Research News

Academic shines bright at Oxford innovation boot camp

Prof Rose Hayeshi, associate professor at the North-West University’s (NWU’s) DSI/NWU Preclinical Drug Development Platform has just returned from the United Kingdom after a week-long innovation boot camp at the University of Oxford.

Prof Hayeshi was one of the 10 participants selected to deliver demo pitches, after which her…

Workshop on ensuring board effectiveness empowers

By Vukosi Mathale

In today's rapidly evolving university landscape where commercial enterprises and technology start-ups abound, the role of a board of directors has never been more critical. To empower university employees in this field, the Technology Transfer and Innovation Support (TTIS) office at the North-…

NWU’s Prof Bismark Tyobeka: We need to invest in nuclear expertise, or lose it

The global energy dependency clock is ticking, and in South Africa it is doing so at a dizzying pace. What started as an impending energy crisis more than a decade ago has morphed into a situation that can only be described as akin to an irrevocable catastrophe. According to Prof Bismark Tyobeka, principal and vice-chancellor of the North-…

Prof Bismark looks at SA’s nuclear future

You don’t have to be able to split the atom to know that South Africa – and the world – is facing an energy crisis and that urgent answers are needed to address this pressing problem.

That is why the principal and vice-chancellor of the North-West University (NWU), Prof Bismark Tyobeka, will be part of a panel discussion titled Global…

Researcher brings African populations into previously Eurocentric cell research

Why did some people experience more severe coronavirus symptoms than others during the Covid-19 pandemic? International researchers believe part of the answer may lie deep within human cells, specifically in the small circular chromosome inside each cell, called the mitochondrial DNA.

Genetic variations in mitochondrial DNA are…

UNESCO chair continues on its journey of opening doors to education

A key United Nations agency has shown its confidence in the North-West University (NWU) by relaunching the Chair on Multimodal Learning and Open Educational Resources for a second term of four years.

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) has approved the NWU’s submission for a renewal of the chair…

Study explores the use of medicinal plants to treat childhood diseases

Dr Tshepiso Ndhlovu, a PhD graduate from the North-West University (NWU), has completed promising research on the use of medicinal plants to treat children’s diseases.

Childhood illnesses make a major contribution to infant mortality rates worldwide, and the high cost of conventional treatment exacerbates the problem by putting a…

Solar telescope expands research horizons into solar physics

Located on the roof of building G5 at the North-West University’s (NWU’s) Potchefstroom Campus, the solar telescope of the Centre for Space Research has garnered attention from organisations such as the BBC and the Royal Astronomical Society.

Dr Ruhann Steyn, senior lecturer and principal scientist involved in the project, recently…

Using technology to prepare language teachers for the future

While debates about the quality of teacher education intensify, the North-West University (NWU) is exploring solutions, including mixed reality, that will ensure that well-prepared and effective teachers enter the country’s classrooms.

The recent findings of the 2021 Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS), indicating…

Spotlight falls on the role of parents in disciplining learners

Many studies have found a strong correlation between learners’ discipline levels and academic performance, with the latter improving as discipline levels improve. However, what is the role that parents play in disciplining their children?

Dr Nicholus Mollo, senior lecturer and subarea leader of Legal Perspectives, Governance and…