NWU vision, values and mission. Message from the vice-chancellor. Messages from the campuses. NRF-rated researchers at the NWU

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2 INDEX NWU vision, values and mission Message from the vice-chancellor Messages from the campuses Message from the Executive Director: Research and Innovation NRF-rated researchers at the NWU PhD students delivered in 2010 Research excellence awards Research entities Research centres of excellence Research units Research focus areas Research niche areas Other NWU centres and institutes focusing on research Specialist academic services for research Contact information List of abbreviations Acknowledgements INDEX 1

3 NWU VISION, VALUES AND MISSION VISION To be a pre-eminent university in Africa, driven by the pursuit of knowledge and innovation. VALUES The North-West University subscribes to the values of human dignity, equality, freedom, integrity, tolerance, respect, commitment to excellence, scholarly engagement, academic freedom, justice and transparency. MISSION To become a balanced teaching-learning and research university and to implement its expertise in an innovative way. This the institution will achieve as it lives its values, strives for sound management and pursues transformation, while being locally engaged, nationally relevant and internationally recognised. The mission elements comprise positioning, core-business and effective management: POSITIONING Mission element 1: Work towards increased unity as a value-driven multi-campus institution with diversified niche markets that transforms continually in terms of positioning, academic profile, equity and redress in order to help meet the needs of Southern Africa. CORE BUSINESS Mission element 2: Develop, educate and empower through innovative and high quality teaching learning, well-rounded graduates who are able to think laterally and critically in their service to the country and its people. Mission element 3: Develop and maintain high-quality, relevant and focused research, aligned with national priorities, supplying innovative solutions to challenges faced by the scholarly community, the country, the continent and the world. Mission element 4: Expand the implementation of expertise, both commercially and community-directed, for the benefit of the province, the country, the Southern African region, the continent and ultimately the world. EFFECTIVE MANAGEMENT Mission element 5: Be an accountable, effective, wellmanaged, financially viable and innovative university, with a strong client focus to enhance and improve the quality of the core business. NWU VISION, VALUES AND MISSION 2

4 MESSAGE FROM THE VICE-CHANCELLOR Dr Theuns Eloff The NWU strives to become a balanced teaching-learning and research university. In turn, the research and innovation mission of the university is to undertake highquality, relevant and focused research that is aligned with national priorities. In order to do this, it is important to create an enabling research environment for academic staff members, and to ensure that the continuous improvement of the research profile of the NWU remains in focus. This strategy is carried out by means of the structure of the research entities model at each of the campuses, and entails in practical terms that each of these campuses develops, establishes and enhances its own research-related strong points was a highlight on the research calendar of the NWU: Article equivalents increased from 409 in 2009 to 511 in The subsidised article output increased by 22% to 578,24 units, in comparison to the previous year s 452,5 units. The per capita output for articles increased from 0,49 in 2009 to 0,55 in 2010, indicating that we can expect to reach the 0,60 target soon. In terms of weighted postgraduate awards, 353 master s degrees and 387 PhDs were awarded. The total research output increased from in 2009 to in The number of postdoctoral fellows increased from 48 to 69. NRF funding increased by approximately 30% from 2009 to 2010, and more than R33m was allocated to the NWU. With an amount of R21m, the NWU received the most THRIP funding of any university in South Africa. The commercialisation of expertise of NWU researchers was by no means neglected: more than R2m was earned in royalties, and the gross income from sales based on our own intellectual property products amounted to more than R1,5m. With more than 300 community projects ranging from a social development trust to community-based research and community engagement partnerships the NWU shoulders its responsibility in the respective environments of the campuses of the university. With this short introduction to the NWU 2010 Annual Research Report, it should be evident that the university is well on its way towards realising its mission. We are proud of our staff members who are dedicated and who reach impressive research heights; we are grateful to our research partners for long-standing partnerships; we pay tribute to our donors without whose support the NWU would not have been in a position to maintain a sustainable research growth curve. DR THEUNS ELOFF Vice-Chancellor MESSAGE: VICE-CHANCELLOR 3

5 MESSAGE FROM THE MAFIKENG CAMPUS Prof Mogege Mosimege The year 2010 has again shown improvement in terms of research output at the Mafikeng Campus. The campus exceeded the specified target in the Campus Plan, as well as the revised target set at the last Institutional Senate meeting of The output translates into 0,26 article equivalents per academic staff member at the campus. This indicates that the initiatives started at the campus are bearing fruit and that a productive research culture is taking shape. Although the numbers are still small, they are promising. The following initiatives are helping the campus to make a difference with respect to research output: The appointment of research professors: Each faculty has now appointed a research professor, and some faculties have taken the initiative to appoint additional research professors from their own resources. An increase in the number of NRF-rated staff: At the end of 2010, the campus had six NRF-rated staff members. An increase in capacity for postgraduate supervision and research: At the end of 2010, the proportion of staff with doctoral degrees had increased to 39%. Establishment of research entities: The second niche area was approved at the end of October 2010 and there are plans to make submissions for one or two more research entities. increased output and quality research. The campus is looking to the two research entities to be more productive than they have been before. Another challenge for the campus is to encourage other faculties to do a little more than they have done, so that there is no dependence on one faculty or on just a few researchers on campus. There are staff members who are still spending 100% of their time on teaching-learning and seem to find it difficult to create and maintain a balance between teaching-learning and research. This needs to change and change fast. Congratulations to all the staff members who ensured that the research output in 2010 reached 58 units. Prof Eno Ebenso (Chemistry) and Prof Masood Khalique (Mathematics) deserve special mention for their efforts and contribution. They did not only contribute to the high output of the campus and in particular the Faculty of Agriculture, Science and Technology, but they also applied for and received NRF ratings. As stated in the 2009 Mafikeng Campus Research Index, the campus s philosophy is Upward ever, downward never! Perhaps it is appropriate to add to this metaphor the following: Moving up to where we need to be as a campus in terms of research output. These initiatives are an indication that the campus is likely to increase its output in 2011 and exceed the 58 article equivalents attained in MESSAGE: MAFIKENG CAMPUS It is important to ensure that the improved qualifications and the appointment of research professors translate into PROF MOGEGE MOSIMEGE Vice-Rector: Teaching-Learning and Research 4

6 MESSAGE FROM THE POTCHEFSTROOM CAMPUS Prof Herman van Schalkwyk Prof Amanda Lourens We are proud to share the 2010 research highlights of the Potchefstroom Campus with the readers of this report. It has been an excellent year in terms of our research output. We have exceeded our targets and are grateful for and proud of the hard work and commitment of our researchers. During 2010, we focused on our strategic planning and initiated a number of discussion sessions on campus. The responsibility of the Potchefstroom Campus in achieving the mission of the NWU was defined and a campus-specific mission was formulated accordingly. The newly formulated mission is to become a research-directed campus where teaching-learning and research are mutually reinforcing. In order to achieve its mission, the campus addressed five critical priorities: the institutional framework, the quality of our students, the quality of our staff, infrastructure, and funding. These strategic priorities will be regularly reviewed and assessed to ensure that our plans and programmes are aligned. have been successful in attracting more international funding opportunities. We were again amongst the top five institutions that received industry-related (NRF/THRIP funding. We significantly increased the number of postdoctoral fellows. The focus of our publication output was on impact and quality, with 54% of our subsidised publications in international journals. We have again invested significantly in specialised research equipment, as well as the appointment of research professors (eight positions in total) to further strengthen our research culture within the research entities on campus. A large number of our academic staff and postgraduate students received awards (Academy of Science, Department of Science and Technology, the South African Academy for Science and Arts, etc.). We initiated a series of academic discussions with staff members, postgraduate students and postdoctoral fellows as part of our brain-bag discussion series. The 2010 analysis of these issues indicates that we have good basic foundations in place from which to build and achieve our mission. The research entities and centres have progressed significantly during 2010, as can be seen from the wide range of output highlighted in this report in relation to each of the entities. Our focus has been on the standard and culture of research in relation to output, productivity, postgraduates, postdoctoral fellows, National Research Foundation (NRF) ratings, funding and staff qualifications. Apart from the many highlights presented in this report by our research entities and centres, we would like to share a few achievements and growth areas: The Potchefstroom Campus exceeded the targets set for research output in the approved 2010 Campus Plan. We continued to diversify our research funding base and The campus will continue to focus on the relevance and impact of our research endeavours and especially our involvement in the local communities so as to be more relevant in the North West Province. We furthermore strengthened our International Office on campus to support our drive to be more engaged and involved in international programmes and initiatives. We would like to congratulate our colleagues on the Potchefstroom Campus for their outstanding work and excellent research. This report serves as proof of a dedicated and growing research culture on this campus. PROF HERMAN VAN SCHALKWYK Rector: Potchefstroom Campus PROF AMANDA LOURENS Vice-Rector: Research and Planning MESSAGE: POTCHEFSTROOM CAMPUS 5

7 MESSAGE FROM THE VAAL TRIANGLE CAMPUS Prof Linda du Plessis Do a little more than you re paid to do. Give a little more than you have to. Try a little harder than you normally would. Aim a little higher than you think you can reach and success is bound to follow.this is the motto of the Vaal Triangle Campus in dealing with challenges. Every year has its own unique challenges for example, in 2010, we had to adjust our schedule to accommodate the FIFA World Cup. Over the past three years, our first-year intake has increased by an average of 18% per annum. In 2010 we welcomed no fewer than 30 new staff members. We are all feeling the impact of the rapid growth on the campus. Despite the challenges of growth, we have not neglected our core business. In 2009 we boasted 48 articles/equivalents. In 2010, our output increased to 69 accredited articles/equivalents. One of our strategic priorities is to broaden the base of active researchers. In 2009, 24 staff members produced all the accredited publications. In 2010, the number of active researchers increased to 35 staff members who were collectively responsible for the total number of articles produced by the campus. Positive Psychology, Multilingual Speech Technology and Risk Management. We are optimistic that more niche research areas will be formalised in the near future. We are proud to list the following staff members who have been nationally and internationally recognised for involvement in research activities: Prof Linda Theron was nominated as the most productive senior researcher on the Vaal Triangle Campus. She was also promoted to full professor. Prof Bertus van Rooy received a nomination as an international leader in research at the institutional function for research excellence. Prof Susan Coetzee van Rooy was re-evaluated in 2010 and received a C2 NRF rating. Prof Jaco Gericke was nominated as junior researcher of the year on the campus. Prof Shikha Vyas-Doorgapersad was promoted to associate professor from 1 January I sincerely wish to thank all staff members for the role they have played on our campus, and I hope that our achievements will rise to even greater heights in the future. MESSAGE: VAAL TRIANGLE CAMPUS Add to this the fact that another 11 staff members have improved their qualifications, and it is clear that we really are paving the way for sustainable research on the campus. Our UPSET focus area, standing for Understanding and Processing Language in Complex Settings, has been firmly established on campus and is conducting world-class research. As part of our research capacity building, we have identified research clusters in various disciplines, such as Real optimism is to be aware of problems but to find solutions; to acknowledge difficulties but believe that they can be overcome. PROF LINDA DU PLESSIS Vice-Rector: Academic, Quality and Planning 6

8 MESSAGE FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR: RESEARCH AND INNOVATION Prof Frikkie van Niekerk The Research and Innovation mission of the NWU is to develop and maintain high-quality, relevant and focused research, aligned with national priorities, supplying innovative solutions to challenges faced by the scholarly community, the country, the continent and the world. Critical success factors for achieving this mission include: Creating an enabling environment for research staff, improving the qualification profile of these staff members, and developing staff capacity. Improving the research profile of the NWU in terms of total research output, productivity and focused excellence. Finding and establishing an effective mechanism to measure and improve the throughput of postgraduate students, and specifically to reverse the observed decline in enrolments of PhD and master s students. Monitoring implementation of and refining the research entities model, while also refining quality assurance processes and mechanisms. Research and innovation highlights NWU is proud of its talented research and innovation staff corps. Besides numerous accolades received by staff and research niche areas, highlights were noted across the spectrum of the university s research and innovation activities: Progress was made in establishing collaborative research competency centres and platforms such as the Department of Science and Technology (DST) Hydrogen Infrastructure Competency Centre (Potchefstroom Campus with the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR)), the DST National Metabolomics Platform (Potchefstroom Campus) and the DST Indigenous Knowledge Systems Competency Centre (Mafikeng Campus with the University of Venda and the University of Limpopo). Approval was received to establish new collaborative research entities hosted by the NWU, namely the DST National Pre-clinical Drug Development Platform and the dti Centre of Excellence in Advanced Manufacturing. Two new research entities were established. They are the focus area Understanding and Processing Language in Complex Settings (UPSET) on the Vaal Triangle Campus, and the niche area Food Security and Safety in the North West Province on the Mafikeng Campus. The status of two entities was upgraded. The niche area Hypertension in Africa Research Team (HART) became a focus area and the Unit for Space Physics was upgraded to a Centre of Excellence. The NWU was again the top earner in the Technology and Human Resources for Industry Programme (THRIP) of the National Research Foundation (NRF). A good THRIP performance is indicative of an understanding of triple helix relationships where higher education institutions, the private sector and the public sector form sustainable, innovative collaborations. The North West Provincial Government approved the North-West Science Park (NWSP) as a priority project for the province. It is expected that good progress will be made in establishing the Science Park in The Community Engagement portfolio was established and the NWU Social Development Trust gained momentum. Successful workshops were conducted to introduce key role players to sustainability management and reporting. The NWU invested R25 million of its own funds in research equipment. The amount included R10 million for replacing ageing equipment. A special fund was established for the appointment of research professors and this has already proven valuable in strengthening the NWU research profile. MESSAGE: EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Prof Lucas Venter Director: Research Support Dr Rudi van der Walt Director: Innovation Ms Bibi Bouwman Director: Community Engagement 7

9 At the annual prestige dinner on 29 October 2010, the university celebrated the achievements of its topperforming researchers. Among them were: o o o o o o o o 14 researchers who had successfully registered patents; The recipients of the S 2 A 3 and ABSA Bronze medals for the best master s degrees submitted on the various campuses; 23 researchers who achieved an NRF rating or rerating; Four staff members recognised for their creative outputs; Three staff members and three research groups recognised for their inventiveness and innovation; Two centres and five staff members acknowledged for their commitment to community engagement; Five staff members for exceptional leadership and contributions to international organisations, and The most productive junior and senior researcher and the most productive research entity. Research statistics Key research indicators for the year were the number of article equivalents published, the number of researchers with NRF ratings, master s and doctoral enrolments and graduations, and postdoctoral fellowships awarded. Publication output The NWU s subsidised publication output consists of accredited journal articles, books and conference proceedings. Total publications output for the year came to 578,24 units, which is an increase of 22% against the previous year s 452,5 units. Of the journal articles published, 53,8% (275 units) appeared in Institute for Scientific Information (ISI) journals, compared to 35,5% in Per capita output, referring to articles published per academic per year, increased from 0,49 in 2009 to 0,55 in The aim is to increase this to 0,60 units in the coming academic year. Breakdown of research output in the key categories since 2004 Research output (not final) Article equivalents Conference proceedings MESSAGE: EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Books Total article equivalents published Number of NRF-accredited researchers Master s degrees conferred Research master s Research master s weighted Doctoral degrees conferred Doctoral degrees weighted Total research output Postdoctoral fellows

