NWU among the best in engineering studies
The North-West University (NWU) is one of the top institutions in South Africa in engineering studies. This is according to the latest rankings by subject by Times Higher Education (THE) that list the NWU in the third position (the same as last year) among nine local higher-education institutions in the field of engineering. THE placed the NWU in the 401 to 500 category globally ― the same category as in last year’s ranking. The NWU was measured against 1 188 universities worldwide.
The rankings were announced on 6 October and highlight the universities that are leading across the engineering disciplines, which include general engineering, electrical and electronic engineering, mechanical and aerospace engineering, civil engineering, and chemical engineering.
Optentia is top of the POPS
Positive organisational psychology (POP) is a fast-growing field, and the North-West University’s (NWU’s) Optentia research focus area is among the top 10 in the world for publications and citations in this field.
Tree Plantations are Harming Ecosystems
Replacing native forests with tree plantations is harming the soil at a microbial level by having an impact on soil fertility and the health of the planet.
This is one of the conclusions of North-West University (NWU) academic Prof Olubukola Oluranti Babalola – who along with Dr Adenike Eunice Amoo – recently conducted ground-breaking research to investigate the impact of land-use change on soil bacterial communities and characteristics.
“Soil microbial communities are an important part of ecosystems and possess the capability to improve ecosystem services. However, several aspects of the ecology of forest soil bacterial communities are still unknown,” says Prof Babalola."