AI model sheds light on language evolution
AI model of Early Child Development explains how language evolves.
New scenarios needed to address climate crisis
Scientists call for a rethink of climate change scenarios that puts justice, diverse knowledge, and systemic change at the heart of modelling.
Professor Benjamin Rosman leads South Africa’s AI policy panel
The Director of Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ University’s MIND Institute to head a panel of independent experts in AI research, law and governance.
AIrSynQ’s AI-Powered air quality product development gets funding boost
R11.7 million funding support from the Technology Innovation Agency will enable further development and implementation of the AI4Mines/AIrSynQ solution.
SACAQM opens AI_r Sensor Hosting Programme
The move is to encourage participants and broaden data access to improve air quality monitoring capacity.
Scientists discover surprising new way to control light
A hidden property of light allows it to twist, spin and behave differently - without mirrors, materials or special lenses.
A man of exceptional integrity
The former Auditor-General, Terence Nombembe, appointed as the new Chairperson of the Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ Council.
Ancient survivor reveals its secret
First-ever egg of a mammal ancestor discovered.
‘Seeing’ the air that you breathe
A new AI-driven air quality monitoring system gives people the power to understand the risks to their health posed by air pollution.
Don't stress!
Striped mice survive harsh drought by slowing down and not getting stressed.
No nature, no future
For humans to thrive, nature must thrive. For much too long, we have disregarded this fact. Now, it’s time to set that right.
Putting a price on care work
Revaluing care for the way it connects people, nature and climate change can help society better withstand crises.
Put a plug in it
Solutions that consider social realities and smart collaboration provide the City of Johannesburg with its best chance to resolve the ongoing water crisis.
From resources to resilience
South Africa is rich in natural resources from minerals to sun and wind. What must change for our natural wealth to become thriving wealth?
GCI and UK Met Office host AI climate hackathon to strengthen modelling expertise
The AI4Climate project will boost AI and machine learning climate science tools and techniques.
The Karoo fossil finder
The Karoo Origins Fossil Centre in Graaff-Reinet showcases ancient life, highlighting Professor Bruce Rubidge’s passionate journey.
Universities, institutional autonomy and the global knowledge commons
With global uncertainty, universities remain one of our greatest intellectual assets. It must draw on the best global minds but keep an eye on social redress.
The cosmologist-potter using AI to fight superbugs
Distinguished Professor Bruce Bassett’s cosmic journey to Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ to join the “leading AI research group in the country”.
R20-million in prizes up for grabs
Innovators invited to build the future of transport in South Africa’s busiest province.
Killer beetles in the baobabs: Researcher warns of risk to African trees
Strange 275 million-year-old plant-eater with twisted jaws found in Brazil
Even for its time, Tanyka was a “living fossil” from a lineage that scientists thought had already gone extinct.
The most complete Australopithecus skeleton to date
Meet the reconstructed skull of “Little Foot” which provides valuable insights into how our ancestors adapted to their environment.
Legendary science communicator, Professor Arthur Bleksley, honoured in memorial lecture
Known for his radio shows, such as Test the Team, Bleksley played a huge role in opening up science to the public.
CURIOS.TY 20: #Thrive
What it takes to #Thrive ... The issue explores what it truly means to flourish – across a lifespan, within communities, and on and with our planet.
Little Foot gets a virtual facelift
Digital reconstruction of iconic fossil reveals unexpected similarities with Ethiopian specimens, contributing to debates on early hominin relationships.
Science Innovation Day shows commercially viable novel ideas
From ground-breaking research to connecting researchers, exciting ideas are coming out of the Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ University Faculty of Science.
From speculation to science
Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ research centre turns Africa’s mineral wealth into measurable opportunity.
Africa’s critical minerals are a huge economic opportunity
The G20’s new critical minerals framework wants to move Africa beyond raw exports so that mineral wealth creates jobs and growth on the continent.
Shaping the future of finance
Captains of industry convene to hear fintech ‘big bets’ from Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ researchers and to ‘open lines of enquiry for intellectual partnerships'.
Building AI, the African way
AMLD Africa 2026 urges Africa-led artificial intelligence and machine learning education, research and innovation.
Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ launches AMPLIFY to support first-year maths students
AMPLIFY will centralise the delivery of large gateway maths courses that are vital for degrees in Science, Engineering, and Commerce.
Welcome back, Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ies!
Professor Zeblon Vilakazi, Vice-Chancellor and Principal of Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ University, welcomes staff and students to a new academic year.
Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ies awarded prestigious Google PhD Fellowships
Jess Rees and Tristan Bester, have been awarded the highly competitive Google PhD Fellowship for 2025.
A Namib desert beetle runs to stay cool
How scientists solved the puzzle of this unique and speedy species.
Hotter weather thickens the blood of wild mammals
In a world first we traced this in African striped mice using 12 years’ worth of blood samples.
Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ ranked first for innovation performance
Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ University has been recognised as the top-ranked university in Sub-Saharan Africa for innovation performance in the 2025 Global Innovation Index (GII).
Two Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ies are heading to Oxford on a Rhodes Scholarship in 2026
Coral Pillay and Kabelo Mbuyisa-Seonyane have been named recipients of the world’s pre-eminent graduate fellowship, aimed at exceptional young people.
Vice-Chancellor's Update
Season's greetings from Professor Zeblon Vilakazi, Vice-Chancellor and Principal of Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ University.
Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Research and Innovation Update
Key research and innovation achievements from the past quarter, showcasing Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½’ leadership and real-world impact.
Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ mourns the passing of Professor Deepak Kar
Professor Kar passed away at 47 after a highly successful career as a physicist.
Science Faculty pioneers an Innovation Day
Regardless of their area of focus, all Faculties at Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ University can benefit from understanding and promoting innovation across their Departments.
Sub-Saharan Africa has lost nearly a quarter of its biodiversity
Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ researchers contribute to groundbreaking study showing the region has already lost 24% of it biodiversity since pre-industrial times.
Shaping quantum light unlocks new possibilities for future technologies
Controlling the structure of photons in space and time enables tailored quantum states for next-generation communication, sensing and imaging.
Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ and Sappi renew climate change Chair
Mary Scholes leads Chair that focuses on forestry research to boost forest resilience to the impacts of climate change.
Angela Dudley to head new Photonics Chair
Donation from ASP Isotopes is expected to strengthen South Africa’s photonics research by supporting the pioneering work of the Structured Light Laboratory.
Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ launches postgraduate degrees in cybersecurity
The Bachelor of Science Honours (BScHons) and the Master of Science (MSc) in Cybersecurity will be offered from 2026.
Andrew Forbes named Editor-in-Chief of top global photonics journal
Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ Professor becomes the first person based in Africa to lead any journal published by AIP Publishing.
The silent engine of SA’s future is hiding in plain sight
Advanced mathematical sciences, from pure and applied mathematics to statistics, data science and operations, research, quietly underpin and power every modern.
How bats and moths keep Africa’s giant trees alive
New research shows that baobab tree flowers have adapted to meet the needs of either bats or moths, and without these creatures, the trees will not survive.
Accolades galore for Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ scientists and scholars
Prestigious research societies and eminent associations bestow medals, awards and prizes for excellence.
Climate tipping points are close
Dangerous climate tipping points will threaten food, water and coastlines. They’re irreversible and only radically accelerated climate action can stop them now.
New video series explores what innovation really means in a university
Produced by the Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ Innovation Centre, the series explores what innovation looks like beyond the boundaries and expectations imposed on this important concept.
Response to students on GBH matters
Students are encouraged to report all matters related to Gender-Based Harm to the Gender Equity Office.
Building communities of belonging in academia
New Head of Postgraduate Studies and Researcher Development aims to cultivate connections and shared growth to ward off postgrad isolation.
Curiosity and passion drives visionary ‘knowledge worker’
‘Research leadership cannot be reduced to a technical enterprise. It must be innovative,’ says new Research Director.
Rock art pigments — a crucial milestone in human culture
Cross-disciplinary research unearths how society began depicting images on walls, revealing the cultural dynamics of hunter-gatherers.
Where did the first people come from?
The case that a coastal migration from southern Africa was more likely to succeed than an overland journey.
Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ Libraries launches the Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ Open Data Vault
This platform advances open, ethical and sustainable research through transparent data sharing.
Celebrating a lifetime of service
Professor Ruksana Osman, the Senior Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Academic honoured for her contribution to education for over 40 years.
New experts in innovation support and development at WIC
Tebogo Machethe and Thandeka Mhlanga recently joined the Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ Innovation Centre.
AIrSynQ – a breath of fresh air at the beach
Guests at Blaauwberg Beach Hotel in Cape Town experience how Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ research powers a new AI air quality system.
Planting a seed for the future
A chemical engineer intends to revolutionise the nature of agriculture.
Nqweba meteorite captures imagination of South Africans
Community work helped piece together the origins and story of this fascinating piece of science.
How cashew nut shells could help Africa make vaccines
Waste to wonder: Chemists and scientists are engineering a next-generation vaccine from a surprising and humble source.
New ethics application system empowers research through software
Infonetica system will streamline applications for research ethics clearance.
Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ takes water to informal settlements
Johannesburg Water partners with Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ to provide sustainable groundwater supply for informal settlements.
The African Data Drive
New interactive tool to bridge Africa's critical data gap for sustainable development.
New cross-continental AI partnership
Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½, UCT, partner with the CISPA Helmholtz-Center for Information Security to drive research into cybersecurity and trustworthy AI.
‘New reality’ as world reaches first climate tipping point
Widespread mortality of warm-water coral reefs underway, as world reaches first tipping point.
Top cultural award for Blombos Museum
Blombos Museum of Archaeology named best innovative project in the Field of Museums, Heritage and Geographical Names.
Disruption as a catalyst for reinvention
[Editorial] For a leading African university like Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½, disruption has become not just an inevitability, but a force for reinvention.
The untold history of palaeontology
A new book, The untold History and Prehistory of African Indigenous Palaeontology, will be launched at 11am on Tue, 14 October 2025 at the Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ Origins Centre.
Curios.ty 19: #Disruption
The crises, tech, research and people shaping up our world (Spoiler: Quantum is here).
Agitating for understanding
Arts and science interrogate water, energy, and food precarity at conference-exhibition.
Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ strengthens ties with the Norwegian government
In a visit by the Norwegian Minister of Research and Higher Education, Sigrun Aasland, Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ researchers presented some of their joint projects.
Afretec Network awards $2.3M in multi-institutional research grants
The Carnegie Mellon University Africa-led network has awarded almost $7.43M in research funding since it was established in 2022.
Rare tech donation boosts hands-on learning and research at Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½
High-performance computing gear gives students a real-world training edge.
How the Taung Child shook up the scientific world
Almost 100 years before calls to decolonise science, Taung was challenging researchers to reassess their internal biases.
Celestial Bodies
Not ballet as you know it, but a cosmic story told through movement, visuals and live piano.
This scholarship is gold
Students praise AngloGold Ashanti Scholarship for giving them so much more than just money.
AGITATION, the WEF Nexus and Climate Change in South Africa
Conference and exhibition at Origins Centre will interrogate how water, energy, and food insecurities intersect.
Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ launches research centre to solve South Africa’s water challenges
Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½:H2O is a research grouping that brings together government, business, academia, and civil society to bring real-world solutions to water challenges.
An exploding star, climate change and evolution — what's the link?
Global cooling associated with the impact of supernova remnants may have affected plants and animals, including species related to humans.
Apply now for the exciting AI & African Music pilot project
The project aims to support ground-breaking music ideas that harness AI and champion African creativity, and build new futures for AI in music.
Nuclear energy will propel economic growth
Young people have been encouraged to embrace nuclear energy and to prepare for the multi-disciplinary opportunities ahead.
Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ scientists scoop prestigious French prize for AI-powered innovation
The award from the Pierre Fabre Foundation recognises a South African innovation that adapts particle physics technology for real-time air quality monitoring.
Learning stats through stories
Statistics professor Johan Ferreira was feeling overwhelmed by the amount of “screen time” involved in online learning in 2021. What to do?
Africa’s most feared snake can help to sniff out pollution
New research has shown that heavy metals such as lead, arsenic, cadmium and mercury accumulate in the scales of Black Mambas.
New guidance puts communities at the heart of research
Study provides a framework on how researchers can make research more equitable, especially in the Global South.
Karoo Origins fossil centre opens in Graaff-Reinet
New public facility showcases internationally significant Rubidge Fossil Collection.
Awards for building capacity in quantum and engineering research
Professor Andrew Forbes and Professor Anne Fitchett have won prestigious NSFT-South32 awards
Rhisotope Project goes live
Scientific innovation offers new weapon against rhino poaching, by making rhino horns detectable and traceable.
'Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ies lead, inspire and are a beacon of hope in society' — VC
"As we cross the halfway mark of 2025, it gives me pleasure to reflect on the collective achievements of our academics, staff, students and alumni."
Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ celebrates research excellence
Research Office acknowledges exceptional researchers at annual event.
Climate change significantly worsened deadly 2022 Durban floods
New study formally and scientifically attributes the extreme nature of the floods to climate change.
Africa’s minerals are being bartered for security
This is a bad idea. African nations need to negotiate contracts that ensure they hold on to the power their resources bring.
MIND Director named coveted CIFAR Fellow
Professor Benjamin Rosman has been appointed a Fellow of the prestigious CIFAR Learning in Machines & Brains programme.
Fun with fossils: SA kids learn more with museum visit
The country still has low acceptance rate of human evolution. Learners understood human origins better after interactive workshops at a museum.
Andrew Forbes awarded prestigious Harry Oppenheimer Fellowship Award
Forbes shares the honours with UCT's Professor Anthony Figaji as recipients of a dual award for 2025.
The Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ Anglo American Digital Dome recognised for its academic and cultural heritage
The Johannesburg Heritage Foundation and the City of Johannesburg unveiled a historic Blue Plaque at the old Johannesburg Planetarium.
Ochre was a crucial tool in early human innovation
New research challenge the long-standing assumption that ochre was used solely for symbolic or decorative purposes.
When is it acceptable to use AI in academic publishing?
This field is evolving rapidly and the education sector, for one, is abuzz with discussion on AI use for writing.
Reptile colonies lived communally 250 million years ago
A new fossil discovery suggests that reptiles lived together 20 million years earlier than previously thought.
New global index proposed to manage natural resources more sustainably
The Nature Relationship Index offers a new way of of measuring how countries use and protect natural resources.
New research maps optimal locations for climate-fighting reforestation
The study identifies 195 million hectares globally where tree restoration will deliver maximum climate benefits without harming communities or ecosystems.
Justice for Olorato Mongale
Members of the Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ community are invited to a candlelight ceremony to remember Olorato Mongale, who passed away under tragic circumstances on 25 May 2025.
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New framework demystifies POPIA for researchers
The Academy of Science of South Africa’s framework guides researchers on how to interpret and implement POPIA for research.
The incredible web of connection
From stinkbug pizzas to slithering snakes, the annual Yebo Gogga exhibition was a hit.
Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ named recipient of prestigious grant for AI climate research
The Bezos Earth Fund’s AI Grand Challenge for Climate and Nature has awarded the grant to the Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ Climate Risk Modelling project.
Puff adders play an important role in conservation and as a rodent control solution
One of Africa's most widespread snakes could be agricultural hero in disguise.
Light is the science of the future
Scientists on the African continent have made notable contributions to photonics research.
Global innovation award for converting cashew waste into key vaccine ingredient
Scientists win prestigious international award for pioneering a biodegradable, Africa-sourced ingredient that could transform the future of vaccine production.
First fossil pangolin tracks discovered in South Africa
No fossilised pangolin tracks had been recorded anywhere in the world until a track was found in South Africa, dated to between 90,000 and 140,000 years ago.
Understanding intellectual property can supercharge innovation
Producing knowledge is a daily pursuit at universities — knowing how best to protect and draw value from it is crucial.
Hidden Giants returns to Joburg Theatre with a spectacular new experience
A unique event that blends cutting-edge science, breathtaking visuals, and live music to explore one of the greatest mysteries of our universe: black holes
World renowned Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ Sterkfontein Caves reopen
Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ University announces the reopening of one of humanity’s most important palaeontological sites to the public.
Breaking Barriers: Meet the Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ies hacking their futures
The Hack Your Future podcast celebrates the trailblazing Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ alumni and researchers who are transforming industries and challenging the status quo.
Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ researchers find a way to shield quantum information from “noise”
Breakthrough could lead to more stable quantum computers and networks, making future technology faster, more secure, and widely accessible.
Taung child: The controversial fossil that shaped human origins
Historian Christa Kuljian and paleoanthropologist Dipuo Kgotleng talk to The Conversation Weekly podcast about the complicated legacy of the Taung child skull.
