The Hypertension Research and Training Clinic of the Hypertension in Africa Research Team (HART) at the North-West University (NWU) is celebrating its tenth anniversary with a symposium that will see esteemed international and local experts in high blood pressure research converge on the Potchefstroom Campus.

The symposium, A decade of hypertension research: reflecting on the past to strengthen the future, will take place on 19 and 20 September.

The Chartered Accountancy programme of the North-West University (NWU) is truly a force to be reckoned with. This after the South African Institute of Chartered Accountants (SAICA) released its Initial Test of Competence (ITC) results, in which the NWU’s class of 2021 achieved a remarkable 100% combined pass rate in the January and June 2022 ITC sittings. Of the limited number of candidates who passed with distinction, three hailed from the NWU.

The North-West University (NWU) welcomes its newly elected Student Representative Council (SRC) that officially took office on 6 September.

The incumbent SRC will serve for a period of one year under the leadership of the SRC president, Yikumba Andreas, a graduate in Management Sciences and Marketing Management, and a current bachelor’s degree student in Economic Sciences with Economics and Risk Management.

Prof Roelien Goede is passionate about teaching and moved to Potchefstroom, where she had been appointed as lecturer in the then School for Computer Science, Statistics and Mathematics, in 2001.

Her main research focus, for which she received a C2 rating from the National Research Foundation (NRF) of South Africa in 2018, is the improvement of data warehousing in South Africa using systems thinking.

The improvement of data warehousing includes a focus on technical improvements and on improving the readiness of graduates to enter the data warehousing industry.

Prof Hanlie Moss, research director of PhASRec (Physical Activity, Sport and Recreation) at the North-West University (NWU), completed her master’s degree in Biochemistry, although she has always had a profound interest in the way the human body moves.

She coached gymnastics while completing a BSc in Physiology and Biochemistry and decided to study human movement science to become a better coach.

With the aid of thermal energy storage systems it is possible to use solar cookers to prepare hot meals at night. Some systems perform better than others though, and there is room for improvement. This is according to Prof Ashmore Mawire of the Solar Thermal research group at the North-West University (NWU).

He recently gave a public lecture at which he presented past and recent research results of the group, which is located in the Material Science Innovation and Modelling (MaSIM) research focus area.

All public and private organisations must deal with the systemic risks of our complex world. However, such inherent complex risks are difficult to manage even where significant resources have been utilised in implementing formal risk management frameworks and related processes.

It is therefore important for organisational leaders to actively explore new methods to enhance the contribution of risk management processes when they are trying to reach their objectives, says Prof Hermien Zaaiman from the Optentia research unit of the North-West University (NWU).

Local solutions to the energy crisis are needed in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) countries, says Dr Pamelah Cheuka, an economics specialist whose PhD thesis has shed light on the energy challenges of the region.

Dr Cheuka’s recent study on the impact of energy efficiency and renewable energy generation on productivity in the SADC has the potential to influence energy policymaking, especially in this era of climate change.

From climate change and associated extreme weather events to pollutants, over-utilisation and invasive species, human activities are the main threats to freshwater species in South Africa’s largest floodplain ecosystem.

This is according to the Water Research Group (WRG) of the North-West University (NWU), which for the past 10 years has been actively involved in studies relating to water preservation in the Pongola River and floodplain (PRF).

In 2018, the Constitutional Court of South Africa legalised the cultivation and use of cannabis, provided that it is for private use by an adult person in a private place.

In her master’s-degree research carried out at the North-West University (NWU), Advocate Dineo Mongwaketsi looked at the legal implications of the legalisation of cannabis for employers and employees.