Social Work: the profession where action meets compassion

March is World Social Work Month and during this time the spotlight is not only on the profession, but also on the important contributions these brave professionals make to society.

The awareness campaign reached a highpoint on 20 March 2018 when professional social workers celebrated Social Work Day. According to Prof Ansie Fouché and Dr…

Another extraordinary professor for Optentia

Not many African universities approach the African Union (AU) to ask: “How can we be part of the solution?” This is according to Prof Johnny Strijdom, head of the Division of Social Welfare and Drug Control within the AU and new extraordinary professor at the Optentia research focus area on the North-West University’s (NWU’s) campus in…

Basic education system pivotal to realisation of free higher education

A much welcome result of the #FeesMustFall movement is that over the next three years, the South African government spending framework has made provision for the allocation of R57 billion towards fee-free higher education and training. However – according to Prof Ilyayambwa Mwanawina, associate professor at the North-West University’s (NWU’s)…

NWU postdoctoral fellow sets her sight on BRICS youth summit

Dr Musawenkosi Saurombe, a postdoctoral fellow at the North-West University’s (NWU’s) campus in Mahikeng is participating in the 2018 BRICS Youth Parliamentarian Forum as part of a delegation sent by the South African Youth for International Diplomacy (SAYID).

The programme, which is taking place in New Delhi, India from 5 to 9…

African Academy of Sciences honours NWU’s deputy vice-chancellor

Prof Refilwe Phaswana-Mafuya, the North-West University’s (NWU’s) deputy vice-chancellor for research and innovation, was elected as fellow of the African Academy of Sciences (AAS).

This is a great achievement and highlights her outstanding contributions in her field of expertise.

Prof Refilwe is one of 32 senior scientists…

NWU academic attends elite training course on nuclear safeguards

Mr Tebogo Kupi, an academic and researcher from the North-West University’s (NWU’s) campus in Mahikeng, recently attended a regional training course on nuclear safeguards and non-proliferation for the South African region in Centurion, Gauteng.

This elite training course was organised by the European Commission’s Joint Research…

NWU academic to explore possible research collaboration

The Covenant University in Nigeria invited Prof Masood Khalique, an academic in the Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences on the North-West University’s (NWU’s) campus in Mahikeng, to present a series of lectures and to explore the possibility of research collaboration.

Prof Khalique will visit the university’s Department of…

Screening at birth can spare babies and parents much pain

Newborn screening (NBS) is internationally recognised as essential in preventive healthcare practices. It involves the testing of newborn babies for treatable genetic conditions or inborn errors of metabolism that may not be apparent at birth. All newborn babies’ tests in South Africa are screened by the NBS laboratory at the North-West…

Physicist looks to the sun for stored power

Solar energy is an intermittent energy resource but can be stored for later use, says Prof Ashmore Mawire, principal researcher in the solar thermal energy group at the North-West University’s (NWU’s) campus in Mahikeng.

He is one of the very few applied physicists investigating solar thermal energy storage systems for domestic…

Humanities crosses the digital divide with SADiLaR

For many years, the North-West University (NWU) has been at the heart of technology advances that support the use and development of South Africa’s 11 official languages. Now, as host of a national research infrastructure, the South African Centre for Digital Language Resources (SADiLaR), the NWU will be able to take its commitment to…