Research

The decade of healthy ageing – responsibilities and prospects for the Africa we want

While Africa is a continent with a rapidly growing population of young people, it is crucial for the region to pay attention to the global agenda on ageing.

The United Nations declared the years 2021 to 2030 as the "Decade of Healthy Ageing". This global collaboration, aligned with the last 10 years of the Sustainable Development Goals, seeks to improve the lives of older people, their families and the communities in which they live.

Submitted on Tue, 02/27/2024 - 14:20

Researcher joins top cardiologists on the SA Heart® board

A researcher of the North-West University (NWU) has been selected to serve on the board of directors of the South African Heart Association (SA Heart®). He will also work in its executive and stakeholder committees.

Prof Ruan Kruger from the Hypertension in Africa Research Team (HART) will serve on the board for a period of three years. “It is a great honour. The SA Heart® board comprises the best cardiologists in South Africa, and for me as a physiologist to be selected is a wonderful milestone.”

Submitted on Thu, 11/16/2023 - 09:55

Technology Transfer and Innovation Support Office leads the way in empowering innovation

by Vukosi Mathale

The North-West University (NWU) has taken significant steps to foster innovation and bring research breakthroughs to the market. Central to this effort is the Technology Transfer and Innovation Support (TTIS) Office.

The role of TTIS is to help researchers translate their academic research into practical solutions that have a societal impact. Researchers who believe that their research outputs have the potential to extend beyond the university, should submit an intellectual property (IP) disclosure to the TTIS.

Submitted on Wed, 11/15/2023 - 13:14

Meet our researchers

The faculties at the North-West University (NWU) are doing exciting work on the research front.

Prof Philimon Modisha is an associate professor in the Faculty of Engineering and his research is centred on liquid organic hydrogen storage. His research is mostly at the Department of Science and Innovation Hydrogen South Africa Infrastructure Centre of Competence, co-hosted by the NWU and the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research.

Submitted on Tue, 11/14/2023 - 11:21

Unlocking the cultural language of emojis: a study on Facebook emojis and isiXhosa meanings

A researcher in the School of Communication at the North-West University (NWU), Dr Quatro Mgogo, has embarked on a study to explore how Facebook emojis are being employed to shape the meanings of izaci namaqhalo esiXhosa (isiXhosa proverbs and idioms).

The study also delves into how isiXhosa-speaking Facebook users are harnessing emojis to breathe fresh life into isiXhosa expressions. This study, rooted in interpretivist research philosophy, seeks to decode the cultural values of the Xhosa community through their use of emojis in digital communication.

Submitted on Tue, 11/14/2023 - 10:44

Great honour for budding researcher

Maricélle Botes’s long journey with the North-West University (NWU) has paid off. This final-year PhD student at the research unit for Law, Justice and Sustainability has been honoured with the Research Excellence Award for Next Generation Researchers in the Humanities, Social Sciences and Law category by the National Research Foundation (NRF).

This is in recognition of her outstanding academic performance and demonstrated potential for contributing significantly to innovation.

Submitted on Tue, 11/14/2023 - 10:27