"Africa Day is intended to celebrate and acknowledge the successes of the Organisation of African Unity (OAU now the AU) from its creation on May 25, 1963, in the fight against colonialism and apartheid, as well as the progress that Africa has made while reflecting upon the common challenges that the continent faces in a global environment." gov.za/AfricaDay2021
Positive people, positive change, a continent rising – a university building a re-imagined Africa.
This #AfricaMonth, the North-West University is celebrating the continuous pursuit of freedom and development by showcasing the excellent research done at the University, and its impact on our continent.
Research at the North-West University is anchored by our commitment to the African continent. We believe that knowledge generation is the foundation of development.
For centuries people in Africa have measured time, seasons and direction by the stars, and now the North-West University (NWU) has conferred the continent’s first PhD in Indigenous Knowledge Systems (IKS) focussing on African indigenous astronomy on Dr Motheo Koitsiwe. Read more
Many people rely on traditional plant remedies to treat skin disorders, and now a North-West University (NWU) researcher has investigated why these plants are effective, paving the way for further research by the pharmaceutical industry. Read more
Digitising South Africa’s 11 official languages could go a long way towards creating a truly multilingual society. Various projects are currently in progress at the South African Centre for Digital Language Resources (SADiLaR), located at the North-West University (NWU), to create digital resources for the country’s official languages. Read more
North-West University (NWU) academic and a research professor in the Faculty of Humanities at the campus in Mahikeng, Prof Erhabor Idemudia, has co-authored a book with Prof Klaus Boehnke from Jacobs University, Bremen, Germany. Read more
Why try to reinvent the wheel when others are facing similar challenges and together you could succeed in “connecting to ignite a growth revolution”? This was the thinking of the team of researchers from the North-West University’s (NWU’s) Optentia research focus area who visited Namibia to foster relationships with government, business, labour and NGOs in that country. Read more
Dr Tshepang Molale, an academic in the North-West University’s (NWU’s) Faculty of Humanities, recently published a chapter in the book Development, Economics and Management, investigating the instability and unsustainability of African language newspapers. Read more
High blood pressure is one of the major factors that contribute to cardiovascular disease and is often referred to as the “silent killer”. It is clear from several studies conducted by the Hypertension in Africa Research Team (HART) at the North-West University (NWU) that even schoolchildren and young adults cannot escape the condition that often leads to premature death. Read more
Not only is active pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) a highly contagious disease, but it is also the current leading cause of death from a single infectious pathogen. According to a 2018 report, approximately 7 million new and relapsed TB cases were reported globally. Read more
“Indigenous fruits have long been collected from the wild for human consumption and other purposes. This concept of ‘one tree, many uses’ speaks to how indigenous fruit trees are valued for many things other than just their fruits.” This is according to Dr Abiodun Olusola Omotayo from the North-West University’s (NWU’s) Food Security and Safety research niche area. Read more
Just as offices, shops, classrooms and lecture halls are embracing digital transformation and the Fourth Industrial Revolution, so must the manufacturing industry. Known as Industry 4.0 or I4.0, the transformation is essential for the sustainability of local manufacturing. This prompted a PhD Engineering student at the North-West University (NWU) to help the South African industry develop the skills and competencies needed for a digital future. Read more
