Research News

International fame may await NWU’s national FameLab® winner

North-West University (NWU) master’s student Letago Kgomoeswana has been announced as the winner of the 2021 national FameLab® competition, one of the biggest science communication competitions in the world.

This competition promotes science and technology by creating a platform for young scientists to find…

Informal reclaimers make a huge contribution to recycling in South Africa

Informal waste reclaimers in South Africa play a key but often unrecognised role in the recycling value chain. Ways should be found to enable them to participate in decisions around waste management practices and community recycling programmes, says Prof Derick Blaauw from the North-West University’s (NWU’s) School of Economics.

For the…

Sexism and sexual harassment are major challenges for women entrepreneurs

Although entrepreneurship has its own challenges, women face additional obstacles that are unique to them. On paper South Africa has some great opportunities for female entrepreneurs, but in reality numerous economic, social and cultural obstacles affect women and their businesses.

According to a study conducted by Refiloe Moetsi, a…

NWU’s researchers lead conversation on femicide

Time has proven that storytelling is a great tool for making difficult topics considerably more understandable.

We Should All Be Feminists, a published essay in book format by acclaimed Nigerian author Chimamanda Adichie, makes effective use of the “show, don't tell” adage that all authors are expected to follow by connecting with its…

The three-minute thesis shows less is more

Concise, clear communication is imperative in the academic realm. It is a skill to make your research vision heard and an even greater one to make it understood.

Enter the Three-Minute Thesis (3MT) Competition. The competition was developed by the University of Queensland. Master’s-…

NWU among the best in engineering studies

The North-West University (NWU) is one of the top institutions in South Africa in engineering studies. This is according to the latest rankings by subject by Times Higher Education (THE) that list the NWU in the third position (the same as last year) among nine local higher-education institutions in the field of…

6-Sess for NWU: Paving the way one LEGO brick at a time

There is a famous Chinese proverb that says “If you are planning for a year, sow rice; if you are planning for a decade, plant trees; if you are planning for a lifetime, educate people”.

There are many ways in which one can make an impact in the world, but there is no greater impact…

Study into large-scale potential to store renewable hydrogen

Power fluctuations sometimes associated with renewable energy resources could become a thing of the past through research under way at the North-West University (NWU) on new and better ways to store hydrogen. The HySA Centre of Competence (Coc) at the NWU explains the storage problem as follows: Electrical energy produced from renewable energy…

Theology for the world

Diversity is the bedrock of the North-West University (NWU) and faith is a pillar of strength for many within the NWU and to billions of people around the globe. The Faculty of Theology has again shown that diversity and faith go well together by producing exceptional PhDs at the first PhD graduation ceremony of 2021. Hailing from the small…

Oyster mushrooms could make brown seaweed rich pickings for indigenous chickens

Brown seaweed is known to be a rich source of minerals such as calcium, manganese, potassium, sodium, phosphorus, sulphur and iron. Add oyster mushrooms to the mix and the result could be a highly nutritious source of feed for indigenous chickens. This is the thinking of Godfrey Mhlongo, North-West University (NWU) PhD student in animal health…