Newsroom - Potchefstroom Campus

NRF boosts funding for coal research at NWU

The quest for more sustainable and greener coal energy is receiving a boost through the National Research Foundation’s (NRF) renewal of the Chair for Coal Research at the North-West University (NWU).

The chair has secured funding of R4,15 million per year for the next five years as part of the NRF’s South African Research Chairs initiative (SARChI). This adds up to more than R20 million over the full period.

Submitted on Wed, 06/14/2023 - 10:29

Researcher secures place of parasites on red list for endangered species

Parasites. Just uttering the word may send shivers down the spine, conjuring up images of rapidly proliferating organisms devouring or destroying other species. A celebrated researcher from the North-West University (NWU) hopes to change those perceptions.

Credited with playing a crucial role in global conservation efforts to protect parasites, Prof Nico Smit is from the NWU’s Water Research Group in the Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences. He aims to ensure that some of the parasites found on endangered species do not end up like their hosts – facing extinction.

Submitted on Wed, 06/14/2023 - 10:20

Cutting back on bush encroachment

Bush encroachment is a global challenge, but through the multi-million rand RIBS project, this major contributor to land degradation is being tackled with renewed vigour.

RIBS is an acronym for “Rangeland Improvement through Bush Control and Sustainable Intensification to mitigate Climate Change and improve Livelihoods and Food Security in Southern Africa”.

The project is funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research in Germany, through the Southern African Science Service Centre for Climate Change and Adaptive Land Management (SASSCAL 2.0) programme.

Submitted on Wed, 06/14/2023 - 09:19

Practitioners learn about the power of music

By Menziwa Msibi

Music plays an important role in early childhood development. It enhances cognitive abilities, support language development, promotes social and motor skills and nurture creativity and imagination, among others.

This is why the NWU recently hosted a workshop for practitioners from various Early Childhood Development (ECD) centres in the North West province and in the Sedibeng East area.

Submitted on Tue, 06/13/2023 - 08:39

Faculty of Humanities embraces teaching with technology

The North-West University’s (NWU’s) Faculty of Humanities (FHUM) recently hosted a Teaching with Technology Showcase on the Potchefstroom Campus.

More than 40 academics representing the six schools in the faculty attended this face-to-face event, allowing lecturers the opportunity to demonstrate how they actively use technology in their modules and to learn from one another.

Submitted on Mon, 06/12/2023 - 16:18

Canoe champ Chris is crushing it

Chris Prinsloo was but five years old when his family uprooted from Belville in Cape Town to the United Kingdom, then back to the heart of KwaZulu-Natal a few years after, before settling in the Paarl, back in the province where it all started.

His father’s job as a psychiatrist necessitated all these moves, but although his terra firma kept changing, there was one place where he found his footing: in the water.

Submitted on Wed, 05/31/2023 - 08:47

SABPP honours students

The South African Board for People Practices (SABPP) recently honoured students who successfully registered as members of the board’s student chapter during a ceremony held at the North-West University’s (NWU’s) Potchefstroom Campus.

The SABPP is the professional quality and standards body for the human resources profession.

According to Debbie Mtshelwane, Human Resource Management programme leader in the School of Industrial Psychology and Human Resource Management (IPS&HRM), the SABPP certification is highly regarded in the human resources industry.

Submitted on Wed, 05/24/2023 - 11:35