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…

NWU’s impactful protein research is showcased in Science

Multidisciplinary research done by Prof Albie van Dijk from the North-West University (NWU), in collaboration with researchers from other national and international institutions, is reminiscent of detectives solving a mystery – a 16-year-old one, to be specific.

Prof Albie, a veteran in molecular biology, of which protein research is an…

How does sugar-free chocolate make you feel?

Statistics show that 61% of the population living in South Africa is either overweight or obese. Excess sugar consumption leads to several health problems that include non-communicable diseases such as heart attacks, diabetes and cancers, to name a few. The easy answer would be for an overweight population to consume less sugar, right? 

Covid-19 virus variants and their impact on vaccines

North-West University (NWU) academic Dr Hazel Tumelo Mufhandu presented a public lecture on Covid-19 virus variants and their impact on vaccines as part of a National Science Week webinar series on 2 August 2021.

This year the National Science Week theme is “Making it possible…

NWU researcher and Fulbright Scholarship holder shares his tricks of the trade

To get a Fulbright research scholarship is easier than he anticipated, says North-West University (NWU) academic Dr George van Zijl, who recently returned from a research visit to the University of Florida in the United States of America (USA).

This scholarship provides South African university faculty or research…

Project team wants all university students to have access to indigenous African languages

University students who have a mother tongue other than English should not be at a disadvantage compared to those who do speak English at home. This is why it is important to level the language playing field.

The North-West University (NWU) is one of four tertiary education institutions in South Africa to work with three European…