After long days of teaching English in South Korea, Marcel van der Westhuizen would often find himself pondering the biggest questions imaginable: How will the universe ultimately end? His persistence and curiosity have now paid off.
By Gofaone Motsamai
When tourism researcher Dr Jean Manaliyo began asking people in Mahikeng what they knew about cannabis tourism, many were curious about how it could shape their community and economy. That curiosity has now taken his research across borders.
The North-West University (NWU) researcher will present his paper titled “Community perception towards cannabis tourism and socio-economic impacts in Mahikeng, South Africa” at a conference hosted by the University of Algarve in Portugal from 12 to 14 November 2025.
When farmers face pests that damage their crops, many turn to chemical sprays. They often do not realise that indigenous plant-based practices can protect crops naturally, and that pest-control solutions already exist within traditional farming knowledge.
The use of chemicals is one of the common ways of managing pests. However, these chemicals have negative effects on the environment, are expensive, and often unaffordable for small-scale farmers.
In a rapidly warming world, Africa has much to teach about harnessing indigenous knowledge systems (IKS) for global health resilience and trauma risk reduction.
Diane Thelma Molokwa, a doctoral candidate at the IKS Centre on the North-West University’s (NWU’s) Mahikeng Campus, demonstrated this when she participated at the 7th International Young Researchers' Symposium on Global Health held in Berlin, Germany.
The North-West University (NWU) continues to build on its reputation as a globally competitive and innovative institution, maintaining its position among the world’s leading universities in the latest Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings. This achievement reaffirms the standing of the NWU locally and internationally and highlights its consistent pursuit of academic and research excellence. The new strategy of the NWU, Taking the NWU forward: 2024 and beyond, is firmly guiding the institution in its pursuit of distinction.
The North-West University (NWU) is proud to celebrate the recent graduation of Dr Nozipho Phila Gamedze, who received her PhD on 16 July 2025. Her research marks a significant contribution to both sustainable agriculture and nanotechnology, showcasing the power of interdisciplinary science rooted in African innovation.
At a time when the role of higher-education institutions (HEIs) is increasingly tied to their relevance and impact in society, alumni have emerged as one of the most vital stakeholders in driving institutional success and community development.
The Optentia research unit, in collaboration with the People and Culture department at the North-West University (NWU), recently honoured a group of exceptional academic mentors and mentees who completed the university’s flagship development programmes: Being a Successful Academic Mentor and Being a Successful Academic Mentee.
Between February 2024 and June 2025, several cohorts of the programmes were hosted, collectively training 75 academic mentors and 77 mentees across the NWU’s faculties and campuses.
By Gofaone Motsamai
When Perpetual Umeaku realised that many communities lacked access to health information in a language they could understand, she set out to challenge the status quo and started exploring indigenous languages in health communication.
This focus led her to win the Doctoral Poster Competition at the North-West University’s (NWU’s) 2025 Research and Innovation Week for her study, titled “Examining indigenous language health media potentials for a sustainable future: a multi-stakeholder perspective”.
When a research paper leaps from the quiet world of academia into the glare of public debate, it is rarely accidental. For Prof Suranie Horn of the North-West University (NWU), that moment arrived when she and her colleagues revealed that HIV antiretrovirals (ARVs) such as lopinavir and efavirenz were not only saving lives but also seeping into South Africa’s rivers. The study showed that residues downstream of wastewater treatment plants were accumulating in aquatic ecosystems, with troubling consequences.