How Africa can develop a "society for all ages"
Africa is and will be the continent with the youngest population globally for the foreseeable future. In the meantime, many people in Africa are living increasingly longer. This finding is based on demographic trends on the continent and raises a host of complex issues for policymakers, according to Prof Jaco Hoffman, a professor of Socio-Gerontology in the Optentia research unit at the NWU's Vanderbijlpark Campus. Socio-gerontology is the interdisciplinary study of the social aspects of ageing and Prof Hoffman is the first professor in this field at the NWU.
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Better coordination and collaboration can boost food security
"My passion for rural development started when I realised that there are families who go to bed without food. I became more interested through my research on key strategies and interventions that can assist the country on how rural development can be best implemented to ensure that food is secure and rural areas are developed," says Dr Maria Mphahlele, NWU PhD graduate. Aligning her PhD study with her passion, Dr Mphahlele investigated the risks in rural develop-ment service-delivery models in South Africa and looked at how these risks can be managed effectively.
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Fulbright scholar investigates secrets of serpentine ecology
A Fulbright scholar from the United States is joining the NWU's Unit for Environ-mental Sciences and Management for 10 months to do research in a field where many stones are still unturned. There are gaps in knowledge that scientists have about plant and insect species living on serpenti-nite rocks and filling in some of these could prove useful in understanding the effects of climate change and consequently contribute to conservation. Prof Nishanta (Nishi) Rajakaruna from the California Polytechnic State University will be working with Prof Stefan Siebert of the Geoecology Laboratory.
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