New hope for depression treatment as researchers test novel compound

For millions of people living with depression, finding the right treatment can be a long and difficult journey. Some medicines fail to ease symptoms, while others have side effects. Now, researchers at the North-West University (NWU) and the University of Ljubljana in Slovenia are testing a new compound that could…

PhD candidate takes indigenous food systems research to global health events in Berlin

North-West University (NWU) PhD candidate Modjadji Mandy Rasehlomi took her research on indigenous food systems to an international audience in Berlin, Germany, where she participated in four major events focused on global health, research and healthcare collaboration.

Modjadji, a…

Grapefruit waste shown to help purify polluted water

What if the peel from a grapefruit could help clean polluted water? Research by the North-West University’s (NWU’s) Dr Murendeni Ravele shows that this common fruit waste could offer a cheaper, greener alternative to conventional methods for removing harmful substances from wastewater.

NWU calls for fair access to research as scholars confront the cost of knowledge

Research can change lives, but what happens when the people who need it most cannot afford to access it? This question took centre stage as the North-West University (NWU) brought together academics, researchers and library professionals to examine the rising cost of publishing research and the barriers that prevent…

NWU and GRAIN SA strengthen ties to advance agricultural research and graduate readiness

By Ashleigh Kootzen

The School of Agricultural Sciences in the Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences (FNAS) of the North-West University (NWU) and Grain SA brought together representatives from more than 30 organisations at Pienaarskamp on Friday, 16 October 2026, to explore how…

NWU researcher discovers three ancient insects from a 90-million-year-old deposit

Three tiny insects that lived about 90 million years ago have helped a North-West University (NWU) researcher uncover new clues about life on Earth during the age of the dinosaurs. The discovery also sheds light on how insects fed on plants and how some became the crop pests farmers face today.

Expert questions why workplace mental health continues to decline

Despite growing investment in employee well-being, workplace stress and mental health challenges continue to rise – a contradiction explored by North-West University (NWU) extraordinary professor Renzo Bianchi.

Prof. Bianchi, who is a psychologist at the Norwegian University of Science…

Humanities Spring School puts human-centred scholarship in the spotlight

The Faculty of Humanities at the North-West University (NWU) has concluded another successful Spring School week, bringing together academics, researchers and emerging scholars for a week of intellectual exchange, debate and collaboration.

Held under the theme “Humanising a fractured…

When AI reviews the reviewers: Who is judging our research?

Artificial intelligence (AI) can help researchers write, analyse data and search vast amounts of information. But when the same technology begins to influence whether research deserves publication, a more difficult question emerges: who is actually making the scientific judgement?

Prof…

Study links unemployment to South Africa’s environmental footprint

Dalton Appolis

The health of the environment is seldom mentioned in the same breath as job creation and economic growth. Now this interconnection has been highlighted in research by North-West University (NWU) alumnus Dalton Appolis.

Dalton, a…