10 NWU publication output between 2005 and 2010 MAFIKENG CAMPUS FACULTY Human and Social Sciences ,33 8,40 Agriculture, Science and Technology 3,03 8,03 5,58 16,43 26,85 37,48 Commerce and Administration 1,66 1 0,5 2,2 1,63 1 Law ,5 1 5 Education Vice -Rector ,50 0 Other (Academic Development Centre) TOTAL 7,69 13,03 10,08 26,13 32,31 52,88 POTCHEFSTROOM CAMPUS FACULTY Other (campus rector) ,75 Faculty of Arts 36,7 49, ,5 62,74 52,99 Natural Sciences 50,55 54,55 58,08 79,16 54,57 80,35 Theology 46,17 55, ,67 55,17 66,83 Educational Sciences 17,25 12,83 16,73 20,13 37,08 36,33 Economic and Management Sciences 21,42 35,86 23,67 42,44 28,83 42,63 Law 23,82 24,32 30,32 31,83 22,50 15,83 Engineering 16, ,67 13,67 8,65 9,5 Health Sciences 67,67 65,91 93,34 89,71 64,48 90,79 TOTAL 280,03 313,3 320,81 405,11 334,02 396,04 VAAL TRIANGLE CAMPUS FACULTY Other (campus rector) ,5 0 0 Humanities 30,16 25,17 27,34 35,78 40,75 57,83 MESSAGE: EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Economic Sciences and Information Technology ,5 5,87 4 TOTAL 30,16 25,17 27,34 39,78 46,62 61,83 9

11 INSTITUTIONAL OFFICE , ,75 0,61 0 TOTAL NWU Journal Articles 318,38 351,5 358,23 473,77 413,56 510,75 Books Mafikeng 0 0 0,09 0,25 0,17 2,83 Potchefstroom 0,23 1,55 5,95 4,31 4,31 21,21 Vaal Triangle 0 0 0,09 0,26 0,08 0,41 TOTAL NWU Books 0,23 1,55 6,13 4,82 4,56 24,45 Conference proceedings Mafikeng ,67 3,67 3,09 Potchefstroom 7,58 7,8 10,91 30,38 29,79 32,97 Vaal Triangle 0 0 0,5 0 0,92 6,98 Total Conference proceedings 7,58 7,8 8,79 34,05 34,3 43,04 Total Books/Conference proceedings 7,81 9,35 17,99 38,87 38,94 67,49 Total NWU 326,19 360,85 376,22 512,64 452,50 578,24 Total number of research units 1600 MESSAGE: EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR (not final) Master s and doctoral degrees Since 2006, there has been a downward trend in the number of master s degrees awarded, but an increase in doctoral degrees awarded over the past two years. As postgraduate research degrees are an important element of research output, the NWU aims to reverse the declines in master s degrees by The tables on p11 show the number of master s and doctoral degrees awarded since

12 Master s degrees awarded from 2004 to (not final) Doctoral degrees awarded from 2004 to (not final) MESSAGE: EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR 11

13 Campus Category Mafikeng C 1 2 L 1 1 Y 1 1 TOTAL 3 4 Potchefstroom A 2 2 B C L 3 3 P 1 1 Y TOTAL Vaal Triangle Y 3 3 C 2 3 TOTAL 5 6 NWU TOTAL NRF ratings The university started the academic year with 116 NRF-rated researchers and, in February 2010, submitted 26 rating applications to the NRF. Of the eight applications for new ratings, five were accepted. In the case of the 18 re-rating applications submitted, the NRF approved 17. In the meantime, three rated researchers left the NWU. Thus, at the end of December 2010, the NWU had 117 rated researchers. The table (left) gives details of rated researchers per category at each NWU campus as at 31 December Postdoctoral fellows The postdoctoral programme has shown excellent growth since 2006 when there were only 18 participants. By 2010, the number of postdoctoral fellows had risen to 69, reflecting the success of the improvements made to the programme since The table below shows the number of postdoctoral fellows per campus for Campus 2010 MESSAGE: EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Growth in postdoctoral fellows, 2004 to 2010 per campus The NWU ranks among the top six universities in South Africa for total research output. To strengthen its standing in the long term, the university continues to invest in research capacity development, equipment and infrastructure. Mafikeng 6 Vaal Triangle 4 Potchefstroom 59 TOTAL 69 A total amount of R was spent on postdoctoral fellowships in 2010, compared to R when the program was launched in Vaal Triangle Campus Potchefstroom Campus Mafikeng Campus

14 Developing research capacity The NWU ranks among the top six universities in South Africa for total research output. To strengthen its standing in the long term, the university continues to invest in research capacity development, equipment and infrastructure. Funding is being made available for the fast-tracking of staff to obtain their PhD degrees. Lecturers who were completing their PhDs during 2010 could free up their time for this by applying for funding to pay for lecturer replacement. In addition, funding was made available for editing, printing and binding of doctoral theses. A total amount of R1,775 million was approved for this in The NWU again made significant investments in building infrastructure in A total of R15,7 million was spent on new equipment to support the research programme, and R on research support staff. A further amount of R6,78 million was spent to replace outdated equipment. Recognising and rewarding research achievements is an important stimulus for research and in 2010, the NWU launched and approved a comprehensive programme to acknowledge research outputs at all levels. The following categories will be considered in future: - Commercial outputs in the form of patents; - Master s degrees submitted on the various campuses; - NRF rating or re-rating achieved by researchers; - Creative outputs; - Most inventive and innovative staff members; - Contributions to community engagement; - Exceptional leadership and contributions to international organisations; - The most productive junior and senior researcher, and - The most productive research entity. Other capacity-building initiatives during the year were: The roll-out of further modules of the national research information management system, InfoEd, which will be used to prepare the 2010 subsidy claim for research outputs. An amount of R2,7 million was spent on top-up bursaries for master s and PhD students in the scarce skills. An amount of R9,3 million was paid out to researchers in the Institutional Research Excellence Awards (IREA) incentives scheme. Seed funding for new entities and various other capacity-building schemes amounted to R A number of training workshops were presented, as indicated in the table below. Workshops NWU campuses Participants Total cost Days Publication All three campuses Supervision At the Institutional Office for all three campuses Questionnaire design Mafikeng Campus Science communication One on the Vaal Triangle Campus and two at the Institutional Office for all three campuses THRIP information sessions Potchefstroom Campus Funding opportunities Mafikeng Campus and Potchefstroom Campus Ethics Mafikeng Campus New lecturer Institutional Office for all three campuses TOTAL The research entities model By standardising the format of research entities at the NWU, the research entities model ensures a level playing field for researchers and makes it easier to track research outputs and trends. There are four entity categories, starting with entry-level structures known as niche areas through to the top level, centres of excellence. During the year, the Institutional Committee for Research and Innovation (ICRI) evaluated three proposals for the establishment of new research MESSAGE: EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR 13

15 entities and approved two. The new focus area on the Vaal Triangle Campus is called Understanding and Processing Language in Complex Settings (UPSET), while the new niche area on the Mafikeng Campus is named Food Security and Safety in the North West Province. The status of two entities was upgraded, with the Hypertension in Africa Research Team (HART) becoming a focus area and the Unit for Space Physics being upgraded to a centre of excellence. The NWU ended the year with 22 research entities, consisting of two centres of excellence (CoE), nine research units, five focus areas and six niche areas. They are listed in the table below. MESSAGE: EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Title Level Campus Centre of Excellence for Nutrition (CEN) CoE Potchefstroom Centre for Space Research CoE Potchefstroom Unit for Energy Systems Unit Potchefstroom Unit for Reformed Theology and the Development of the South African Society Unit Potchefstroom Unit for Business Mathematics and Informatics Unit Potchefstroom Unit for Languages and Literature in the South African Context Unit Potchefstroom Unit for Environmental Sciences and Management Unit Potchefstroom Unit for Development in the South African Constitutional State Unit Potchefstroom Africa Unit for Transdisciplinary Health Research (AUTHeR) Unit Potchefstroom Workwell: Research Unit for Economic and Management Sciences Unit Potchefstroom Unit for Drug Research and Development Unit Potchefstroom Chemical Resource Beneficiation Focus Area Potchefstroom Social Transformation Focus Area Potchefstroom Teaching-Learning Organisations Focus Area Potchefstroom Hypertension in Africa Research Team (HART) Focus Area Potchefstroom Understanding and Processing Language in Complex Settings (UPSET) Focus Area Vaal Triangle Population and Health Niche Area Mafikeng Food Security and Safety in the North West Province Niche Area Mafikeng Socio-economic Impact of Tourism Niche Area Potchefstroom Physical Activity, Sport and Recreation Niche Area Potchefstroom Musical Arts in South Africa: Resources and Applications Niche Area Potchefstroom Medicine Usage in South Africa (MUSA) Niche Area Potchefstroom Research funding NRF funding A significant increase in funding from the NRF was realised in 2010, as shown in the table folowing on p15. The initial amount granted for 2010 was approximately 10% more than in However, the adjustments made during 2010 were approximately double the 2009 figure, which meant that the final amount awarded in 2010 was about 30% more than the 2009 amount. THRIP funding The funds earned for THRIP projects in 2010 are listed on p15. It is important to note that all THRIP money received from the NRF presupposes a contribution from industry. 14

16 NRF funding Item Amount Adjusted Award Released 2009 R R R R R R R R THRIP funding Faculty Research entity/centre 2009 total 2010: THRIP 2010: Industry Engineering Energy systems R R R Natural Sciences Business Mathematics and Informatics R R R TOTAL R R R Management of Intellectual Property (IP) The NWU has a sophisticated IP management system, aimed at optimising the commercialisation potential of discoveries and inventions and protecting the IP of the university. IP management is the responsibility of the Technology Transfer and Innovation Support Office (TT&IS) office, which focused on the following during 2010: Technology transfer support; Assisting with the protection of IP; Developing commercial models; Assisting with funding applications for projects and research chairs; Assisting with IP and commercialisation issues around THRIP, the Innovation Fund and other funding applications; Managing existing licensing agreements and renegotiating ineffective licensing agreements; Marketing technologies and building networks; Assisting the student representative councils with some of their projects; Organising and conducting workshops for students on entrepreneurship; and Establishing and mentoring spin-off companies. Patent portfolio Ever since the Department of Science and Technology started to subsidise universities patent prosecution costs, the NWU has received the maximum subsidy. This is due to the highquality patent register which the legal office developed a number of years ago and the efforts in commercialisation by the TT&IS office. The subsidy exceeded the R1 million-mark for patents registered in The Technology Transfer Office participated in the design and functionality of the new InfoEd database. This system will serve as the single database for patent information and relevant commercialisation agreements. The first two modules for technology transfer were finalised and approved at a joint workshop in Stellenbosch and the process of mass populating the database has begun. The table following on p16 outlines the status of the various components of the NWU s intellectual portfolio. MESSAGE: EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR 15

17 Patent portfolio Disclosures, filings and registrations: Disclosures RSA provisional applications RSA final granted Total number of RSA-patented inventions Number of co-owned patents included in RSA First international granted patents Total number of first international patented inventions Number of countries in portfolio Models registered (this year/total) 1/1 1/2 0/2 0/2 0/2 0/2 0/2 Plant breeders rights (this year/total) 0/4 0/4 0/4 0/3 0/3 0/3 0/3 * Note that one invention could be registered in many countries but is reported here as only one invention. The NWU has nine (9) USA-registered patents to date and eight (8) USA patents pending. Patent support Year received Amount awarded to NWU R R R R R R pending Number of individuals pending Total awarded to individuals R R R R R R pending *The Innovation Fund of the Department of Science and Technology supports the NWU by paying up to 50% of the cost of patenting and awarding incentives to individual inventors. Support was received for final RSA-granted filings in the previous year. MESSAGE: EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Commercialisation Commercialisation refers to contract research, innovation agreements, services charged for and joint technology development projects. Agreements The TT&IS office dealt with 39 contracts during 2010, which is eight more than the previous year. These contracts fell into the following categories: o Non-disclosure agreements nine o Material transfer agreements one o Professional service agreements 10 o Funding agreements four o Collaboration agreements 10 o Assignment agreements one o Agency agreements one o Shareholder agreements two A new contract procedure was negotiated with the campus vice-rectors and approved as part of the policy for the management of research and innovation contracts, thereby empowering line managers to take responsibility for managing their own contracts. Commercialisation of patents The Technology Transfer Office was actively commercialising the following patents during the year: Ignition system: Ambixtra (Pty) Ltd and the NWU are collaborating with European partners to develop a new 16

18 system for high-pressure petrol engines. An independent international agency has successfully developed and tested an advanced prototype. The commercialisation process and related actions of Ambixtra are being closely monitored. The NWU already earned more than R in technology transfer and support fees. Hardware random number generator: A new partner had to be contracted to develop the very expensive and technically complex prototype. Satisfactory progress is being made. Anti-halitosis tablets: The tablets were well accepted by clients of a dentist during random tests and a marketing strategy is being developed with a private institution. Electric fencing based on the Mosfet technology: Preliminary tests indicated the technical viability of a unique sought-after characteristic which could improve the use of electric fencing. A full-scale pilot system is being built to demonstrate to potential licensees. Ozone generator: This product has been contracted to ISIS in Oxford, England for commercialisation. No success has been recorded to date. Pheroid-based vaccines: The commercialisation of this vaccine technology has also been contracted to ISIS, but with negative results. To date, ISIS has not found any interested party. The response from the market is that there is not enough scientific evidence that the technology is superior to existing technologies. The NWU has decided to follow a different strategy, which will entail linking this technology to the Ignition System technology. This is a very long-term project. The TT&IS office assisted the inventors of seven new patents in proving the concepts before marketing will commence. Marketing, networking and training The university continued to exchange knowledge and ideas on innovation with other universities, industry forums and business partners. The North-West Science Park business model featured prominently in the NWU s networking activities in Among others, the senior management of various private businesses were personally informed about the science park project. An abstract of a paper on the topic has been accepted by the International Association of Science Parks for delivery in June The Technology Transfer Office has ensured that the staff members stay abreast of legislative and regulatory developments in the innovation field. During 2010, members of the team attended training and seminars on the new Intellectual Property Rights Act and the new Companies Act. The secretary of the office was selected to do the honours course in industrial psychology, in line with the policy of using this position to give young students from previously disadvantaged groups the opportunity for practical exposure while studying. Quantitative commercialisation outputs Licensing, royalties and product sales New licence agreements Agreements terminated Total active agreements Total royalty income (excluding product sales) Royalties distributed to inventors R R R R R R R R R R R R R R MESSAGE: EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Gross income from product sales based on own IP R R R R R R R

