The Cave: a digital safe haven for stressed social workers

Generally social work is considered a stressful occupation due to the emotional demands on practitioners. One group of social workers that is particularly at risk for negative outcomes are those employed within the child protection practice setting, tasked with the statutory duty to protect children.

This was one of the research findings of…

How SA could minimise heart disease deaths

Globally, heart disease remains the leading cause of death among middle-aged adults, accounting for 40% of all deaths. An alarming 80% of these deaths occur in low and middle-income countries such as South Africa.

This is one of the findings from the multinational Prospective Urban and Rural Epidemiology (PURE) study, in which the…

SADiLaR takes the lead in digitising establishing 11 national languages

Digitising South Africa’s 11 official languages could go a long way towards creating a truly multilingual society. Various projects are currently in progress at the South African Centre for Digital Language Resources (SADiLaR), located at the North-West University (NWU), to create digital resources for the country’s official languages.

Worse than expected GDP data highlights SA’s economic damage

“The worse than expected GDP data for the fourth quarter of 2019 confirms that not only did the South African economy experience a ‘technical recession’ in the second half of 2019, but that growth in 2019 as a whole was also only 0,2%.”

This is according to Prof Raymond Parsons, a well-known economist and academic from the North-…

Gaining momentum as a unitary institution in 2020

“It is a new decade and with it comes the opportunity to define ourselves as agents of excellence and impact.”

This is what Prof Dan Kgwadi, the North-West University’s (NWU’s) principal and vice-chancellor, said during the university’s recent official academic opening ceremony

He emphasized the NWU’s bold dream to be an…

Dire need for research to improve child literacy

It is no secret that language development is a critical part of a child’s overall development. Sadly, the lack of this development and the terrible effects this may have on one’s life are often overlooked.

Prof Leenta Grobler, leader of the Medical Device Development group at the North-West University’s (NWU’s) Faculty of…

NWU alumnus’ project impresses at Royal Academy of Engineering

North-West University (NWU) Alumnus Sydwell Sihlangu recently attended the Leaders in Innovation Fellowship training programme on technology commercialisation from 18 January to 1 February 2020 at the Royal Academy of Engineering in the United Kingdom.

This academy brings together the most successful and talented engineers from across…

Mathew’s long journey to academic victory

Dr Mathew Moyo, the North-West University’s (NWU’s) chief director for library and information services, was recently appointed as a board member of the National Council for Library and Information Services (NCLIS).

“I am very honoured and grateful for this opportunity,” says Dr Moyo, adding that he was taken by surprise when he…

Hypertension is clouding the joys of childhood

Childhood is normally associated with health, playfulness and a phase in life without worries or fear. However, this ideal definition of childhood is becoming cluttered with unwanted risk factors linked to the early development of cardiovascular disease, especially in South Africa.

Global data on the prevalence of high blood pressure…

Emotional and psychological effect of crime is complex

The crime figures that Statistics South Africa released during 2019 paint a grim picture. Most South Africans live in fear, not knowing if they will fall prey to criminals. Victims of violent crimes not only lose their material possessions, but can also suffer significant emotional and psychological trauma.

However, hard as it might be to…