New fossil discovery of an early human ancestor reveals that it walked upright, just like humans
Remarkable new fossils from Swartkrans Cave reveal that a prehistoric relative of humans was also extremely small and vulnerable to predators.
When did our ancestors start eating meat? Fossil teeth offer clues
Not knowing exactly when regular meat consumption became part of our ancestors’ diets is a gap in our understanding of human evolution.
How academics can share and play with Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½’ new ‘toys’
Recent major research equipment acquisitions demonstrate the need and potential for proactive pursuit in the competitive research resources environment.
A swift, secure, stimulating experience awaits postgraduate students
A packed Great Hall was abuzz with excitement as the 2025 cohort of postgraduate students convened for their Orientation and Welcome on 5 February.
SACAQM and AfricaWeather Partner to Advance Air Quality Monitoring
Partnership will bring advanced monitoring, hardware, IoT communications, and artificial intelligence to AfricaWeather’s environmental intelligence platform.
Student debt cleared for 800 Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ students
Christmas came early for almost 800 talented Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ students who had their student debt cleared this week, amounting to R63 million collectively.
Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ enables free Wi-Fi at public libraries in Jozi
Students and staff from all South African public universities can now access free wi-fi at 36 libraries owned by the City of Johannesburg.
Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ Anglo American Digital Dome opens to the public
The wait is over! Be among the first to experience this groundbreaking attraction!
Curios.ty 18: #Work
Work isn't static. It changes as we change. In this issue, we turn to our researchers as we grapple with the evolving nature of work and an unknown future.
Let’s talk about #Work
[Editorial] AI, Africa, equity, skills, burnout, toxic workplaces, semigration, sex work, and retirement, all in this issue of Curios.ty.
The chalk-dust revolution
What impact does the changing world of work have on how higher education is delivered to students?
Why do falcons have stripes under their eyes?
Some have dark stripes under their eyes, thought to reduce sun glare. But in other falcon species these markings are unrelated to sunlight.
Three million years ago, our ancestors were vegetarian
Nitrogen isotopes in tooth enamel show no evidence of meat consumption in Australopithecus.
Africa’s PhDs: study shows how to develop strong graduates who want to make a difference
The challenge for universities is to produce graduates who can work with others to produce knowledge and research that can change societies for the better.
How to stay safe in cyberspace: 5 essential reads
Whether we’re socialising, shopping, banking, studying or working, billions of people around the world spend hours each day online.
Carbon revenues fuel misguided policies in African conservation
Researchers working in Africa warn against consultants promoting a single veld-burning strategy for carbon credits, urging caution for stakeholders.
Rock art acoustics: Study shows distant echo attracted artists
The Kurukop echo amplifies a mythological story from the Nama Karoo region: Echo is daughter of Mountain and Wind.
What we did in 2024
Our research impacted humans, animals and machines, while our students’ side hustles drove innovation, and our scholars deepened our knowledge.
Looking back at 2024 with the Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ Innovation Centre
It was a year of establishment and growth for the Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ Innovation Centre (WIC) as it broke new ground to coordinate and encourage innovation across Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½.
Five essential reads: How fossil tracks reveal SA's ancient coastlines
Tracks and traces from long ago are preserved in cemented dune surfaces.
What bone scans reveal about a tiny croc from SA
Journeying back to the Jurassic Era, scientists used cutting-edge tech to uncover the secrets about Orthosuchus stormbergi, a small, early crocodile ancestor.
Boost for air quality monitoring in Gauteng
South African Atmospheric Quality Monitoring (SACAQM) and Evotel join forces to monitor the province’s air quality.
Honorary Doctorate for Dr Rob Adam from Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½
Dr Rob Martin Adam was honoured for his exceptional contribution to advancing science, technology and innovation.
Vice-Chancellor's Update
Season's greetings from Professor Zeblon Vilakazi, Vice-Chancellor and Principal of Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ University.
-with-Professors-Lynn-Morris-and-Mucha-Musemwa-600x300px.jpg "Publishing from the South: A Century of Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ University Press")
Celebrating a century publishing excellence
Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ Press commemorated 100 years of publishing excellence with the launch of the book 'Publishing from the South: A Century of Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ University Press'.
Celebrating the recipients of the Postgraduate Merit Scholarships
The Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ Postgraduate Merit Scholarship (PMS) was launched in 2023 with funding from a generous alumnus of Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½.
Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ joins Upanzi Network - an African research labs collab
Carnegie Mellon University Africa announced today that it will expand its digital public infrastructure initiative across the continent.
Illegal mining clampdown in South Africa
Treating desperate people like criminals is an injustice, and a dangerous narrative, dehumanising people forced into informal mining to escape poverty.
Three Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ scientists named amongst the world’s most highly cited
Professors Andrew Forbes, Shabir Madhi, and Derick Raal are three of just 10 South Africans on the annual list of Highly Cited Researchers™.
Unlocking intelligence: The Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ MIND Institute to transform AI research in Africa
The Machine Intelligence and Neural Discovery (MIND) Institute advances AI research, exploring machine, human, and animal intelligence.
Award for climate change biologist
Nearly 1 million species face extinction. The award to Dr Shannon Conradie by the Jennifer Ward Oppenheimer Research Grant boosts interventions.
Royal Society of SA awards Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ies medals, fellowships
Professor Sally Archibald receives the 2025 John F.W. Herschel Medal and Doctors Mitchell Cox and Simone Richardson are 2025 Meiring Naudé medallists.
New Digital Dome launches in Joburg
After major refurbishments, the old Johannesburg Planetarium has been transformed into the state-of-the-art Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ Anglo American Digital Dome.
Seeing stars in a whole new light
After 64 years, the Johannesburg Planetarium has been upgraded featuring new cutting-edge digital projectors that will enhance its role in science education.
Recognition from respected research entities
National research associations have awarded accolades to Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ies across a range of scholarly disciplines as well as in research management and ethics.
A trek across the desert, in search of our origins
Two researchers transect the inhospitable Namib desert, in search of evidence of ancient human existence in this harsh landscape.
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Cholera: What is it and how can you avoid getting sick?
Water expert shares guidelines on how to purify water at home in areas where there is uncertainty over water quality or poor sanitation.
Create a caring, nurturing culture at work
Today is World Mental Health Day with an urgent call to action for employers: 'It is time to prioritise Mental Health in the workplace'.
Ancient San rock art reveals earliest known depiction of extinct Dicynodont
Rock painting suggests San people were engaging in palaeontology long before Western scientists.
Until…until…until…#UntilUnlocked
Fak’ugesi Festival unleashes the potential that lies within communities when technology, art, and culture intersect in Africa.
Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ and Tshimologong ready for Fak'ugesi #UntilUnlocked
This year Fak’ugesi #UntilUnlocked celebrates the exciting expansion of African digital creativity.
Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ chemists win prestigious chemistry awards
Two Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ chemists have been rewarded for their research by the South African Chemical Institute (SACI).
Fak’ugesi Festival 2024 countdown
Africa’s biggest creative digital innovation festival is from 3 – 5 October 2024 at Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½’ Tshimologong Digital Innovation Precinct.
Four ways Africa is already seeing the effects of climate change
We’re already seeing the impacts of weather extremes on key parts of our lives, from the food we eat to the roads we use and our health.
_600x300px.jpg "Painting (left), dicynodont fossil skull with tusk (right), clearer outline of head of painted animal (centre) Dr Julien Benoit, Author provided (no reuse)")
Fossils may have inspired mysterious SA cave painting
The first inhabitants of southern Africa knew about locally abundant dicynodont fossils and made rock art about them.
Talented Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ students to benefit from land development
Proceeds from the initial R200 million sale of the Frankenwald Estate to be put into an endowment to benefit future generations.
Water data hub for Gauteng
The water dashboard will help residents to keep track of shortages and repair issues and help to understand just how bad things are.
SA meteorite - what it is and where it came from
Meteorites contain a wealth of information about the origins of our solar system, helping us to understand their, and even Earth’s, origin and evolution.
Réunion could attract more tourists - study
Réunion is a tropical island getaway – our climate study shows that it could attract more tourists during European summers.
‘Eco’-student entrepreneurs triumph at ‘Innovathon’
Dynamic student teams wowed judges, presenting innovative solutions to pressing social and environmental issues.
Baobabs: Africa’s unique trees defy climate challenges
Baobabs have been a food, fibre and medicine source in Africa for centuries. They continue to flourish.
AI in Africa: It’s a matter of MIND
As the world races ahead with AI advancements, concerns are mounting that Africa could be left behind. Enter the Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ MIND Institute.
“Space junk” that fell in Eastern Cape was a car-size meteorite
Meteorites are rare and hold deep scientific value as they give us a glimpse of the make-up and birth of our solar system.
.jpg "The Universe on Stage presents Hidden Giants with Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ alumni physicist Dr Luca Pontiggia and musician Yasheen Modi 600x300")
A physicist and a musician explore the wonders of the Universe live on stage
Alumni Luca Pontiggia & Yasheen Modi present HIDDEN GIANTS, a talk about black holes, the unseeable giants in our Universe, accompanied by live original music.
Anomalies in Particle Physics are key to new discoveries
Deviations in the way that particles interact point to the existence of new bosons.
Affordable new AI device to monitor air pollution hotspots in real-time
A team of particle physicists have rolled out the first inexpensive South African air quality monitoring system using AI to predict areas of high pollution.
A celebration of researchers achieving research excellence
Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ recognises more than a hundred scholars for exceptional research accomplishments in 2024.
Bacteria and plants could help clean up toxic waste from gold mines
Acid mine drainage, toxic water spilling from mines, ruins the environment and affects people’s health. Plants and bacteria could help clean it up.
African archaeology has neglected Namibia’s deserts
Scientists now know when an ancient lake supported human life in the Namib Sand Sea.
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The vanishing lake
Fossil algae show a lake once existed on Lesotho’s Mafadi summit but it vanished about 150 years ago.
Wildfires in South Africa are set to increase
How legal action can help the country adapt better to climate change and it's deadly impact.
How old are South African fossils like the Taung Child?
Using a method applied directly to ancient hominin teeth, researchers have calculated the age of several important fossils.
Transformation: Carnegie Diversifying the Academy welcomes 2024 recipients
Eight PhD students and postdocs were inducted into the programme run by the Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ Transformation and Employment Equity Office (TEEO).
Postgrads learn how to become ‘academic entrepreneurs’
To grow their entrepreneurial spirit and skills, 70 postgraduate students attended the Pan-African Entrepreneurship Week during the winter break.
Research rock stars dazzle at 'Science Oscars'
Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ researchers won in six out of 15 categories at the prestigious NSTF-South 32 Research Awards.
Not your average mathematician
Inspirational leader, Professor Loyiso Nongxa honoured for his exemplary contribution and commitment to the mathematical sciences.
‘It’s all about the youth’
Dr Solomon Assefa, the former Vice President at IBM Research, delivered the inaugural Professor Barry Dwolatzky Memorial Lecture.
Afretec awards almost $1.7 million
One of the grant recipient projects from Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ University will investigate the role of micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Dr Moumita Aich to be head of WAADD
Dr Moumita Aich is set to assume the new role of Head of the Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ Anglo American Digital Dome (WAADD) as of 01 July 2024.
Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ PhD student wins prestigious John Kiel Scholarship
Pedro Ornelas is one of 72 students globally who won an award from the International Society for Optics and Photonics.
New cutting-edge digitisation equipment for Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ Digitisation Centre
This addition marks a significant step forward in the ongoing efforts to preserve the University's vast archives and collections.
Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ appoints new CEO for Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½Plus
Natalie Zimmelman is a business leader dedicated to the development of skills, leadership, and professionalism.
New Student Entrepreneurship Hub launched
The E-Hub marks the beginning of a new era in fostering student-led innovation and entrepreneurship.
Q&A: The South African Constitution
Constitutional expert, Professor Cathi Albertyn, answers your questions on the South African Constitution, the bedrock of South Africa’s democracy.
AI and democracy: For better and for worse
Today’s news and current affairs landscape, which underpins our democracy, requires both ethical content producers and discerning consumers.
A drought of political will
South Africans are still fighting for the right to basic water supply as enshrined in the Bill of Rights.
Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ hosts Southern African synchrotron workshop
South African researchers have fully funded access to the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility, through the NRF.
Curios.ty 17: #Democracy
This issue is very timely as South Africa celebrates 30 years of democracy, and heads to the polls again on 29 May 2024.
Democratising knowledge through open access
More than half of SA’s academic publications appear in Open Access sources, with Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ University embracing this trend.
Who is accountable for environmental rights?
The lack of enforcement of environmental laws allow powerful entities to act without consequence. Where does the buck stop?
What environmental equality in Africa really looks like
As countries move to adopt green technologies to fight climate change, the Global South is left at a disadvantage in this new revolution.
Conflicts of (natural) interest
The creation of conservation areas has become a tug-of-war between the needs of local communities and preserving critical natural resources.
New Fossil Bovids from Kromdraai
New Fossil Bovids from Kromdraai shed light on South Africa's ancient ecosystems.
 On the left side (Nelson Nhamutole-PhD student).jpg "On the left side (Nelson Nhamutole-PhD student), and his main supervisor Prof. Marion Bamford (on the right side) discussing some important aspects regarding the outcrop sampling in the Michunwa outcrop. On the middle (Imede Macungo), a local guide from Tulo locality packing some collected samples.")
From Fossils to Fuel: Mozambique's Maniamba Basin’s Energy Potential
Mozambique's Maniamba Basin’s Energy Potential.
Global collaboration adds up for mathematician
Number theory specialist Professor Florian Luca is now a CNRS Fellow-Ambassador.
.png "An Egyptian slit-faced bat, Nycteris thebaica. Mariëtte Pretorius, Author provided (no reuse). 600x300png")
Africa is full of bats, but their fossils are scarce – why these rare records matter
The scarcity of bat fossils is more than a palaeontological puzzle: it has implications for bat conservation strategies today.
Leading mining companies invest R40 million in geosciences research at Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½
The Bushveld Geology and Metallogeny Research Chair will advance the mining industry and develop the next generation of geoscientists.
ERC Advanced Grant for Paleoanthropologist Gabriele Macho
European Research Council funds project on early human evolution at Senckenberg.
Africa is no longer the carbon sink of the world
In only nine years between 2010 and 2019, Africa has turned from being a net carbon sink, to being a net carbon source.
.jpg "Artistic reconstruction of Nanoparia luckhoffi (RC 109) by Viktor Radermacher")
New description of a ‘dwarf’ pareiasaur from the Karoo Basin
Tiny Titans of the Permian: New anatomical description of the ‘dwarf’ pareiasaur Nanoparia luckhoffi from the Karoo Basin
Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ welcomes 12 000 future researchers
The University held its annual Postgraduate Orientation Programme from 4 – 6 March in the Great Hall and online.
Light correcting light
Researchers have found a way to send patterned light messages through obstructions, without distorting the message.
Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ie awarded prestigious scholarship
Geoffrey Mwendwa, a PhD candidate in Physics, secures one of the initial spots in the 100 PhDs for Africa Programme (EXAF).
New fossil rove beetle is a first in Africa
In the heart of Botswana, a groundbreaking discovery at the Orapa Diamond Mine has unveiled a fossil that sheds light on the evolutionary history of beetles.
Make sure the water from your tap is safe to drink
With an increasing risk of water-borne diseases such as cholera spreading in cities, it is important to learn how to keep your family safe.
Launch of Irish Tech Challenge SA 2024 ignites innovation
The Tech Challenge seeks to foster partnerships between South African and Irish startups.
Is water in SA cities safe to drink?
Water can make you ill for two reasons: it can contain chemicals or pathogenic organisms.
Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ mourns the loss of Professor Eddie Webster
It is with great sadness that we learnt of the passing of Professor Edward (Eddie) Webster (82), who passed away yesterday after a short illness.
Dung beetles show their love by sharing the load
Before mating, some male and female dung beetles work together to move their brood balls to a location unknown to either.
New copyright bill gives Deaf and blind people a fair deal
The mother tongue for millions of Deaf people in South Africa is SA Sign Language (SASL), which became the 12th official language on 19 July 2023.
Why taps are running dry in South Africa’s biggest city
Citizens in Johannesburg, SA's industrial heartland, use too much water, the city wastes way too much and there is too much theft of drinking water.
There’s hope for the future
Dr Jane Goodall is positive that we will overcome challenges such as climate change and biodiversity devastation.
Earth’s evolution: fresh insights from rocks formed 3.5 billion years ago
Studying cratons, pieces of ancient continents formed billions of years ago, offers a window into the processes within and on the surface of Earth.
Committed to enabling access to education
The University received several queries pertaining to fees, funding, financial aid, and accommodation. Here are the many ways Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ assists students.
