Geexpo 2017: Unlocking the future through maths and science
South Africa is experiencing an exponential crisis in terms of mathematics and science education. For the third year in a row the country has finished last in the World Economic Forum’s mathematics and science education quality rankings. In effect this means that SA’s performance in mathematics and sciences is lower than that of Nigeria,…
Alumni - Pieter Stoker
Prof Pieter Stoker: exploring the frontiers of science Prof Pieter Stoker is an excellent example of a Potchefstroom local who has earned international recognition for himself and his department. He established a research facility in cosmic rays and nuclear physics in the Department of Physics of the former Potchefstroom…
NWU Vaal BTMG: an equation that makes sense!
This year marks the fourth rendition of the very successful learning programme: Bridging The Mathematical Gap, as presented by the Faculty of Economic Sciences and Information Technology on the Vanderbijlpark Campus of the North-West University. The programme literally takes the sting out of mathematics and offers learners the opportunity to…
NWU signs memorandum of understanding with Ndebele Kingship Council
A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was signed between the Ndebele Kingship Council and the North-West University (NWU) on Wednesday, 18 July 2018. An opportunity for cooperation between the Ndebele Kingship Council and the university was identified and the MOU captures the joint interest and establishes a long-term relationship. The…
NWU and Binary Space champions innovative technology
The Robotics team at the North-West University’s (NWU’s) campus in Vanderbijlpark aims to encourage technology-orientated individuals to become involved in the exciting world of automation and innovation in a fun and highly educating way. The field of robotics is not only experiencing an increase in interest around the globe, but is also a…
Inaugural lecture traces operational research back to World War II
Operational research (OR) is modern and highly sophisticated but its origins can be traced back to 1939 when the Royal Air Force began expanding the range of radar. Prof Philip Pretorius recently took the audience on a bit of a history lesson on OR with his inaugural lecture on the North-West University’s (NWU’s) campus in Vanderbijlpark.…
NWU women are finalists for prestigious science awards
While celebrating Women’s Month and in particular South African women’s extraordinary achievements, two young women researchers of the North-West University (NWU) who, are excelling in their fields, have been announced finalists for the prestigious South African Women in Science Awards (SAWiSA). A student of the NWU is also in the run for a…
NWU women shine at prestigious science awards
North-West University (NWU) women continue to shine during Women’s Month and their extraordinary achievements do not go unnoticed. On 15 August a researcher from the NWU took home a South African Women in Science award and a student received the DST-Albertina Sisulu Fellowship award for her doctoral studies at the prestigious award ceremony…https://engineering.nwu.ac.za/research/operations-research-data-analytics
Operations Research & Data Analytics
Operations Research & Data Analytics Research group Operations Research (OR) focuses on the creation of mathematical models to represent and solve real-world problems as close to optimal as possible. In this field, we make use of engineering tools like exact and heuristic algorithms (for example the branch-and-bound and genetic algorithms),…https://news.nwu.ac.za/covid-19-pandemic-expedited-adoption-4ir-principles
Covid-19 pandemic expedited adoption of 4IR principles
“A crisis is the birthplace of creativity and innovation. The coronavirus pandemic has challenged us to stop doing things the normal way and move from our comfort zones, especially in our educational system,” says Whisper Maisiri, a PhD student in the Faculty of Engineering at the North-West University (NWU). Whisper says the initiatives…https://news.nwu.ac.za/nwu-celebrate-world-intellectual-property-day
NWU to celebrate World Intellectual Property Day
Phenyo Mokgothu The Technology Transfer & Innovation Support (TTIS) Office at the North-West University (NWU) will be hosting events at all three NWU campuses to celebrate World Intellectual Property (IP) Day this year. These events will be hosted on 20 April at the Mahikeng Campus, 21 April at the Vanderbijlpark Campus, and 12…https://news.nwu.ac.za/nwu-ecotoxicology-researchers-represent-africa-global-scale
NWU ecotoxicology researchers represent Africa on a global scale
A group of 15 researchers from the North-West University’s (NWU’s) Unit for Environmental Sciences and Management recently presented their work at the 32nd Annual Meeting of the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (SETAC) Europe conference in Copenhagen, Denmark. The theme for the meeting was “Towards a reduced pollution society”.…https://news.nwu.ac.za/nwu-professor-using-systems-thinking-change-game-learning
NWU professor is using systems thinking to change the game of learning
Prof Roelien Goede is passionate about teaching and moved to Potchefstroom, where she had been appointed as lecturer in the then School for Computer Science, Statistics and Mathematics, in 2001. Her main research focus, for which she received a C2 rating from the National Research Foundation (NRF) of South Africa in 2018, is the improvement of…https://news.nwu.ac.za/nwu-reviews-pharmacist-internship-programme
NWU reviews the pharmacist internship programme
For most newly graduated pharmacy students, the compulsory one-year pharmacy internship is the first step towards their service to the community and the start of their professional pharmacy careers in South Africa. The internship year aims to allow graduates to apply the knowledge and skills they acquired during their undergraduate studies.…https://news.nwu.ac.za/old-mutual-education-trust-supports-nwu-students
Old Mutual Education Trust supports NWU students
For over 18 years the Old Mutual Education Trust (OMET) has been changing the trajectory of the lives of many young South Africans. Through a partnership with participating unions, the trust has used education as a pathway for union members and their beneficiaries to access post-graduation opportunities. Funding for the OMET initiatives is…https://news.nwu.ac.za/faculty-natural-and-agricultural-sciences-celebrates-grade-12-top-achievers
Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences celebrates Grade 12 top achievers
By Mokgothu Phenyo and Tiyiselani Precious Miyambu The Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences (FNAS) at the North-West University (NWU) held an awards ceremony on 21 January to honour the 2024 Grade 12 top achievers of the Dean’s Project School Intervention Programme and their tutors. “The Dean’s Project is about transforming futures,”…https://news.nwu.ac.za/academic-elected-new-president-african-astronomical-society
Academic elected as the new president of the African Astronomical Society
Prof Amare Abebe, research director at the Centre for Space Research at the North-West University (NWU), has been elected as the new president of the African Astronomical Society (AfAS). AfAS was established to create a globally competitive and collaborative astronomy community in Africa. Prof Abebe’s focus will be on expanding membership,…https://news.nwu.ac.za/renewable-rangers-game-earns-academic-nomination-south-africas-science-oscars
ReneWable Rangers game earns academic nomination for South Africa’s ‘Science Oscars’
Dr Moleboheng Mokhele-Ramulumo, a senior lecturer in Natural Sciences Education at the North-West University (NWU) and a member of the Self-Directed Learning (SDL) Research Unit, has been nominated for the prestigious National Science and Technology Forum’s (NSTF)-South32 Awards. She has been nominated for the TW Kambule-NSTF Award in the…
Vanderbijlpark Campus Security Enhancement Project
The NWU has set aside seed money to initiate the NWU Security Enhancement Project and will finance some of the elements of the project itself. The NWU has engaged with several stakeholders around the Vanderbijlpark Campus, including the Emfuleni Local Municipality (ELM) to share information about the project. The ELM has given the university the…