How families cope with mental health care issues

The whole family can be affected when living with a family member with a mental disorder, disability or developmental delay. Mechanisms to cope with the resulting stress include escape, avoidance, denial or looking to religion.  This is according to Tshepang Modise, nursing science master’s graduate at North-West University (NWU). Tshepang has…

It’s time to put environmental regulations to work

With calls for safer, cleaner environments, a North-West University (NWU) researcher suggests that local governments use and enforce existing environmental regulations to ensure a better quality of life for all. Maricélle Botes, part of the research team at the Faculty of Law's South African Research Chair in Cities, Law and Environmental…

Plants offer home-grown solutions to healthcare

Approximately 80% of South Africa’s population depend on medicinal plants for their healthcare needs, leading to an increased interest in the commercialisation of plant-based remedies.

Research by Tshepiso Ndhlovu, a PhD candidate at the North-West University (NWU), is shedding light on the potential of medicinal plants in the skincare…

NWU trailblazer heads International Society for the Systems Sciences

The world is a mesmerising place filled with interesting events and occurrences. These do not happen in isolation, and to fully understand the intricacies of any given event or interaction, it is necessary to investigate the “bigger picture” surrounding it.

This, in a nutshell, is what systems science is all about. It provides the…

The fight against GBV

Every few months South Africa is rocked by a gender-based violence (GBV) story that leaves most citizens in disbelief. Recently a final year law student’s mutilated body was found in a plastic bag in East London. Her intimate partner was arrested for the alleged crime. This incident sent shockwaves across the country…

Science is a ball(oon) of a time!

Science is wickedly addictive. It is a window to wonders the imagination never knew existed. Godfrey Mosotho knows this more than most and he is not keeping the secret to himself.

Mosotho runs an experiment in which he launches meteorological balloons to measure ionising radiation…

Colloquium weighs in on future of teaching and learning in times of transition

Crises that start out as disruptive emergencies can soon become the new normal. This is evident from most challenges in higher education in South Africa.

Teaching and learning, in particular, have had to develop contingency plans to offset the effects of major events such as load-shedding, #FeesMustFall and, currently, the Covid-19…

Including indigenous plants in diets can boost food security

Indigenous grains, fruits and vegetables could go a long way towards boosting food security in South Africa. What is needed is greater awareness among households and other stakeholders about the value of these plants. 

This is according to two researchers from the North-West University (NWU). Dr Abiodun Olusola Omotayo and Prof Adeyemi…

Prof Lubbe’s pioneering work is being recognised internationally

In the light of Women’s Month, we are proud of one of our own frontierswomen who is being recognised internationally for her groundbreaking work in the rainbow nation. Prof Welma Lubbe, professor in the School of Nursing Science at the North-West University (NWU), was recently approached by the Developmental Observer, the official newsletter of…

When you think of engineering, think of Africa

When you think of engineering, German engineering in particular comes to mind, while it is extremely uncommon to think of Africa. This is the opinion of Mia Mangaroo-Pillay, an industrial engineer and lecturer at the North-West University’s (NWU’s) School of Industrial Engineering. Through her PhD thesis titled “A Lean implementation framework…