19 Spin-off companies (independent, associated and subsidiaries) New spin-offs Total technology spin-offs since Technology. spin-off companies still active New investments in companies (including spin-offs) Number of exits/divestments NWU subsidiaries and associated companies at end of year Income derived from disinvestments 0 R Support R Community engagement At the NWU, community engagement is defined as activities that the staff and students of the university undertake to uplift needy sectors of society or individuals. To ensure that community engagement at the NWU has real impact and is sustainable, it is coordinated by the Community Engagement Office, located within the Research and Innovation portfolio. In 2010, despite the impact of the economic recession, the Community Engagement Office accelerated its drive to position the NWU as a partner of choice for communities, corporations and government agencies. Two high-level workshops were held to ensure a shared understanding and vocabulary in corporate social responsibility among top and middle managers at the NWU. It is especially important that they concentrate on sustainable development and on effective monitoring and impact reporting. Work also continued with the development of structures to engage with internal and external stakeholders. The NWU s Forum for Continuous Collaboration in Development (FCCD) took the lead by identifying the training needs of nongovernmental organisations and community members so that training courses can be rolled out for them in MESSAGE: EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR A strong theme for the year was the development of social entrepreneurs, along the lines of the social entrepreneurship programmes of the World Bank and ebio. As part of this, the NWU sponsored two bursaries for students doing their diplomas in management and business management. One of these students, Mr Meyer Conradie, has formed a section 21 Company called Mosaic SA (previously known as Hope Village Developments). Mosaic provides foster families of orphans with proper housing, jobs and skills training. This project has been one of the most successful orphan care development projects to date with an annual turnover of R1 million in its first year. Another key focus was on developing strategic plans and policies to direct and inform the community engagement plans of the campuses, and to integrate societal issues in the NWU s core business strategies. The Community Engagement Office is part of the broader process of developing appropriate benchmarks for university community engagement. This included participating in the South African Higher Education Community Engagement Forum (SAHECEF) and, internationally, the Taillores Network. The NWU Social Development Trust The purpose of the NWU Social Development Trust (NWU STD) is to support sustainable development. To date, income of R has been paid into the trust s account and another R has been raised for small projects. A number of corporate enterprises have been partners in projects on the three campuses, collectively contributing more than R2 million in funding over several years. Some of these contributions were made in the form of committed bursaries or donations for infrastructure and development such as computers and training workshops. 18

20 Promoting community-based research Many community engagement initiatives offer viable opportunities for research. Realising that a holistic approach to community engagement and research has many advantages, the NWU is integrating community-based research into its research entity management model. This has resulted in several memoranda of understanding being negotiated with partners that require research assistance from the NWU. Two good examples are submissions made to the Department of Science and Technology on sustainable development and the inclusion of community engagement activities in the research being conducted for the Provincial Department of Social Development. Other examples are the joint tender with Ages (Pty) Ltd to the Tlokwe Council for the regeneration of the Ikageng education project and the project underway in Mpumalanga with African Foundation (Pty) Ltd. Community engagement incentive programme for staff The NWU has introduced an incentive system that recognises the contribution of staff to corporate social investment. The following centres, projects and individuals were recognised in 2010: The Centre for Community Law, Mafikeng Campus, for providing legal services to the community; The Centre for Animal Health Studies, Mafikeng Campus, for providing animal health services to the community. Dr Mbuthi Hlophe, Department of Chemistry, in the Faculty Agriculture, Science and Technology, Mafikeng Campus, for providing clean water to the community of Madibogo. The Ikateleng project team, representing all three campuses, for providing supplementary training to school learners and teachers in the past 22 years. The team consisted of Prof Tinie Theron (who initiated the project in 1988), Prof Piet Prinsloo, Mr Chris Windell, Mr Darius Mhulatshi and Mr Edwin Nkosapantsi. Prof Leon Van Rensburg, Unit for Environmental Sciences and Management, Potchefstroom Campus, for the Mononthsa project at Impala Platinum. Prof Japie Kroon, Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences, Potchefstroom Campus, for his support to the Students in Enterprise (SIFE) programme. Prof Annamarie Kruger, Director: Africa Unit for Transdisciplinary Health Research (AUTHeR), Potchefstroom Campus, for her involvement in the Farm Labour and General Health (FLAGH) project. Community engagement partnerships Recognising that far more can be achieved through partnerships than any organisation can achieve on its own, the NWU has joined forces with like-minded partners on various community engagement initiatives. An example is the Dr Kenneth Kaunda Resource Centre, which was established as an Article 21 company in 2010 to roll out training, entrepreneurship and personal development services to the Dr Kenneth Kaunda District Municipality. The stakeholders include Dr Kenneth Kaunda District Munici-pality, the Departments of Education, Social Welfare and Development, Tourism and Economic Development, the Tlokwe City Council, Anglo Gold Ashanti, the Aids consortium and an NGO called the Dede lingoma, Youth Resource Centre, Hospice, NWU Legal Aid Centre, Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE) and other NWU faculties. Another partnership, this time aimed at stimulating enterprise development, was the one between the NWU and the North West Craft and Design Institute (NWCDI). In 2010, the NWU sponsored two prizes of R5 000 each for the overall winner of the Platawards and the winner of the category craft and design. Further collaboration is planned for The Community Engagement Office was the central point of contact for applications for National Lottery Distribution Trust Fund (NLDTF) sponsorships, and for monitoring projects sponsored by the NLDTF. The total amount allocated for arts and culture projects was R This is being used for the development of a campus studio and radio station, among other things. Funding for sports and recreation projects amounted to R These funds were used for various projects, but especially for the development of sports fields and other types of infrastructure at the Mafikeng and Vaal Triangle campuses. Social sustainability The NWU believes that the expertise of the university should be implemented on all levels and integrated into all research, innovation and training activities. This approach supports the concept of sustainability as prescribed by the King III report. Projects are currently being linked across disciplines to address all community needs, including the need to address environmental problems. These projects include training, MESSAGE: EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR 19

21 education, job creation ventures, infrastructure and capacity building. A good example of this integrated approach in action is the Farm Labourers and General Health (FLAGH) project. FLAGH, which is based in Rysmierbult and Vyfhoek, has empowered approximately 60 rural women to grow vegetables, feed their families and form a sewing cooperative whose products are sold countrywide. Going further, the NWU provided a kiln for glass, enabling members of the project to start recycling glass and learning to produce high-quality Venetian style glass beads that they will sell. Other initiatives are the Mononthsa composting and rehabilitation project that was developed with Implats and Mosaic SA, which focuses on daycare, early childhood development, vegetable gardens and brick-making for housing. Conclusion The NWU remains on track to further strengthen its research and innovation capabilities in line with its longer term objective of developing into an institution where teaching-learning and research-innovation are balanced. While the research focus on the Potchefstroom Campus was further strengthened, good progress was also made in developing research activities on the Mafeking and Vaal Triangle campuses. The number of NRF-rated researchers and the total research output on all campuses have been growing steadily. Most heartening is the perceived increase in dedication to research, innovation and community engagement among the staff of the NWU. Within the NWU, there is a growing awareness of the importance of recycling and power-saving initiatives. These will be expanded in 2011 and reporting processes refined after the completion of workshops on sustainability and skills development programmes. Several student-led initiatives for recycling are underway and these will be incorporated into a university-wide drive for sustainability. PROF FRIKKIE VAN NIEKERK Executive Director: Research and Innovation MESSAGE: EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR 20

22 NRF-RATED RESEARCHERS AT THE NWU The following NWU researchers had a valid NRF rating De Jongh, PJ Unit for Business Mathematics during 2010: and Informatics De Ridder, JH Physical Activity Sport and A rating: Leading international researchers Recreation (PhASRec) Moraal, H Centre for Space Research Du Pisani, J Social Transformation Potgieter, M Centre for Space Research Du Plessis, JJ Unit for Drug Research and Development B rating: Internationally acclaimed researchers Du Plessis, W Research Unit: Development in the Burger, RA Centre for Space Research South African Constitutional State De Jager, OC Centre for Space Research Du Plooy, HJG Unit for Languages and Gouws, JS Unit for Languages and Literature in the South African Greyvenstein, GP Literature in the South African Context Unit for Energy Systems Du Preez, JL Context Unit for Drug Research and Development Grobler, JJ Unit for Business Mathematics and Informatics Du Preez, LH Unit for Environmental Sciences and Management Labuschagne, LE Unit for Business Mathematics and Informatics Du Toit, CDGDK Engelbrecht, P Unit for Energy Systems Teaching-learning organisations Lombaard, F Faculty of Natural Sciences Everson, RC Chemical Resource Beneficiation Swanepoel, JWH Unit for Business Mathematics and Informatics Fourie, JH Unit for Business Mathematics and Informatics Van den Berg J Unit for Environmental Sciences and Management Greeff, M Africa Unit for Transdisciplinary Health Research (AUTHeR) Van der Walt, DJ Centre for Space Research Grobler, LJ Unit for Energy Systems Van Dijk, AA Van Rooy, HF Centre for Human Metabonomics Unit for Reformed Theology and the Development of the South African Society Harvey, BH Huizenga, JM Unit for Drug Research and Development Unit for Environmental Sciences and Management Vorster, HH Centre of Excellence for Nutrition Jerling, JC Centre of Excellence for Nutrition C rating: Established researchers Barnard, E Faculty of Economic Sciences and Information Technology Bergh, JJ Unit for Drug Research and Development Blignaut, S Teaching-learning Organisations Breytenbach, JC Unit for Drug Research and Development Brink, CB Unit for Drug Research and Development Carstens, WAM Unit for Languages and Literature in the South African Context Kellner, K Kotze, AF Kotze, HF Krieg, HM Kroeze, J Kruger, GHJ Kruger, HA Kruger, HS ` Unit for Environmental Sciences and Management Unit for Drug Research and Development Africa Unit for Transdisciplinary Health Research (AUTHeR) Chemical Resource Beneficiation Faculty of Economic Sciences and Information Technology Unit for Environmental Science and Management Unit for Business Mathematics and Informatics Centre of Excellence for Nutrition NRF-RATED RESEARCHERS AT NWU Cilliers, SS Unit for Environmental Sciences and Management Liebenberg, L Liebenberg, W Unit for Energy Systems Unit for Drug Research and Coetzee Van Rooy, AS Faculty of Humanities Development 21

23 Materechera, SE Faculty of Agriculture, Science Van der Westhuizen, FH Centre for Human Metabonomics and Technology Van der Westhuizen, PC Teaching-learning Organisation Neomagus, HWJP Unit for Energy Systems Venter, CS African Unit for Transdisciplinary Oliver, DW Unit for Drug Research and Health Research (AUTHeR) Development Viljoen, HM Unit for Languages and Litera- Oosthuizen, IJ Teaching-learning Organisations ture in the South African Context Petersen, M Unit for Business Mathematics and Informatics Viviers, W Workwell: Research Unit for Economic and Management Pienaar, AE Physical Activity Sport and Sciences Recreation (PhASRec) Vorster, JM Unit for Reformed Theology and Pienaar, GJ Research Unit: Development in the the Development of the South South African Constitutional State African Society Pienaar, JJ Unit for Environmental Sciences and Management Vosloo, HCM Waanders, FB Chemical Resource Beneficiation Unit for Energy Systems Rautenbach, C Research Unit: Development in the South African Constitutional State Weyers, ML Africa Unit for Transdisciplinary Health Research (AUTHeR) Robinson, JA Research Unit: Development in the South African Constitutional State Winde, F Unit for Environmental Sciences and Management Roos, V Rothmann, S African Unit for Transdisciplinary Health Research (AUTHeR) Workwell: Research Unit for Economic and Management Sciences Wissing, DP Wissing, MP Unit for Languages and Literature in the South African Context Africa Unit for Transdisciplinary Health Research (AUTHeR) Rousseau, PG Unit for Energy Systems Wolhuter, CC Teaching-learning Organisations NRF-RATED RESEARCHERS AT NWU Roux, C Roux, JC Saayman, M Smit, JJA Smuts, CM Stander, L Strydom, C Strydom, H Theron, PD Van der Walt, JL Van Rensburg, L Teaching-learning Organisations Unit for Languages and Literature in the South African Context Socio-economic impact of Tourism Teaching-learning Organisations Centre of Excellence for Nutrition Research Unit: Development in the South African Constitutional State Chemical Resource Beneficiation Africa Unit for Transdisciplinary Health Research (AUTHeR) Unit for Environmental Sciences and Management Unit for Languages and Literature in the South African Context Unit for Environmental Sciences Wolmarans, CT Unit for Environmental Sciences and Management L rating: Late entrants into research Bezuidenhout, CC Unit for Environmental Sciences and Management Huisman, HM Unit of Business Mathematics and Informatics Malan, L Hypertension in Africa Research Team (HART) Sewlall, H Population and Health P rating: NRF President s awards Ferreira, SES Centre for Space Research Y rating: Promising young researchers Gericke, JW Faculty of Humanties Jansen van Rensburg, L Research Unit: Development in the South African Constitutional State Van Rooyen, JM and Management Hypertension in Africa Research Krügell, WF Workwell: Research Unit for Economic and Management Team (HART) Sciences 22

24 Loots, DT Maboeta, M Mamabolo, RL Monyeki, MA Mostert, K O Neill, FH Petzer, JJ Pienaar, JJ Pieters, M Retief, FP Saayman, A Schutte, AE Siebert, SJ Van der Merwe, M Van Deventer, HJM Van Huyssteen, GB Van Rooy, AJ Vorster, N Wheldon, CC Centre for Human Metabonomics Unit for Environmental Sciences and Management Centre of Excellence for Nutrition Physical Activity Sport and Recreation (PhASRec) Workwell: Research Unit for Economic and Management Sciences Unit for Environmental Management and Sciences Unit for Drug Research and Development Workwell: Research Unit for Economic and Management Sciences Centre of Excellence for Nutrition Unit for Environmental Management and Sciences Workwell: Research Unit for Economic and Management Sciences Hypertension in Africa Research Team (HART) Unit for Environmental Management and Sciences Africa Unit for Transdisciplinary Health Research (AUTHeR) Unit for Reformed Theology and the Development of the South African Society Unit for Languages and Literature in the South African Context Faculty of Humanities Unit for Reformed Theology and the Development of the South African Society Unit for Environmental Management and Sciences The following researchers received a new NRF rating during 2010, maintained their NRF rating or are new NRF-rated researchers. B rating: Internationally acclaimed researchers Greyvenstein, GP Unit for Energy Systems Van Dijk, AA C rating: Established researchers Breytenbach, JC Cilliers, SS Du Toit, CDGDK Harvey, BH Kellner, K Kotze, AF Kruger, HS Rousseau, PG Smit, JJA Strydom, C Venter, CS Viviers, W Centre for Human Metabonomics Unit for Drug Research and Development Unit for Environmental Sciences and Management Unit for Energy Systems Unit for Drug Research and Development Unit for Environmental Sciences and Management Unit for Drug Research and Development Centre of Excellence for Nutrition Unit for Energy Systems Teaching-learning Organisations Chemical Resource Beneficiation African Unit for Transdisciplinary Health Research (AUTHeR) Workwell: Research Unit for Economic and Management Sciences L rating: Late entrants into research Huisman, HM Unit for Business Mathematics and Informatics P rating: NRF President s Awards Ferreira, SES Centre for Space Research Y rating: Promising young researchers Maboeta, M Unit for Environmental Sciences and Management Schutte, AE Hypertension in Africa Research Team (HART) Siebert, SJ Unit for Environmental Sciences and Management Van Deventer, HJM Unit for Reformed Theology and the Development of the South African Society Van Huyssteen, GB Van Rooy, AJ Unit for Languages and Literature in the South African Context Faculty of Humanities NRF-RATED RESEARCHERS AT NWU 23

