COVID-19 poses a clear and present danger to SA economy
“Market trends and other economic data confirm that the coronavirus pandemic (Covid-19) now poses a clear and present danger to the South African economy. The ripple effects from the economic dislocation elsewhere and the immense volatility in financial markets have already reached South Africa.” This is according to Prof Raymond Parsons, a…
NWU on the edge of enhanced understanding of the human brain
Despite some remarkable advances in the history of mankind, the functionality of the human brain remains a mystery. Wouldn’t the possibility to look into the human brain with high precision in a much easier way just be amazing? This has just been made possible at the North-West University’s (NWU’s) Centre for Health and Human Performance (CHHP…
SADiLaR takes the lead in digitising establishing 11 national languages
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. Benito…
Coronavirus – breastfeed to protect your baby
With the current coronavirus pandemic creating hysteria as far as it spreads, scientists have recently established that this virus has not yet been found to be transferred in breast milk. This mainly because breast milk has protective agents against infections. According to a recent study published in the medical journal The Lancet, all…
Storytelling the focus of 35th annual SAVAH Conference
This year will see the North-West University (NWU) play host to the 35th annual South African Visual Arts Historians (SAVAH) Conference in September 2020. The event represents a dynamic collaboration between SAVAH and the NWU’s research niche area, Visual Narratives and Creative Outputs (VINCO) in the Faculty of Humanities. The theme of this…
How SA could minimise heart disease deaths
Globally, heart disease remains the leading cause of death among middle-aged adults, accounting for 40% of all deaths. An alarming 80% of these deaths occur in low and middle-income countries such as South Africa. This is one of the findings from the multinational Prospective Urban and Rural Epidemiology (PURE) study, in which the North-West…
Enterprising Women Programme 2020: Calling all Mahikeng fempreneurs
The North-West University’s (NWU’s) Enterprising Women Programme has become synonymous with personal development and social impact, and in 2020 the programme will yet again afford fempreneurs the opportunity to realise their business dreams. This year marks the eight rendition of this impactful programme as offered by the NWU’s bhive…
The Cave: ’n digitale veilige hawe vir maatskaplike werkers
Maatskaplike werk word oor die algemeen as ’n stresvolle beroep beskou as gevolg van die emosionele eise waaraan praktisyns onderworpe is. Een groep maatskaplike werkers wat veral kwesbaar is vir negatiewe uitkomste is dié wat in die kinderbeskermingspraktykopset werk en die statutêre taak het om kinders te beskerm. Dit was een van die…
The Cave: a digital safe haven for stressed social workers
Generally social work is considered a stressful occupation due to the emotional demands on practitioners. One group of social workers that is particularly at risk for negative outcomes are those employed within the child protection practice setting, tasked with the statutory duty to protect children. This was one of the research findings of Prof…
Stagflation continues amid the economic recession: SA economy caught in the “perfect storm”
Two economists of the North-West University (NWU) say that inflation is expected to continue on an upward trend this month, while the cost of production is also expected to continue to rise as a result of the global uncertainty and supply chain problems. According to Prof Danie Meyer and Roan Neethling, a doctoral student at the NWU, the…
Human Rights Day: a day to celebrate or commemorate?
On 21 March is South Africa observes Human Rights Observance Day. This day is historically linked with 21 March 1960, and the events of Sharpeville. On that day 69 people died and 180 were wounded when police fired on a peaceful crowd that had gathered in protest against the Pass laws. Siphe Mashece, an academic from the North-West University…
IT-studente “skrum” met bedryfskundiges
Die belangrikheid van die bedryfsblootstelling vir universiteitstudente kan nie genoeg beklemtoon word nie. Dit gee nie alleen vir studente die geleentheid om hulle kennis in werklike situasies en op werklike probleme toe te pas nie, maar dit oorbrug ook die klaarblyklike gaping tussen akademiese teorie en tegniese toepassing. ’n Groep…
IT students ‘scrum’ with industry experts
The importance of industry exposure for university students cannot be over emphasised. Not only does it allow students to apply their knowledge to real-life situations and problems, but it also bridges the perceived gap between academic theory and technical application. A group of Information Technology (IT) students from the North-West…
Cutting repo rate will help mitigate risks of Covid-19
“The decision by the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) to cut the repo rate by 100 basis points is the right one, and will help mitigate the risks of Covid-19 to the South African economy.” This is according to Prof Raymond Parsons, a well-known economist and academic from the North-West University (NWU) Business School. “The MPC has now…
NWU IKS Centre hosts panel discussion with indigenous knowledge holders
The North-West University’s (NWU’) Indigenous Knowledge Centre (IKS) Centre hosted a panel discussion with indigenous knowledge holders on 6 March 2020. The aim of this discussion was to share knowledge with students and to ensure they understand the IKS Centre’s goals and its role in academia.Various stakeholders and knowledge holders who…
Modern equipment takes the NWU’s sport science to a new level
Have you ever wondered where the iconic Superman goes to maintain his excellent physique? It is quite probably to the sport science division of the new Centre for Health and Human Performance (CHHP) of the North-West University (NWU). Especially now that they have acquired another ultramodern piece of exercise equipment that is the first of…
Psychological impact of COVID-19 and what to do about it
Two psychologists from the NWU say that, against the background of the current situation regarding COVID-19, it is evident that different individuals respond to this crisis in different ways. Mr Rümando Kok and Prof Pieter Kruger, both senior clinical psychologists at the Institute of Psychology and Wellbeing (IPW) in the Centre for Health…
NWU economist says lockdown comes at the right time
“President Cyril Ramaphosa’s lockdown of South Africa to combat the Covid-19 virus comes at the right time,” says an economist of the NWU Business School. Prof Raymond Parsons says the decision follows the precedent set by some other countries in successfully dealing with the virus. He believes the announcement of a drastic lockdown for 21…
Sol Plaatje biography is tops
The North-West University (NWU) is benefiting from its association with award-winning author Prof Brian Willan. Prof Brian was recently crowned the joint winner for Best Non-Fiction Biography at the 5th Human and Social Sciences (HSS) Awards held in Johannesburg. This was in recognition of Brian's book, Sol Plaatje: A life of Solomon…