In the light of Women’s Month, we are proud of one of our own frontierswomen who is being recognised internationally for her groundbreaking work in the rainbow nation. Prof Welma Lubbe, professor in the School of Nursing Science at the North-West University (NWU), was recently approached by the Developmental Observer, the official newsletter of the NIDCAP Federation International, about her work in neurodevelopmental supportive care for premature babies.

Some children can easily process the impact of bullying behaviour, while others struggle with the aftereffects of these traumatic events for years.

Tebello Mabusela, a counselling psychologist and psychology lecturer at the North-West University (NWU), discusses some of the consequences and the real price of bullying for some victims.

When you think of engineering, German engineering in particular comes to mind, while it is extremely uncommon to think of Africa. This is the opinion of Mia Mangaroo-Pillay, an industrial engineer and lecturer at the North-West University’s (NWU’s) School of Industrial Engineering.

What is the impact of genetic modification on the elemental composition of plants?

Karin Schutte, a third-year mechanical engineering student at the North-West University (NWU), recently walked away with R35 000 worth of prizes at the Mahlale Innovation Consortium (MIC).

The North-West University (NWU) and the Department of Science and Innovation (DSI) hosted the National Indigenous Knowledge Systems (IKS) Expo on 17 August 2021. 

Dr Roksana Majewska, a postdoctoral fellow at the North-West University (NWU), has been recognised as a trailblazer and groundbreaker in the marine biology and diatomology fields.

At the recent Africa Genome Challenge 2021, Dr Majewska walked away with first prize in the Invertebrates and Microbes category.

South African youth is currently confronted with a myriad of issues, including the high unemployment rate, poor educational results, poverty, and less-than-ideal mental and physical health. According to Stats SA, 20,4 million young people aged 15 to 34 accounted for 63,3% of the total number of unemployed persons in the first quarter of 2020. 

Multidisciplinary research done by Prof Albie van Dijk from the North-West University (NWU), in collaboration with researchers from other national and international institutions, is reminiscent of detectives solving a mystery – a 16-year-old one, to be specific.

Statistics show that 61% of the population living in South Africa is either overweight or obese. Excess sugar consumption leads to several health problems that include non-communicable diseases such as heart attacks, diabetes and cancers, to name a few. The easy answer would be for an overweight population to consume less sugar, right?