25 PHD STUDENTS DELIVERED IN 2010 The university is broadening its pool of research skills by actively recruiting greater number of postgraduate students. A total of 129 doctoral degrees were delivered in 2010, compared to the 123 of 2009 and 100 of MAFIKENG CAMPUS Student Title Promoter/Co-Promoter/ Assistant Promoter Chabaemang, Patrick Pogisho Dichaba, Mpho Mildred Lebepe, Obed Tsietsi Mabille, Tebogo Edith Mawire, Ashmore Mlatho, Justice Peter The influence of ABET Centre Managers leadership styles on the academic performance of adult learners in the North West Province. The effectiveness of the Cascade Model of the In-service training of Adult Basic Education and Training (ABET) Educators in the North West Province. The impact of institutional change on curriculum reform in schools of the North West Province. An evaluation of the implementation of Housing Policy in the Ngaka Modiri Molema District Municipality of the North West Province. Characteristics of a thermal energy storage system developed for indirect solar cooking. Optimisation of a Parabolic Solar Concentrator (PSC) for use with a Thermal Energy Storage (TES) system. Mwenesongole, MW Awudetsey, SA Mokoena, MA Awudetsey, SA Debeila, JR Lumadi, MW Thakathi, D Migiro, SO Taole, SH Taole, SH Moloi, Sabat Jones Silicon diodes fabricated on defect-engineered material for use as radiation. Taole, SH Morei, Neo Lenah Muatjetjeja, Ben Murovhi, Nndamuleleni A critical analysis of the impact of the Constitution on parental rights and responsibilities of unmarried fathers in South African Law. Lie Noether, partial Noether operators and first integrats for Lane-Emden type equations and systems to my satisfaction. Contribution to soil fertility by litter of selected sub-tropical fruit trees in the Ehlanzeni District Municipality of Mpumalanga Province, South Africa. Iya, PF Khalique, MT Materechera, SA Ngobeni, Elias Tsakane Leadership in the trapped schools of the North West Province. Awudetsey, SA Ringani, Iris Taole, Matshidiso Joyce Online publications: an exploration into the impact of on corporate communication in Gauteng companies. The experience of Senior Phase teachers in the implementation of the National Curriculum Statement in the North West Province. De Jager, JI Mokoena, MA PHD STUDENTS DELIVERED 24 POTCHEFSTROOM CAMPUS Student Title Promoter/Co-Promoter/ Assistant Promoter Adorka, Matthias Prescribing patterns of antibiotics in Lesotho public health institutions Serfontein, JHP Lubbe, MS Gous, AGS Aucamp, Marique Elizabeth Physico-chemical properties and polymorphism of roxithromycin Liebenberg, W De Villiers, MM Van Tonder, EC Beneke, Jeanine Beyers, Ronald Noel Anthropometrical indicators of non-communicable diseases for a black South African population in transition Promoting Human Capital Development through ICT Creativity and Innovation De Ridder, JH Underhay, C Van Rooyen, JM Kruger, A Blignaut, AS Herselman, ME Biela, Runel Multiculturalism in the work context of the South African Police Service Jackson, LTB Botes, Lisa The phytochemical content and anti-diabetic properties of Aloe ferox and Aloe greatheadii var.davyana Loots, DT Pieters, M

26 Botma, Nadia Emotion experience, emotional intelligence and well-being in South Africa Jonker, CS Sieberhagen, GVDM Breed, Elizabeth Alice Coetzee, Ben Conradie, Pieter Wynand Dalcour, Edward Leonard Dalgleish, Abraham Zacharias n Metakognitiewe onderrigleerstrategie vir paarprogrammeerders ter verbetering van kennisproduktiwiteit The relationship between cycling performance, the anthropometric and physiological profile of selected African, male road cyclists The use and effectiveness of information system development methodologies in health information systems An evaluation of Oneness Theology in the light of the Biblical Emphasis on Trinitarianism The development, implementation and performance evaluation of an innovative residential load management system Mentz, E Van Der Westhuizen,GJ Malan, DDJ Marfell-Jones, MJ Huisman, HM Rees, DB Coetzee, CFC Grobler, LJ De Waal, Aletta Johanna Topic Models with Structured Features Barnard, E De Wet, Anna-Magrieta Du Plessis, Engelina Du Plessis, Pieter Marthinus Erasmus, Annemie Evans, Steven William Fourie, Catharina Maria Theresia Gopane, Ramokoni Eunice Grobbelaar, Heinrich Wilhelm Sexual harassment of learners in secondary schools: an education law perspective Pricing framework for the accommodation sector in South Africa: a focus on supply Contributions to robust regression using the L1-norm criterion and mixed integer linear programming Response of selected non-target Lepidoptera, Coleoptera and Diptera species to Cry1Ab protein expressed by genetically modified maize The conservation ecology and breeding biology of the Blue Swallow Hirundo atrocaerulea, Sundevall 1850, in South Africa The influence of HIV infection on vascular function in an African population Towards a responsible food-based dietary guideline for alcohol consumption for South Africa Overtraining, under-recovery and burnout among elite student rugby union players Oosthuizen, IJ Rossouw, JP Saayman, M Hattingh, JM Kruger, HA Huisman, HM Van Den Berg, J Janse Van Rensburg, JB Bouwman, H Van Rooyen, JM Schutte, AE Vorster, HH Kruger, A Margetts, BM Malan, DDJ Steyn, BJM Grobler, Anne Frederica Pharmaceutical applications of PheroidTM technology Kotze, Af Du Plessis, J Grooff, Driekus Henrico, Alfred Isabirye, Dan Janse Van Rensburg, Jacobus Johannes Karstens, Anne Christiane Katende-Kyenda, Lucky Norah Characterisation of the thermally induced phase transformation of nifedipine polymorphs n Onderrigmodel vir die ontwikkeling van onderwysstudente in Besigheidstudies se hoërorde kognitiewevaardighede The mitochondrial DNA heritage of the Baganda, Lugbara and Acholi from Uganda An integrated and detailed multiphysics approach for the CFD analysis of a high temperature gas reactor Towards an epistemological framework for a life orientation programme based on spirituality A retrospective analysis of potential drug interactions of antiretroviral prescriptions in a section of the private health care sector of South Africa Liebenberg,W De Villiers, MM Monteith, JLDK Towers, GW Kleingeld, M Viljoen, CT Lubbe, MS Serfontein, JHP Truter, I Kleynhans, Hilda Gehaltesorg van ouer persone in residensiële sorgfasiliteite Klopper, HC Roos, V Knobloch Coetzee, Siedine The quality of doctoral education in nursing in South Africa Klopper, HC Koekemoer, Frieda Eileen Work-nonwork interference in the South African context Mostert, K PHD STUDENTS DELIVERED 25

27 PHD STUDENTS DELIVERED 26 Koekemoer, Michelle Kolanisi, Unathi Kotzé, Hester Johanna Krüger, Andra Kruger, Iolanthe Marike Kruger, Martinette Kuhn, Marie-Luce Kunneke, Ernesta Construction of a mitochondrial consensus sequence for the Khoi-San population of Southern Africa Consumer attitudes towards rural water provision and learning strategies to enhance community participation: the case study of Madibogo, North West Province Evaluation of specific genotypes in the context of the type 2 diabetes risk phenotype in the black South African population Changes in polyunsaturated fatty acids in drug responsive and retractory epileptic patients Cardiovascular dysfunction in black South Africans: an investigation from various perspectives A critical evaluation of market segmentation at national arts festivals in South Africa Exporters information requirements: The role of Competitive Intelligence in the export promotion of extruders to Tunisia The validity of a short questionnaire on iron intake and iron status in humans Olckers, A Towers, GW Venter, MD Green, JM Olckers, A Towers, GW Terre blanche, G Bergh, JJ Mienie, LJ Schutte, AE Huisman, HW Saayman, M Viviers, W Wolmarans, P Vorster, HH Lee, Kukzin Matthew s community and the gentile mission Viljoen, FP Lee, Sang Mong Forgiveness as a recurring theme in Mark s gospel Hughes, GT Viljoen, FP Legg, Murray Christopher Legoabe, Lesetja Jan Lekgetho, Botsang Priscilla Lent, Timothy King Liebenberg, Nico The design and development of a stented tissue mitral and aortic heart valve replacement for human implantation Synthesis and transdermal penetration of cytarabine and selected amide, ester and carbamate derivatives An empowerment programme for poverty stricken families affected by HIV and AIDS The fifth commandment: a Biblical and Philosophical interpretation and its application in the USA The inhibition of phosphodiesterase type 5 as a novel target for antidepressant action Pelzer, R Breytenbach, JC N da, DD Du Plessis, J Wessels, CC Strydom, H Grainger, RB Vorster, JM Brink, CB Harvey, BH Brand, L Liphadzi, Azwifaneli Erson Do not forsake my teaching: Child-rearing in Proverbs 1-9 Van Rooy, HF Lotz, Henry Mearie Lubbe, Welma An assessment of the determinants of corporate entrepreneurship in agricultural businesses: An integrated framework Best practice guidelines for neurodevelopmental supportive care of the prematurely born infant Van Der Merwe, SP Klopper, HC Van Der Walt, SJC Magocha, Keoneng Know Evaluation in Business Discourse. Van Rooy, AJ Mahlobo, Radley Kebarapetse Malan, Hanelie Mbongwa, Hlengiwe Prosperity Mereweather-Thompson, Cornelius Michel A model for an open-ended task-based approach in grade 11 mathematics classes An empowerment programme for social work students regarding HIV and AIDS: Adapted REds programme Characterisation of the SULT1A1 polymorphism in a South African Tswana population group The challenges to mission and dialogue in a pluralist context Nieuwoudt, HD Froneman, S Strydom, H Reinecke, CJ Pretorius, PJ Koekemoer, G Coker, A Migiro, Lorna Nyangarisa Entomopathogenic fungi: a component of leafminer management Van Den Berg, J Maniania, JNK

28 Mkhize, Sipho Wellington Transformational leadership model for nursing education leaders Klopper, HC Mohlala, Pheladi Junior Morris, Quinton Riccardo Mulaudzi, Mmboniseni Phanuel Mutua, Christine Wambui Karanja Mwamba Kanonge, Dichk Naicker, Ashika Naude, Dollien Nel, Marika Verita Nienaber, Cornelie Odell-Hein, Eric Lee Phetlho-Thekisho, Nomonde Geraldine Phetlhu, Deliwe Rene Surface Science of the adhesion of an alkyd paint to a low carbon aluminium killed steel The subprime mortgage crisis: asset securitization and interbank lending Missiological Education in Kenya: Relevant Contextually and in the light of the Missio Dei? The emergence of women in the LXX apocrypha, a semiotic study of Susanna The prevalence of selected risk markers for noncommunicable diseases and associations with lifestyle behaviours in an Indian community in KwaZulu-Natal Liggaamsamestelling, groeivertraging en fisieke aktiwiteit van swart adolessente in n dorpsgemeenskap: PLAY studie The influence of coal-associated trace elements on sintering and agglomeration of a model coal mineral mixture The association between specific genetic, demographic and lifestyle factors related to homocysteine concentrations in black South Africans undergoing an epidemiological transition Christian Theodicy within the context of world religions: A proposed new paradigm for interfaith dialogue Binge drinking and interpersonal violence in the North West Province: A social perspective Social capital: A strategy for improvement of policy implementation in the HIV and AIDS and TB programmes Strydom, CA Petersen, MA Schoeman, IM Mukuddem-Petersen, J Mashau, TD Jordaan, PJ Venter, CS Macintyre, UE Kruger, HS Pienaar, AE Strydom, CA Beukes, JP Schobert, HH Bunt, JR Towers, GW Hoekstra, T Venter, CS Walston,RL Coetzee, CFC Vorster, JM Ryke, EH Strydom, H Klopper, HC Pretorius, Lizél A community-based disability programme for rural areas Herbst, AG Wessels, CC Pretorius, Ronel Positive practice environments in critical care units: A grounded theory Klopper, HC Prins, Louis Hendrik Albertus Design and synthesis of heterocyclic compounds for neuroprotective enzyme interactions Malan, SF Petzer, JP Raghoo, Monica The volatization of aluminium and silicon species from a Highveld coal Strydom, CA Schobert, HH Matjie, RH Raubenheimer, Helgard Reinecke, Fimmie A multi-period stochastic programming approach to integrated asset and liability management of investment products with guarantees An evaluation of mitochondrial DNA replication and transcription as well as the transcription of selected nuclear genes in in vitro models for OXPHOS deficiencies Kruger, MF Van Der Westhuizen, FH Smeitink, JAM Roothman, Brett Burnout and work engagement among South African Psychologists Van Rensburg, E Rothmann, S Ross, Kedisaletse Doreen Rousseau, Pieter Abraham Organisational climate,organisational practices and service delivery in a local government Noutetiese berading van persone met piëtistiese mistastings oor lewensheiligheid Rothmann, S Venter, CJH Venter, CA Santana, Leonard Contributions to the m-out-of-n bootstrap Swanepoel, JWH Schoeman, Pieter Schalk Key biotic components of the indigenous Tortricidae and Heteroptera complexes occuring on macadamia in South Africa Van Hamburg, H PHD STUDENTS DELIVERED 27

