Potchefstroom Campus News

Prof Hans du Plessis: A literary giant passes away

He was of a different ilk. His immense literary stature cast a shadow under which so many South Africans found solace and comfort. Now, it is with sadness but also gratitude for the many contributions he made both culturally and academically, that the North-West University (NWU) has to say farewell to Prof Hans du Plessis, who passed away on Friday 24 October at the age of 79. 

Prof Hans was a beloved NWU faculty member since his appointment in 1981 as a professor in Afrikaans at the former Potchefstroom University for Christian Higher Education.

He was an esteemed writer,… Read more

Liezl is back and stronger than ever

She is back. But different. She is no longer the same Liezl Gouws. Japan has changed her. It happened about 100 km away from the shadow of Mount Fuji and its snow-capped crown. Every drop of sweat was exchanged for wisdom and experience.

Liezl (23) recently ended fifth in the T37…

Study into large-scale potential to store renewable hydrogen

Power fluctuations sometimes associated with renewable energy resources could become a thing of the past through research under way at the North-West University (NWU) on new and better ways to store hydrogen. The HySA Centre of Competence (Coc) at the NWU explains the storage problem as follows: Electrical energy produced from renewable energy…

Theology for the world

Diversity is the bedrock of the North-West University (NWU) and faith is a pillar of strength for many within the NWU and to billions of people around the globe. The Faculty of Theology has again shown that diversity and faith go well together by producing exceptional PhDs at the first PhD graduation ceremony of 2021. Hailing from the small…

Wasps zoom in on metal contamination

Wasps are often viewed as pests but they can play a huge role in the ecosystem, from pollination to being a link in the food chain. North-West University (NWU) master’s student Yasfir Tarif Nadat is now undertaking a study to show how wasps can be indicators of pollution. His study is inspired by a paper he and a team of researchers from the…

Mines are contaminating useful plants in Limpopo

Chromium from mining activities has been found in high concentrations in plant species commonly grown in household gardens in Sekhukhuneland, Limpopo, representing a potential health hazard. These are some of the findings of Sutapa Adhikari, a doctoral student from the North-West University (NWU), who has been studying the contamination of food…

It’s time to put environmental regulations to work

With calls for safer, cleaner environments, a North-West University (NWU) researcher suggests that local governments use and enforce existing environmental regulations to ensure a better quality of life for all. Maricélle Botes, part of the research team at the Faculty of Law's South African Research Chair in Cities, Law and Environmental…

Flexibility and staying positive are key to boosting tourism

A North-West University (NWU) academic at the School of Tourism Management is calling for fresh and innovative thinking to boost the local tourism sector, which has declined by almost 80% since 2019.

Prof Peet van der Merwe says there has recently been a slight increase in international visitors to South Africa, but nowhere near the…

Science is a ball(oon) of a time!

Science is wickedly addictive. It is a window to wonders the imagination never knew existed. Godfrey Mosotho knows this more than most and he is not keeping the secret to himself.

Mosotho runs an experiment in which he launches meteorological balloons to measure ionising radiation…

NWU AUTHeR successfully presents first Africa Conference on transdisciplinarity

With nearly 500 registered participants from all around the globe, the first Africa Conference on Transdisciplinarity (ACT-1) conference was a roaring success.

Hosted by the North-West University’s (NWU’s) Africa Unit for Transdisciplinary Health Research (AUTHeR), the online event themed “…

South Africa needs to build on widening the current economic recovery

The better news about South Africa’s growth performance in the second quarter of 2021 is welcome. It suggests a slow but steady recovery from the shocks experienced as a result of the further lockdowns and civil unrest that occurred earlier in the year.

Prof Raymond Parsons,…