How academics can counter ‘AI thinks, therefore I am’
2023 will be remembered as the year that artificial intelligence (AI) – or, more specifically, large language models (LLMs), like ChatGPT – changed the world.
Microplastics found in Nile River’s tilapia fish
The Nile, one of the world’s most famous rivers, is not immune to the same pollutants that affects rivers all over the world.
How do animals survive natural hazards like cyclones?
The flooding caused by Cyclone Idai in Mozambique was devastating to animals – we studied how body size affected their survival.
3D scanning: We recreated a sacred South African site
One criticism of current 3D models of archaeological sites is that they are presented devoid of human traces and history. We captured the spirit with our model.
Meet the 2024 Friedel Sellschop Fellows
Doctors Saeideh Babaee, Ashley Coates, Isaac Nape, and Matt Noakes are the 2024 Friedel Sellschop Fellows.
UK Fellowships for Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ humanities researchers
The African Fellowships programme advances South-North research collaboration to find solutions to global challenges.
Origins of Early Southern Sapiens Behaviour exhibition opens in the Western Cape
The exhibition showcases the archaeological heritage and rich marine environment of the Southern Cape coastline.
Mission impossible? Not for these postdocs
8 Postdoc Fellows join Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ to boost research on the intersecting themes of climate change, just transition, sustainability, and inequality.
Getting into that natural study rhythm
Q&A: Academic stress and pressure can lead students to use unhealthy choices such as medication cocktails, energy drinks and supplements.
Phishing scams: Don't drop your guard
Cybercriminals don’t take breaks. Even seasoned internet users fall prey to these scams. Here are seven safety tips from a cybersecurity expert.
Researchers demonstrate that quantum entanglement and topology are inextricably linked
This experimental milestone allows for the preservation of quantum information even when entanglement is fragile.
_600x300px.jpg "Elliot and Clarens Formations in South Africa’s Eastern Cape - the same dinosaur-rich rock formation as in Bolahla. Julien Benoit, Author provided (no reuse)")
Africans discovered fossils first
A new study shows Africans discovered dinosaur fossils long before the term ‘palaeontology’ existed.
Curios.ty 16 (#Drugs): Between hope and hell
In this issue, we highlight the diversity, scope, and multi-dimensional nature of drug-related research at Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ University.
New Optica Emerging Leader in Optics Chair
SA visionary and quantum expert, Dr Isaac Nape, has been appointed as the inaugural Chair that seeks to advance quantum research.
'Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ remains a beacon of hope in society'
Professor Zeblon Vilakazi, Vice-Chancellor and Principal, extends thanks to Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ies for their service and sends wishes of goodwill for the holidays.
Research ethics and integrity as a force for good
While polarisation has emerged as a defining characteristic of our age, ‘good’ ethics can navigate differences to tackle shared challenges.
'Teleporting' images across a network securely using only light
Researchers show for the first time, how we can transport images across a network without physically sending the image.
Graduands are a beacon of hope in society
Professsor Keith Klugman honoured for his work in preventing infectious diseases and a Gold Medal is awarded to a champion in heritage preservation.
Thank you for your service
Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ bids farewell to 87 retirees who have served the University well for decades.
The Postgraduate Symposium, a festival of ideas
Masters students and PhD fellows showcase quality research at the annual Cross-Faculty Postgraduate Symposium.
Upgraded Micro-CT Scanner to advance research
Advanced 3D imaging technology allows for fossil-bearing rocks to be examined non-invasively and saves time and resources.
Top 10 Climate Science Insights Unveiled
Global experts in social and natural sciences unveiled the annual 10 New Insights in Climate Science Report.
Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ researchers pioneer a new way of searching for Dark Matter
Researchers explore whether Dark Matter particles actually are produced inside a jet of standard model particles.
Partnership unlocks cloud computing opportunities
BCX, Alibaba Cloud and Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ University have partnered to empower students to foster skills for the digital economy in Africa.
Medals and fellowships from Royal Society of South Africa
Medals for established and emerging researchers, eminent scholars inducted as Fellows.
One gold medal and Academy membership for 15
Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf) awards Gold Medal to world-renowned HIV expert and inaugurates 15 Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ scholars as new members.
Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ secures Digital Transformation research grants
Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ University scholars have secured funding as a network partner of the African Engineering and Technology Network (Afretec).
Science is the unifying force to bring Africa together
Breaking barriers to intracontinental mobility is paramount and the continent must engage in closer collaboration, placing science at the forefront.
Do you like snakes, lizards and frogs? Then herpetology is for you
Learning about snakes offers unique insights into the natural world. As predators and prey, snakes are an emblem of the circle of life.
A star performer that brings chemistry in Chemistry
Service Excellence Award winner has earned several prizes including the ‘coach Rassie Erasmus’ certificate.
2023 Afretec Conference celebrates collaboration
Higher education leaders from across the continent recently convened for the second Pan-African network's annual conference in Nairobi, Kenya.
Shoes maketh man
The humble “plakkie” made its debut up to 150 000 years ago.
Snake researcher features in ‘Women in Herpetology’
50 stories from around the world celebrate the grit and passion of women in amphibian and reptile science.
Ancient sea level and climate changes led to major extinctions around South Africa
Sea level and climate changes altered the marine ecosystems at the South Pole 390-385 million years ago.
Ancient diamonds shine light on the evolution of Earth
Superdeep diamonds formed between 650 and 450 million years ago show how continents developed and moved.
Happy Birthday, Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ies!
Epic parade and student-inspired music festival painted Braamfontein blue and gold as Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ enters its second century.
PhD graduate leads efforts to create first quantum microscope
Chané Moodley will be heading a research team into finding the best ways of developing and commercialising a quantum microscope.
Science and climate advocacy - a much-needed balancing act
Ecologist Professor Sally Archibald makes a case for scientists 'stepping out of their labs' and engaging in activism and keeping an ethical balance.
New study shows signs of early creation of modern human identities
Early ancestors collected eye-catching shells that radically changed the way we looked at ourselves and others.
Three factors driving SA's destructive storms
A series of powerful tidal surges battered coastal areas in the Western Cape, Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal provinces over the weekend of 16 September 2023.
South Africa’s meteorite heritage grow to over 50
Discovery of two meteorites are the first to be found by a member of the public on South African soil in over 40 years.
Crocks' ancestors grew old sloooowly
A gigantic, ancient crocodylomorph species that was recently discovered grew slower than other large reptiles of its day, such as dinosaurs.
Green thinking is needed to save beaches
Coastlines need to be recognised as dynamic, shifting environments rather than as environments that need to be controlled and managed.
Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ lecturer wins the Silver Jubilee Medal from the South African Institute of Physics
The award is made for outstanding achievements by a young physicist that contributes to the research, education or technology development in physics.
Gigantic extinct reptile weighed as much as a black rhino
Large pareiasaurs are among the earliest huge plant-eating tetrapods to appear in the history of the development of life on Earth.
Surviving heat waves in Africa
Around the world, temperature records are being broken in countries in Africa, Europe, America and Asia.
Canon SA extends partnership with Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ rock art digitisation laboratory
Canon South Africa and the Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ Rock Art Research Institute (RARI) partnered in 2021 to keep the preservation of rock art heritage alive.
‘Science Oscars’ for three Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ies for research excellence
Professors Roger Deane, Nosipho Moloto, and Andrew Thatcher each won in their category at the 2022/23 NSTF-South32 Awards.
Two Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ students bag Optics and Photonics Education Scholarship by SPIE
Leerin Michaela Perumal and Cade Ribeiro Peters, receive a life-changing opportunity for their potential contributions to physics.
Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ GCI co-leads pioneering initiative to fight the impact of tropical cyclones
The new R110 million project aims to improve early warnings and enhance resilience to changing tropical cyclones in southern Africa and Madagascar.
Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ Researchers rewarded for excellence
Researchers from all over Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ have been rewarded for their excellence at a Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ ceremony.
Unicorns - the story behind southern Africa's one-horned creatures
Some explorers believed they had found unicorns depicted on rocks. The truth behind the rock art is far more interesting.
Sign language is set to become official in South Africa
Here is how this will help Deaf people to finally have an opportunity to be properly educated in a language they understand.
The surprising path to life: breaking free from Plate Tectonics
New research reveals that the emergence of life on Earth did not require Plate Tectonics
Researchers demonstrate noise-free communication with structured light
A new approach to optical communication that can be deployed with conventional technology.
India, South Africa and Australia shared similar volcanic activity 3.5 billion years ago
Ancient volcanism dating back to 3.5 billion years ago are common to Archaean cratons of South Africa, India, and Australia.
Remembering SA's “Grand Geek” and programming pioneer
Many speak fondly of how Professor Barry Dwolatzky took them into a derelict disco and enthusiastically explained the tech co-working space he envisioned there.
Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ies claim top spots in the battle for ideas
Two Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ students were ranked top in the Falling Walls Lab competition that also saw Nelson Mandela University feature in the top three.
Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ and Sappi launch new Sappi Chair in Climate Change and Plantation Sustainability
Through the Research Chair Professor Mary Scholes will identify critical research needs and develop research outputs related to climate change.
Curios.ty 15 (#Energy): Igniting innovation
Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½' research magazine focuses on how our researchers are powering up their creativity and expertise to find sustainable energy solutions.
Energising and futureproofing our world
Editorial: Energy cannot be created or destroyed, but for South Africans it feels like we are upending this fundamental law of physics.
The first to fuel the fire
The first fuel that enabled human beings to land on the moon was harnessed right here in Africa.
Rolling blackouts: Light at the end of the tunnel?
SA’s could create a new model for many countries facing power shortages but it could also lead to more muddling in the dark.
Clean, safe, controversial
Nuclear energy has had a bad rap, but in South Africa’s current energy conundrum, its importance in the mix is clear.
Your 8 quirky energy questions answered
From Star Wars to hot curry to Einstein – we’ve got you covered.
Building sustainable cities
Long-term economic and social side-effects need to be considered when thinking about our cities’ energy solutions.
Woodlands and forests con-tree-versial
A tree is not just a tree. It is also fuel, paper, furniture, livelihood, and industry.
The energy it takes to navigate an abled-bodied world
The implementation of universal design and access could improve the lives of people living with disabilities.
A planet called 'Home'
Our home planet Earth is unique, not only in its position in space but in the way it manages energy to create a comfortable spot for us to inhabit.
Can Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ go off the grid?
Cutting greenhouse gas emissions to almost zero is the next big thing on the global agenda, but academics agree it’s not feasible in the medium term on campus.
On ant(eater) patrol
PROFILE: Living to find innovative ways to solve tough challenges, Dr Wendy Panaino digs deep into the lives of pangolins.
Educating science student-teachers about energy
How good is a science curriculum that’s insulated from working scientists or that ignores climate change and sustainable development?
Africa is getting hotter
Continued extreme heat exposure is affecting the health of vulnerable groups in communities.
Sellschop’s neutrinos and an elusive energy
These ghost particles have travelled light years to where we are and are proof that humans are essentially stardust and sunlight.
Bridging the energy gap with AI
Machine learning and artificial intelligence (AI) can help catapult South Africa’s energy distribution into the future.
New fossil of a 252-million-year-old sabre-toothed lion shows it reigned just before mass extinction
Fossil is described in a paper exploring the rapid turnover of top predators in African terrestrial faunas around the Permian-Traissic mass extinction.
Beat the Heat with YeboGogga
The annual Yebo Gogga Yebo amaBlomo exhibition takes place from 17 to 21 May 2023 and entry is free.
Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ mourns the passing of Prof. Barry - SA's 'Grand Geek'
South Africa has lost an innovator, a strategist, a humanitarian, and a much-loved Professor who dedicated over 50 years of his life to Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½.
South Africa’s cold weather has arrived – some tips on how to stay warm and safe
Researchers share advice on how to keep yourself as warm as possible during the winter months.
Chemistry student wins Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ leg of the Famelab
Taskeen Hasrod wins over the audience in explaining how to use AI in water research
Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ breaks ground on R250 million sports complex
The Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ Brian and Dorothy Zylstra Sports Complex is an integrated facility for training, research, and clinical practice.
New Sustainable African Futures doctoral programme
Call for Applications for the WESAF Programme now open.
How South Africa averted a nuclear catastrophe
The world took a long time to challenge apartheid SA’s nuclear programme that aimed to deter liberation throughout southern Africa.
Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ Innovation Centre signals a new era in #InnovationForGood
The WIC will harness the creativity and ingenuity of the University’s rich, diverse community of innovators to solve complex, real-world problems.
Fine advice on failing, luck and limiting expertise
Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ University awarded Dr David Fine an honorary degree at the Faculty of Science graduation ceremony on 17 April 2023.
Graduation season brings joy
Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ to award honorary doctorates to Ambassador Abdul Minty and Dr David Fine, and 5 341 Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ies to graduate in the first celebrations of the year.
Be(IE) innovators of the future
The first Biomedical Innovation and Entrepreneurship Training Course sparks a new era for #Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½Innovation.
The 2022 Durban floods were the most catastrophic yet recorded in KwaZulu-Natal
Research shows flooding events in the province have doubled in the last century.
Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ University celebrates students
Outstanding matriculants, now Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ students receive Vice-Chancellor’s Scholarship Awards, which covers full tuition fees.
Esteemed astronomer joins Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ as a Distinguished Professor
Professor Athol Kemball joins the Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ School of Physics as a Distinguished Professor through the Carnegie Africa Diaspora Programme.
Professor Lee Berger appointed as National Geographic Explorer in Residence
Professor Lee Berger appointed as National Geographic Explorer in Residence, but will remain at Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ as an Honorary Professor.
Update from the Senior Executive Team - 14 March 2023
Management welcomes the proposal to enter a mediation process as soon as possible and has communicated as such with the SRC.
Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ awards 29 Centennial Postdoctoral Fellowships
The University has invested R9-million in postdoctoral fellowships to advance its innovation and internationalisation strategies and its research agenda.
Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½' Response To SRC'S Demands - 10 March 2023
STATEMENT: Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ addresses some of the misinformation being shared by some protestors with students.
VC and management reps meet SRC
The Vice-Chancellor and Principal and members of management met with the current members of the Students’ Representative Council yesterday.
Confirmation That Mr Aphiwe Mnyamana Has Been Suspended
We refer to Mr Aphiwe Mnyamana's tweet posted at 20:31 tonight and confirm that Mr Mnyamana was suspended on 6 March 2023.
Update On Protests 6 March 2023 20:30
We extend our deep appreciation to all staff and students for seamlessly pivoting to blended teaching and learning today.
Facing the climate crisis in a world of inequality: Who should pay? Who will pay?
South Africa holds the dishonourable title of most unequal country in the world, and Africa’s largest carbon emitter.
Update on protests - 5 March 2023 (23:00)
We will continue with teaching and learning in a blended learning mode
Response from the Senior Executive Team on protests
The Senior Executive Team met on Sunday, 05 March 2023 to consider the demands put forward by the SRC.
Update on student protests (2 March 2022 - 18:00)
Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ issues multiple suspension orders to disruptors who transgressed the University’s rules. All university activities will continue as scheduled on Friday.
Update on student protests (2 March 2022 - 14:00)
The University remains open and the academic programme continues as scheduled.
Update on student protests (1 March 2022 - 18:00)
Entry key and exit points are being managed to ensure your safe entry, and officers will be stationed at key lecture theatres to ensure classes continue.
Statement from the Senior Executive Team on protests
The University is committed to ensuring that staff and students are safe. The academic programme will continue as scheduled.
Dr Mitch Cox named 2023 Optica Ambassador
He is one of 10 exceptional early-career members selected from around the world to serve as a 2023 Optical Foundation Ambassador.
Adapting to climate change in urban Nigeria
Poverty drives vulnerability to climate risks in Port Harcourt, Nigeria. Here are 4 factors that affect how residents adapt.
Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ names three scholars as Friedel Sellschop Fellows
The University awarded the prestigious Friedel Sellschop fellowship award to Dr Mitchell Cox, Dr Eloise van der Merwe, and Dr Abhishek Pandey.
Experts call for climate change mindset shift that draws from various knowledge systems
Coleen Vogel, Professor at the Global Change Institute among experts who propose the adoption of practical wisdom in the fight against climate change.
Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ Innovation Centre announces team
Dr Adam Pantanowitz has been appointed as Chair in Innovation and Director of the WIC, and Letlotlo Phohole as Senior Programme Manager.
Researchers find distortion-free forms of structured light
Research offers a new approach to studying complex light in complex systems, such as transporting classical and quantum light through optical fiber.
In it For Good
Energy, joy and commitment at an all-time-high as first-year students join the Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ family.
Use practical wisdom in climate change actions
Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½’ Global Change Institute among global scientists calling for a mindset shift about climate change which draws from various knowledge systems
New Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½-UoE doctoral training centre
Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ University is proud to collaborate with the University of Edinburgh (UoE) to establish a new collaborative doctoral training centre in Africa.
Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ researcher invited into her second exclusive global explorers club
Dr Keneiloe Molopyane joins the EC50 class of 2023, after also being selected as an Emerging Explorer for the National Geographic Society in 2021.
Heat stress is rising in southern Africa
Southern Africans are experiencing heat stress more often than in 1979. Climate experts show where and when it’s the worst.
Africa’s large mammals shaped human evolution
New book shows this amazing evolutionary transformation of humankind could only have happened in Africa.
The ancient San painting featured in SA’s coat of arms
The exhibition titled ǃke e꞉ ǀxarra ǁke [‘People who are different’, ‘come together’], celebrates the rock art of the San people and is on display now at the Or
Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ Students take first and Second place at the National Conference
Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ies dominate at the Centre for High Performance Computing (CHPC) National Conference Student Cluster Competition.
Climate change can be beaten – why some scientists are hopeful
Can our planet recover from climate change? Commissioning Editor, Kofoworola Belo-Osagie, asked scientists to share the reasons they believe there is hope.
Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ takes lead in Global Innovative Seismic testing project for new generation exploration
The testing phase of a SA-Europe partnership project this December marks a significant step forward in developing new generation seismic sensing technology.
Transformative Fellowships for humanities researchers
The African Fellowships programme advances South-North research collaboration to find solutions to global challenges.
Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ Maths Competition sharpens school learners
Learners praise competition for providing a mixture of stimulating challenges that took them out of the comfort zone.
How studying frog eggs enabled understanding of human facial deformities
A Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ alumna and renowned biologist shared how her international career started with unravelling 'ant songs' and scrutinising frog eggs.
Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ celebrates thousands of graduates this week
Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ honours two healthcare professionals who are changing the world for good.
Toxic DDT isn't being monitored in birds of prey
DDT accumulates in wildlife and magnifies up the food chain. Birds of prey occupy the top of these food chains in various ecosystems.
African mountains are feeling the heat of climate change
Mountain systems are sensitive to climate change. Loss of snow and ice sets off effects which have wide ranging consequences.
Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ physicist is joint winner of The World Academy of Sciences award
Professor Andrew Forbes shares the award for physics with Professor Jueinai Kwo of Taiwan.
Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ physicist elected as a Fellow of the African Academy of Sciences
Professor Bruce Mellado joins other prominent Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ scientists in the ranks of the Fellowship.
White butterflies are filling Johannesburg’s skies earlier than usual. Climate change is to blame
The brown-veined white butterfly (Benenois aurota) annual migrate between 80,000 and 155,000 butterflies per hour from SA’s Kalahari region to Mozambique.
New high-tech Digital Dome catapults Johannesburg Planetarium into the future
Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ University and Anglo American to transform the Johannesburg Planetarium into a world-class digital research, training, and science engagement facility.
Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ie wows global science community
Tamlyn Naidu claims a win for South Africa in Berlin for her research on acid mine drainage.
Just transition requires political, economic and behavioural change
Achieving access to minimum resources and services for all, while safeguarding our planet, requires redistribution and societal transformation.
How we treat animals is key to human health, just look at Covid-19
‘Scientivist’ says planetary health must be foremost on all agendas because the ill-treatment of animals and delicate ecosystems plays havoc with human health.
Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ researchers are part of a study on how to end Covid-19 as a public health threat
Study provides recommendations to end the public health threat without exacerbating socio-economic burdens or putting the most vulnerable at greater risk.
How we can sustain all life forms
Repairing Earth as a whole, together, is a precondition for human durability.
Climate change: the effects of extreme heat on health in Africa
Marginalised or minority groups seem to suffer the most from heat-related deaths and disease, and Africa is heating up faster than anywhere else.
Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ to kick-start a national quantum technologies initiative with R54 million funding
The South African Quantum Technologies Initiative (SA QuTI) aims develop a well-established critical mass in the national quantum community.
Do no harm - 5 steps a researcher should take
Researchers have a number of responsibilities when embarking on their work - not least of all to ensure participants are not harmed and are fully heard.
Maropeng brings visitors Face to Face with early Hominins
The new Face To Face exhibit showcases hominins from The Cradle of Humankind that are brought to life by science and art.
Vice-Chancellor’s awards celebrate the best of Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½
The prestigious annual awards recognise staff excellence in categories including research, teaching and learning, and professional and administrative services.
100 years of innovation and inventions
Various innovations after the past century have improved the world for many - but there’s still much more for universities to do.
Curios.ty 14 (#Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½100): A century of doing good
Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½' research magazine celebrates 100 years of changing the world for good.
100 Years of changing the world. For Good
Guest Editorial: Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ remains a beacon of hope in society. We continue to strive for excellence in all that we do and use our knowledge for the good of society.
How higher education can help heal us all
“We live in the most unequal country in the world. We can help bridge the divide and we don’t have any time to waste.” – Dr Judy Dlamini.
Stay curious – there’s a whole new world coming in 2122
Editorial: The stories in Curios.ty 14: #Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½100 showcase the University’s sustained participation, influence and impact in the lab, the classroom, and society.
Academic and science activism saves lives
Meet the Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½’ science superheroes whose research has saved lives.
Mapping African genetic diversity for better health
The contribution of the Sydney Brenner Institute for Molecular Bioscience to the field of human genomics is rewriting history on the African continent.
Death makes us alive
Without death, there would be no life – this might sound like ancient mysticism, but Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ scientists are proving it.
Thirty years of the lab in the bush
Agincourt, one of the longest-running research centres of its kind in sub-Saharan Africa, tracks health and wellbeing over the life course.
The politics of protest
Protests are a hallmark of Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½’ history and have contributed to the University’s legacy of social activism, democracy and constitutionality.
Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ at a time of national crisis: Then and now
South African universities should revisit their multiple publics and explore what a public university in southern Africa today should be.
Telling African stories through art
The Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ Art Museum covers 3 000 m2, housing more than 12 000 artworks, of which 5 551 comprise the Standard Bank African Art Collection.
The evolution of science and research practice
How has science and research practice at Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ has evolved over a century?
The Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ Digital Dome to light up the sky
It’s the end of an era as Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ Planetarium is reimagined as a ‘out of this world’ digital dome.
Facing climate change head-on
Climate change took nearly a century to become mainstream science. Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ is taking the lead in facing up to the challenge.
Digging for the truth of humanity
Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ researchers have over the past century changed, and challenged, the way we think about the evolution of humanity and our ancestors.
Research by the books
Books based on research by Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ authors create a rare recording of history that tracks changes over time.
Identifying faces to recognise humanity
The development of the Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ Face Database: An African database of high-resolution facial photographs.
Business for good
Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ is exploring the opportunities created by social enterprises that focus on addressing local, regional and global challenges.
Beyond the Ivory Tower
Four Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ units demonstrate how translational research can respond to the needs of a world outside the academy.
The best job in the world
Column: Telling the stories of Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½’ research and academics might hopefully light a fire in the mind of the world’s next Einstein.
A philosophy for good. A University for good
There is something significantly common in the way in which all good things are good.
Five steps Nigeria must take to stop buildings collapsing in Lagos
Lagos, Nigeria’s commercial capital city, is notorious for frequent building collapses.
Africa’s dinosaur discoveries: five essential reads
The African continent is a rich repository for dinosaur fossils, including teeth and track marks.
Colonial diaries help scientists reconstruct weather patterns from past to protect future
A project to transcribe Dutch colonial records of the weather in Cape Town can benefit modelling of future climate scenarios.
Welcome home, Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ies! Something for every generation at Homecoming Weekend
Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ University is as much a part of Johannesburg as is gold mining, and we are opening our gates to all to celebrate with us.
Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ invites public onto campus to join centenary celebrations
Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ marks its 100th birthday with jam-packed Homecoming Weekend.
Arts and science collide to transform the Great Hall in light show extravaganza
The #Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½100 Visible Resonance Light Show on 2 September at 7pm on the Great Hall façade will reflect, create, improvise, and imagine Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½’ stories.
1575 book titles in 100 years
Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ University Press is the oldest university press in South Africa and celebrates its centenary in 2022.
New Deputy Vice-Chancellor: People Development and Culture appointed
Professor Garth Stevens will oversee Human Resources, Transformation and Employment Equity, the Disability Rights Unit and other related units.
New Partnership Academic Programme on Nuclear Law
Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ is one of five universities to partner with the International Atomic Energy Agency to promote the safe use of the peaceful application of nuclear science.
Training scholars in groundwater to rock economies and make a splash in water security
Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ hydrogeologist Prof. Tamiru Abiye is a National Research Foundation-rated scholar and winner of the 2021/22 NSTF-South32 TW Kambule Researcher Award.
In with the old: taking the long view when restoring grasslands
Restoration science and practice are critical in combatting the loss of old-growth grasslands and the loss of biodiversity.
Artisanal gold mining in South Africa is out of control
Artisanal gold mining is highly organised and rule-bound. Men, women and even children participate a hierarchy sustained by buyers, sponsors and customers.
Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ innovation changing the world for good
Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ University is home to a wellspring of talent from multiple disciplines where life-changing innovation is incubated.
Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ University believes in another world
It was a night of suspended reality, imaginative film, and sophisticated symphony at the SA premier of William Kentridge’s Oh to Believe in Another World.
From chemistry to commerce: School learners get the ‘Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ experience’
Learners enjoy a fun-filled Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ Integrated Experience of academic and student life on the Braamfontein campuses.
Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ VC inducted into prestigious Royal Society (UK)
Professor Zeblon Vilakazi, internationally renowned nuclear physicist, joins the ranks of Isaac Newton, Charles Darwin, Albert Einstein, and Stephen Hawking.
Great Hall gets a facelift and this is why it's a big deal
The iconic Great Hall is back after Covid-19 lockdowns and extensive renovations – ready to celebrate Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½' centenary.
Healthy boost for Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ Food Bank
Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ staff step up on Mandela Day for food-insecure students.
Mammals were not the first to be warm-blooded
Karoo fossils provide “smoking gun” on clues to when warm-bloodedness evolved in pre-mammalian ancestors.
IPBES report warn of over exploitation of wild species
Over consumption of wildlife species for energy and food will place stress on the communities that need them for survival.
Covid-19 Update 87: Masks are voluntary
Return to campus plans and the way forward.
Structured light just got more colourful
Researchers from the Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ Structured Light Laboratory showcase recent advances in replacing the traditional linear optical toolkit with nonlinear control.
Oh to Believe in Another World
South African premiere of the new topically relevant film by Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ alumnus and world-renowned artist, William Kentridge, will take place at Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ in July.
Famous Sterkfontein Caves deposit 1 million years older than previously thought
New dates for Australopithecus-bearing Sterkfontein Cave deposit places South African hominin fossils at the centre of global palaeo research.
Young South African researchers take leading roles at the ATLAS experiment collaboration
Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½’ young scientist (physicists) take front positions in the world’s largest scientific endeavour to generate new science and expand current knowledge.
Universities must think more creatively about the employability of their graduates
Universities must think more creatively about the employability of graduates, especially those at the PhD level.
Fish in a major South African river are full of microplastics
The Vaal River, which serves more than 11 million people, is considerably polluted with microplastics.
Amazing ting: South Africa must reinvigorate sorghum as a key food before it’s lost
Known as ting or amazimba, indigenous sorghum is resilient and rich in cultural and health benefits – yet crops are declining.
w.600x300.jpg "Scientists have pioneered a new technique to directly date rock art in southern Africa")
How the music of an ancient rock painting was brought to life
Sometimes archaeologists can “hear” the ancient past using acoustic methods.
Boost to pursue his high-risk, high-reward ideas
Professor Benjamin Rosman is one of 18 early-career researchers in the world to be named CIFAR Azrieli Global Scholars for 2022-2024.
A career-long love affair with science
From being dazzled by the launch of space stations in the 1970s to pushing the boundaries of quantum physics.
The 2022 ICT Skills Survey goes live
The impact of hybrid work models on IT skills in South Africa will be among the issues coming under the spotlight this year.
African sci-tech could drive future black hole discoveries
Astronomers have revealed the first image of the black hole at the centre of our galaxy, the Milky Way.
Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ Entrepreneurship Clinic will enable youth to become the future job creators
“Young entrepreneurs are one of the country's best hopes in solving the jobs crisis” - Dr Robert Venter, Project Leader for the WEC.
Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ scientists in the team that made the first image of the black hole in the centre of our galaxy
This result provides overwhelming evidence that the object is indeed a black hole and yields valuable clues about the workings of such giants.
Covid-19 Update 86: Infections are increasing
Please take note of rising infections in the country and particularly in Gauteng. Please get vaccinated if you have not done so yet.
National Research Foundation rates three Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ies for the first time as world leaders in their fields
The NRF has awarded new A-ratings to three Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ academics in the Faculty of Humanities and the Faculty of Health Sciences respectively.
Geologists explain why most basaltic magma chambers are roofless
Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ geologists come up with an original interpretation for a long-standing petrological paradox – the common absence of roof rocks in basaltic magma chambers.
From pandemic learner to successful student
'Gateway to Success' programme: Creating a holistic, seamless transition from secondary school to university
Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ Dean of Sciences Leads Incorporation of Ukraine into International Physics Union
Dean also supports two Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ academics and Ukrainian nationals in attempts to get their family to safety.
Health Sciences student wins Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ FameLab
Mpho Mathole won the Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ leg of the international science communication competition and will go on to participate in the nationals later this year.
Humble, sincere, with an infectious laugh – tributes to Ndoni Mcunu
Ndoni Mcunu, Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ PhD candidate, climate scientist, and the driving force behind Black Women in Science passed away on April 16.
Five luminaries to be honoured at #Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½Grads
Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ University is proud to announce the start of the April graduation season where 5 593 students will be capped between 19 and 29 April 2022.
Future Ecosystems for Africa programme launched at Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½
Programme aims to identify African ecosystem vulnerabilities while leveraging African-informed transformative change opportunities.
Both big and small farms are important for food security
The farming sector is arguably the most important economic sector for SA’s development as it is directly linked to food security and poverty reduction.
Self-healing arrays of twisted light from a laser
Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ physicist part of team that develops novel laser.
R50 million donation to advance innovation in South Africa
Alumnus Dr David Fine's generous donation will be used to establish the Angela and David Fine Chair in Innovation.
SA scientists have a duty to speak out on Ukraine invasion
As an academic body, we should be appalled by South Africa’s less than stellar performance on Russia’s war against Ukraine.
Covid-19 Update 85: Over 90% of those accessing Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½' campuses are vaccinated
It is with great appreciation that we thank you and members of our wider Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ community for vaccinating and in so doing, making Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ a safer place for all.
New programmes to enhance leadership in early- and mid-career academics
The two programmes ‘are stepping stones to launch and develop the careers of academics’.
R10 million for the palaeosciences
#Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½100 donation will be used to fund the Micro CT scanner upgrade to benefit palaeontologists.
It’s complicated … but let’s talk about #Gender
Read the 13th issue of Curios.ty, themed: #Gender. We feature research across the gender spectrum that aims to ensure a more equitable and tolerant society.
To live and love across a spectrum
EDITORIAL: The way we choose to identify ourselves provokes questions and demands interrogation to ensure a more equitable and tolerant society.
STEM - not all are equal
Structures need to be put in place at higher education institutions to give women their rightful opportunities.
Finding Nemo’s sexual identity
As a species, we are only starting to scratch the surface of our understanding of gender, sex, and identity.
Towards gender parity in academic leadership
Eight female fellows of the Female Academic Leadership (FALF) Programme at Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ share their experiences of breaking the glass ceiling.
Sustainability in higher education: clean water
In this series, QS has been exploring the innovative and inspiring work being done by higher education institutions to address UN Sustainable Development Goals.
Developing equal partnerships in unequal societies
Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ strengthens EU partnerships through becoming a CIVIS Alliance strategic partner.
Scientific diplomacy and cooperation in this time of war
Scientific diplomacy must be given a chance to help enhance mutual understandings across political divides.
Academics condemn silencing of scientists over Russian invasion
Professor Lynn Morris says universities 'value independent inquiry, intellectual excellence, integrity, and academic freedom and institutional autonomy'.
Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ physicist awarded 2022 Sang Soo Lee Award
Professor Andrew Forbes recognised for his outstanding leadership in founding and growing an optics and photonics community in Africa.
Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ audience get a virtual tour of the JOIDES Resolution research ship
Virtual linkup was done live from the ship while the ship was on an expedition to conduct science operations on the Walvis Ridge, off the coast of Namibia.
Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ celebrates 100 years of excellence
The University aims to raise R3 billion through the Centenary Campaign
Covid-19 Update 84: Over 30 000 vaccination certificates uploaded
The academic programme began in earnest today and it was fantastic to see students in class again and staff back on campus.
Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ celebrates research excellence
It was an upbeat post-pandemic return to campus when Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ academics gathered to celebrate research excellence.
