It is difficult for researchers to find funding for research in African languages and more work needs to be done to promote African languages as languages of research, teaching and learning.

This was mentioned at the inaugural Batho Abantu African Languages Association (BAALA) conference that was hosted by the North-West University’s (NWU’s) School of Languages, the NWU Language Directorate and SEFALA.

The conference brought together local and international researchers in African languages and took place at the Riverside Sun Hotel in Vanderbijlpark.

The North-West University (NWU) continues to deliver chartered accounting students of the highest calibre, as is evident from the recently released results of the Initial Test of Competence (ITC) of the South African Institute of Chartered Accountants (SAICA) and the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Namibia (ICAN), which was written in January.

Prof Louis du Preez, professor of zoology at the Potchefstroom Campus of the North-West University (NWU), was honoured by having a newly discovered Malagasy frog species named after him.

The honour was bestowed by a group of German scientists from the University of Braunschweig, Landesmuseum in Darmstadt, and the Zoological Museum in München, in recognition of Prof du Preez’s substantial contributions to understanding the flatworm parasites of Malagasy anurans.

The North-West University’s (NWU’s) Prof Jan de Kock is ready to help make a difference in helping to solve South Africa’s current energy crisis.

He was inaugurated as president of the South African Institute of Electrical Engineers (SAIEE) on 23 March 2023.

During the event Prof de Kock delivered his inaugural address titled “Load-shedding – can South Africa be saved?”.

He said that it is a great honour to serve the electrical engineering fraternity as president of the SAIEE.

Prof Ewelina Niemczyk, Dr Jan Khumalo, and Matthews Makunye recently organised two research capacity building workshops for academics in the North-West University’s (NWU’s) School of Professional Studies in Education.

Designed with the support of the school director, Prof Kobus Mentz, the two workshops were aimed at improving the quality and impact of the research conducted within the school at the Mahikeng Campus.

During the workshops, researchers were empowered with the necessary knowledge, competencies, tools, and resources to increase research productivity.

NWU staff continue to make significant contributions, not only locally but also internationally. The executive dean of the Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, Prof David Modise, has been appointed to the interim governing council of the African Network of Scientific and Technological Institutions (ANSTI).

Prof Modise will serve as a member of this council for two years, effective from 1 March 2023.

For most newly graduated pharmacy students, the compulsory one-year pharmacy internship is the first step towards their service to the community and the start of their professional pharmacy careers in South Africa.

Leaf blight in maize poses a threat to food security but, although it has complex causes, it can be effectively managed. This is one of the findings of a group of North-West University (NWU) researchers who have been investigating this plant disease at the university’s Molelwane farm in Mahikeng.

Their research shows that the disease defies many control measures because it is caused by multiple organisms, which in most cases interact to cause the leaf blight disease.

A recent study conducted by a PhD graduate and staff member of the North-West University (NWU) Business School, Dr Lungile Ntsizwane, looked at integrating administrative systems and processes in mergers within South African higher education institutions.

She says higher education institutions go through a complex change management process when merging.

On the surface there is little commonality between the two. One is a predominantly homogenous first-world country with a population of 10,5 million people where you are more likely to see the northern lights than a lanky giraffe. It occupies an area of 447,425 km2 . The other is almost thrice as large. Its contours encapsulates 1,221,037 km2  and within it a diverse population of 60,6 million people live in a developing country at the foot of Africa.