The 2021 local government elections are a story of a democracy in crisis, says Naledi Modise, lecturer at the North-West University’s (NWU’s) School of Government Studies.

Universities across the country are producing ground-breaking research with great economic potential, but often the question is how this can be translated into commercial enterprises.

To address this issue, the North-West University (NWU) recently hosted a webinar titled “Mushrooming of ideas: Converting a postgraduate study into a commercial business”.

The main speaker at the event was Sydwell Sihlangu, an NWU alumnus and PhD candidate at the University of KwaZulu-Natal.

North-West University (NWU) research professor and professor in securities and financial markets law, Prof Howard Chitimira

North-West University (NWU) alumnus Prof Retselisitsoe Moses Phooko’s research prowess recently earned him a National Research Foundation (NRF) research award in the category Early Career/Emerging Researchers.

The North-West University’s (NWU’s) subject group Animal Health hosted a pet Fun Walk on 30 October 2021 to raise awareness about canine diseases such as rabies, cancer, distemper and others.

Animal lovers and their canine friends met at the main gate of the NWU’s Mahikeng Campus, and joined in the fun walk all the way to the Animal Health building.

 Hosted by Palesa Tibane, a 2021 Mrs South Africa finalist, the fun walk also aimed to raise funds for the South African Canine Cancer Association and to promote the services of the Animal Health Clinic.

From January 2022, the secretariat of the regional water research network known as WaterNet will be based at Mahikeng Campus of the North-West University (NWU) as part of a five-year agreement.

We caught up with the WaterNet executive management head, associate professor Jean-Marie Kileshye Onema, to obtain a better understanding of the 79-member organisation, a network of southern African university departments, research and training institutes specialising in water.

What is your role as WaterNet executive manager?

A collaborative effort by various health organisations and government is underway to step up individual and public efforts to encourage healthier eating as South Africa grapples with an increase in people suffering from diabetes, cancer and hypertension.

Private label brands have gained momentum in the grocery retail sector over the past few years. They are no longer just alternatives to the big-name brands, but are fast becoming brands of choice – provided attention is paid to perceptions about quality.

This is according to Gift Ndlovu, a researcher from the Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences at the North-West University (NWU).

What does it take for emerging farmers to be successful? This is the question North-West University (NWU) academic Dr Faan Pelser and Prof Theuns Pelser from the University of KwaZulu-Natal’s Graduate School for Business and Leadership set out to answer in their recent research paper.

The paper is titled “The factors that contribute to the growth of emerging farmers in the agricultural sector, North West Province, South Africa”.

Space is not as silent as it may seem, and asteroseismologists know this. Asteroseismology is a booming field full of opportunity for students and young researchers and has an impact on many other fields of astronomical research.

But what is asteroseismology all about? Prof Don Kurtz, an A1-rated professor now based at the North-West University’s (NWU’s) Mahikeng Campus, explains.