A spirit of collaboration and compassion is flourishing at Witrand Hospital, thanks to the innovative Taking HANDS community engagement project led by the Presence team of the North-West University (NWU) School of Nursing and NuMIQ research focus area. This inspiring initiative is transforming the hospital environment, fostering unity among staff, students and patients, and setting a new standard for quality care.
In drug development, a “magic bullet” is a compound designed to kill disease-causing organisms without harming healthy cells. Such compounds are needed now more than ever because diseases such as tuberculosis, malaria and sleeping sickness, which kill more than 10 million people each year, are becoming resistant to existing treatments.
“Many of these diseases are becoming harder to treat due to drug resistance,” said Prof Richard Beteck, research professor in synthetic medicinal chemistry at the Centre of Excellence for Pharmaceutical Sciences at the North-West University (NWU).
By Gofaone Motsamai
Gender-based violence (GBV) is seldom an isolated crime, yet it is often portrayed as such in South African media reports. This is borne out by the research findings of North-West University (NWU) master’s graduate Elsje-Marié Jordaan.
By Prof Nomali Ngobese
In a landmark outreach initiative aimed at revitalising rural agricultural development, the School of Geo and Spatial Sciences at the North-West University (NWU) visited the Makouspan community near Mahikeng on 7 July 2025 to initiate strategic partnerships with local farmers across 3,800 hectares of arable land.
This collaboration seeks to harness scientific expertise to transform dormant farmland into a driver of economic empowerment and food security.
Musical theatre, a vibrant blend of song, dance and drama, has long been a playground for the audacious and the talented. Star and celebrity have always been a staple for glittering marquees of Broadway to the neon-lit stages of the West End, however this has in recent decades become a contentious issue as celebrity as a concept has undergone tremendous change. When looking to fill seats in theatres the phenomenon of casting TV and film stars has become a defining feature, sparking debates as intense as a show-stopping ballad.
Prof Ankit Katrodia, associate professor in the WorkWell research unit at the School of Management Sciences of the North-West University (NWU), recently undertook an enriching academic tour across Poland and Romania.
His participation in this European engagement was made possible through some of the external funding from the Bucharest Academy of Economic Studies – Bucharest in Romania and reflects the growing commitment of the NWU to international collaboration and academic exchange.
What began as a mother’s effort to support her own children blossomed into a doctoral study exploring the links between early exposure to science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) and cognitive development in young children.
Florence, the Italian city made famous by Renaissance artists such as Michaelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci, is also a modern-day hub for leaders in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education.
In May this year, the city ushered in a new phase in STEM teacher education as global partners gathered to launch the Erasmus+ Capacity Building project, aimed at transforming how future teachers learn and teach.
Music’s power to heal, inspire and connect took centre stage during the inaugural lecture of Prof Conroy Cupido, director of the School of Music at the North-West University (NWU).
Hosted by the Faculty of Humanities at the Potchefstroom Campus on 12 June, the lecture explored the intersection of music, emotion and positive psychology.
Just a few drops of oil and water may be enough to change how the world treats tuberculosis, malaria and HIV/Aids – the “big three infectious diseases”, also known as BTIDs.
This was the central message delivered by Prof Joe Viljoen during her inaugural lecture at the North-West University’s (NWU’s) Potchefstroom Campus on 13 June 2025.