Research

Organisational leaders can optimise their risk management investments by exploring new methods

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).

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Local energy solutions are best for Africa

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.

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Study finds freshwater species at risk from threats linked to human activities

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).

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The cannabis conundrum: legal lines need to be drawn between home and workplace

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.

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“Attached to the Soil” ― NWU experiences Fulbright scholar’s touching exhibition

An exhibition capturing the hopes and dreams of South Africans living in a democratic country since 1994 is currently touring six of South Africa’s university campuses. Members of the management, staff and students of the North-West University (NWU) attended a walkabout at the NWU’s Potchefstroom Campus where they could experience Fulbright scholar Prof Peter Glendinning’s “Attached to the Soil” exhibition.

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Dr Anja graduated and stood out from the rest

The famous French fashion designer Coco Chanel said to be irreplaceable, one must always be different and that was definitely the case when Dr Anja Erasmus received her PhD in Environmental Science on 29 July 2022. She stood out by wearing a dress with her research printed on it.

Her journey at the NWU started in 2012 where she enrolled for her BSc degree in Tourism, Zoology, and Geography. She went on to obtain her Honours degree in Biodiversity and Conservation Ecology in 2015 and her Master’s degree in Environmental Sciences in 2017.

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Researchers join Pan South African Language Board

The love two researchers from the South African Centre for Digital Language Resources (SADiLaR) have for language and their determination to promote and develop it have received a further boost with their inclusion on two language bodies of the Pan South African Language Board (PanSALB).

Mmasibidi Setaka, digital humanities researcher in Sesotho, and Benito Trollip, digital humanities researcher in Afrikaans, are now members of the national language bodies (NLBs) for their respective languages within PanSALB ― an honour they both cherish.

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