29 PHD STUDENTS DELIVERED Semenya, David Kwena Setlalentoa, Boitumelo Marilyn Patience A Biblical framework for counselling as an alternative for traditional Sotho counseling on the life cycle The socio-economic effects of binge drinking on support networks in the North West Province: A social perspective Letsosa, RS Shaw, Gordon Kenneth A risk management model for the tourism industry in South Africa Saayman, M Saayman, A Smit, Wynand Snell, Lutricia Elzette Spies, Sara Johanna Steyn, Johan Dewald Steytler, Johannes Petrus Du Plessis Determining the fair level of economic capital for credit and market risk in commercial banks Die rol van pastorale berading in die bring van heil en heilservaring aan die geloofsvervreemde The influence of selected biological, life style risk factors and fitness on plasma Hcy and ADMA concentrations and vascular function: The AGAHL study Novel artemisinin derivatives with Pheroid technology for malaria treatment Ryke, EH Co-Promoter: Strydom, H Van Vuuren, GW Styger, P Coetzer, WC Moss, SJ Twisk, JWR Koppes, LLJ Vorster, HH Kotze, AF Du Plessis, LH n Bemagtigingsprogram in mentorskap: n Psigososiale perspektief Strydom, H Stieger, Nicole Polymorphism and physico-chemical properties of nevirapine Liebenberg, W Wessels, JC Strydom, Madelyn Swanepoel, Jacobus Stephanus Swart, Aletta Elizabeth Thetsane, Makoloi Malehlohonolo Reginah Van Antwerpen, Werner Van Den Berg, Linda Van Der Berg, Karen Van Der Merwe, Carel Nicolaas (Nico) Job demands, job resources and work engagement in a higher education institution: A dairy study The Church, family and school in a normative crisis in a religious pluralistic society: A proposed paradigm shift within the worldview of the Afrikaans speaking segment of the Reformed Churches in South Africa Die ooreenkomste tussen die Skrif- en Godsbeskouing van enkele internasionale feministiese teoloë en dié van teoloë in Suid-Afrika A community relations model for the tourism industry Modelling the effective thermal conductivity in the near-wall region of a packed pebble bed Die effek van groei en ryping op potensieël talentvolle rugbyspelers in die Noordwes-Provinsie: n longitudinale ondersoek n Intervensieprogram vir die gevonniste verkragter wat langtermyngevangenisstraf uitdien Geskiedenis van die Kategese in die Gereformeerde Kerke in Suid Afrika Rothmann, S Mostert, K Pienaar, J Mashau, TD Buys, PJ Coetzee, CFC Slabbert, E Van Der Walt, JL Rousseau, PG Du Toit, CGDK Pienaar, AE Grobbelaar, HW Strydom, H Venter, CJH Vorster, JM Van der Merwe, Liesl Music performance (Doctor of Music) Jooste, F Potgieter, H Van Der Merwe, Rudolph Marthinus Van Rensburg, Henriëtte Die konkretisering van eenheid in n plurale en gebroke ekumeniese gemeenskap - n gereformeerd-kerkregtelike beskouing l n Historiese perspektief op musikale ontlening met spesifieke verwysing na tematiek in die vrye orrelwerke van Buxtehude en Bach Du Plooy, ALR Spies, BM Kruger, D Van Schalkwyk, Izanette Flourishing in a group of South African adolescents Wissing, MP Van Vuuren, Pieter Andries Van Wyk, Gert Jacobus Robustness estimation of self-sensing active magnetic bearings via system identification Die implikasie van die diakonia van Jesus in woord- en daadverkondiging in die Markusevangelie Van Schoor, G Venter, WC Viljoen, FP 28

30 Viviers, Pierre-Andre Measuring community perceptions: An instrument for sustaining festivals Slabbert, E Vos, Deon Wiggill, Magrita Nicolene Williams, Shelley-Ann Zeelie, Annemarie Bestuurstrategieë vir die vestiging van n effektiewe organisasieklimaat in die primêre skool Strategic communication management in the non-profit adult literacy sector Moderators between work context and psychological health in a public service sector The effect of a physical activity intervention on selective markers of the metabolic syndrome in adolescents with low socio-economic status Van Der Westhuizen, PC Mentz, PJ Ellis, SM Naude, AME Wissing, MP Rothmann, S Moss, SJ Kruger, HS VAAL TRIANGLE CAMPUS Student Title Promoter/Co-Promoter/ Assistant Promoter Ayonghe, Lum Suzanne Booysen, Maria Jacoba Subtitling as an aid in academic literacy programmes at the University of Buea n Koöperatiewe onderrig-leerprogram vir die bevordering van denkvaardighede in die Grondslagfase Kruger, JL Butler, HG Verhoef, MM GrÖsser, MM Botha, Elrie Job security and wellness of employees in a co-operation Bosman, J Brits, Hans Jacob Gouws, Catharina Maria Joubert, Pierre Andre A model for quality management, planning and resource allocation at South African universities Responding to water demand strategies: a case study in the Lower Orange catchment management area (LOCMA) Sexual harassment of academic staff at Higher Education Institutions in South Africa Fourie, JE Tempelhoff, JWN Van Der Waldt, G Van Wyk, C De W Kalenga, Rosemary An ecosystemic programme for strategically managing inclusion in schools Fourie, JE Keyser, Elsabe The changing employment relationship in the chemical industry: The role of the employment and psychological contract Van Wyk, C De W Rothman, S Koen, Magdalena Petronella Resilience in professional nurses Van Eeden, C Wissing, MP Mahlatsi, Lehlohonolo Kennedy Masindi, Khathutshelo Elias Developmental mandate of District Municipalities in the Free State: Challenges in promoting environmental rights Waste management at the Sedibeng District Municipality: A strategy for improved service delivery Ababio, EP Ababio, EP Mayimele, Rachel Rirhandzu A communitarian programme for supporting AIDS orphaned learners Fourie, JE Moloi, Sello Winston Fraiser Mzini, Loraine Boitumelo Exploring the role of School Management Developers as in-service education and training providers to secondary school educators The impact of public participation on poverty alleviation: A case of promoting self-reliance through community food gardens Fourie, JE Ababio, EP Nhlapo, Velaphi Aaron A whole school approach to facilities maintenance Xaba, MI Sekhampu, Tshediso Joseph An investigation into the economic sustainability of Kwakwatsi Slabbert, TJC Grobler, WCJ Souls, Jacobus Abram Weyers, Ana Cristina Goncalves A model for changing teachers attitudes towards the value of teaching critical thinking skills: a school management perspective Management Accounting as a tool to measure the viability of performance management for the academic in higher education in South Africa Fourie, JE Lucouw, P PHD STUDENTS DELIVERED 29

31 RESEARCH EXCELLENCE AWARDS NWU Most Productive Researcher award scheme These awards, presented by the vice-chancellor of the NWU, reward researchers for their research performance in a specific reporting year, in this case Nominations in three categories are considered: Most Productive Junior Researcher of the Year Most Productive Senior Researcher of the Year Most Productive Research Entity of the Year Faculties were invited to submit one nomination per category. The criteria used were divided into several categories. The following nominations were received: Most Productive Junior Researcher of the Year Dr Jaco Gericke Prof Karina Mostert Dr Nicole Stieger Most Productive Senior Researcher of the Year Prof Hester Klopper Prof Salome Kruger Prof Pierre Mostert Prof Anita Pienaar Prof Melville Saayman Prof Linda Theron Prof Bennie van der Walt Prof Frans Waanders S 2 A 3 Bronze Medal The S 2 A 3 (Southern African Association for the Advancement of Science) aims to promote the pursuit of science among young people, and to acknowledge those who have excelled in science. The S 2 A 3 Bronze Medal is annually awarded to the best master s student at the NWU in a scientific discipline. This prestigious scientific award is made in recognition of the perseverance and dedication of the successful master s student in the application of scientific principles and the presentation of a written dissertation. For 2010, the nominees for this medal were: Ms S von Solms (Potchefstroom Campus) Mr JCW Kroeze (Vaal Triangle Campus) ABSA Bronze Medal The ABSA Bronze Medal is awarded annually to the best master s student at the NWU in Social Science and Humanities. This prestigious award is made in recognition of the perseverance and dedication of the successful student in the presentation of a written dissertation required at master s level. For 2010, the nominees for this medal were: Ms ED Terblanche (Vaal Triangle Campus) Ms JA Liebenberg (Potchefstroom Campus) RESEARCH EXCELLENCE AWARDS Most Productive Research Entity of the Year Centre for Excellence in Nutrition Drug Research and Development Physical Activity, Sport and Recreation (PhASRec) Social Transformation Teaching-learning Organisations WorkWell: Research Unit for Economic and Management Sciences 30

32 RESEARCH ENTITIES RESEARCH ENTITIES 31

33 Research centres of excellence Prof Johann Jerling Centre of Excellence for Nutrition (CEN) The Centre of Excellence for Nutrition (CEN) is one of two research entities at the university to be classified as a research centre of excellence, which is the highest level a research entity can reach at the NWU. The CEN is located in the Faculty of Health Sciences at the Potchefstroom Campus. The focus of research in CEN is determined and guided by the existing nutritional problems in South Africa, Africa and globally. The main aim of the research is to generate indepth information about all aspects of malnutrition and its alleviation, in order to provide evidence for solutions to the scientific community and governmental bodies responsible for policies, strategies and intervention programmes. The research approach, From molecules to society, is a holistic one that finds relevant and workable solutions by integrating all facets of and contributing factors to nutritionrelated health problems. The expert researchers in the group focus on matters such as changes in dietary patterns during the nutrition transition, as well as micronutrient malnutrition, the role of fatty acids in human development, child nutrition, nutritigenetics and nutrition in exercise and sport. Master s and doctoral students are trained in these research programmes. CEN plays an important leadership role and its members are involved in a number of international and pan-african initiatives such as the development of food-based dietary guidelines and the Federation of African Nutrition Societies. The Centre of Excellence is also the driving force behind the African Nutrition Leadership Programme and is involved in high-impact development work with the Kenyan National Food Fortification Alliance. At a national level, CEN is playing a leading role in the development of a national nutrient profiling model for South Africa, the Academy of Science for South Africa, the Health Professions Council of South Africa and the Nutrition Society of South Africa. The results of the nutrition research at the NWU have been applied in policies, programmes and dietary recommendations to improve the quality of life of all South Africans. Judging by the number of references to this research in the international literature, it has also had a significant impact on nutrition science and practice globally. PROF JOHANN JERLING Research Director: Centre of Excellence for Nutrition Tel: Johann.Jerling@nwu.ac.za RESEARCH CENTRES OF EXCELLENCE 32

34 Prof Adri Burger Centre for Space Research The Unit for Space Physics underwent a name change in 2010 when it was appointed as an NWU Centre of Excellence, and is now known as the Centre for Space Research (CSR). The centre successfully applied for associate membership of the National Institute for Theoretical Physics (NITheP). Membership is for a period of three years and grants access to the institute s programme for visitors. Various members of the CSR participated in a workshop on Cosmic Rays in the Heliosphere, which was held by the International Space Science Institute (ISSI) in Bern, Switzerland in April. Prof Harm Moraal was a member of the organising committee, and he and Prof Marius Potgieter and Prof Stefan Ferreira were invited to present lectures. Mr Eugene Engelbrecht, a PhD student of Prof Adri Burger, was also invited to attend the workshop as a part of the ISSI Young Scientists Program. The Second International Cosmic Rays workshop was held near Potchefstroom in March and was attended by various leading experts from Europe and the US. Prof Potgieter was the lead organiser. The CSR was very well represented at the biannual COSPAR meeting that took place in Bremen in Germany in July. Prof Potgieter, who is the current chairman of the National COSPAR and SCOSTEP committee, represented South Africa at this meeting. He was also the deputy organiser of a symposium aimed at building capacity, and was the main organiser of a session on cosmic rays from the inner to the outer heliosphere. Five PhD students gave lectures, including Mr Engelbrecht, who received a COSPAR Outstanding Paper Award for Young Scientists for an article published in Advances in Space Research. Members of the team also represented the NWU in various other capacities. Prof Potgieter was a member of the organising committee for the ICATPP Conference on Cosmic Rays for Particle and Astroparticle Physics, held in Villa Olmo in Como, Italy, in October. Prof Moraal was appointed as a member of a reference group on the future of astronomy in South Africa by the Minister of Science and Technology. Dr Ilani Loubser was elected as secretary of the South African Institute for Astrophysics and Space Science, while Mr Du Toit Strauss, a student of Prof Potgieter, received the 2010-S2A3 award for his dissertation. Members of the CSR were invited to present a total of 17 lectures around the globe in PROF ADRI BURGER Research Director: Centre for Space Research Tel: Adri.Burger@nwu.ac.za 2010 has been a year of many highlights, but sadly one that will be remembered as the year in which our beloved and valued colleague, Prof Okkie de Jager, lost his brave fight against cancer on 14 December. Prof de Jager held a SARChI chair in Astrophysics and Space Science and was a world leader in the area of high-energy astrophysics. Tributes from all around the globe not only underlined his scientific achievements, but also showed the vast appreciation his friends and co-workers had for him as a person. RESEARCH CENTRES OF EXCELLENCE 33

35 Research units Prof Jan Fourie Unit for Business Mathematics and Informatics RESEARCH UNITS Business Mathematics and Informatics has 77 postgraduate students, 46 full-time staff members from four different schools doing their research, and an extensive national and international network. As such, the unit is a key link in the NWU value chain in both basic and applied research that generates solutions for different role players, for instance, in the financial and telecommunications sectors. The industry-directed research that the unit conducts is mostly in support of two NWU centres, the Centre for Business Mathematics and Informatics and the Telkom Centre of Excellence. They specialise in solving problems that occur in the financial and telecommunications sectors. The unit benefits greatly from its extensive cooperative relationships with academics from other universities, nationally and internationally, as well as from the involvement of at least 12 industry representatives in its research projects. Overall, the unit does research in six sub-programmes: Applied Mathematics; Mathematics and Mathematical Modelling; Statistics; Business Informatics and Operations Research; Foundations and Ethics; and Risk and Reward Analysis and Risk Management. Within these programmes, the unit and the Centre for BMI had 61 master s students at the Potchefstroom Campus, of whom 38 completed their studies in 2010, and 16 PhD students, two of whom completed their qualifications in Members of the unit contributed to the production of 51 articles, six chapters in books and one book in These research papers in accredited journals translated into a total of 32 article equivalents for the unit. Members also produced 13 technical reports and 49 national and international conference presentations, which included two keynote addresses. Several international journals called on the expertise of the unit s members for the refereeing of research papers for publication. Research-related highlights in 2010 Prof Hennie Venter received the Investment Analysts Society Journal Award for his paper, Intraday momentum and contrarian effects on the JSE (which was published in 2009). Prof Mark Petersen and co-authors (MC Senosi and J Mukeddem-Petersen) published a book Subprime Banking Models in July 2010 (published by Nova Publishers, New York, ISBN: A-B). Prof Magda Huisman received a C-rating from the NRF in Ms Corne Botha (a student of Prof Japie Spoelstra) won the Certificate of Merit at the 2010 International Conference of Systems Biology and Bioengineering with her paper entitled The effect of ligament stiffness on the stability of the human spine. Two staff members, Dr Leonard Santana and Dr Helgard Raubenheimer, were awarded PhD degrees in May Researchers of the Risk and Reward Analysis and the Statistics sub-programmes, along with Statistical Consultation Services, organised an extremely successful annual conference of the South African Statistical Society, which was held on the NWU Potchefstroom Campus. Dr James Allison and his team have to be applauded for a job well done and for being successful in their invitation to Prof Robert Engle (2003 Nobel Prize winner) to attend the conference and to present a keynote address. Other international researchers of high standing who attended the conference and delivered keynote addresses included the well-known Prof Peter Hall, Prof Winfred State, Prof Michael Greenacres and Prof David Mason. PROF JAN FOURIE Research Director: Unit Of Business Mathematics and Informatics Tel: Jan.Fourie@nwu.ac.za 34

