus in Potchefstroom, has been appointed as a member of the board of directors of The Foundation of Global Community Health (GCH).

According to Dr Ming-kai Chin, the president and founder of GCH, their…

NWU trains municipal officials in solar technology

A group of municipal officials from various technical departments attended the first ever solar training workshop specially developed for municipalities. Local governments from all over the country were represented during the three-day course at the North-West University (NWU).

The Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale…

Young NWU scientist rub shoulders with Nobel Prize winners

Few scientific events are more prestigious than those where Nobel Prize winners share their knowledge. Retha Peach, a doctoral student from the North-West University (NWU), is being given the rare opportunity to attend a gathering where 31 Nobel laureates will be present.

Retha is one of five scientists whom the Academy of Science of…

Acclaimed pianist performs locally

Petronel Malan is one of South Africa’s most loved concert pianists and can boast with Grammy nominations, The American Prize for Excellence in the Arts, five first prizes at international piano competitions and Kanna- and KykNET Fiësta awards.

Born in South Africa, Petronel began with piano lessons with her mother at the age of…

Two NWU researchers honoured by Academy for Science and Arts

Two researchers at the North-West University’s (NWU’s) campus in Potchefstroom were recently honoured by the South African Academy for Science and Arts.

The objectives of the Academy as a multidisciplinary organisation are the promotion of science, technology and literature in Afrikaans and the arts, as well as the promotion of the…

Book about faculty’s successful 100-year legacy launched

A prestigious publication with the inspiring story of the Faculty of Natural Sciences of the North-West University (NWU) over the past more than a hundred years was recently published.

This book, “ʼn Bekroonde nalatenskap: Die Fakulteit Natuurwetenskappe van die NWU oor 100 jaar”, was compiled by Dr Elize van Eeden, an experienced…

NWU boasts top SAICA results

Cheers rang out on the Friday afternoon of 31 March as the South Africa Institute for Chartered Accountants (SAICA) released the results of the Initial Test of Competence (ITC: qualifying exam part 1). “It gives me great pleasure to announce that, with a 94% pass rate for first-time candidates, the North-West University (NWU) achieved the…

Maintaining the balance between protection and use of SA’s most diverse floodplain ecosystem

Thousands of people rely on the floodplain of the Lower Phongolo River in KwaZulu-Natal, as do millions of fish, frogs, birds, insects and other aquatic animals. But how can they all co-exist sustainably and what is needed to maintain the delicate balance of South Africa's biggest, richest and most diverse floodplain ecosystem?

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It’s time to recognise waste pickers

They are a sight common in South Africa as they scavenge landfills and go through bins in suburbs, business and industrial districts. Yet little is known about the role waste pickers play in the economy.

Sights set on shedding light on the factors that enable waste pickers to make a living, Professor Derick Blaauw of the Faculty of…

Metals in bird eggs a source of concern in Orange River catchment area

The heron that laid the golden egg? Scientists from the North-West University (NWU) have found several metals and metalloids in bird eggs in the catchment area of the Orange River which could pose a potential health risk to humans.

Prof Henk Bouwman from the Faculty of Natural Sciences says this study was part of a larger project to…