Research News

North-West University honours its outstanding researchers

The NWU honoured the best of its best researchers and innovators during a virtual awards evening on 3 December 2020.

Many outstanding staff members were acknowledged at the event for achieving excellence in research during 2019, including researchers with new NRF ratings.

Three lecturers chosen as TAU fellows

Three North-West University (NWU) academics have been chosen for the South African Teaching Advancement at University (TAU) Fellowship Programme. It is a great honour to be selected by the TAU panel and confirms that the NWU’s academics have a well-deserved reputation for their expertise, hard work and dedication. The three lecturers who have…

NWU researcher helps uncover new data about Earth and the Milky Way

A new study has lifted the veil on some of the mysteries of the Milky Way. It has found that the Earth is moving faster than it used to and is nearly 2 000 light-years closer to the black hole in the centre of the Milky Way Galaxy. This is according to new data, documented over a period of 15 years, by the Japanese radio astronomy project, VLBI…

NWU Faculty of Health Sciences recognises excellence in research and innovation

The North-West University’s (NWU’s) Faculty of Health Sciences hosted its first-ever Research and Innovation Awards ceremony on 18 November 2020 to recognise the efforts and achievements of its faculty members. The faculty calculated the performance of researchers according to set criteria - not only calculating the number of outputs, but also…

NWU’s eye on the cosmos just became bigger

The North-West University’s (NWU’s) Mahikeng Astronomy Observatory now boasts a new, bigger and better telescope – the New Mahikeng Astronomy Telescope. The new telescope, manufactured by Planewave Instruments in the USA, has a 50 cm diameter which is significantly bigger than the older 41 cm Meade LX200 GPS telescope that was unveiled in 2018…

Understanding consensual non-monogamy (swinging) from a South African perspective

While some people consider it a taboo, swinging - the act of allowing one’s partner to engage in sexual intercourse with other people - has been practised around the globe for decades.

A simple Google search gives thousands of results on the lifestyle, yet relatively little is known about swinging from a South African perspective.…

People solve problems, making anthropology the right place to be

The North-West University (NWU) Anthropology subject group is growing from strength to strength, and aims to make the NWU one of the top universities at which to study this field. 

“Recognising that the complicated problems of our society can only be solved with people, the subject group has embarked on a process of recurriculation…

Pre-TSD and the Covid-19 conundrum

The impact of the Covid-19 epidemic on our mental health cannot be understated. From a South African perspective, months of a hard lockdown has changed the way we live, the way we work and the very way we operate. Mentally we have not escape unscarred.

A new study by Afriforte and the WorkWell research unit at the North-West…

Project on swearing produces scientific knowledge

“To my mind, the project has progressed exceptionally well. Not only have technology and infrastructure been established for sound research in the years ahead, but we have also gained a large number of registered users.”

These are the words of Prof Gerhard van Huyssteen, professor in Afrikaans and Dutch Linguistics at the North-West…

Getting the most out of medicinal plant extracts with nanotechnology

A North-West University (NWU) graduate is bringing together age-old plant knowledge and the latest nanotechnology to make the most of medicinal plant extracts.

According to a United States National Nanotechnology Initiative, nanotechnology is currently revolutionising the technology and industrial sectors. These include information…