Aristotle said that music has the power to form the character and should therefore be introduced into the education of the young. This quote is befitting of the Musical Arts in South Africa: Resources and Applications (MASARA) research niche area at the North-West University (NWU).

MASARA is part of the NWU’s School of Music and Conservatory, and their focus is music and music well-being. The research niche area also focuses on the conservation and use of indigenous music and was established in November 2008.

Offering an enhanced learning experience using multimedia online learning platforms is the key to encouraging participation among Generation Z students – people born between 1997 and the early 2010s.

This is one of the findings of a North-West University (NWU) research team after they investigated both the ins and the outs of the development of student pages on learning management systems (LMSs).

A master’s-degree study conducted by North-West University (NWU) student Katlego Botlhoko from the School of Nursing explores the experiences of nurse educators with regard to the new diploma in general nursing (R171) curriculum in North West.

The diploma in general nursing is a three-year programme, leading to registration with the South African Nursing Council as a general nurse. The programme consists of a theoretical and a clinical component, which must be completed in each academic year.

North-West University (NWU) academic Prof Miriam Moagi, together with Dr Mokgobola Thobakgale from the University of Limpopo and Dr Madimetja Magoro from Tompi Seleka College of Agriculture, recently published a book chapter on indigenous health practices in the treatment of mental illness in South Africa.

The book chapter aims to demonstrate the understanding of mental illness and the treatment thereof from an indigenous African perspective.

Dr Marinda Neethling and Dr Susan Greyling, both academics from the North-West University’s (NWU's) research focus area Community-based Educational Research (COMBER), recently travelled to Namibia and Zimbabwe to collaborate and build relationships in the field of early childhood development.

Dr Neethling's research focuses on providing comprehensive training to caregivers in African early childhood development centres, where many caregivers are unqualified grandmothers or mothers.

The North-West University’s (NWU's) Creative Writing subject group in the School of Languages recently hosted its very first BUA! Poetry Slam at the NWU Gallery on the Potchefstroom Campus.

More than 100 students showed up to the first of three events across campuses before the intercampus final. The second preliminary, scheduled for 3 May 2023, will be held on the Vanderbijlpark Campus, and the third one will be held in August on the Mahikeng Campus.

The winners from each campus will then take part in the final poetry slam at the end of the year.

North-West University (NWU) academic Prof Kenny Mnisi presented a seminar on 20 April 2023 focusing on food security and safety.

The topic of the seminar was “Are we food secured now? If not, let us practise sustainable poultry production!”

According to Prof Mnisi the question is designed to measure the advances that researchers, governments, non-governmental organisations (NGO) and other civil society groups have made in ensuring global food and nutrition security.

Kurt Naicker, a senior lecturer and chartered accountant at the North-West University’s (NWU’s) School of Accounting Sciences, recently presented the first virtual annual Kahoot Higher Ed Meetup and 10-year celebration of bringing awesomeness to classrooms worldwide.

Kahoot is a tool that can be used to engage students in the learning process by using gamification techniques. It is an online game-based learning platform that allows educators to create and share interactive quizzes, surveys, and discussions with their students.

The rise in the annual consumer price inflation from 7,0% to 7,1% in March was contrary to market expectations, which had been that the consumer price index (CPI) might by now have shown a modest decline to about 6,7%.

According to Prof Raymond Parsons, economist from the North-West University (NWU) Business School, food prices are the main culprit. “The rate of inflation at 7,1% therefore remains well above the target range of 3% to 6% of the South African Reserve Bank (SARB).”

The Faculty of Health Sciences (FHS) wishes to congratulate two of our students who performed exceptionally well in the annual FameLab competition.