Covid-19 Update 83: Changes to screening tools
LogBox App is being streamlined to make it easier for you to complete the questions.
Covid-19 Update 82: Changes to isolation protocols and FAQs
The South African government released new Covid-19 regulations as at 31 January 2022, pertaining to changes to isolation protocols.
Covid-19: New tracker for shopping malls
Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ team develops social distancing and shopper behaviour tracker for malls.
Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ in multi-country high-tech mineral exploration partnership
Team of experts help search for metals and minerals needed to meet the tech demands of an evolving world.
Snowfall in the Sahara desert
In order for snow to form, two distinctive weather properties are needed: cold temperatures and moist air. The Sahara can tick these boxes.
Covid-19 Update 81: Vaccination and testing site now open
Apply for reasonable accommodation and upload your international vaccine certificate.
The cornerstone of good science
Covid-19: Scientists without quality data are like unarmed soldiers in a war zone.
The Gender Commission has failed women
Scientists say the Commission’s statement against mandatory vaccinations is offensive, irresponsible and misleading.
End SA’s national state of disaster
Covid-19: On 15 March 2020, President Cyril Ramaphosa declared a national state of disaster in terms of the Disaster Management Act.
Covid-19 Update 80: Thank you! 7 500+ vaccine certificates uploaded
If you are experiencing glitches in uploading your certificate, this information might help. You can also log technical queries via ithelp@wits.ac.za.
Covid-19 Update 79: You can now upload your vaccine certificate
Mandatory vaccination: The link to upload your vaccine certificate is now live.
Covid-19 Update 78: Implementation of Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ Mandatory Vaccination Policy
Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ University adopted a Mandatory Vaccination Policy (Mvax Policy), which will be implemented from 1 January 2022.
Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ researchers feature in popular children’s science book
Book about South Africa’s leading brains competes with Harry Potter in South African children’s book sales.
Namaqualand daisies are flowering earlier
The progressively earlier flowering places the daisies at greater risk of failed flowering seasons. This would be a blow to biodiversity and tourism.
How Nigerian cities can cope better with flood risk
Institutional failures, infrastructure, socio-economic challenges and disaster education influence Nigerian cities’ vulnerability to flood disaster.
Covid-19 Update 77: Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ Covid-19 Vaccination Implementation Plan
Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ Universit's Mandatory Vaccination Policy (MVAX Policy) will be implemented in January 2022.
Diverse people unite exhibition hosted at Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½
Canon South Africa and RARI partner up to preserve our heritage through the camera lens.
Omicron data: more transmissible but less severe
Early data show that Omicron is dominating new COVID-19 cases in Gauteng province.
Thank you, Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ies!
From the Desk of the Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ Vice-Chancellor and Principal, Professor Zeblon Vilakazi: We are stronger because of the diversity of our people and our ideas.
Quantum entanglement: Why physicists want to harness it
“Quantum entanglement” is one of several plot devices that crops up in modern sci-fi movies.
Chemistry’s Monyai is a ray of light
Create space for dreams and wellbeing so that impactful work can happen.
Paying it forward
Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ Covid-19 Hero Dr Armand Bahini says his actions are inspired by the institution that made him the man he is today.
Biometeorology - the possibilities are endless
Are you interested in the weather and its impact on nature? Here’s a career for you.
Origins of early sapiens behaviour opens at Origins Centre
The extraordinary multimedia presentation comprises 16 unique display panels that include six videos by renowned documentary filmmaker Craig Foster.
Covid-19 Update 76: Council approves Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ Covid-19 Mandatory Vaccination Policy
Read the full statement, the policy, and the Q&A information document wherein Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ experts answer questions about vaccination, legal, ethical, and more.
Should we trust machines?
Inclusivity and diversity need to be at the level of identifying values and defining frameworks of what counts as ethical AI in the first place.
Providing data for Covid decisions
From providing analysis to the government, media and the public - Prof. Bruce Mellado has empowered many to make informed decisions about the pandemic.
![Life reconstruction of Australopithecus sediba com-missioned by the University of Michigan Museum of Natural History. [© Sculpture: Elisabeth Daynes / Photograph: S. Entres¬sangle]](/media/wits-university/news-and-events/images/news/2021-sept-dec/Asediba.jpg "Life reconstruction of Australopithecus sediba com-missioned by the University of Michigan Museum of Natural History. [© Sculpture: Elisabeth Daynes / Photograph: S. Entres¬sangle]")
Ancient human relative, Australopithecus sediba, “walked like a human, but climbed like an ape”
New lower back fossils settles a decades old debate proving early hominins used their upper limbs to climb like apes, and their lower limbs to walk like humans.
Why are there so few impact craters on Earth?
Impact craters are relatively shallow, so these bowl-shaped “dents” in Earth’s rocky crust can be easily buried or erased by erosion.
These learners just love problems
Most people avoid problems but not these learners.
Africa heats up more, and faster
Report: By 2030, up to 118 million extremely poor people will be subject to the devastating impacts of drought and intense heat.
Why does cold air go down and hot air go up?
Associate Professor Jennifer Fitchett answers this question in Curious Kids, is a series for children published in The Conversation-Africa.
Contact or online? Moving away from binary approaches
We need to move away from this binary approach, consider our contextual realities, and start with the end goal in mind.
Covid-19 Update 75: Senate supports mandatory vaccination policy
"We will also continue to engage with the broader Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ community on the proposed policy in the coming weeks."
A child of darkness
Meet Leti, a Homo naledi child discovered in the Rising Star Cave System that yielded Africa’s richest site for fossil hominins.
Harnessing Thor’s hammer
How forensic science is unlocking the mysteries of fatal lightning strikes that could help save thousands of lives.
Climate change has already hit southern Africa
With mitigation and adaptation strategies and policies driven through COP26, southern Africa can reduce the impacts on local livelihoods.
Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ and Russian Embassy unveils Yuri Gagarin bust
Unveiling of the bust celebrates 60 years of space exploration and human space travel.
Online teaching and learning: Towards a realistic view of the future
The shift to emergency remote teaching and learning enabled academics to start questioning some long-held assumptions about in-person teaching and learning.
Young Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ scientists shine at FameLab
Three Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ students are in the top 10 of the national FameLab competition.
Staff awards celebrate the best of Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½
The annual Staff Awards reflect the Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ values that drive the ethos and excellence across our remarkable institution.
Red tape is choking biodiversity research in South Africa
There are calls for measures to reduce the burden of red tape and promote and facilitate biodiversity research in South Africa.
Covid-19 Update 74: Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ Mandatory Vaccination Framework
The proposed Framework has been developed and will be shared with staff, students, senior managers, organised labour, and other constituencies for comment.
My story: from Kenyan villager to international researcher
My name is Francis Otieno and I am telling this story to inspire school kids, emerging researchers, and everyone – your dreams are possible!
Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ celebrates 99 years of excellence
Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ launches global appeal, former Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ SRC President donates $100,000 to support students
Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ies win six Science Oscars at prestigious national research awards
Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ researchers won six National Science and Technology Forum (NSTF)-South32 research awards .
Science superstar reaching for the stars
The sky is the limit for science superstar and PhD student, Mpho Kgoadi.
Head of UNAIDS unpacks the knock-on effects of Covid-19
Greater urgency is needed in the response to pandemics, to end AIDS and to end COVID-19.
Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½-educated billionaire launches R3-billion vaccine development project in SA
It will help to establish two research centres to boost cancer and vaccine research at the University of the Witwatersrand.
Covid vaccine mandates don’t have to undermine your rights
While South Africa has steered clear of compulsory vaccination for now, the country’s laws do allow such a policy.
Remote work a win for South Africa's ICT professionals
JSCE-IITPSA ICT Skills Survey results will be released on 28 September 2021.
Team work makes the Science Faculty work
A love for teaching and learning, and a deep commitment to the provision of high quality educational experiences drives the Faculty of Science.
Covid-19 Update 73: Return to campus plans
Details on vaccination and the return of staff members to campus.
Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ to coordinate South Africa’s national quantum initiative
The South African Quantum Technology Initiative (SA QuTI) aims to drive local quantum technology research and innovation.
Covid fallout: Vulnerability and signs of recovery in Gauteng
There is no doubt about the enormous scale of the shocks South Africa has experienced over 2020-21.
Dung beetle experiment suggests carbon dioxide is bad for insects too
Beetles exposed to elevated carbon dioxide emerged later and smaller and had a reduced chance of making it to adulthood.
Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ leads ambitious partnership to drive AI in Africa
The AI Africa Consortium partners with Cirrus AI to bring large-scale AI infrastructure capacity and expertise to the African research community and industry.
Burning of fossil fuels directly impacts dung beetles
Elevated carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere negatively affects dung beetles size and survival.
Finding solutions to complex challenges. For Good.
This article has been published in the print and online edition of the Daily Maverick.
Covid-19 Update 72: Netcare vaccination site at Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½
Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ staff and students can now get their Covid-19 vaccine at the Netcare site on campus.
Johannesburg turned into live laboratory to measure 'killer' lightning
DEHN AFRICA donates R500 000 to the Johannesburg Lightning Research Laboratory at Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ University to support pioneering research in lightning protections.
Are you quantum or not? Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ PhD student cracks the high-dimensional quantum code
A new and fast tool for quantum computing and communication.
Update 71: Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ies can also vaccinate at the SABC vaccination site
Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ staff and students can now get their Covid-19 vaccine at the SABC vaccination site in Auckland Park.
Covid-19 Update 70: Dedicated slots for Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ies to vaccinate in Braamfontein
Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ staff and students who are 18 years and older can now get their Covid-19 vaccine at the Liberty vaccination site in Braamfontein.
Why building collapses are all too common in Lagos
Private developers, building professionals and the government all share responsibility for building collapses.
South Africa’s bandit slaves and the rock art of resistance
Former Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ie wins 2021 Dirac Medal
Physicist Professor Saul Teukolsky receives the prize for theoretical work essential to the detection of gravitational waves.
Climate change: South Africa and the latest IPCC assessment
The report makes it clear that climate change is widespread, rapid, intensifying and unprecedented in thousands of years.
Variants, the fourth wave, vaccines and the unlikelihood of herd immunity
What might happen in South Africa?
Curios.ty 12 (#Solutions): Advancing society for good
Our cutting-edge research offers #Solutions to some of the most challenging problems facing society today.
Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½.For Good. solutions inspire hope
Editorial: From solutions to the structural, political, and socioeconomic challenges in South Africa, to those ‘moonshot moments’ that advance society for good.
No place for politics in bricks and mortar
South Africa’s infrastructure seems to be falling apart at the seams. What needs to be done to save the country from further deterioration?
Mathematics solutions to boost tourism numbers
Numbers in tourism translate into revenue for the sector. Mathematicians are now number-crunching creatively to solve tourism challenges.
Photographing ghosts in space
Photographing a black hole in space, 55 million light years from Earth, seems an impossible task but scientists went to unprecedented lengths to achieve this.
What the world needs now
As the world looks to COP26 in Glasgow, Scotland in 2021, it’s clear that the time for sitting on the side-lines is over.
Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ celebrates its stars in 2021 M&G Top 200
The Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ Senior Executive Team hail Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ies in the 2021 Mail & Guardian Top 200 for making a positive impact in society.
Covid-19 herd immunity is not going to happen, so what next?
When politicians and others speak about herd immunity, unfortunately, they are under the misconception that the current tools that we’ve got are adequate.
One of the world’s rarest chameleons found clinging to survival
Chapman’s pygmy chameleon, long feared to be extinct in the wild has been found surviving in patches of rainforest in Malawi.
How light pollution affects dung beetles
Light pollution makes it difficult for dung beetles to see the stars which they use to orientate, Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ researchers find.
Six myths about vaccination for Covid-19 put to rest
The circulation of misinformation about the Covid-19 vaccine poses the danger of hampering the government’s efforts to control the pandemic.
Excluding migrants undermines the success of Covid-19 vaccine rollouts
Failure to ensure access for all to prevention and treatment, including vaccines, undermines national responses to Covid-19.
Leave no one behind: We must urgently address vaccination of undocumented migrants and asylum seeker
We call on Acting Health Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi to do the right thing to ensure the Covid-19 vaccination programme is inclusive.
Everything you need to know about vaccines — our only viable strategy for living with Covid-19
We are likely to keep being hit by further waves of this virus until at least all adults have immunity.
Covid-19 in children: the South African experience and way forward
Schools are not driving the COVID-19 pandemic and can safely remain open provided people stick to the non-pharmaceutical interventions for COVID-19 prevention.
What last week’s vandalising of our research clinic in Kliptown, Soweto, means to science
Despite the critical role of the PHRU as part of the national and international Covid-19 response team, it was not spared during the recent unrest.
'Grand Geek' to lead Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½’ Innovation Strategy
Professor Barry Dwolatzky has been contracted as Director of Innovation Strategy.
SA-French research cooperation fostering scientific excellence with CNRS-Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ bipartite agreement
Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ and the French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS) today signed a bipartite agreement of research cooperation to foster scientific excellence.
Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ tackles water crisis through new water research programme
The Claude Leon Foundation will fund two research chairs and a research programme in water stewardship worth R15.7 million.
South Africa’s vaccine quagmire, and what needs to be done now
South Africa has clearly suffered the consequences of poor strategic decisions to this point. It doesn't need to continue along these lines.
Jacarandas in parts of South Africa are flowering earlier: why it’s a warning sign
Climate change is causing jacarandas to flower earlier.
Level 4 COVID-19 lockdown puts spotlight back on vaccination failures
South Africa didn't engage early enough with pharmaceutical companies in bilateral discussions to ensure it could get vaccines early.
New senior executive appointments
Professor Ruksana Osman has been appointed as Senior DVC: Academic and Professor Ian Jandrell as DVC: Systems and Operations.
Universities SA Condemns Attack on SAHPRA
It is an essential part of the national science system and it must be protected to perform its regulatory work.
South Africa’s underground astronaut
Profile: NatGeo Emerging Explorer Dr Keneiloe Molopyane.
Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ mourns the passing of Professor Bhekizizwe Peterson
Award-winning screenwriter and producer, literary critic, a towering intellectual and generous mentor.
Dream team heads for world robotics soccer cup
For the first time, a Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ University team will compete in the international RoboCup tournament.
Photonics unlocks second quantum revolution
Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ University’s future hub of Quantum Technology is switched on.
The sex organs of baobab flowers may solve the puzzle of trees that bear more fruit
Baobab flowers have male and female parts but individual trees appear to be favouring one rather than the other.
The Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ Quantum Initiative launches at Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½
Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½Q will provide first a forum for quantum scientists in all fields across the continent to connect.
Pandemic impact on ICT skills in the spotlight in 2021 ICT Skills Survey
The JCSE-IITPSA Skills Survey assesses skills demand and supply from both a corporate and practitioner perspective.
GCRF Funding of Synchrotron Techniques for Africa lauded as great success
Results include 80+ researchers now collaborating from multiple continents, over 50 world class papers published and a new generation of scientists trained.
Rhino anti-poaching research goes nuclear
From 2010 to 2019 over 9 600 rhinos were killed in poaching attacks. On this current trajectory, South Africa’s rhino will be nearing extinction in nine years.
We must seize the moment for a global pandemic surveillance and response scheme
No more pandemics—this is the ambitious goal set by the Independent Panel for Pandemic Preparedness and Response
Covid-19 Update 65: Keep safe
The third wave of the coronavirus has started in Gauteng and is rapidly gaining momentum as we head into the winter season.
Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ Archaeologist named 2021 National Geographic Explorer
Archaeologist and biological anthropologist, Keneiloe Molopyane, is recognised as a trailblazer by the prestigious National Geographic Society.
How pots, sand and stone walls helped us date an ancient SA settlement
We now know that Bokoni Phase I was built as early as the 15th century – before the arrival of European colonisation or trade.
South African materials technology used in CERN’s ATLAS experiment
The use of South African technology to produce high tech electronic components will cost five times less than importing the technology from the United States.
Professor Bob Scholes: Farewell ‘giant savanna tree’
Scholes’ students describe him as a ‘giant savanna tree providing shade in the heat, shelter in the rain, and a point of reference to navigate by’.
DeepMind establishes scholarship for four Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ Masters students in machine learning
Scholarships seek to increase diversity in the fields of machine learning and are aimed at students from backgrounds underrepresented in AI.
Nocturnal dinosaurs: Night vision and superb hearing suggest moonlight predator
By looking at the eye bones and ear canals of extinct dinosaurs, researchers show that a small ancient predator likely had senses good as a modern barn owl.
Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ scientist appointed to a position of leadership at the European Laboratory CERN
Professor Bruce Mellado has been elected Chairperson of the Institutional Board of the Tile Calorimeter of the ATLAS experiment at CERN.
