Human Interest

Congratulations, Comrades champs Tete and Adele!

They did it again! Tete Dijana and Adele Broodryk are on top of the ultramarathon world after both athletes delivered superlative Comrades 2023 performances.

Dijana won the men’s division in a record time of 5:14.01, which is the second consecutive win for the employee of Mi7, an external security service provider to the NWU, who can be found on the Mahikeng Campus when on duty.

Submitted on Sun, 06/11/2023 - 13:10

Subject group Chemistry paves the way for research support and scholarships for postgrads

By Menziwa Msibi

The subject group Chemistry at the North-West University’s (NWU’s) Mahikeng Campus hosted the National Research Foundation (NRF) and the Sasol Foundation during a visit on 2 June 2023.

The purpose of this visit was to reinforce the visiting parties’ commitment to support and enhance research capabilities by providing scholarships for honours, master’s, and PhD students.

Submitted on Thu, 06/08/2023 - 15:50

Adele and Tete gunning for Comrades gold

It is a tale etched in South African athletics folklore. One-hundred-and-two-years ago, an ultramarathon was born to celebrate comradery and the indomitable human spirit in the wake of the devastation caused by the First World War.

It is an 87701 km odyssey of pain and perseverance. It is the Comrades Marathon. It again starts at dawn and ends at dusk on Sunday, 11 June and it is a showcase for the best the North-West University (NWU) has to offer.

Submitted on Wed, 06/07/2023 - 15:11

DP growth figures for the first quarter of 2023

According to Prof Raymond Parsons from the North-West University (NWU) Business School, the good news is that GDP growth of 0,4% in the first quarter of 2023, following on the revised -1,1% growth in the fourth quarter of 2022, has enabled the South African economy to avoid a technical recession – in other words, two consecutive quarters of negative growth.

Submitted on Wed, 06/07/2023 - 11:08

NWU lecturer becomes first in family to bag a PhD

The recent autumn graduations at the North-West University’s (NWU’s) Vanderbijlpark Campus brought a momentous achievement for one employee in particular – Dr Bonelwa Sidumo.

Dr Sidumo, a statistics lecturer and emerging researcher, received her PhD in operational research.

The 33-year-old was born and bred in Centane, a rural town in the Eastern Cape, to a self-employed taxi driver and housewife. However, even when faced with limited resources and opportunities, her drive and determination helped her overcome obstacles and to achieve her dreams.

Submitted on Wed, 06/07/2023 - 10:27

Revolutionising agriculture: industrial engineering for efficient farms

Prof Rojanette Coetzee, an academic at the North-West University’s (NWU's) Faculty of Engineering, recently established a research forum that will use industrial engineering methods to help farmers.

Assisted by research assistants Herme Nel and Jorinda Marais, the Industrial Engineering in Agriculture (IE@Agri) Forum aims to apply industrial engineering techniques to address the everyday challenges faced by farmers, organisations, and the agricultural value chain.

Submitted on Wed, 06/07/2023 - 09:48

New book investigates higher education in the face of a pandemic

The Covid-19 pandemic left nothing but devastation in its wake, and the higher-education sector was not spared. This is the conclusion drawn in a new book titled Higher Education in the Face of a Global Pandemic, co-edited by Prof Petronella Jonck from the North-West University (NWU) and Prof Emnet Tadesse Woldegiorgis from the University of Johannesburg (UJ).

Submitted on Wed, 06/07/2023 - 09:27

Learn more about Vedic Mathematics

The North-West University’s (NWU’s) School of Mathematics, Science and Technology Education (SMSTE) will soon host a series of mathematics workshops for students and teachers on Vedic Mathematics, an ancient Indian technique that has been used for centuries to solve complex mathematical problems quickly and efficiently.

The series will kick off on 10 June with an online event, hosted by the Institute for the Advancement of Vedic Mathematics (IAVM).

Submitted on Mon, 06/05/2023 - 15:47

Vanderbijlpark Campus celebrates PhD graduates

The North-West University’s (NWU’s) Vanderbijlpark Campus 2023 winter graduations ended with a special congratulatory ceremony for PhD graduates, hosted by Prof Linda du Plessis, deputy vice-chancellor for planning and Vanderbijlpark Campus operations.

This event followed the 18 PhD graduates’ graduation ceremony where NWU principal and vice-chancellor Prof Bismark Tyobeka conferred their degrees upon them at the new Tsebonokeng Hall.

Submitted on Mon, 06/05/2023 - 12:49