FNAS

School of Nursing celebrates Women’s Day

On 8 August 2025, the Sports Village at the Potchefstroom Campus was the setting as the School of Nursing hosted a Women’s Day celebration together with the NuMIQ research entity.

The theme, “Be yourself”, encouraged women who balance careers, families and research to embrace their identity.

The deputy director of the School of Nursing, Dr Khumo Shopo, told the gathering: “You are capable of doing extraordinary things. You are authors, innovators and trailblazers.”

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Radiation expert wants SA to benefit from his radiological crime scene management training

South Africa’s capacity to deal with incidents involving radioactive materials has received a boost. North-West University (NWU) academic Dr Tebogo Kupi has returned from Austria where he attended a high-level international training course aimed at preparing experts to deliver national workshops on radiological crime scene management.

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Innovative poultry feed research offers hope for sustainable farming

High feed costs and declining meat quality are two of the biggest challenges facing the global poultry industry. For many smallholder farmers in South Africa, these issues are even more pressing, as they struggle to balance production costs with the demand for affordable, nutritious meat.

Against this backdrop, Phethile Emmelina Mabuza, an MSc graduate in animal science from North-West University (NWU), has pioneered a sustainable solution rooted in both innovation and local resources.

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Shaping biochemists who think beyond the lab and seek to make an impact

In a quiet laboratory on the North-West University’s (NWU’s) Mahikeng Campus, a group of postgraduate students huddle over microscopes and data sheets. At the centre of their work is not only the science they are uncovering, but also the mentor guiding them to think beyond experiments and toward the bigger questions of research and contributing to society.

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Another key international role for Prof Babalola

Internationally renowned microbiologist Prof Olubukola Oluranti Babalola is in the spotlight again. The leader of the Microbial Biotechnology subject group at the North-West University (NWU) has been elected to two strategic committees of the InterAcademy Partnership (IAP), a global network of science, engineering and medical academies.

Prof Babalola has been elected to the IAP’s programme and development committees, as well as the policy advice committee. The appointment, published on the IAP website on 7 August 2025, is for a three-year term starting on 11 December 2025.

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Inaugural lecture focuses on turning agricultural by-products into practical tools

Feed animals in ways that also protect the planet. This was the central message of the inaugural lecture of Prof Kenny Mnisi from the North-West University’s (NWU’s) Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences on 13 August.

During his lecture titled “Multipronged nutritional strategies for sustainable animal production and food security”, Prof Mnisi explored how locally sourced and underused materials can transform livestock and poultry production while reducing environmental pressures.

Extracting value from fruit peels and crop residues

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NWU student triumphs at continental conference

Master’s-degree student Sibongile Dlaba’s innovative research on healthcare incident reporting won her an award at the 5th African Nursing Conference.

“Being named the winner of the Best Oral Presentation award at a continental conference was an incredibly humbling and empowering experience,” says Dlaba, with her voice filled with emotion after her remarkable achievement.

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Stars and circuits spark curiosity ahead of Vice-Chancellor’s Science Day

The North-West University’s (NWU’s) third annual Vice-Chancellor’s Science Day on 6 August in Kuruman once again brought science out of the laboratory and into the community.

Kicking off the proceedings, NWU astrophysicist Prof Thebe Rodney Medupe led teachers and learners from local schools in a stargazing workshop.

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