Cyberattacks likely to increase as connectivity grows

Cyberattacks are occurring thick and fast as the world becomes more connected and the rewards greater. According to a North-West University (NWU) academic, the possible rewards for cyberattackers will continue to increase, as more aspects of our everyday lives become interwoven and reliant on online interaction.

Prof Wian Erlank from…

Conserving African biodiversity through genomics has a food security link

Using genomics to understand and protect the African continent’s biodiversity could improve the resilience of plants, animals and other life forms to climate change, with a knock-on effect on food security, says North-West University (NWU) researcher Dr Roksana Majewska.

She and fellow researchers at the African BioGenome Project (…

NWU researchers help map the way forward for hydrogen in South Africa

The Earth is in trouble. It is suffocating under clouds of carbon dioxide emissions from the use of coal and other environmentally damaging resources to generate energy. These emissions are the primary cause of global warming, and if humanity wants to avoid the worst consequences of global warming*, we have to find alternatives for our energy…

NWU pilots HyFlex teaching and learning

As students return to the campuses of the North-West University (NWU), the university is moving to the next stage of teaching and learning.

This entails piloting a hybrid-flexible (HyFlex) approach that enables simultaneous face-to-face and online teaching and learning. In short, this means that students can participate either in person…

Waiting times in healthcare are under the microscope

Waiting for medical treatment can be a life-or-death matter.

“Waiting times in healthcare are a significant problem that occurs across the world and often has catastrophic effects – as we have seen during the Covid-19 pandemic,” says Maria van Zyl, a lecturer in the School of Industrial Engineering at the North-West University (NWU).…

Newly B-rated researcher pursues new problems on ancient culture

Prof Jaco Gericke does not take an orthodox approach to research in his field, ancient culture, and in a sense that has sometimes counted against him. However, the tide has turned, and the fact that his work is not in the mainstream of scholarship may have proved to be an advantage. It led to the National Research Foundation (NRF) awarding a…

Blood parasites in African wild dogs are becoming more prevalent

Blood parasites were recently shown to be highly prevalent in African wild dog populations, according to Dr Edward Netherlands and colleagues from the Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences at the North-West University (NWU).

Their study on blood parasites of species of Hepatozoon indicates that these parasites are common in…

In this study the road ahead is accident-free

Have you ever imagined a society that is free of road accidents? A road environment where cars can connect and communicate to aid in your decision-making abilities on the road? Well, this is, among other things, what Dr Thulani Phakathi, a recent PhD graduate at the North-West University (NWU), is envisaging through his doctoral research.…

#theArtofResearch – making health science more accessible

It is no secret that the Hypertension in Africa Research Team (HART) at the North-West University (NWU) is at the forefront of in-depth research. Over the past year they have demonstrated yet again that their mission is to conduct research that could solve many health-related problems that affect young and old.  

Recently, HART…

Crime and punishment, but what about rehabilitation?

The South African penal system has failed and as a result crime remains out of control. This is the harsh and uncomfortable reality that is plaguing society, and the country’s haunting crime statistics attest to that.

One reason for this is the lack of rehabilitation opportunities available to offenders. The allure of falling back in…