Innovative lecturing approach during lockdown

Planning is everything. It may be time-consuming, but it is well worth the effort.

So says Meelan Roopa, lecturer in Business Engineering and Design in the Faculty of Engineering, sharing his story about teaching and learning during the lockdown period.

He says much time was invested in restructuring his method of…

CHHP – we are cloning expertise!

In the short life of the Centre for Health and Human Performance (CHHP) at the North-West University (NWU) it has already become known as one of the most exceptional centres that tertiary-education institutions have to offer. One of the factors that contributes to its success is that it is constantly seeking for new ways to improve its…

Space law specialist lands top fellowship

Prof Wian Erlank of the North-West University’s (NWU’s) Law Faculty has been awarded a prestigious research fellowship by an internationally renowned foundation.

The Alexander von Humboldt Foundation focuses on sponsoring scientists and scholars across all disciplines and nationalities. It provides researchers with the opportunity to…

Abduction and forced marriage still happen in South Africa

Even in 21st century South Africa, a constitutional democracy, forced marriage is a reality for some young girls. Ukuthwala, the customary practice where girls under the age of 18 years are abducted and married off to older men, still occurs in the rural Eastern Cape.

Such marriages are usually arranged by the groom and the girl’s…

NWU heads SA core team in fight against neuromuscular diseases

The social and economic impact of neuromuscular diseases (NMDs) is staggering. These diseases, which include motor neuron disease and muscular dystrophies, can cause premature death or lifelong disability and are believed to affect one in every 400 people – meaning about 20 million children and adults across the globe.

There is hope…

The brain science of creating happiness and well-being

Now, more than ever, it is important to us as human beings to be happy and healthy, but the brain’s primary objective is to keep us safe. The main function of our brain is to help us survive the day and keep us alive and well from today to tomorrow, but scientists have tricks up their sleeves to enable you to be happier and enjoy life to the…

TRADE assesses the financial health of metropolitan municipalities

Most of the assessed group of metropolitan municipalities in South Africa are not financially healthy, with only three of eight of these metros being profitable, even though there has been a general improvement in their revenue and expenditure ratios.

This is the conclusion of Prof Danie Meyer, a development economist and director of…

SA’s lockdown exit strategy to level 2 is good news for the country

The widely expected and welcome decision announced by President Cyril Ramaphosa to move South Africa’s lockdown down to Level 2 is good news for the country, says NWU Business School economist Prof Raymond Parsons.

According to him, the prolonged lockdown since March has had a devastating economic impact on incomes and livelihoods.…

A global assessment of the impact of Covid-19 on the manufacturing sector

“The outlook for the manufacturing sector seems uncertain due to the coronavirus pandemic.”

Prof Danie Meyer, a development economist and director of the TRADE research focus area at the North-West University (NWU), says besides external factors such as international demand, internal factors such as limited electricity supply and…

Teachers without Borders inspire a new generation of scientists

The year 2020 will probably be remembered in history books for the Coronavirus and the Covid-19 pandemic that brought the entire world to a standstill. Suddenly many people learned about viruses, and how they differ from bacteria.

The unseen world of microbiology became part of our daily routines, with social distancing and sanitising…