Newsroom - Potchefstroom Campus

Snail Day raises awareness of schistosomiasis and river health

The North-West University (NWU) Water Research Group (WRG) and the University of Limpopo (UL) recently hosted a Snail Day community workshop, sponsored by the Water Research Commission (WRC).

According to Dr Lizaan de Necker, principal investigator from the NWU, this formed part of their project that focuses on the distribution of schistosomiasis in South Africa, how it may have changed over the past 40 years, and to model how the distribution may change in the future because of climate change.

Submitted on Wed, 05/03/2023 - 12:28

Young Guns emulate champion big brothers

There is no such thing as too much of a good thing, especially not when rugby at the North-West University (NWU) is concerned. Not in the slightest. On Monday, 24 April 2023 the NWU Eagles (Young Guns) were crowned the Varsity Cup Young Guns champions after beating Maties 27-26 in Stellenbosch.

By doing so, the fledglings emulated their older brothers who won the senior competition. Every Varsity Cup rugby trophy now resides in Potchefstroom, making the NWU the undisputed kings of university rugby.

Submitted on Tue, 05/02/2023 - 14:23

NWU is South Africa’s premier tennis hub

The North-West University’s (NWU’s) Potchefstroom Campus can now rightly be called South Africa’s go-to tennis destination with the official opening of its clay court precinct on Friday, 28 April 2023.  

These five new courts are supplemented by 10 hard courts and two grass courts to make the NWU Africa’s undisputed leader in providing players the best and only complete offering of tennis courts. This, coupled with the NWU’s world-class facilities, has again shown why the university is a hub of sporting excellence. 

Submitted on Tue, 05/02/2023 - 14:10

Study looks at the health benefits of plant-based nutrition

North-West University (NWU) researchers are investigating the role of whole-food plant-based nutrition in South Africa.

Prof Andrew Robinson and Dr Nanine Wyma, currently a master’s-degree student at the NWU, are co-founders of the Physicians Association for Nutrition (PAN) South Africa. They are conducting research with the help of the Africa Unit for Transdisciplinary Health Research (AUTHeR) at the NWU.

Submitted on Fri, 04/28/2023 - 10:53

MASARA focuses on music and the conservation of indigenous music

Aristotle said that music has the power to form the character and should therefore be introduced into the education of the young. This quote is befitting of the Musical Arts in South Africa: Resources and Applications (MASARA) research niche area at the North-West University (NWU).

MASARA is part of the NWU’s School of Music and Conservatory, and their focus is music and music well-being. The research niche area also focuses on the conservation and use of indigenous music and was established in November 2008.

Submitted on Fri, 04/28/2023 - 10:35

NWU goes green

The environment encompasses all living and non-living things, and we see how negative impacts harm the environment. Human beings need to understand the environment and the impact of human behaviour that causes climate change, resulting in soil erosion, poor air quality and undrinkable water.

With the aim of creating greater consciousness about the environment, the North-West University (NWU) hosted Green Week, which is also known as Environment Week.

Submitted on Fri, 04/28/2023 - 08:21

NWU academics on a collaboration mission to improve early childhood education in Africa

Dr Marinda Neethling and Dr Susan Greyling, both academics from the North-West University’s (NWU's) research focus area Community-based Educational Research (COMBER), recently travelled to Namibia and Zimbabwe to collaborate and build relationships in the field of early childhood development.

Dr Neethling's research focuses on providing comprehensive training to caregivers in African early childhood development centres, where many caregivers are unqualified grandmothers or mothers.

Submitted on Tue, 04/25/2023 - 09:32