36 Prof Jeanetta du Plessis Unit for Drug Research and Development The research of the Unit for Drug Research and Development is aligned with the vision and mission of the NWU and the Potchefstroom Campus plan. The vision of the unit is to be a leader in the area of drug research and development in Africa. However, although we are a research unit in Africa, we compete internationally. Through collaboration with other researchers, both nationally and internationally, the unit has established a global research network with a multi-disciplinary approach. Part of the mission of this unit is to contribute to human resources development in the field of health care. We achieve this through postgraduate education. Our researchers include scientists, postgraduate students and a number of postdoctoral researchers. We have research programmes that are both nationally and internationally recognised for the quality of their research outputs. The research outputs of the unit since 2007 are shown in figure 1, which shows that the article equivalents have increased sharply to 23,91. All of the publications have been in high-quality international journals with an average impact factor of 2,4, which is very high considering the disciplines we work in. and more faculty members are starting to realise the value of patenting before publication. The number of postdoctoral fellows is constantly increasing and we have 25 primary and secondary members in the research unit. The output of these researchers is very high, 3,36 research equivalents per member, and we can conclude that they are very productive. (The research output per member increased from 1,0 in 2007 to 3,36 in 2010). In the next three years, we will focus on building capacity in health research and invest in innovative activities at the NWU and in South Africa by: Identifying and supporting groups of researchers with scarce expertise and proven records of excellence; Expanding facilities, such as laboratory and office space, and increasing our involvement on national level in line with national priorities; Creating opportunities for young researchers to develop knowledge, skills and outputs to obtain NRF ratings, and Appointing full-time researchers and professors (research chairs). The number of MSc graduates has increased to 33 and the number of PhD students to nine. Our patent portfolio has also grown significantly and we are very proud of the fact that we were able to register nine PCT and two South African patents in The best news on patents is that the base has broadened PROF JEANETTA DU PLESSIS Research Director: Unit for Drug Research and Development Tel: Jeanetta.duPlessis@nwu.ac.za Research output of the unit ( ) RESEARCH UNITS 5 0 NRF-ratings AE MSc graduates PhD graduates PostDocs SA patents Canadian patents Chinese patents PCT patents 35

37 Prof Justus C Roux Research Unit for Languages and Literature in the South African Context The research unit came into existence in 1998, initially as the focus area Communication in South Africa: Language, Literature and Media. In 2003 it obtained unit status under its current name. Research focus within the unit Linguistics and literature within the subject groups of Afrikaans and Dutch, English, German, French and Setswana; Applied linguistics incorporating activities within the Centre for Academic and Professional Practice; and Language technology which includes research and development in the Centre for Text Technology (CTexT ). Highlights of the year A number of projects made significant progress during this period: Prof Heilna du Plooy s project Vers en verhaal (Stanza and story) is a classical example of excellent team work. Workshop papers emanating from 2009 were processed and submitted for publication to Stilet and Literator; a total of 18 articles were eventually published. This includes articles by quite a number of colleagues from the Netherlands as well as two internationally acclaimed academics, namely Peter Hühn and Brian McHale. Group in Tromso, Norway. The discussion was lively and valuable theoretical insights were exchanged. Work is underway on a collection of essays on boundaries in literature. The active participation of postgraduate students with members of staff at national conferences bodes well for future research. A total of 17 papers were presented at meetings of the Linguistic Society of Southern Africa (LSSA), the Southern African Applied Linguistics Association (SAALA) and the South African Association for Language Teachers (SAALT) and at the Afrikaans Literary Association (ALV). CTexT made very good progress with a new language resource development project for the Department of Arts and Culture. A beta version of MarkWrite (assistive software for marking written tasks) was introduced, while an electronic, interactive version of Pharos s Multilingual Illustrated Dictionary was completed and published. The name CTexT was approved as a trademark. At the prestige event for research on 29 October 2010, two members of the research unit, Prof John Gouws and Prof Justus Roux, received special mention in recognition of their NRF ratings. Prof Roux also received a special award for leadership in international research, among others for his involvement in international scientific committees. RESEARCH UNITS In 2010 Prof Heilna du Plooy was honoured as the most productive researcher at the NWU. In addition, CText was named the foremost technological innovator at the university. A special highlight was the exhibition of artists books made within the ambit of Prof Franci Greyling and Mr Ian Marley s project, Oor die einders van die bladsy (Beyond the horizon of the page). The exhibitions were presented at the Word Festival in Stellenbosch, at the NWU and also at the University of Johannesburg. Within the ambit of the Grensprojek (Boundaries project) of Prof Hein Viljoen, a very successful joint videolink workshop was organised with the Border Poetics As in the past, members of the unit were very active on the international scene as well. Prof Franci Greyling was a research fellow at the International Children s and Youth Library in München, Germany for three months (November 2009 to January 2010). Prof Justus Roux served on a number of national and international boards and committees in different capacities. These included leading the South African delegation to the annual meeting of the International Standards Organisation (ISO TC37, in Dublin) as well as being an appointed member of a European Union evaluation panel to assess the outcomes of a major Dutch-Flemish language technology project (STEVIN). 36

38 Prof Betsie van der Westhuizen presented a module, Die Afrikaanse letterkunde: ruimtes, roetes en (her-) ontdekkings (Afrikaans literature: spaces, routes and (re-) discoveries), at the University of Antwerp from 21 September to 12 November. She also made two public presentations at a meeting of the International Board on Books for Young People (IBBY) on 13 October; and on narrative energy in children s and youth literature at a faculty seminar at the University of Cambridge on 27 October. A large delegation of CTexT members participated in the LREC 2010 workshop for Language Technologies for African Languages, AfLaT 2010, held in Malta in May Prof Roux presented the invited plenary lecture which was followed by presentations by Prof Gerhard van Huyssteen, Mr Groenewald and other collaborators. Prof van Huyssteen also participated in various international congresses and workshops. On 6 June, he participated in the workshop of the 6th North American Chapter of the North American Association for Computer Linguistics (NAACL) in Los Angeles. He also presented a paper at the AAAI symposium on Artificial Intelligence for Development, at Stanford University, on 23 and 24 March Existing good cooperation with the University of Antwerp was continued. Prof Wannie Carstens and Prof Kris van de Poel from Antwerp worked together on an important publication, Teksredaksie (Text editing), whilst a number of our postgraduate students studied in Antwerp for shorter periods. Ms Adri Breed is currently studying under an Antwerp promoter, Prof Frank Brisard. Prof Heilna du Plooy visited the prestigious Interdisciplinary Centre for Narratology in Hamburg in October 2010 and established a foundation for good cooperation in the future. Prof Hein Viljoen acted as an academic advisor for a Fulbright research group of the Ohio Northern University. The project yielded valuable insights into the problem of broader areas for the project on boundaries and literature. This cooperation with the NWU will be continued in the future. Participation in congresses within the country Members of the unit also actively participated in the academic discourse locally and presented a total of nine papers in literature and 21 in linguistics at various congresses and workshops. In addition, the unit organised two colloquium days during which researchers presented papers on their work and participated in fruitful discussions. Research outputs 2010 Publications The following publications were produced: Accredited national academic journals: 24 Accredited international academic journals: 9 Chapters in academic books: 9 Conference proceedings: 11 Two book publications warrant specific mention: Carstens, WAM Teksredaksie. SUN Media, Stellenbosch. Mavoungou, P and Ndinga-Koumba-Binza, HS Civili, Langue des Balonango. Lincom, München (Dr Ndinga-Koumba-Binza is a postdoctoral fellow in the research unit.) Master s and doctoral students In 2010 a total of 19 master s students were enrolled of whom three completed their studies whilst two out of a total of 19 doctoral students completed their studies. Research associates In order to stimulate research and guide younger researchers through participation in local workshops and colloquia, two extraordinary professors (Prof J Gouws and Prof CJH Krüger) were appointed, along with three research associates (Prof J van der Elst, Prof T Ullyatt and Dr A Mostert). Thank you very much to each and every member of the research unit who has made a contribution to the activities during Due recognition is given to the previous director, Prof Hein Viljoen, for his role in the activities of the unit. PROF JUSTUS C ROUX Director: Research Unit for Languages and Literature in the South African Context Tel: +27 (0) Justus.Roux@nwu.ac.za RESEARCH UNITS 37

39 Prof Francois Viljoen Reformed Theology and the Development of the South African Society RESEARCH UNITS The focus of the unit is the study of Reformed Theology and its importance for and contribution to the development of the South African society. With this in mind, a clear vision, goal and mission have been developed to direct the research activities of the unit: The vision is to be an entity of high quality working within the Reformed theological paradigm, with the aim of being recognised locally and internationally as doing research of a high standard and high impact on issues relevant in South Africa and abroad. The goal of the entity is to make a meaningful contribution to the theological discourse, locally and internationally, from within the Reformed tradition. The mission of the unit is to make a scholarly contribution to important debates in South Africa today, especially those related to the interpretation of the Bible and its use in the development of the South African society. In this way an attempt is made to contribute towards and provide guidelines for a healthy and responsible society and for the effective functioning of Christians within the current South African State. From the Reformed Theology perspective, the unit seeks to impact on discourse on international theological matters and aspects pertinent to the South African society. To realise our mission, we undertake the following activities: The human rights concepts within Reformed Theology are applied to the process of nation-building and societal development. A special focal point is the relationship between church and state. This is done within the project entitled The moral renewal of society. The project entitled Ancient textual studies is committed to the scientific investigation of ancient texts. The primary focus is on text-based research in which the principle of descriptive adequacy is essential. Part of the secondary focus is the description of implicit levels of understanding, in other words, an encyclopaedia of understanding of the ancient texts (which are predominantly but not exclusively religious). Methodological reflection and exegetical research on the socio-historic context of the Bible are done to, amongst others, provide tools for the interpretation and translation of the Biblical text for our current situation. This is done within the project titled: The socio-historic context of the Bible and the development of the South African society. Theoretical perspectives are developed by endeavoring to understand and explain the praxis of trends and religious activities and actions in the South African society in hermeneutical interaction with what God reveals in Scripture. Research usually culminates in developing strategic indicators for renewal of praxis. This is done within the project entitled Practical theological perspectives on the South African society in transformation. Ecclesiastical perspectives has been launched as a project, with its first sub-project. Recording the history of the Theological School of the GKSA ( ). The interpretation of the Bible, given the multitude of methods used in this field, is in need of study. The message of the Bible needs to be established in a responsible and valid way, and communicated effectively to society. Research towards this end is done within the project entitled Hermeneutical Perspectives. The growing population of inner cities poses major challenges to society. Within the project, Missiological perspective, research is being done to outline the role that the Reformed Churches in South Africa (RCSA) can play towards the transformation of South African cities as they participate in urban church planting and ministry. Different aspects of the Theology of the New Testament are being researched. The approach can broadly be typified as Biblical theology or, as in the Dutch Reformed tradition as Revelation history. This is done within the project entitled New Testament perspectives. The unit s management comprises the following staff members: Prof Koos Vorster; Prof Fritz de Wet; Prof Herrie van Rooy; Mr At Lamprecht; Dr Rikus Fick; and Prof Jan van der Watt. 38

40 Research projects Seven main research projects are under way at the unit, namely: Project 1: The moral renewal of society Project 2: Ancient textual studies. Project 3: Practical theological perspectives on the South African society in transformation Project 4: Ecclesiastical perspectives Project 5: Hermeneutical perspectives Project 6: Missiological perspectives Project 7: New Testament perspectives PROF FRANCOIS VILJOEN Research Director: Reformed Theology and the Development of the South African Society Tel: The growing population of inner cities poses major challenges to society. Research is being done to outline the role that the Reformed Churches in South Africa can play towards the transformation of South African cities as they participate in urban church planting and ministry. RESEARCH UNITS 39

41 Prof Willemien du Plessis Development in the South African Constitutional State The vision and strategic aim of the research unit is to utilise juridical science and the law to solve legal challenges and developmental problems in South Africa as a constitutional state, and to receive national and international recognition for the research efforts of the unit. When the Cabinet adopted outcomes to ensure better service delivery in January 2010 ( index.html), it became clear that nearly all the projects in the research unit address aspects relating to these outcomes. The first outcome, Improved quality of basic education, links to the project on Poverty, social exclusion and socioeconomic rights (Poverty project), which focuses on the rights of indigent children and children in child-headed households. The research unit also hosts an LLM degree in Comparative Child Law (in collaboration with the Justus Liebig University, Giessen, Germany) that focuses amongst others on the right of children to education. Outcome 2 deals with A long and healthy life for all South Africans. The Environment, trade and development project, as well as its sub-projects (Environment projects), focus on section 24 of the Constitution, which states that Everyone has a right to an environment that is not detrimental to a person s health or well-being. Health issues are further addressed in the Poverty project. The third outcome, All people in South Africa are and feel safe, is addressed in the New thinking project. LLM and LLD studies in this project approach this aspect from a legal perspective. to Outcome 6, An efficient, competitive and responsive economic infrastructure network. Outcome 7, Vibrant, equitable and sustainable rural communities with food security for all, links up with several of the research unit s projects. These are the Environmental projects, as well as the Rural and urban land development project (Land project), dealing with environmental issues, land tenure, rights of women and traditional leaders, among others, in the rural areas. One LLD study specifically deals with food security and another with corporate social responsibility and land reform. Outcome 8 is Sustainable human settlements and improved quality of household life. The Land, Environment, New thinking and Poverty projects address legal questions about the environmental and social aspects of housing, land tenure, water rights, and so on. Outcome 9 s focus is on A responsive, accountable, effective and efficient local government system. One project specifically deals with local government issues, namely Local government and environmental rights, and investigates from a legal perspective how local governance could be strengthened. Outcome 10 is Environmental assets and natural resources that are well protected and continually enhanced. In this case, the Environmental, Land and New thinking projects all deal with this issue from different perspectives in the South African context, while the Regional African law and human security (RAHLUS) project takes an African regional perspective. RESEARCH UNITS The LLM in Labour Law and the research conducted by students within the various projects of the research unit contribute to Outcome 4, Decent employment through inclusive economic growth. One LLD study, for example, focuses on the rights of workers who are placed by labour brokers and who do not have all the protection and benefits of workers in permanent positions. The LLM in Import and Export Law, as well as the Trade and development project, address economic issues and impediments to trade from a legal perspective, thus also addressing issues relating Outcome 11 is to Create a better South Africa and contribute to a better and safer Africa and world. The researchers in the various projects conduct legal comparative studies with countries all over the world, including Africa. Some projects such as RALHUS specifically focus on the African region. Outcome 12 is An efficient, effective and development oriented public service and an empowered, fair and inclusive citizenship. The Environmental projects, Land project, Local 40

