Vol 2 2017

NWU taking research to new heights

Welcome to the second edition of the North-West University's new newsletter, Research@NWU.

The aim of the newsletter is to showcase research projects, researchers and related events.

Follow this link to see Prof Frikkie van Niekerk, the NWU's deputy vice-chancellor for research, innovation and technology, speak about the university's research management model.

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Researchers receive R9m to study heart disease in Africa

Non-communicable or lifestyle diseases will be the most common cause of death in Africa by 2030, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

Researchers from the NWU are at the heart of a novel, R80 million public-private collaboration to boost South Africa’s medical research capabilities.

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TELIT-SA: The future of technology-enhanced learning

A dedicated focus on the practice of technology-enhanced learning: this is what the newly established TELIT-SA research focus area is all about. TELIT-SA stands for Technology Enhanced Learning and Innovative Education and Training in South Africa, and looks at the theory and practice of learning technologies across and array of disciplines in higher education.

Heading-up this dynamic entity is Prof Seugnet Blignaut, a seasoned and highly regarded expert in educational technology. "Theory of practice assists in bridging the divide between basic disciplines and theoretical underpinnings of the pedagogical use of technology-enhanced learning," she says.

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Growing crops and generating energy

A smart solar-powered partnership between the NWU and a German renewable energy company is empowering communities to grow food while generating energy.

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Focusing on Dothraki and other subcultural languages

"Me zisosh disse". It is just a flesh wound. This would certainly be good news if you were wounded and one of the native speakers of the language used in this sentence.
It is Dothraki and it is the fantasy language that was created for the television series Game of Thrones.
Today the language is spoken by a significant number of people.

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Study shows effects of visual therapy on children with DCD

There is hope for children suffering from Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD).
This is the bottom line of a new study by Prof Dané Coetzee and Prof Anita Pienaar at the NWU's Physical Activity, Sport and Recreation (PhASRec) research focus area.
Their study of 32 children between the ages of seven and eight found that the effects of visual therapy can have substantial benefits.

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Business School collaborates with African scholars

Research collaboration was on the agenda when leading scholars from Ghana, Nigeria and Zimbabwe visited the delivery site of the North-West University School of Business and Governance (NWU-SBG) in Mahikeng from 20 to 22 April 2017.
The NWU-SBG was hosting a workshop for ORCA, a project aimed at promoting research collaboration among Africa universities.

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Young NWU scientist rub shoulders with Nobel Prize winners

Few scientific events are more prestigious than those where Nobel Prize winners share their knowledge. Retha Peach, a doctoral student from the NWU, is being given the rare opportunity to attend a gathering where 31 Nobel laureates will be present.

Retha is one of five scientists whom the Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf) has hand-picked to participate in the 67th Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting in Germany from 25 to 30 June.

She and 400 other chemists, all under 35, take part in a six-day programme of lectures and panel discussions. In all, 76 countries are represented and 31 Nobel Prize winners will attend.

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Passion propels young researcher from C1 to B1

Passion is not bound by gravity.

It makes you excel where others merely succeed, and passion is what propelled Prof Stefan Ferreira of the NWU's Centre for Space Research from a C1 to a B1 NRF rating.

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Musa is one of Africa's youngest female PhD graduates

The NWU has produced one of Africa's youngest female PhD graduates. Musawenkosi "Musa" Saurombe received her PhD in Industrial Psychology at the university's campus in Mahikeng on 25 April 2017.

At 23, she is one of the youngest female students in Africa to obtain a PhD.

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Please share your comments and input by sending an email to the newsletter editor, willie.duplessis@nwu.ac.za