Johannesburg is threatening to sideline informal waste pickers. Why it’s a bad idea
Waste reclaimers save South African municipalities up to R748 million a year in landfill space. Without them, the country's recycling economy would not exist.
Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ Community mourns the loss of one of the world’s greatest scientists
Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ University is saddened by the passing of Professor Bob Scholes, one of the world’s leading scientists on Climate Change.
Brown locusts have survived a long drought in South Africa – here’s how
Eggs can remain in the soil for several years with the embryos waiting to receive sufficient moisture to complete development.
Aim for the sky, but keep your feet on the ground
To fight poverty and promote equality, developing countries should pursue the highest levels of unfettered, open-ended scientific inquiry.
AI-powered Algorithm released to detect the third wave in South Africa
While models show a low risk of a third wave in South Africa, the country is still highly vulnerable.
Challenging perspectives on magma chambers
Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ researchers report on a new phenomenon in magma chambers called “magmatic karstification”.
Find your voice in science communication
The search is on for the next Pop Idols of Science at the 2021 Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ FameLab Science Communication Competition.
Disentangling the neuromolecular networks involved in speech and language
As a biochemist/biophysicist working primarily with proteins, Sylvia Fanucchi is naturally drawn to the mechanisms of interactions of biological macromolecules.
Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ announces team to advance AI research in Africa
The team, led by Professor Zeblon Vilakazi, will lead Africa’s effort to advance artificial intelligence research and its application across the continent.
Malaria risk zones and climate change in South Africa
Malaria kills over 400,000 people a year across the world. Africa carries the highest burden, with 90% of these deaths occurring on the continent.
Image of black hole shows magnetic fields around a black hole are strong enough to resist gravity
Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ astrophysicists are the only two scientists on African continent that contributed to the study.
Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ tests the waters at Wakkerstroom
Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ scientists provide free testing of water quality in honour of International Water Day in Wakkerstroom.
Extreme temperatures in South Africa
Pasha 101: Two researchers unpack these events.
Prehistoric killing machine exposed
Previously thought of as heavy, slow and sluggish, the 260-million-year-old predator, Anteosaurus, was a ferocious hunter-killer.
New technology allows scientists first glimpse of intricate details of Little Foot’s life
High resolution X-ray imaging of Little Foot's skull and dentition shows Little Foot suffered periods of dietary stress and illness when she was a child.
New Earth Sciences Cluster
This new Cluster will further encourage world class research through collaboration, coordination and communications.
Reasons to be optimistic about sub-Saharan higher education after Covid-19
Tertiary education often carries societal benefits that far outweigh the initial investments necessary to establish a strong and productive system.
‘Our moonshot moment’
Professor Zeblon Vilakazi, Vice-Chancellor and Principal, shares three core areas that Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ will maintain as the University transitions into its next century.
Maths whizzes tackle industry problems
Top researchers and postgraduates convene virtually for the 2021 Mathematics in Industry Study Group (MISG).
Results from Novavax vaccine trials in the UK and South Africa differ: why, and does it matter?
The Novavax vaccine is the first that provides objective scientific evidence that it can protect people against the variant virus circulating in South Africa.
Covid-19 Update 64: Return to campus plans
All University entities are required to be fully operational as from 1 February 2021.
Covid 19 Update 64 - Return to campus
Update on the return to campus of staff members.
Novavax Covid-19 vaccine the first to demonstrate clinical efficacy against South African variant
Clinical efficacy demonstrated in Phase 2b South Africa trial.
Geophysicists develop innovative seismic technologies
Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ geophysicists have invented cost-effective and environmentally friendly seismic technologies that will contribute to sustainable mining exploration.
Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ joins York Univeristy in Africa-Canada Artificial Intelligence Data Modelling consortium
Consortium will research predictive modelling and forecasting of the transmission of COVID-19 in Africa, using Artificial Intelligence.
Curios.ty 11 (#Viral): Covid-19 - An opportunity for a global reset
The pandemic demands a relook of how we connect with each other and the world.
Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ moves to a modern, stable learning management system
CANVAS, a modern, stable Learning Management System (LMS).
SA can take on vaccine nationalism of rich countries
South Africa has the legal tools to challenge the vaccine nationalism of rich countries.
Making sense of the numbers
Modelling pandemics might be an imperfect science, but it is the best that we have.
A fleeting green moment in time
Scientists predict that an Age of Pandemics is imminent unless human beings change their ways.
Finding security in the unseen
Messages carried in structured light can secure quantum communications in the future.
Covid-19 Update 63: Infection summary
Update on the latest Covid-19 testing and infection of staff and students.
Calling the (behavioural) shots over vaccines
It will take 67% of the population to be vaccinated to reach herd immunity; here is how those still reluctant can be persuaded to join in.
Vaccine nationalism and migration
Implications for the (mis)management of Covid-19 in South Africa.
Covid-19 policy briefs must be realistic: a review by young southern African scientists
African leaders can make strategies to fight COVID-19 more accessible to the people.
Update 62: Our collective responsibility
Update on the latest Covid-19 testing and infection of staff and students.
Welcome message from our new VC, Professor Zeblon Vilakazi
Professor Vilakazi assumed office on 1 January 2021 and looks forward to stewarding the University in his capacity as the Vice-Chancellor and Principal:
South Africa failed to get its act together on vaccines
Critics of the South African government argue that it has done too little too late to secure vaccines, and that it doesn't have a proper roll-out plan in place.
SA's vaccine strategy mistakes
Pasha 91: Blunders that left South Africa trailing in the vaccine stakes
Why the state’s new toys won’t help South Africa’s response to Covid-19
Drones, dinghies and an army helicopter - the new toys are diverting resources, and diverting attention.
Towards herd immunity from Covid-19: Costing a vaccine strategy for South Africa
This article examines and estimates the financial implications of a vaccine strategy with a goal of achieving herd immunity.
Building Africa's AI initiative
Considerations behind the largest and most complex undertaking of its kind in Africa’s history.
Vaccines for South Africa. Now
It is distressing to hear senior officials increasingly talking down the prospects for the availability and usefulness of Covid-19 vaccines in South Africa.
Update 61: Adjusted level 3 implications
Implications of adjusted Level 3 regulations for staff and students.
Higher education reconsidered
Beyond the pandemic and possibilities for new knowledge architectures.
All you should know about where we are with Covid-19 vaccines
What are the urgent steps that South Africans need to take to prepare for a timeous life-saving roll out of vaccines?
AI helps to identify new Covid-19 hotspots in Gauteng
Gauteng Government, IBM Research and Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ University are fighting the pandemic with artificial intelligence.
Species across the globe at risk
Changes in fire activity are threatening more than 4 400 species globally.
Covid-19 Update 60: Infection Summary
Update on the latest Covid-19 testing and infection of staff and students.
Health Sciences graduation ceremonies go virtual
Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ University has taken all graduation ceremonies online, following the President’s announcement on Monday night.
Farewell Professor Adam Habib
Vice-Chancellor and Principal, Professor Adam Habib, will leave Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ University at the end of December 2020.
Covid-19 Update 59: Infection Summary
Update on the latest Covid-19 testing and infection of staff and students.
Huge money boost for Planetary and Space Science Project
Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ plays key role in securing funding to develop Planetary and Space Science projects in Africa.
PhD student receives major international grant at CERN
Humphry Tlou, a physics PhD student at Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½, is one of two students to be awarded with the CERN ATLAS PhD grant.
Fake news and misinformation kill
How can you trust what you are told about Covid-19?
Covid-19 Update 58: Advice from Scientists Collective
Update on the latest Covid-19 testing and infection of staff and students.
Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ recognised by international body for leadership in nuclear science
Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ University has been endorsed by the prestigious International Nuclear Management Academy for its Nuclear Technology Leadership Programme.
Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ develops AI project with York University to tackle COVID-19 in Africa
The International Development and Research Centre (IDRC) grants $1.25 Million to the project.
The hunt for an HIV vaccine
Unique insights from an inspiring cohort of women in South Africa.
Covid-19 Update 57: Infection summary
Update on the latest Covid-19 testing and infection of staff and students.
Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ University physicist wins top South African physics award
The Gold Medal from the South African Institute of Physics is the greatest distinction that is conferred in South Africa for achievements in Physics.
Maths geniuses battle it out in competition
Five hundred Maths stars from across the country participated in the 2020 Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ Maths Competition.
The postgraduate blueprint for a future that works
Register for postgraduate study at Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ University and be part of the future of exciting possibilities.
Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ie receives grant to develop early-career research managers
Research manager, Caryn McNamara, one of more than 50 international grantees to help develop research management professionals.
Covid-19: Update 56 - Infection summary
Update on the latest Covid-19 testing and infection of staff and students.
Covid-19 Update 55: All services must be operational
Following President Cyril Ramaphosa's address.
Covid-19 Update 54: Infection summary
Update on the latest Covid-19 testing and infection of staff and students.
Real-time data is critical for detecting outbreaks
South Africa is testing digital technology to detect outbreaks of respiratory diseases.
Moribund Council on Higher Education is immobilising academic agility
Quality assurance entities are immobilising the system and hindering the ability of more students to access online education.
Biomimicry control for Covid diagnostics
Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ researchers develop solution to improve accuracy and safety of Covid-19 testing.
Covid-19 Update 53: Infection summary
Update on the latest Covid-19 testing and infection of staff and students.
GCRF START grant fulfilling a vision
Exciting new research at Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ made possible through the GCRF START grant.
Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ researcher receives $150 000 Jennifer Ward Oppenheimer grant
Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ conservation scientist, Dr Bernard Coetzee received the prestigious Jennifer Ward Oppenheimer grant for his work on light pollution.
Anticipating a 'second wave'
Covid-19: When and how South Africa should try to prevent or mitigate it.
Covid-19 Update 52: Infection summary
Update on the latest Covid-19 testing and infection of staff and students.
What South Africans must do to avoid a resurgence of COVID-19 infections
It is key to continue high-impact non-pharmaceutical interventions that will not impede economic activity, but limit the spread of COVID-19.
Fak’ugesi Festival 2020 unveils exciting Heritage & Technology Programme
The 2020 Fak’ugesi African Digital Innovation Festival will run for one month from 20 October to 20 November 2020.
Update 51: Infection summary
Latest update on infections and university protocols.
, Zakhele Ndala (School of Chemistry) and Leigh Crymble (Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ Business School)_600x300.jpg "Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ PhD Winners: Tamlyn Naidu (Chemical and Metallurgical Engineering), Zakhele Ndala (School of Chemistry) and Leigh Crymble (Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ Business School)")
Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ PhD Seminar Winners
Finalists at Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½’ first cross-faculty PhD Seminar kept judges and audiences on the edge.
Climate research is critical in Africa: how to make it more visible
The threats of climate change to plants, animals and people in Africa mean that the continent is an excellent place for biometeorological research.
Changes in South Africa’s rainfall seasons could affect farming and water resources
Trends across the different rainfall zones can be linked to changes recorded for large-scale climate systems.
Explainer: what’s behind the locust swarms damaging crops in southern Africa
Locust outbreaks are driven by unusual climatic conditions.
Covid-19 Update 50: Keep safe
Appeal to adhere to safety regulations and preventative protocols.
Book takes Sterkfontein fossils to the world
Paleoanthropologists have published a book on the fossils excavated from Sterkfontein Caves for the benefit of the global scientific community.
Dietary migration of Kruger's Impala rivals the geographical migration of the Serengeti wildebeest
Research shows seasonal dietary changes increase the abundances of savanna herbivore species.
Diamonds are a quantum scientist’s best friend
The discovery of triplet spin superconductivity in diamonds has the potential to revolutionise the high-tech industry.
Covid-19 Update 49: Clarity on return to campus plans
Answers to queries raised by organised labour and staff members.
Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ Professor wins top chemistry prize
Professor Charles de Koning is awarded the South African Chemistry Institute’s (SACI) gold medal and gets inducted as a Fellow of SACI.
Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ researcher writes book on the evolutionary origins of life and death
Durand uses cell death as a lens through which to examine the interconnectedness of life and death.
Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ PhD students take leadership roles at the European laboratory CERN
The two students have also been awarded highly competitive fellowships for their outstanding work.
Covid-19 Update 46 - Level 1 is here
We welcome the news that South Africa will move to national lockdown level 1 from Monday, 21 September 2020.
A keen eye on facts saved this biodiverse wetland for now: threats to be aware of
Court victory by an NGO against municipality has laid bare the red tape and misgovernance that often burdens the process of issuing water licenses.
Covid-19 policy: Public engagement is crucial
A balancing act between scientific data and health and broader socioeconomic implications is needed when policymakers prioritise interventions and measures.
Why halting the COVID-19 vaccine trial is part of the process
The experience of the Oxford vaccine and the measures put into place are not unusual. Many phase one and phase two clinical trials have holding rules.
A new app helps COVID-19 frontline workers with mental health
Pasha 80: Fighting the coronavirus can put severe strain on a person’s mental health.
Grass on ash: uncovering 200,000 year old beds from South Africa
Before 200,000 years ago, close to the origin of our species, people used ash as layers for broad-leaved grasses to build their beds.
Rock on!
Music is thought to be one of the ways that our ancient ancestors expressed their emotions – and may well have led to early languages.
South Africa’s second COVID-19 vaccine trial explained
Pasha 78: Listen to Professor Shabir Madhi, explaining how the new vaccine trial will work
Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ Associate Professor joins South African Young Academy of Science
Jennifer Fitchett, an Associate Professor of Physical Geography at Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ has been selected as a member of the South African Young Academy of Science (SAYAS).
How lockdown has affected the health of South Africa's poor
Poor populations bore a disproportionately higher burden of poor health.
Appoint a war Cabinet now to tackle Covid-19 crises
SA should fire the current Cabinet and set up a national “emergency” one with the best talents in the country prevent it from plunging down the cliff.
Covid 19: Scientific excellence will help explore new frontiers
When university resources are scarce, building and sustaining equitable research excellence should be paramount.
Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ ranked first in Africa
Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ is top of the class in the 2020 Academic Ranking of World Universities.
200 000 years ago, humans preferred to kip cozy
Humans prepared beds to sleep on right at the dawn of our species – over 200 000 years ago.
Post Covid-19: What would universities look like?
Three South African vice-chancellors paint a post-COVID picture for universities.
Pandemic underscores burden women carry doing paid and unpaid reproductive labour
Women’s extended working days have become normalised, despite the adverse effects on their progression within the labour market and general well-being.
Accounting, governance and integrated thinking
Special Report by the Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ School of Accounting on how companies should manage the Covid-19 pandemic.
Covid-19 Expert Advice #3: Testing for Covid-19? All you need to know about antibody tests
The third in a series of expert advisories on how to respond to Covid-19 which will be published from time to time by Maverick Citizen.
Covid-19 Expert Advice #2: Practical guidance on disinfecting
This is the second of a series of Expert Advisories on how to respond to Covid-19 which will be published from time to time by Maverick Citizen.
Covid-19 Expert Advice #1: How long should I isolate or quarantine for?
This is the first of a series of expert advisories on how to respond to Covid-19 which will be published from time to time by Maverick Citizen.
Investigating energy materials for efficient and cost effective conversion of sunlight into electric
Alternative energy at increased efficiency with lower cost and improved environmental footprints has a domino effect on socio-economic landscape.
Sustainable solutions to the energy challenge
“Our vision one day is to see such fuel cells commercialised and distributed around Africa and the rest of the world," says Sikhumbuzo Masina, PhD candidate.
Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ students dominate global supercomputing competition
Despite Covid-19, Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ students won second place with their applications to aide analysis of Covid-19 data in the competition held online for the first time.
Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ experts to speak at international symposium on climate and environmental factors in COVID-19
Symposium coincides with the publication of their article on environmental drivers and the potential seasonality of COVID-19.
Studying from home
It’s a mixture of feelings as students face the impact of Covid-19 on their studies, exams, research and careers.
Hat-trick of wins for Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ies at Science Oscars
Three Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ies in human genetics, economic geology, and public health research data respectively have won National Science and Technology Forum (NSTF) awards.
Sharing a secret … the quantum way
Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ Researchers demonstrate a new quantum approach for sharing a secret amongst many parties, setting a new record for the highest dimensions and parties.
Actuarial Science student bags Adrian Gore Fellowship
Jimmy Yuan, an Actuarial Science student, is the recipient of the 2020 Adrian Gore Fellowship Award (AGF) offered by Discovery.
Africa’s research capacity is growing. That’s good news for pandemic response efforts
Investments are starting to help grow the African continent's science preparedness.
Antarctica more widely impacted by humans than previously thought
Data from 2.7 million human activity records show just how extensive human use of Antarctica has been over the last 200 years.
How to protect yourself against increased cyber threats
With the onset of the Coronavirus/Covid-19 pandemic, working and studying remotely have increased the risk of cybercrime.