42 government project and New thinking projects focus on this issue from different perspectives. Highlights during 2010 In January 2011 the Tilburg-Potchefstroom Winter-Summer School was again successfully presented in Tilburg, the Netherlands, and students from the Mafikeng and Potchefstroom Campuses attended. The collaboration with Justus Liebig University, Giessen, Germany led to a joint international seminar on Transboundary protected areas in Europe and Southern Africa in Giessen in November Several members of the research unit participated in the seminar and delivered papers. Ms Anél Terblanché attended the African Partnership for Environment and Development in Africa (APEDIA) workshop in Namibia and was elected onto the board. APEDIA is a research network for African universities funded by the German Academic Exchange Service, known as DAAD, under the leadership of Justus Liebig University. The Konrad Adenauer Stiftung of Germany funded two successful workshops within the research unit during Prof Gerrit Pienaar hosted an international colloquium on good governance in land tenure in April This workshop was attended by local government officials, NGOs and academics from various universities. Prof Leonie Stander organised a successful international conference on Insolvency Law, held at the Potchefstroom Campus and attended by 250 participants. Prof Werner Scholtz hosted several workshops under the auspices of SAIFAC in collaboration with the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung in October and November 2010 at the Johannesburg Constitutional Court.(SAIFAC is the South African Institute for Advanced Constitutional, Public, Human Rights and International Law.) Prof GJ Pienaar published a book on Sectional Titles by Juta. This book forms part of a series of books on Property Law. Prof F Venter published a book on Global Features of Constitutional Law by Wolf Legal Publishers, Netherlands. The third edition of Prof Christa Rautenbach s book (co-edited by Bekker and Goolam), Introduction to Legal Pluralism in South Africa by LexisNexis, was also published. She also co-edited a book with Prof Juanita Jamneck of Unisa on the law of succession in South Africa, published by Oxford University Press. Dr Hein Lubbe defended and received his doctorate from Tilburg University, Netherlands, in December Prof Leonie Stander paid a research visit to the University of Colorado (Boulder, Colorado) during the period December 2009 to February Prof Anél du Plessis received a Fulbright scholarship and spent the first six months of 2010 in Washington and New York to complete a research project on local government and environmental issues. She was elected as a member of the Volkswagen s Stiftung s Global Young Faculty. She also became a member of the International Union for Conservation of Nature IUCN Commission on Environmental Law and a member of the advisory committee of the Irmgard Coninx Stiftung, Germany (research capacity building). Prof Louis Kotzé was awarded an Alexander von Humboldt award for research in Germany. Mr Jacques Matthee received a DAAD bursary and a bursary from Stichting Studiefonds voor Zuid-Afrikaanse Studenten (SSF). The members of the research unit delivered various researchrelated services to the community. Dr Hein Lubbe was invited to serve on the KAS African Expert Study group on the International Criminal Court. Prof Elmarie van der Schyff was RESEARCH UNITS 41

43 approached to write various expert reports for the Water Research Council. Prof Anél du Plessis provided training and wrote brief research reports for municipalities and other government departments, as well as the private sector, on local government issues. Dr Clara Bocchino was appointed as an external advisor to the Madimbo Development Forum, which is organised by the communities under the Mutele Chieftainship, Limpopo Province. In November 2010, she participated as a policy advisor for the Veterinary Advisory Group to the Greater Limpopo Transfrontier Conservation Area (GLTFCA) Joint Management Board, Shingwedzi Camp, (Kruger National Park). She also acted as socio-economic advisor for the Limpopo Rapid Veterinary Assessment during May The assessment was conducted with a team of consultants and government officials from Mozambique on the veterinary problems within the Limpopo National Park, Mozambique. The results are contained in a report available from the Wildlife Conservation Society, to be presented at the 2011 AHEAD GLTFCA meeting. Dr Bocchino further participated in the United Nations Development Programme s Biodiversity Conservation and Protected Areas Management Programme for Syria: Scenario Planning stakeholders workshop and train-the-trainers workshop in Syria. She was also elected provincial chair of the International Association for Impact Assessment and became a member of the project team for the USAID Disaster Risk Reduction Programme. She was also chair of the Policy Research Group of AHEAD. Prof Werner Scholtz developed a knowledge product for the USAID DRR Training Project, namely KP 18: Climate change adaptation and mitigation. The members of the research unit participated either as members or in the executive committees of various organisations such as the Vereniging van Regslui vir Afrikaans; International Association of Impact Assessment of South Africa (IAIAsa), Sabila: International Law Association: Climate Change Committee; European Society of International Law: International Environmental Group; International Association of Child Law; Comparative Research Programme on Poverty of the International Institute of Social Law; Norwegian Association for Development Research; Southern African Society of Teachers of Law; World Society for Mixed Jurisdiction Jurists; International Association for Property Lawyers; Property Law Work Group; Southern African Society of Legal Historians: South African Education Law Association; Nederlands-Zuid-Afrikaanse Vereniging (NZAV); RIMO (Netherlands): African Law Association; IUCN Academy of Environmental Law, and APEDIA. Members of the research unit also serve on the editorial boards of, among others, the Butterworths Property Law Digest; South African Yearbook of International Law; Tydskrif vir Boedelbeplanning en Boedelreg; Tijdschift voor Milieurecht; Journal of Human Rights and the Environment (Edward Elgar); South African Journal of Environmental Law and Policy; Potchefstroom Electronic Law Journal; Prague Yearbook of Comparative Law; THRHR; Botswana Law Journal; South African Journal of Environmental Law and Policy, and the International Journal of Sustainable Development and Planning. PROF WILLEMIEN DU PLESSIS Research Director: Development in the South African Constitutional State Tel: /54 Willemien.DuPlessis@nwu.ac.za RESEARCH UNITS 42

44 Prof George van Schoor Unit for Energy Systems The Unit for Energy Systems focuses its research efforts on the following five main areas, which also form its sub-programmes: Nuclear energy Hydrogen energy Fossil energy Renewable energy Energy management These areas cover a strategically relevant spectrum of energy-related research in support of the current global energy challenges. Globally, the energy industry faces an ongoing challenge to sustainably utilise natural resources to meet increasing energy demands. In the 2007 Science Plan of the International Council for Science (ICSU) 1, sustainable energy refers to energy: providing affordable, accessible and reliable energy services; that meets economic, social and environmental needs; within the overall developmental context of the society for which the services are intended; while recognising equitable distribution in meeting those needs. Once the clean hydrogen has been produced, it can be used as feedstock in a clean coal-to-liquids process to produce synthetic liquid fuels. Hydrogen will make its largest impact with the economic commercialisation of the fuel cell, relieving the dependency of the automobile industry on oil reserves. Fossil Energy, in synergy with the above, conducts advanced research in the field of clean coal science and technology with the intention of developing alternative or improved processes using available coal reserves with cognizance of maintaining a clean environment. The activities of the former Coal Technology sub-programme now resort under this sub-programme. In the Renewable Energy sub-programme, the Biomass activity is becoming well established and associated activities, for example wind generation and solar heat pumps, are under way. With the drive towards cleaner energy and the associated taxation of carbon emissions, activity in the Renewable Energy sub-programme is expected to expand in the near future. The drive of the South African National Energy Research Institute (SANERI) to establish a Renewable Energy Centre for Research and Development (RE CORD) creates new opportunities to strategically establish further activity in this area. Nuclear energy is regarded as the only technology that can significantly address the future (global) energy needs in a sustainable manner. One of the main focuses of the Unit for Energy Systems is therefore nuclear energy, which is also of national strategic importance. The activities of the former Mechanical Energy Systems sub-programme now resort mainly under the Nuclear Energy sub-programme. Interest is also heightened in utilising nuclear energy and hydrogen to leverage existing hydrocarbon reserves 2. Hydrogen can be cleanly produced from water (without CO² pollution) by using nuclear energy to generate the required electricity and/or process heat to split the water molecule. The unit also devotes special attention to Energy Management in the form of power quality and demand-side management. A number of participants in the unit are regarded as being among world leaders in their respective fields. They are Prof Eben Mulder (Nuclear Energy), Prof Frans Waanders (Fossil Energy) and Prof LJ Grobler (Energy Management). The unit also hosts four research chairs, namely: a Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) chair in Nuclear Energy; a SANERI chair in Clean Coal Technology; an associate SANERI chair in Biofuels, and a chair in Hydrogen Energy. RESEARCH UNITS 1. ICSU Science plan: Sustainable Energy in sub-saharan Africa, July Greyvenstein et al, South Africa s opportunity to maximise the role of nuclear power in a global hydrogen economy, Proceedings The unit receives industry and government funding in the order of R35 million per year from mostly THRIP, the 41 43

45 Department of Science and Technology (DST), DTI and the respective industry partners, attesting to the importance and relevance of its programmes. In terms of infrastructure, the unit s facilities include the Heat Transfer Test Facility (HTTF) on the Potchefstroom Campus. Vision and strategic aim The unit strives to be recognised as a centre of expertise and excellence for research in and development of energy systems to meet actual industry needs, while working towards maintaining a balance between basic research and research in application. Energy Systems strives to deliver research outputs in a sustainable manner that: adds direct value to South African industries, thereby contributing towards the economic development and upliftment of the country; maintains a balance between basic research and research in application; attests to a high degree of research productivity; provides proof of high-quality research in terms of international standards; attests to responsible stewardship, and contributes to the personal development of its participants. The unit will continue to maintain close ties with the relevant energy industries and organisations, namely PBMR, Sasol and Eskom, as well as the main funding bodies, including THRIP, SANERI, DST and DTI, in order to ensure the relevance and sustainability of the research programmes. The unit will strive to maintain a postgraduate delivery of on average 60 master s students and 10 PhD students per year. The number of NRF-rated researchers can potentially be increased from the current seven to 11 within the next five years. The research director also manages the NRF rating of personnel in collaboration with the Institutional Research Office by interviewing each researcher regularly. Highlights of 2010 Nuclear Energy Towards the end of 2010 the South African Research Chair in Nuclear Engineering was awarded to the North West University by the South African Research Chairs Initiative (SARChI). The Chair will be funded by a grant from the DST and administered by the NRF. The objectives of this award are to stimulate strategic research and increase the level of excellence in research areas of national and international importance, such as nuclear engineering. The value of the associated grant is between R2 million and R3 million per year for a fixed term of five years from January 2011 to December This award means that the faculty will be able to continue doing nuclear energy research, mainly through the funding of research personnel and bursaries for postgraduate students. Pioneering work is done at the School of Nuclear Engineering regarding the fuel of the future. The mineral thorium presents exciting options as a nuclear fuel source. Thorium-232 is, like Uranium-238, a fertile material which occurs in nature. As soon as it is bombarded with neutrons, it transmutes into Uranium-233, which features better nuclear properties than any other nuclear fuel. The School of Nuclear Engineering researches this fuel cycle as part of the whole sustainability debate of nuclear power. Basic pioneering work is done in this regard in the School of Nuclear Engineering. Prof Eben Mulder was asked to discuss this topic, as well as results, on the television programme 50/50. RESEARCH UNITS 44

46 Mr Yvotte Brits, a postgraduate student in nuclear engineering, was the winner of the best poster presentation award at the International Youth Nuclear Congress in Cape Town. His master s degree project focused on the techno economic analysis of a smallscale pebble bed reactor plant. The conclusion of his research is that a 40 MW thermal high temperature gas cooled nuclear reactor can be cost effectively constructed in various countries. Prof Jat du Toit and Prof Pieter Rousseau co authored a research paper published in the international journal Nuclear Engineering and Design, which held the 13th place on the journal s Top 25 Hottest Articles counted by article downloads on SciVerse ScienceDirect during April, May and June 2010, and also 9th place during July, August and September Hydrogen Energy The North-West University, in co-operation with the CSIR, was named one of the three centres of competence in the country where research on hydrogen as an energy source is going to be done. The DST registered the brand name HySA (Hydrogen South Africa) in 2008 to develop and research hydrogen as a safe energy source. Hydrogen economy is currently on South Africa s list of alternative energy sources to provide clean and reliable energy. Another driving force is that 75% of the world s platinum reserves can be found in South Africa, with platinum group metals being the key catalysts in fuel cells. Three centres of competence, HySA Systems, HySA Catalysis and HySA Infrastructure, were formed by the DTI to implement the HySA strategy, meeting 25% of the world s catalyst demand for quality platinum group metals by the year The centre at the NWU, HySA Infrastructure CC, will research hydrogen generation, storage and distribution in cooperation with the CSIR. The director of HySA Infrastructure CC, Dr Dmitri Bessarabov, will work with the leading role players at the NWU, Prof Henning Krieg and Prof Cobus Kriek of the focus area Chemical Resource Beneficiation (CRB), and Mr Frikkie van der Merwe from Engineering. Renewable Energy The Jonker brothers, Attie and Uys with their JS1 glider, took part in the world glider championships in Hungary in Six of their JS1 gliders participated in the championship and four of the six were in the top 10 (out of 53 contestants). The building of the gliders was a feat of Engineering and was approached jointly by the NWU and Jonker Gliders. A PhD student, Mr Joachim Huyssen, received extensive publicity for his research and design of aeroplane structures, with tail structures. His research shows that the effectiveness of aircraft (including fuel usage) can fundamentally and drastically improve. A radiocontrolled model has already been built and wind tunnel tests conducted at the University of South California. Prof Geoffrey Spedding at the University of California has presented Mr Huyssen s research at a conference in the United States, resulting in good publicity for the NWU. The changes to aeroplane design will firstly be tested on gliders, where the NWU is already in the lead internationally. A lecturer within the biofuels research group, Prof Sanette Marx, was the only South African invited to attend as consultant at the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) in Rome. Prof Marx, an expert on biofuels, spoke about a planned community project at Thusanang. This project will be an excellent example of integrated food-energy systems. The FAO is a sub-division of the United Nations and monitors food supply of countries. It is trying to find integrated systems in which farmers can generate energy from the biomass on their farms without harming the provision of food. The new biomass applications in the energy field are of great importance to the production of food, which must be increased by 70% by 2050 in order to meet the world s food needs. Nuclear energy is regarded as the only technology that can significantly address the future (global) energy needs in a sustainable manner. RESEARCH UNITS 41 45

