Potchefstroom Campus News

Researchers demonstrate that conservation and development can go hand in hand

While cities in Africa expand rapidly and the pressure for economic growth is increasing, the protected areas on the continent face a complex challenge: how to conserve nature and empower people.

At the North-West University (NWU) the Protected Areas Research Group, led by Prof. Reece Alberts, Prof. François Retief, Prof. Claudine Roos and Prof. Dirk Cilliers, is working to find exactly that balance.

“Conservation areas are the cornerstone of biodiversity conservation,” says Prof. Alberts. “They are essential to prevent the loss in biodiversity. Yet, we have to admit that… Read more

Xcel students prove to be innovative

The 2019 group of Xcel students are not only improving their Grade 12 Mathematics and Physical Sciences results, but are also gaining experience in the skill of problem-solving.

The North-West University’s (NWU’s) Xcel programme aims to prepare students for university studies, especially students aiming to study engineering. This is…

NWU challenging the gender gap in engineering

The days of men dominating the engineering scene are still evident and an alarming fact. Despite an improvement in recent years, a serious shortage of women pursuing careers in engineering remains. The North-West University (NWU) aims to change this – one semester at a time …

Over the past few years, the NWU’s Faculty of Engineering…

Dean makes history

It was an enormous honour for the Faculty of Engineering at the North-West University (NWU) to inaugurate its executive dean as the first female professor of this faculty.

Prof Liezl van Dyk, an industrial engineer, recently delivered her inaugural address for a full professorship to an audience of about 120 guests during a prestige…

Amberley, an angel in disguise

A guardian angel is defined as an angel believed to protect a particular person, for instance from danger or error, and that is exactly what two-year-old Labrador Amberley is to her owner, Lindi Opperman.

Lindi, a final-year LLB student at the North West University’s campus in Potchefstroom, suffers from Type 1 diabetes. She has…

“Take back the Bult” is progressing well

Gone are the days when the Bult CBD was used as a hunting ground by criminals who prey on unsuspecting victims.

Phase 1 of the “Take Back the Bult” project of the Cachet Park CID NPC – a joint venture between the North-West University (NWU) and the JB Marks Municipality – has been completed.

A total of 18 envisaged CCTV…

Top performing MBAs awarded

No fewer than 55 graduates recently obtained their MBA degrees from the North-West University's (NWU’s) Business School. During a lavish occasion held in Potchefstroom, these students who took the bull by the horns were honored for their hard work and perseverance.

Prof Fulu Netswera, the director of the Business School, thanked the…

NWU ups the fight against six rare diseases

Diagnosing a rare disease soon after birth can, for some, mean the difference between life and death in the long run.

The Centre for Human Metabolomics (CHM) on the North-West University’s (NWU’s) campus in Potchefstroom, together with a leading American biotechnology company, has developed a diagnostic test that drastically cuts the…

Workshop teaches reliable data collection on land use

Accurate data collection is one of the most crucial elements of research and the North-West University (NWU) has always prided itself on the excellent quality of its research.

Fittingly, the NWU was chosen to host this year’s Collect Earth workshop, presented by the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), the European…

NWU Engineering leaves a sweet, bitter and creamy taste

Final-year students from the School of Chemical and Minerals Engineering at the North-West University (NWU) recently had the opportunity to show that their course entails much more than poring over their books.

These aspiring engineers competed against one another to see who could produce the best beer, cheese or chocolate.

NWU combines expertise to take sports development to new heights

It is a well-known fact that the North-West University (NWU) has delivered world-class international athletes such as Caster Semenya, Willem Coertzen, Elroy Gelant, Sunette Viljoen, Khotso Mokoena, Lood de Jager and Akker van der Merwe, to name but a few.

All of these athletes were supported by the NWU’s High-Performance Institute…