Covid-19 Update (36): It's in our hands
Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ies, please take care, adhere to social distancing and follow Covid-19 protocols.
COVID-19 vaccine trial in South Africa: everything you need to know
Not enough clinical research is being done in Africa. This has repercussions for when interventions become available and effective in high income countries.
Daytime aardvark sightings are a sign of troubled times
Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ researchers find that aardvarks feeding in the daytime during droughts might be starving.
Covid-19 Update 34 – Phase 2: The return of students to campus
Students who are scheduled to return as part of phase 2, will return in mid-July.
Covid-19 update (35): Second phase of reopening
Phased return of more academic, professional and support staff and students to campuses.
Lockdowns and freedoms
SA had to have a hard lockdown because we don’t trust our government. Little since has made us change our minds.
More money for COVID-19 but SA lacks a spending strategy
South Africa's public health system has been allocated R21.5 billion more to fight the Covid-19 pandemic but there's no strategy to guide how it should be used.
Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ students showcase South African electronics research at top international workshop
ACES 2020 ATLAS CMS Electronics is the state-of-the-art international electronics conference for Large Hadron Collider LHC upgrades at CERN.
Ideological responses, traditional economic theory won't lift SA out out of Covid-19 slump
South Africa will have to prioritise new business, employment and growth based on the current and new domestic and global needs unleashed by Covid-19.
Top nuclear physicist to lead Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½
Professor Zeblon Vilakazi appointed as the Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ Vice-Chancellor and Principal from 1 January 2021
The first Covid-19 vaccine trial in South Africa begins
The first participants in South Africa's first clinical trial for a vaccine against Covid-19 will be vaccinated this week.
Society is not ready to safely reopen schools and education centres
Government is steaming ahead with the reopening of schools. This is an overly hasty, ill-considered step for a number of reasons.
So you think investing in fever screening can curb the spread of COVID-19? Think again
Detecting fever requires measuring core body temperature. Screening measures the body's surface temperature.
Does alcohol have an undisclosed African heritage?
Until now the search for early evidence of alcohol has fixated on residue analysis.
Learning from South Africa: reconstructing rainfall seasonality in Australia
Examining old vegetation sediments to learn about shifting weather patterns and climate change.
Covid-19 update (33) - Secure gateway enables teaching and learning
Students and staff members who have not already done so, must complete the student survey or staff survey before 8pm on Thursday, 11 June 2020.
Climate change, biodiversity loss and other global ills share root causes
By identifying the roots of global ills there's an opportunity for coordinated action as countries lay new pathways for a post-Covid world.
PhD student’s study on the state of magma in crustal reservoirs published in Nature Communications
The study challenges a recently-emerged paradigm that magma chambers are huge masses of crystals with just a very small amount of melt.
It’s time to talk about coronavirus symptoms
Pasha 66 - The Conversation Africa's podcast series focus on questions arising from the symptoms of people who have contracted the coronavirus.
Covid-19 (Update 32) - Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ Screening APP goes live
Self-screening form on the app is for staff members with permits to be on campus, and students who have been invited to return to campus only.
Challenge accepted: bringing a science paper to life through video
Professor Lee Berger accepts a challenge in science communications to turn a science paper into an interesting video lecture.
Dedicated dozen nominated for science oscars
Twelve Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ scientists across disciplines have been nominated for NSTF-South 32 Research Awards, known as the 'Science Oscars', and eight are finalists.
Almost 16-million people allowed back to work
New level 3 regulations mark an important strategic shift in the government’s approach to the coronavirus pandemic.
Stop random Covid-19 testing and sort out the backlog
The testing backlog and proposed testing strategies outside hospital settings are threatening patient management and compromising health care workers’ safety.
The world is flat: Covid-19 becomes the driving force for 4IR
The most profound change is the accelerated of way in which digital transformation and the Fourth Industrial Revolution have moved at warp speed.
Long-term Data Access for 2020 - Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ partners with Vodacom
New initiative provides students with data to access selected URLs through the Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ network.
How to discover your own fossil site
Discovering a fossil site takes a lot of hard work and a little bit of luck. Professor Lee Berger describes the clues that led him to the discovery of Malapa.
The long arm and short legs wars
Professor Lee Berger explores the origins of the this great debate and examines the arguments of the terrestrialists and the arborealists.
Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ students’ research on cover of leading world optics journal
Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ Master’s students create best practice guide for efficient and accurate use of DMDs in structured light laboratories.
Support for Professor Glenda Gray
Statement of Support for Professor Glenda Gray and the Principle of Academic Freedom of Speech.
Juggling work and family during lockdown
Three staff members from the Faculty of Science share their experiences of lockdown.
Dr Dalia Saad awarded prestigious FLAIR fellowship
School of Chemistry researcher, Dr Dalia Saad, is a recipient of the 2020 FLAIR research fellowship.
The impact of Gladysvale
Gladysvale is known for its impact on the dating of cave sites in Africa and has produced some of the most spectacular faunal remains of extinct animals.
Covid-19 Update (29) - Students to receive an additional 15GB of data for next 15 days
The four telecommunications companies agree to extend the provision of data to students for another 15 days.
A Question of Numbers
Does the fossil sample for Australopithecus africanus only represent one species. Professor Lee Berger takes on this sticky question.
What a bone arrowhead from South Africa reveals about ancient human cognition
The artefact closely resembles thousands of bone arrowheads used by the indigenous San hunter-gatherers from the 18th to the 20th centuries.
South Africa’s COVID-19 strategy needs updating: here’s why and how
South Africa should base its COVID-19 mitigation strategy on the premise that the pandemic will last for two years unless a vaccine is developed before then.
A matter of time
Professor Lee Berger explores the use of the absolute age of fossils in questions of phylogeny, and where the age of a fossil is important.
When were there giants?
Is there any evidence in the fossil record that giants have lived on Earth in the past? Professor Lee Berger explores this question.
Covid-19 Update (28) - Wellness services for students and staff
A reminder to all students and staff about Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½' mental health and wellbeing services that are available to you during the Covid-19 pandemic and lockdown.
Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ Covid-19 Screening Tool
Information pertaining to the screening of staff and students entering University campuses and premises.
The context of fossil hominid discoveries in Africa
Professor Lee Berger explains the context of how original fossils are preserved and explores the context of discoveries.
Choices in a fog of uncertainty: lessons for coronavirus from climate change
The science to policy process that was developed to guide climate mitigation decisions can be applied to the response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
What should South Africa’s coronavirus endgame look like? Here are some options
SA's response to the COVID-19 pandemic was one of 'intervene first and ask questions later'. Now is the time for government say what its strategic endgame is.
The species concept in palaeoanthropology
Professor Lee Berger explains the concept of species in palaeoanthropology.
Exploring the Fossil Hominid Vault at the University of the Witwatersrand
Professor Lee Berger shows what is behind the doors of the Phillip V Tobias Fossil Hominid vault.
An Introduction to the fossils of Sterkfontein
Professor Lee Berger introduces one of the world's longest running and richest fossil hominid sites.
I can’t reach with the screwdriver, please pass the laser!
New metasurface laser opens up a new world of applications using optical control of physical objects.
The muddle in the middle-Pleistocene
Professor Lee Berger explains the mystery surrounding human relatives living in Africa during the middle Pleistocene.
Saluting all Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ies combating the COVID-19 pandemic
These Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ heroes represent just a fraction of the clinical, academic, professional and administrative staff, alumni and students responding to this disaster.
South Africa needs a post-lockdown strategy that emulates South Korea
South Africa cannot afford to embark on a strategy of extended periodic lockdowns. It needs to shift to mass testing and contact tracing.
Rise of the Prometheus
In the second episode of Professor Lee Berger’s series of lectures on human origin, he delves into his favourite hominid-bearing site, Makapansgat.
Professor Lee Berger to host online video lectures on human origins
Lectures will feature some of the University’s fossils, including the Taung Child, Homo naledi, Australopithecus sediba and various other fossils.
Dinosaur "Easter eggs" reveal their contents in 3D
High-powered X-rays of the world’s oldest fossilised dinosaur embryos show surprising similarities to the embryos of today’s crocodiles, lizards and chickens.
Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½’ Forbes appointed as editor-in-chief of international journal
Forbes is the first South African to take over the reins of the 100-year-old publication published by the UK’s Institute of Physics.
Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ researchers unravel the mystery of magmatic rocks consisting of random proportions of minerals
Geologists found the answer as to why certain magmatic rocks have varying proportions of minerals than what is expected of their type.
Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ School of Molecular and Cell Biology lends a hand with glove donation
The Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ School of Molecular and Cell Biology has donated medical gloves for frontline healthcare workers at Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital in Soweto.
Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ School of Molecular and Cell Biology lends a hand with glove donation
The Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ School of Molecular and Cell Biology has donated medical gloves for frontline healthcare workers at Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital in Soweto.
SAs response to COVID-19 worsens the plight of waste reclaimers
The clock is ticking: in the absence of government support, not being able to work means waste reclaimers don't have money to buy food.
Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ heroes confront COVID-19
Amongst the best in their fields, Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ experts are at the frontlines and behind-the-scenes against COVID-19, the respiratory disease caused by the coronavirus.
Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ researchers launch most comprehensive COVID-19 dashboard in South Africa
The dashboard is aimed at informing government, scientists, the media and general public with quick, easy-to-understand information on the current situation.
A tiny bone from Little Foot’s skeleton adds fresh insights into what our ancestors could do
Studying Australopithecus, an extinct hominin genus that represents a branch of our family tree, is a great way to make more sense of our bushy family tree.
"Little Foot" skull reveals how this human ancestor lived
Micro-CT scanning of “Little Foot” skull reveals new aspects of the life of this more than 3-million year-old-human ancestor.
Snakes make good food. Banning farms won’t help the fight against coronavirus
The wildlife trade has long been closely linked to disease outbreaks.
New study reveals the secret of magmatic rocks consisting of only one mineral
Geologists from Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ have come up with an original explanation of how nature may produce a class of magmatic rocks that are made up of only one type of mineral.
Roadmap to a win-win against invasive weeds
Researchers at Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ University have created the world’s first framework, to better guide the management of terrestrial invasive species.
Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ academics play leading role in Future Earth 2020 report
The Future Earth Report is an overview of some of the various risks faced by humanity, where it comes to our sustainable future on the planet.
Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ team and industry closer to final LVPS prototype
Team visits Jemstech to view progress on first SA-made prototype for Tile Calorimeter of the ATLAS Detector at CERN.
Behind Kenya's strange weather
It can be attributed to the Indian Ocean Dipole, the difference in sea surface temperatures between the eastern and western tropical Indian Ocean.
Fibre communications on steroids: Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ student breaks the code
A team from Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ (South Africa) and HUST (China) show that multi-dimensional quantum communications with twisted light is possible down legacy fibre networks.
Crowd-funding campaign helps Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ students to find large haul of ancient fossils
Group of students find a large haul of fossils on the first day of their dig in Oviston Nature Reserve.
How we deduced that our ancestors liked roast vegetables too
The charred remains of root vegetables found at Border Cave help us understand how early humans survived and thrived.
Green Cross needed to halt the climate emergency
EDITORIAL: We do not have a choice. It is incumbent on each of us to tackle the #ClimateEmergency.
Finding alternatives to our favourite dirty words
An energy crisis built on an obsession with fossil fuels. Can alternative energy resources save the day for South Africa?
The war on waste pickers
South Africa’s waste pickers are critical to our recycling economy and green future, yet they are marginalised, maligned, and discarded.
The greenbacks in mobile phone mines
Consumer products rule our world. Period. And in our modern lives, electronic equipment is no longer a luxury – it is a necessity.
Hands off our grasslands
Grasslands are vastly biodiverse areas and vital for the sustainability of human wellbeing.
How grass dances with fire
Grasslands have unique strategies that have ensured the enduring survival of southern Africa’s veld.
The changing nature of accounting
The days are gone where companies must only report on their financial bottom line. Now they should report on their impact on the environment too.
An evolving understanding of extinction
Palaeoscientists are uniquely placed to interrogate the Earth’s geological records, the origin and development of life, biodiversity change, and extinctions.
Climate engineering: saving the world or smoke and mirrors?
Q&A with Professor Bob Scholes on a major project that is about to begin at Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ to look at potential and problems with four climate engineering ideas.
Dare to care in an ocean of apathy and expenditure
COLUMN: Black Friday blues’ impact on my quest to go green, on my green backs, and the implications for Earth.
Jacarandas then and now
Monitoring the timing of recurring biological events is key to understanding the effects of climate change.
Ancient southern African rock engravings finally find a fitting home
The Origin Centre has added a new wing that's perfect for a visit, the Rock Engraving Archive.
Early modern humans cooked starchy food in South Africa 170 000 years ago
The discovery also points to food being shared and the use of wooden digging sticks to extract the plants from the ground
Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ Gold Medallist shares lessons on ladders of learning
Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ awarded a Gold Medal to John Teeger, President of the Board of Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ Fund Inc., an independent fundraising entity representing Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ in the USA.
Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ leads Quantum Computing National Working Group
“Investment in quantum technologies in South Africa is crucial if we want to leverage the next level of discovery research,” says Professor Zeblon Vilakazi.
Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ light research among 2019’s best in optics in the world
‘Fractal light from lasers’ research by Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ physicists named among the most influential in optics and photonics in 2019.
Decoding Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½’ innovations the past 100 years
EDITORIAL: It is only through understanding yesterday that we can shape today and create tomorrow.
Surfing the data tsunami tomorrow
Humankind is facing an ever-growing data tsunami that could swamp us as a species – or provide us with unheard of opportunities.
Fair trade: Your soul for data?
In an increasingly data-driven world, are we just walking data sources for the benefit of giant multinational corporations?
Plugging digital leaks
Data are gathering in pools and lakes. As we dip our toes into these murky waters, we see a sign that says, ‘Here be dragons…’
Diagnosing the dead and predicting mortality
A new generation of apps could soon help health professions to decode the causes of death, and predict the likelihood of dying.
Lingua franca of mathematics
Speaking to visitors from outer space would one day require a common language and one not found in a dictionary.
Tropical cyclones in the South West Indian Ocean: new insights
As storm directions change, countries that are outside the usual tropical storm zones need to ready themselves.
Structured light promises path to faster, more secure communications
Quantum mechanics is embracing patterns of light to create an alphabet that can be leveraged to build a light-based quantum network.
Origins Centre opens new rock art archive in newly built wing
The rock art archive is the first of three new floors that will provide public access to some of South Africa's most valuable historical finds.
Science and science teaching are at a global crossroads
We need to think more deeply about how we can develop science more extensively on a global scale for the common good of all of humanity.
A legacy of excellence in applied mathematics
Prof. David Mason from the School of Computer Science and Applied Mathematics has dedicated his life to inspiring excellence and producing quality graduates.
Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ executives visit Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ students at CERN
A delegation from Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ University, headed by the Vice-Chancellor and Principal, Professor Adam Habib, visited the European Laboratory, CERN.
Large-scale forestation of African savannas will destroy valuable ecosystems and ecotourism sites
African scientists speak out about global plans to plant trees on their continent.
Did a large meteorite hit the earth 12,800 years ago? Here’s new evidence
Could platinum-rich dust associated with the impact of a very large meteorite have contributed to major climatic change and extinctions 12,800 years ago?
Explainer: Why phenology is key in tracking climate change
Monitoring the timing of recurring biological events is key to understanding the effects of climate change.
50 years on: What we learned from South Africa’s biggest quake
There are three important issues to consider when thinking about quakes: what causes them; how to prepare and plan for them; and, how to move on afterwards.
Homo naledi and Australopithecus sediba travel to the States
The South African national treasures will for the first time ever go on display for international audiences, when it is exhibited in Dallas, Texas
New research supports hypothesis that asteroid contributed to mass extinction
First African evidence to support hypothesis of an asteroid impact that contributed to the extinction of large animals 12 800 years ago.
Maths whizkid bags scholarship to study at Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½
Talented Grade 12 learner Phila Mahlangu was awarded a scholarship to study at Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ at the 2019 Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ Maths Competition prize giving.
Croc-like carnivores terrorised Triassic dinosaurs in southern Africa 210 million years ago
Rauisuchians fed on vegetarian dinosaurs according to Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ student Rick Tolchard.
Investments to address climate change are good for business
An internationally respected group of scientists, including Professor Francois Engelbrecht Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ have urgently called for world leaders to tackle climate change.
Can robots decide on right and wrong?
The '4IR: Philosophical, Ethical, Legal Dimensions' conference explored the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR).
School of Chemistry launches new AI research initiative for Africa
Africans should be the contributors, shapers and owners of the coming advances in artificial intelligence and machine learning, says Professor Zeblon Vilakazi.
Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ies part of #InspiringFiftySA
Women’s Month ends on a high note as two female academics make it to the 2019 #InspiringFiftySA list.
Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ies wow as Women in Science
Female Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ academics and students were recognised at the annual South African Women in Science Awards.
Top physicist joins Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½
Professor Nithaya Chetty has been appointed as the new Dean of the Faculty of Science from 1 December 2019.
Hidden in plain sight
A fossil hidden in plain sight in South Africa turns out to be a new dinosaur.
How our African ancestors made sound in the Stone Age
Researchers show how some bone artefacts from archaeological sites in South Africa's southern Cape region might have been used in sound production.
Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ green chemists find a way to turn cashew nut shells into sunscreen
Team is working on techniques to produce useful compounds from wood and fast growing non-edible plant waste, through a chemical process named xylochemistry.
Cancer research wins hearts at Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ Science Slam
Sourav Saha, a PhD student in the School of Molecular and Cell Biology won first prize at the Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ Science Slam competition for his cancer treatment research.
Southern Africa heading towards climate tipping points
Professor Francois Engelbrecht from the Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ GCI stresses climate risks for southern Africa in talk on Africa’s projected climate change futures in Accra, Ghana
Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ PhD student wins international prize for best journal article in JOSA A
Article aimed to disprove a long-held myth in the field of optics that Bessel beams are self-healing and can reconstruct after all forms of obstructions.
Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ University PhD student discovers new species of early dinosaur
New dinosaur was discovered after it lying misidentified in the university's vaults for over 30 years.
Ancient drop of water rewrites Earth's history
The remains of a microscopic drop of ancient seawater was used to re-establish the date that plate tectonics started on Earth.
We tracked South Africa’s sardine run over 66 years: here’s what we found
South Africa's annual sardine run is occurring increasingly late, and there have been instances where it doesn't happen at all. Here's why.
Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ hosts National Science Week
Scores of high school learners from around Gauteng will be hosted by Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ for National Science Week 2019.
Places we once called home
Archaeologists and anthropologists peer into original homes of the past to see what made us who we are today.
, Michael Westgate (PhD Candidate), Mpofana Sihoyiya (MSc candidate), Prof.jpg "Kenneth Rapetsoa (MSc Candidate), Michael Westgate (PhD Candidate), Mpofana Sihoyiya (MSc candidate), Prof. Musa Manzi (Director, Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ Seismic Research Centre), and Philip Staley (Senior project geologist, Sibanye-Stillwater)")
Sibanye-Stillwater donates R50m worth of seismic data to Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½
Sibanye-Stillwater has donated their 2D/3D reflection seismic data worth R50m to the Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ Seismic Research Centre of the School of Geosciences.
Prof. Lynn Wadley elected as Fellow of the British Academy
Wadley has been made a Fellow of The British Academy in recognition of her outstanding contribution to the field of archaeology.
-Homo-naledi.-cc-John-Hawks_Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½-University.jpg "Homo naledi and Australopithecus sediba will go on public display at the Perot Museum in Dallas, Texas.")
Homo naledi and Australopithecus sediba to be exhibited in Perot Museum
South Africa's greatest fossil discoveries in modern times to be showcased for the first time to a global audience.
Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ies dominate M&G Top 200 list
Over 40 Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ alumni, students and staff members were included in the 2019 Mail and Guardian Top 200 supplement.
How did elephants evolve such a large brain? Climate change is part of the answer
Elephants have long captivated our attention, partly because of their sheer size and majesty. But we’re also struck by their complex behaviour.
Building an inclusive circular economy: Recycling with reclaimers
A Johannesburg-based pilot will formally integrate reclaimers (waste pickers) into the recycling economy of South Africa for the important service they provide.
South Africa takes a quantum leap and joins the race
Quantum technologies are exploding and no longer the purview of laboratory experiments only.
Dung beetles get wind
Dung beetles use different directional sensors to achieve the highest possible navigational precision in different conditions.
China beckons Limpopo fellow
Spreading his wings through international exposure - Thabiso is the first Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ie to be awarded the prestigious scholarship.
Tropical cyclones are on the rise in southern Africa
Southern Africa has seen a rise in tropical cyclones recently. Why? Listen to Pasha 20, The Conversation Africa’s podcast on research.
The secret of platinum deposits revealed by novel field observations in the Bushveld Complex
Research from the Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ School of Geoscience shows how platinum deposits form in the Bushveld Complex of South Africa.
Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ies finalists in Science Oscars
Eight Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ies are finalists in six categories of the NSTF-South 32 Awards, dubbed the ‘Science Oscars’.
There’s still so much we don’t know about the star-gazing beetle with a tiny brain
Edited extract from 'The Dance of the Dung Beetles', a new book authored Dr Helen Lunn and Professor Marcus Byrne published by Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ University Press.
The "big data mess" and how to clean it up
A rethink of operational processes as a complex system, and the application of machine learning as an adaptive analytical framework.
Earliest evidence of the cooking and eating of starch
Early human beings who lived around 120 000 years ago in South Africa were “ecological geniuses” who were able to exploit their environment intelligently.
Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ celebrates its nationally rated researchers
The Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ Research Office has recognised scholars at the University whom the National Research Foundation has (re)rated and those awarded nationally and at Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½.
Why the Indian Ocean is spawning strong and deadly tropical cyclones
The Indian Ocean has made its mark on the global news cycle this year.
Software licence donation advances Geosciences
Petroleum Experts Ltd has donated an academic software licence worth R25m to the School of Geosciences.
Light pollution: the dark side of keeping the lights on
New research show mounting evidence that increased lighting has a range of negative effects on all life on earth.
New fossil find may shed light on how sabre toothed predators evolved
Prehistoric bestiary is full of remarkable creatures and fearsome predators.
‘We are all one’ - A must-see exhibition on why we are
Successful Early Sapiens Behaviour Exhibition extended and taking place at Iziko Museum in Cape Town.
Team of scientists set record for light-matter interaction
The team of physicists has created a tiny superconducting circuit that mimics the quantum mechanical process in which an atom absorbs or emits light.
Africa cannot afford to take the back seat in one of the most important pursuits of modern science
The continent needs its own experts to harness Artificial Intelligence towards our local challenges and priorities in Africa.
Tropical cyclone Idai: The storm that knew no boundaries
This storm provides a grim prospect of the future of tropical cyclones in southern Africa, a region under continued threat from climate change.
Father of Green Chemistry an Honorary Royal Fellow
The Royal Society of Chemistry has admitted Professor Roger Sheldon as an honorary fellow.
Show us your science
Do you have what it takes to explain a scientific concept in three minutes?
Cape Town has a plan to manage its water. But there are big gaps
The City of Cape Town – and southwest Africa more generally – experienced its worst drought on record between 2015 and 2018.
Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ hosts unique e-Science teaching platform
Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ is the hub of a unique cross-disciplinary postgraduate e-Science training platform.
Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½’ supercomputing students win big
Our teams excel in Centre for High Performance Computing Student Cluster Competition.
Scientists split on South Africa’s winter and summer rainfall zones
South Africa is among a handful of countries that experience winter rainfall in some areas and summer rainfall in others.
New research shows lasers can create fractals
Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ researchers prove the long-held theory by making the first direct observation of fractal light from lasers.
Ancient asteroid impacts played a role in creation of Earth’s future continents
The heavy bombardment of terrestrial planets by asteroids from space has contributed to the formation of the early evolved crust on Earth.
South African-Scottish research team demonstrate fractal light from lasers
Team confirms a 20-year-old prediction that “nature’s geometry” could be recreated by the use of laser technology.
Australopithecus sediba: No such thing as a missing link
Autralopithecus sediba is not the missing link that connects modern man to its more primitive ancestors.
International researchers confirm species status of Sediba skeleton
Four papers published in a special issue of the open access journal, PaleoAnthropology, address critiques of Sediba, confirming it is indeed a unique species.
Little Foot’s inner ear sheds light on her movement and behaviour
MicroCT scans of the 3.67-million-year-old Australopithecus fossil known as Little Foot shed some light on how she lived and moved.
Secrets of an ancient fossil’s brain and inner ear
Virtual images help researchers to present and explore new scenarios about how our ancestors lived and evolved.
Food takes root in Africa
Africa has the ability and resources to feed the world, but much needs to be done on a continent full of challenges, opportunities and pitfalls.
Crunchy on the outside, squishy on the inside
Edible stinkbugs and pre-dawn insect hunts; only for the brave.
What not to eat
Although eating insects might stave off starvation in a survival situation, chowing down on foam grasshoppers or red-yellow-black bugs could be fatal.
The chemistry of chaos and the magic moringa
PROFILE: Professor Luke Chimuka developed a method to produce an extract from the moringa plant that is used as a dietary supplement.
Little Foot's history revealed for the first time
Professor Ron Clarke's 14-year-long excavation of the Little Foot skeleton reveals her history through the ages.
Peering into Little Foot’s 3.67 million-year-old brain
First ever endocast of the nearly complete brain of the hominin known as Little Foot reveals a small brain combining ape-like and human-like features.
Shedding a new light on optical trapping and tweezing
Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ physicists demonstrate a new device for manipulating and moving tiny objects with light.
Detective mission to characterise and trace the history of a new African meteorite
Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ researchers go on a mission to describe, classify and trace the 4.5 billion-year-old history of a meteorite that landed in Madagascar.
10 years of SA-CERN
Collaboration on Fundamental Physics celebrates a decade, of among others, Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½’ involvement in accelerated technology development.
Experts find stone tools connected communities
Stone tools from the Middle Stone Age in South Africa shows that different communities were connected over long time periods over vast geographical areas.
Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ Professor Lee Berger wins Science for Society Gold Medal
The Academy for Science SA (ASSAf) awarded Berger its Gold Medal for excellence in the application of outstanding scientific thinking in service to society.
Climate change: We should react with speed, focus and urgency
GCI Director Barend Erasmus gives insight into the latest alarming IPCC Special Report on Global Warming.
Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ partner on physics education conference
Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ University is the co-host of the International Conference on Physics Education, which is being held at the Misty Hills Hotel this week.
Awards for Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ researchers advancing science for society
The National Research Foundation has recognised Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ researchers for advancing their fields.
First South African fossil hunters
Public Lecture series to celebrate Heritage Day will focus on the earliest fossil hunters in Southern Africa and their findings.
Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ scientists closer to slowing progression of Alzheimer’s
A breakthrough by Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ scientists could see patients with Alzheimer’s use a nasal spray to slow down the progression of the disease, the main cause of dementia.
Art and science collide to provoke new thinking about water
What does a polluted river sound like? How does sand-filtered water taste? Will acid mine drainage scald your skin? Do oceans echo?
Two new Chinese dinosaurs discovered
New fossils from north China shed light on the incremental evolution of insect-eating dinosaurs.
Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ signs Memorandum of Understanding with Perot Museum
The MOU is part of the Museum’s new focus on human origins, plans to increase research, produce traveling exhibitions, and cultivate scientific communications.
Largest symposium in almost 50 years
School of Geosciences congratulated on “one of the best” International Platinum Symposiums ever.
Fragment of impacting asteroid recovered in Botswana
Researchers from the Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ School of Geosciences were involved in locating the fall area of the meteorite in Botswana’s Central Kalahari Game Reserve.
Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ researchers on the red carpet at "Science Oscars”
Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ academics Prof. Ian Jandrell, Dr Musa Manzi and Prof. Stephen Tollman have won prestigious NSTF-South32 Awards, the “Science Oscars” of research.
In the gaping mouth of ancient crocodiles
As a modern apex preditor, the crocodile's mode of attack - its mouth - had humble beginnings
Scientists peep deep into a diamond to examine its defects
Researchers take a deep look into a diamond to see how the atoms in its platelet defects are arranged in the hardest natural material known to man.
Computational models show that planets can easily exist in triple star systems
Researchers map out regions where exoplanets can exist within triple star systems.
First tetrapods of Africa lived within the Devonian Antarctic Circle
Fossils of two new species of these four-legged vertebrates also evolved in polar regions, and not just in the tropics as previously believed.
Bridging the digital divide with photonics
Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ physicists and engineers team up to tackle Africa’s digital divide with home grown technologies
Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ students at CERN meet with Science Minister and UN ambassador
Students rub shoulders with Minister of Science and Technology and the Head of the Mission of South Africa to the United Nations in Geneva.
The heat of acid mine drainage
Mining is a key contributor to South Africa’s economic development but its effect on the environment could spell disaster.
Our pale blue dot
Q&A with Professor David Block from the Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ School of Computer Science and Applied Mathematics.
New study reveals the secret of magmas that produce South Africa's national treasures
Study conducted by the School of Geosciences reveals how platinum-bearing chromite layers form in the crust of the Earth.
Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ researchers are World Academy Scientists
Professors Bob Scholes and Shabir Madhi have been elected as Fellows of the prestigious The World Academy of Sciences (TWAS).
Sustainable impact from a founding father of green chemistry
A Distinguished Professor of Biocatalysis at Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½, Roger Sheldon has published a paper on green chemistry in a prestigious high-impact research journal.
Keeping famine weed at bay
A leaf-feeding beetle is one of the most promising agents that help South Africa to control the spread of its worst invader plant.
Yum yum! Tasty termites
Rich in proteins, fats, vitamins and nutrients - PhD-student unearths the benefits of edible termites in new study.
Print a 200-million-year-old dinosaur fossil in your own home
CT-scan study of Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ PHD student makes it possible to 3D print the skull of the dinosaur species Massospondylus that roamed South Africa 200 million years ago.
Lee Berger named SA’s ‘most visible’ scientist
Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ palaeoanthropologist tops 25 300 others in a new study on highly visible scientists.
Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½’ optics research among best in 2017
Research into optics and photonics by Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ physicists has been highlighted as some of the most influential in 2017.
Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ Dean of Science a Royal Society Fellow
The Dean of the Faculty of Science at Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ University has been elected as a Fellow of the Royal Society of South Africa.
Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ University scientists highly cited worldwide
Two scientists from Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ University are on the list of Highly Cited Researchers in the world.
Thinking big by burning small
Creative management of grazing through the use small fires can draw back herbivores to grazing areas that are avoided by animals.
Lost mountains in the Karoo reveal the secrets of massive extinction event
Fossil records near the lost Gondwanides mountains show that the Permian-Triassic extinction started 1 million years prior to what was previously believed.
Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ team involved in international breakthrough in astronomical observation
Breakthrough paves the way for future Multi-Messenger astronomical observations
Systems Analysis: Seeing the bigger picture
In September, the Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ Rural Facility became a ‘lab in the bush’ for a hands-on systems analysis thinking and modelling programme.
Early 'homebodies'
New study finds 'staying longer at home' was key to Stone Age technology change some 60 000 years ago.
Light to break bandwidth ceiling
The rise of big data and advances in information technology has serious implications for our ability to deliver sufficient bandwidth to meet the growing demand.
Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ researchers excel at National Research Foundation Awards
Nine researchers from Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ University were recognised by the National Research Foundation (NRF) at the 2017 NRF Research Awards in Bloemfontein last night.
Using high tech to tell the story of ancient man
Origin Centre's new Virtual Reality experience uses state of the art communications technology to tell the story of what makes us human.
A leader among leaders in archaeology
The National Research Foundation (NRF) has awarded an A1-rating to Professor Lyn Wadley.
Habitat destruction and poaching is threatening the Sungazer
Novel genetic techniques might be used to understand the effects of habitat transformation as well as to combat illegal trade of the animals.
Aardvarks’ tragic fate points to worrying consequences for wildlife as a result of climate change
The aardvark will become increasingly rare as the world warms and dries, and the consequences go well beyond a decline in aardvark safari encounters.
'Invasive' species have been around much longer than believed
Pollen record of plant, that is currently being eradicated, extends much further back than the 100 years it is believed to be growing in the Lesotho Highlands.
Mathematics - A gateway to many career paths
About 70 percent of career paths need mathematics, says Professor Loyiso Nongxa.
New ultra-clean isotope geoscience laboratory opens up a new world of research
New laboratory will work closely with the University of Johannesburg to offer southern African scientists a local solution for isotope analysis.
Why this small continental fragment in the Indian Ocean matters
Far beneath Mauritius’ inactive volcanoes lies an astonishing, important piece of the Earth’s history: a fragment of ancient continental crust.
"Lost continent" found under Mauritius
Lava-covered piece of continent is an ancient remnant, left over from the break-up of the supercontinent, Gondwana, which started about 200 million years ago.
Extracting maximum value from the Moringa plant
Professor Luke Chimuka in the School of Chemistry developed a method to produce an extract from the Moringa plant through pressurised hot water extraction.
Understanding CLIC proteins
Health Awareness Month: Dr Sadhna Mathura is excavating the hidden potential of chloride intracellular channel (CLIC) proteins in the human body.