Rare diseases are more common than you might think. It sounds like an oxymoron, doesn’t it? Not to the 4,1 million South Africans who have been or will be affected by rare diseases in their lifetime. For many it can be a death sentence, for others it is a life-altering diagnosis. Not only is the North-West University (NWU) committed to ensuring that rare diseases are detected as early as possible, but it also has a myriad of initiatives to combat their effects.

The North-West University’s (NWU’s) School of Computer Science and Information Systems secured third place in the Cyber Security Challenge finals hosted by the South African National Research Network (SANReN) during the Centre for High Performance Computing’s national meeting.

Students Heinke Lubbe, Nico kemp, and Aaryadev Ghosalkar took part in the challenge, with honours student Christo Croucamp as their mentor and Prof Lynette Drevin as facilitator.

For children up to seven years old to reach their full potential, early childhood education is essential. Across Africa, many caregivers are grannies and mothers without formal qualifications. Filling this gap is one of several areas for fruitful collaboration between researchers from the North-West University (NWU) and their counterparts in countries such as Zimbabwe.

Dr Marinda Neethling and Dr Susan Greyling of the Faculty of Education visited Zimbabwe in December to collaborate and foster friendships in the field.

Students’ low performance and interest in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) fields, particularly among women, who are underrepresented in the scientific community, have been a major concern in many countries. This is exacerbated when one views the 2020 UNESCO report, which shows that women account for only 28% of engineering graduates, 40% of computer science graduates and 33% of researchers around the world.

Researchers have found an important piece of the puzzle in the formation of massive stars, also known as protons (stars with a mass that is about eight times or more greater than that of the sun). In the first-ever observational evidence, they have determined that accretion discs around forming protostars have spiral arm structures.

This significant discovery changes the way scientists look at big stars and will likely result in them specifically observing these kinds of arms in the forming discs of massive stars in future studies.

He wore his heart on his sleeve. Fearless. A short temper. Emotional. A naughty devil. Playboy. Formidable firebrand. He was notorious. Journalists loved his antics and this talented wing produced them with abandon. James Terence Small – 47 tests, 20 tries. The first South African to be sent from the field with a card. It was 1993 and the South Africans were pitting their strength against Australia. Bosom friend and scrum half Robert du Preez was penalised by the English referee, Ed Morrison, and the visitors were not very happy with the decision.

Prof Tobie van Dyk, a highly respected applied linguist from the School of Languages at the North-West University (NWU) has been seconded to the South African Centre for Digital Language Resources (SADiLaR) from 1 January to 31 December 2023.

“Prof van Dyk’s expertise in the field of applied linguistics and his well-established national and international networks are essential for SADiLaR to fulfill its mandate,” says Mr Juan Steyn, SADiLaR’s director of operations.

Language resources audit

On Friday, 3 February, the North-West University (NWU) Business School concluded its Summer Study School for MBA students. Overall, the week was a resounding success, with students testifying to tremendous value gained in terms of networking, keynote inputs and a better understanding of what to expect from the programme this year.

A proposed three-year deal by the Department of Tourism and SA Tourism to sponsor English Premiership club Tottenham Hotspur has caused widespread consternation and has received plenty of condemnation in what many deem an ill-thought venture.

According to Prof Peet van der Merwe from the research unit TREES (Tourism Research in Economic Environs and Society) at the North-West University (NWU), this amount could have been better used for other tourism purposes.

Students from the School of Accounting Sciences at the North-West University (NWU) again showed why both the school and its students are so highly regarded when they received an astounding 85% pass rate in the management case study exams of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA). This is a global exam with an average pass rate of 69%. Even more impressive is the fact that 67% more students had attempted the exam than the year before.