R59 highway protests: a no-go for local economy

The ongoing standoff between police and protesters on parts of the busy R59 road near Meyerton in the South of Gauteng is not only halting traffic, but also the Vanderbijlpark’s ability to grow economically and to attract investors.

This is according to North-West University (NWU) expert, Prof Danie Meyer. Prof Meyer is a senior researcher…

International expert to focus on research challenges in inclusive education

Prof Susanne Schwabb, an international expert in inclusive education, will be presenting a workshop on the methodological problems that can be experienced when conducting research in this field.

The workshop to be held on 26 September at 09:00, will form part of her visit to the Optentia Research Focus Area on the North-West University’s (…

Embracing well-being in diverse contexts at first ever Africa Positive Psychology Conference

The North-West University (NWU) in collaboration with the University of Johannesburg (UJ) will host the very first Africa Positive Psychology Conference from 4-7 April 2018 in Potchefstroom.

The theme of this historic conference will be “Embracing well-being in diverse contexts”.

Through collaboration the two universities will aim…

Veruschka’s research mission: to promote positive learning

There is more to Veruschka Pelser-Carstens than meets the eye. Not only is she a senior lecturer passionate about teaching and learning with two North-West University (NWU) Institutional Teaching Excellence Awards (ITEA) to boot, she is also a dynamic researcher driven by the pursuit to find innovative ways to promote positive learning within…

NWU master’s student wins award

A master’s degree student at the North-West University (NWU) recently won an award at the Anthropology Southern Africa conference in Malawi.

Hestia Victor won the Elaine Salo Award for presenting the paper, “There is life in this place: DIY formalisation, water infrastructure and buoyant life in the Marikana informal settlement near…

Rhino horn trade casting devastating spell

Although rhino numbers have diminished at a shocking rate, there is a dearth of research into rhino horn consumers who drive demand. Why do consumers prefer rhino horn to other alternatives?

In arguably the first study to investigate magical thinking in relation to the illicit consumption of rhino horn, in-depth interviews were…

Lecturer contributes to the world’s knowledge treasures

Language fascinates Prof Bertus van Rooy, who thrives on the intricacies of human expression through language and, for his efforts, has moved up from B3 to B2 in the National Research Foundation (NRF) rating system. Bertus is a lecturer in languages and director of the research focus area Understanding and Processing Language in Complex Settings…

More activities needed to promote early object control skills

Under the guidance of physical education teachers, schoolgirls in South Africa should be exposed to more activities that promote early object control skills.

This is one of the recommendations of a study conducted by Marilette Visagie in conjunction with Prof Anita Pienaar and Prof Dané Coetzee of the Physical Activity, Sport and…

Special Economic Zone in Mahikeng: viable but not a cure-all

A Special Economic Zone (SEZ) in Mahikeng, with an agro-processing focus, could hold economic benefits for the city and the North West Province - provided there is sufficient policy and planning support.

This is according to a study done by the TRADE research entity at the North-West University (NWU) at the request of the North West…

Serious game aims to alleviate statistics headache

When it comes to learning and understanding statistics, many students see the subject as a daunting challenge leaving them not only demotivated but also frustrated – sometimes even before starting the module at university.

When the academic support departments of the North-West University’s (NWU's) campus in Vanderbijlpark set out to…