Artificial sociality: can AI exist without the human factor?

In the 21st century Artificial Intelligence (AI) has become a buzz word and Hollywood has sparked our interest into machine learning and how it will affect us, as humans.

Prof Gert Jan Hofstede, new extraordinary professor at the North-West University’s (NWU’s) Optentia research focus area, advocates the study of Artificial Sociality. This…

SAIOH recognises NWU research excellence

The Southern African Institute for Occupational Hygiene (SAIOH) recently awarded Dr Stefan Linde, senior lecturer in the Faculty of Health Sciences and member of the Occupational Hygiene and Health Research Initiative (OHHRI), as well as one of his master’s students, Robyn Hyslop, for their research excellence in the field of occupational…

NWU hosts artificial intelligence research fair

The North-West University (NWU) recently hosted the annual fair of the national Centre for Artificial Intelligence Research (CAIR), a national research network that supports capacity development and advanced research in Artificial Intelligence (AI). 

Managed by the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and sponsored by the…

Here comes the next generation of eco-warriors

The future of the planet may not be as gloomy as many predict. A North-West University (NWU) researcher is doing her part to groom a new generation of eco-warriors armed with the knowledge and commitment to combat water scarcity and other challenges linked to climate change.

Dr Irene Muller of the Faculty of Education is on a mission. By…

Little cricketers, big aspirations!

If Proteas coach Ottis Gibson had been there to witness the young talent at the annual KFC Mini Cricket Festival, hosted at the North-West University’s (NWU’s) campus in Vanderbijlpark, the likes of AB de Villiers, JP Duminy and Kagiso Rabada would surely have had something to worry about.

During this event players as young as six years old…

SAWHAR: science and technology insights for tomorrow’s water calamities

Cape Town’s drought crisis in 2018, also referred to as Day Zero, serves as a wake-up call to all South Africans to once again become more aware of the importance of water in the 21st century. 

This awareness also includes academic research into innovative solutions for future problems.

According to Prof Johann Tempelhoff, an…

Social Work Projects Day: combining education and real-life experience

The importance of practical experience is paramount in the field of social work, as is the synergistic result of combining education and real-life experience.

This is according to Dr Elmien Truter, a professional social worker and lecturer in the North-West University’s (NWU’s) School of Psychosocial Health, after the recent Social Work…

NWU Rugby Institute kicks off in Vanderbijlpark

As from 2019 the North-West University (NWU) will expand the geographical footprint of its thriving Rugby Institute, situated at the campus in Potchefstroom, to include the Gauteng province. More so, the university’s campus in Vanderbijlpark.

The vesting of an additional site of delivery for the Institute’s programmes and services in…

NWU Social Work Projects Day 2018 – community engagement in action

In a world filled with injustices and complexity, social workers step to the fore to make a difference in the lives of people who need it most.

Through their commitment to bring about positive social change, helping individuals of all ages thrive in their environment and being and advocate for those who have lost their voice, social workers…

Social adaptation in post-apartheid SA

Life in post-apartheid South Africa remains to be learned. This provocation as well as the strategic intent of the North-West University (NWU) to champion social justice, challenges society towards the need for a deeper understanding of the ‘social’ from a social justice perspective.

This understanding, according to the organisers of the…