The first space biology article has been published in South Africa, marking an important advancement for African space science – and potentially for the world.
The article, based on a study of young earthworms exposed to various hypergravity conditions for eight days, was authored by researchers at the North-West University (NWU). For earthworms to reach space, they have to withstand hypergravity during launch and decelerations.
Thirty-one thousand. That is the conservative estimate of the current teacher shortage in South Africa. Classrooms are overcrowded, with ballooning learner-to-teacher ratios, especially in rural and under-resourced schools. This severely impacts dropout rates and education quality.
This is not where the woes of future learners end. It is estimated that nearly half the teaching workforce will retire within the next decade, meaning the demand for new teachers will only keep increasing.
In South Africa, a country still shadowed by the legacies of the past and grappling with complex social and economic challenges, the Population and Health Research Entity at the North-West University (NWU) offers a striking vision of hope. Nestled within the Faculty of Humanities on the Mahikeng Campus, this research entity has grown into a research powerhouse since it was founded in 2007.
It has happened. The world is 1,5 degrees Celsius warmer than it was in preindustrial times. A threshold has been breached, and the times they are a-changin’.
When Prof Francois Engelbrecht, president of the South African Society for Atmospheric Sciences (SASAS), opened the 38th Annual Conference of the South African Society for Atmospheric Sciences at the Potchefstroom Campus of the North-West University (NWU), he did so in a sombre tone, even with a sense of disbelief. Because history has been made for the wrong reasons.
On Tuesday 5 November, Americans will cast their votes to elect the 47th president of the United States of America. The latest polls show that the current vice president and Democratic nominee, Kamala Harris, has a slight, one point lead, with Republican and former president, Donald Trump, a very close second. This is a neck and neck race with no certain outcome, and the world waits to see who will lead the last global superpower from 2025 to 2029.
The North-West University’s (NWU’s) ongoing commitment to sustainable energy through its trail-blazing solar projects across its campuses has earned it the Renewable Energy Initiative Award from the Higher Education Facility Management Association of Southern Africa (HEFMA) on 17 October.
As a pillar of the Potchefstroom community, with an unshakeable commitment to quality policing, Brigadier Steven Moodley has been awarded the Chancellor’s Medal by the North-West University (NWU).
He received this honour during a graduation ceremony on 24 October. The Chancellor’s Medal is awarded to people who show exceptional merit or have made significant contributions to society.
With matric finals just days away, North-West University (NWU) academic in the Faculty of Education Dr Judicial Sebatana says they must focus on the present and not on past shortcomings.
Sharing his insights on the readiness of matric learners for their final exams which start on 21 October 2024, Dr Sebatana points out that the final exams account for 75% of their mark, whereas past performance only counts for 25%. “It’s important for learners to remember that it’s not too late.”
The North-West University (NWU) conferred an honorary doctorate in agriculture on Peter Monametsi Chiepe during its Spring graduation ceremony on 3 October 2024. An earth scientist, businessman, social entrepreneur and farmer from Botswana, Chiepe was recognised for his contributions to agriculture, particularly in sustainable farming practices.