47 Fossil Energy A master s student, Mr Burgert Hattingh, at the School for Chemical and Minerals Engineering, received an award from the Fossil Fuel Foundation for the best coalrelated master s dissertation in South Africa. Mr Tobias Eckardt, an exchange student from the University of Freiburg, Germany, joined the group to do his traineeship. During 2010, members of the group attended the following conferences: 25th International Mineral Processing Congress, Brisbane, Australia 12th International Mineral Processing Symposium in Cappadocia, Turkey 27th Pittsburgh Coal Conference in Istanbul, Turkey 15th Fossil Fuel Foundation conference, Johannesburg In total 15 oral presentations were made during these conferences. The following institutes were visited and collaborations initiated or strengthened: l Ecole Central Paris in France Freiberg University in Germany Newcastle University in Australia Energy Management Energy-saving water heating pumps One of our senior lecturers, Dr Martin van Eldik, attracted countrywide attention on the television programme Carte Blanche with his research and knowledge of energy-saving water heating heat pumps. Energy is extracted from the ambient air using a heat exchanger. The energy is transferred to a refrigerant that is then pumped by a compressor to a higher temperature and pressure state, after which it is used to heat water. refrigerant, CO². The advantage of using CO² is that the global warming potential (GWP) is negligible and improved energy efficiencies can be obtained, along with higher water temperatures. Dr Van Eldik and his team are now in the process of developing a first for South Africa. This is a CO² water heating heat pump test bench, which can be used to do detailed research on a variety of aspects. The second area of focus is the integration of a solar heater with a heat pump to measure the savings potential of such a combined system. Power Alert On Christmas Day 2005, a major technical fault occurred at Koeberg Power Station, severely impacting electricity supply in the Western Cape. Prof LJ Grobler and his team then proposed and developed the Power Alert system for Eskom whereby residential customers are informed of the status of the grid and subsequently asked to switch off appliances when the network is under pressure. The project was expanded nationally in 2007 and Power Alert is still on SABC and etv every weekday night. The average impact when red is broadcast is between 400 and 500 MW per evening. During the 2010 soccer World Cup, a total impact of MW was achieved during game nights. Prof LJ Grobler received the Lifetime Achievement Award at the eta Awards 2010 for his extensive involvement in energy efficiency through measurement and verification, his visualisation programme to show energy consumption in buil-dings, and for setting the benchmark for training and development of energy engineers. RESEARCH UNITS About two thirds of power usage is saved compared to conventional direct electrical heating elements typically found in geysers. Another advantage of this technology is that it does not depend on the sun to generate hot water and can heat water even during the night. Studies undertaken by final-year and postgraduate students focus on the next generation of heat pumps, using a natural Eskom and the Department of Energy celebrated the 21st annual eta Awards on 4 November The aim of the awards is to reward the proven application of sound energy efficiency principles in the commercial, industrial, residential, agricultural and education sectors. 46

48 Measurement and verification Eskom started with its Demand Side Management programme in 2000 to incentivise customers to save energy and change their behaviour on using energy. Prof LJ Grobler has since been involved in the Measurement and Verification (M&V) of the Demand Side Management projects. M&V is the process of technically quantifying the energy savings. Prof Grobler and his team are involved with the M&V of commercial, residential and industrial projects. Materials and Manufacturing Largest twin-screw extruder built in Africa The largest twin-screw extruder built and developed in South Africa was unveiled on the Potchefstroom Campus on 30 November The Centre for Advanced Manufacturing (CFAM) Technologies Pty Ltd developed and built the extruder for Feedpro, a subsidiary of Profert, which is a company that supplies agricultural products. This extruder is the product of 13 years of development that started in 1998 as a research project at the NWU. The extruders have earned a reputation as extruders built in Africa for Africa. This gives manufacturers the assurance that maintenance and assistance is available locally, therefore minimising downtime in a plant. Extrusion Laboratory The establishment of an extrusion laboratory in early 2010 enables the NWU to do product development for clients to the extent that a sample of the final product is produced before ordering an extruder. Small production runs can be made to produce samples that can be used for consumer and market testing. Previously extrusion, and especially twin-screw extrusion, was only available to large organisations with sufficient in-house extrusion skills. Setting up and operating an extrusion plant requires product developers, plant operators and experienced maintenance staff. Operating a plant using imported technologies without local maintenance and support posed a risk to local companies. This has been the downfall of many companies that previously tried to use twin-screw extrusion. ExtruAfrica 2011 The NWU has teamed up with the Texas A&M University in the USA to promote and develop new extrusion products to beneficiate local products. ExtruAfrica 2011 is a three-day seminar with practical demonstrations that will be held at Zebula near Bela Bela in March The seminar will feature Dr Mian Riaz from Texas A&M and focus on applications of food extrusion in Africa. PROF GEORGE VAN SCHOOR Research Director: Unit for Energy Systems Tel: George.VanSchoor@nwu.ac.za RESEARCH UNITS 41 47

49 Prof Annamarie Kruger Africa Unit for Transdisciplinary Health Research (AUTHeR) The research activities in AUTHeR focus specifically on biopsycho-social health in the context of preventing illness and restoring, maintaining and promoting bio-psycho-social health, as well as facilitating quality health systems. A variety of disciplines are involved in AUTHeR, namely Social Work, Psychology, Nursing Science, Consumer Science and Occupational Hygiene. The research focuses on problems and opportunities specific to Africa and other developing countries where health is affected by HIV/Aids and rapid urbanisation, and where the empowerment of people and the development of human capital is a high priority. Research includes basic, applied and action research (research in application). It attempts to understand the impact on people s health when rapid urbanisation takes place without corresponding changes in health care delivery. Communities in such environments are typically vulnerable to the HIV/Aids pandemic and other illnesses, and are exposed to various social ills that compromise people s health, including gender inequality and abuse, an intense struggle with poverty and irresponsible behaviour patterns. These conditions conspire to create an escalating cycle of fear, hurt and anger that is detrimental to health. Currently AUTHeR has two main sub-programmes, which span the broad health continuum (pathology to thriving) and allow integration among the different disciplines. Many of the projects and programmes within these two sub-programmes developed from and influenced one another. For example, basic and epidemiological studies led to applied research, and implementation and evaluation of interventions led back to basic research on issues identified in the process. Each sub-programme consists of several large funded projects or programmes with individual studies to accommodate the large number of postgraduate students. There were 294 postgraduate students registered in AUTHeR for Out of the 235 registered master s students, 77 were studying full time, while 158 were part-time students. Out of the 59 registered doctoral students, 24 were full-time and 35 were part-time students. A total of 33 master s and 17 doctoral degrees were awarded in In 2010, AUTHeR had 40 primary researchers (with PhD degrees), 30 secondary researchers (in the process of obtaining higher qualifications and/or without a PhD degree), two temporary researchers, two extraordinary members, one postdoctoral fellow, two administrative staff members and two full-time project assistants. RESEARCH UNITS SUB-PROGRAMME I Epidemiology, prevalence and identification of problems and strengths over the continuum of health (pathology to thriving) as well as the dynamics of behaviour in various contexts. Large funded projects/programmes in this sub-programme are: PURE, FORT, QOLPLPH, DCS, CON-WEL, Forensic Social Work and OPQUAL SUB-PROGRAMME II Interventions to enhance health and quality of life in various contexts on individual, community, social and systems levels. Large funded projects/programmes in this sub-programme are: CENPOLL, Holding Hands through LIFEPLAN, EBPQI. 48

50 Six of the primary researchers are NRF-rated researchers while many of the others serve on the national and international executive councils of their scientific and professional societies. The high quality of research done by members of AUTHeR is reflected in the substantial body of work published in international peer-reviewed journals. contributed to 36 national and 40 international conferences with published abstracts. AUTHeR is proud of its research output and is committed to making the results of its research endeavours widely accessible in the national and international health care community. For 2010 a total of 49 articles were published in peerreviewed, accredited journals of which 20 were in international journals and 29 in national journals. There were also eight publications in non-accredited journals (four international and four national). Researchers PROF ANNEMARIE KRUGER Research Director: Africa Unit for Transdisciplinary Health Research (AUTHeR) Tel: Annamarie.Kruger@nwu.ac.za The Africa Unit for Transdisciplinary Health Research focuses on problems and opportunities specific to Africa and other developing countries where health is affected by HIV/Aids and rapid urbanisation, and where the empowerment of people and the development of human capital is a high priority. RESEARCH UNITS 49

51 Prof Jaco Pienaar WorkWell: Research Unit for Economic and Management Sciences Since 2009, WorkWell has adopted a stronger developmental focus. This came about after the loss of two senior NRF-rated researchers and the founding of the new research niche area (for Tourism) within the same faculty. These developments highlighted the necessity of building a larger base of active and participating researchers, as well as strengthening the research focus and impact of established researchers. contribution to the unit s 2010 final research output if acknowledged for subsidy purposes. Taking only the journal publications into account, a significant increase is apparent between the ratio of international to national publications; from 0,39:1 in 2009 to 0,88:1 in This is a very encouraging sign, highlighting the increased international visibility of the research in WorkWell. In line with the recommendations of the 2009 Research Support Commission, WorkWell gave attention to developing greater focus within the various research programmes. This was the most significant intervention in Additionally, by creating opportunities for staff training in research methodology, postgraduate supervision and other capacitybuilding workshops, WorkWell is actively involved in enhancing a research culture within the larger faculty. The involvement of extraordinary professors has made a considerable contribution to the total overall output of the unit. The greatest benefit, however, lies in the interaction of these distinguished academics with staff members, along with the training and workshops they present and the knowledge they share on a variety of research-related matters. Also, these authors mostly publish in high-impact journals, creating much greater international visibility for the unit. RESEARCH UNITS Organisationally, the process of module ownership was, for the first time since its conceptualisation, implemented and refined within the faculty. All the relevant research modules are now linked to WorkWell. Through continuous engagement with researchers on the research committee, as well as the outcomes of a Research Strategic Planning session held in the faculty during June 2010, quality assurance measures are being further developed and refined. Examples include the development of new guidelines for managing postgraduate supervision and the refinement of guidelines for sabbaticals. All these measures aim to strengthen and broaden the research opportunities for researchers. In terms of total number of publications, the output of the research unit shows a significant increase, with quite a number of book contributions. For journal publications, however, there is little difference between 2009 and 2010, with only one additional publication. On the other hand, in the case of article equivalents, an increase of five equivalents is shown in the preliminary estimates over the reporting year, representing an increase of 18% since Book contributions and conference proceedings have not been counted here, but could still make a significant A decline in conference presentations is evident, mainly because stricter rules apply for international travel, coupled with the fact that a significant number of national conferences were postponed due to South Africa being the host of the 2010 Soccer World Cup. This is also considered a healthy trend, especially in light of the cost factor, and considering that the ratio of conference presentations to actual publications is in line, for the first time since WorkWell, in conjunction with the Potchefstroom Business School, also hosted and coordinated the 4th International Business Conference (IBC) in Zambia. A process of double-blind peer review was implemented for the evaluation of full papers, and the conference proceedings will, for the first time, be submitted for subsidy purposes. Highlights of 2010 The development of five focused research programmes. The presentation of two workshops aimed at enhancing staff members abilities in supervising postgraduate work. One workshop focused specifically on postgraduate supervision and the second on examining postgraduate work. Both of these were facilitated by Prof Chris Kapp. 50

52 Prof Brian Gibson (School of Business Economics and Public Policy, University of New England, Australia) led a discussion about publishing in top academic journals. Prof Johnny Hellgren and Prof Katharina Näswall from the University of Stockholm, Sweden, facilitated a session on longitudinal data analysis. Dr Stuart McChlery from the Glasgow Caledonian University in Scotland visited the School of Accounting Sciences and held several discussions focused on enhancing research productivity. Five international students completed part of their undergraduate work as guests of WorkWell. The research unit also had one postdoctoral fellow in Economics during A junior staff member, Mrs Eileen Koekemoer, was selected to participate in the Advanced Research Capacity Initiative of SANPAD, and completed her PhD. WorkWell was nominated as most poductive research entity in the Institutional Research Awards, and received an overall third ranking among participating entities. Prof Karina Mostert was nominated in the most productive junior researcher category. Of the total research output for article equivalents in 2010, 2,83 of these equivalents came from first-time and new authors. Of this number, 0,5 equivalents came from the dean as new author, having only joined the faculty at the end of Therefore, 2,33 equivalents are from three younger authors who have published for the first time, all nationally. Considering the focus on developing a larger pool of contributing and participating researchers, this is an encouraging statistic. Of the total number of accredited journal publications, 14 (29,8%) are from the work of master s or doctoral candidates. Of these, one publication is with an international visitor (Tilburg University) who completed her undergraduate dissertation at WorkWell. Within the faculty, a strategic planning meeting was held in June 2010, which included all active researchers, school directors and participants in the two research entities. From this meeting, significant common interest was identified, and strategic priorities were identified. Contributions by extraordinary professors appeared in some very high-impact journals. This again created a presence for the research unit on the international stage. The unit invited staff members who completed their degrees in 2009 to apply for funding to attend a workshop on Writing for publication in the Western Cape. Faculty management undertook a selection process, and two candidates were identified. This investment proved worthwhile, with one attendee publishing his first article in 2010, from work completed for his master s dissertation. The Research Programme for the Economics of Finance and Trade developed a Decision-Support Model for the Department of Trade and Industry. This model will in future be used to target South African exports. Negotiations are under way to roll this model out to provincial level. Prof Paul Styger won the prestigious Stals Prize for Economics. As an active participant of the unit, this provided significant exposure, as the award is made in recognition of his contribution specifically to research in the field. PROF JACO PIENAAR Research Director: WorkWell: Research Unit for Economic and Management Sciences Tel: Jaco.Pienaar@nwu.ac.za RESEARCH UNITS 51

53 Prof Leon van Rensburg Unit for Environmental Sciences and Management RESEARCH UNITS 52 The Unit for Environmental Sciences and Management is a value-driven research programme with the comprehensive goal of developing expertise and a fundamental understanding of how our natural world functions. Through high-quality research, postgraduate education and the provision of specialist services, the unit contributes to the sustainable utilisation and management of natural resources in a way that is applicable and accountable to the requirements of our times, country and nation. The inspiration of the research group is the desire to help secure the natural environment while promoting the social and economic development of South Africans. The unit supports the optimal utilisation of natural resources within the limits of the resilience of the ecosystems. This approach takes the environmental and financial implications of the restoration and or/ remediation of damaged areas or waterways into consideration. To ensure long-term relevance, the unit strives for a balance between fundamental academic research and applied, market-orientated research. Members of the unit have extensive academic and professional networks, which include international cooperation that is supported by governments, as is the case with Norway and Finland, as well as international programmes such as the European Union PF8 framework programmes, and cooperation with a series of developmental aid agencies, including the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT). The unit also works in close cooperation with various South African and international universities and research agencies, as well as with private sector partners such as Impala Platinum Holdings and AngloGold Ashanti. The research within the unit is formally structured into the following five sub-programmes: Sub-programme 1: Environmental management Sub-programme 2: Aquatic ecology and management Sub-programme 3: Remedial and sustainable management of eco-systems Sub-programme 4: Air quality and impact Sub-programme 5: Spatial planning, development and implementation. From a research perspective, 2010 has been a highly successful year for all five sub-programmes in the unit: Jointly, 64 articles were published in accredited journals, while 14 were published in non-accredited scientific sources. Members of the unit were invited to present a total of 79 national and 50 international lectures at congresses. Overall, the unit generated second-stream income worth R2,8 million, third-stream income worth R10,8 million and fifth-stream income worth R There are currently 18 NRF-graded scientists in the unit, of whom four have been upgraded in master s and four doctoral students completed their studies during the year. As a strategic development, the Unit for Environmental Sciences and Management appointed a number of extraordinary lecturers and research partners to increase the total research capacity and to transfer their wealth of expertise and knowledge in the various sub-programmes. With water problems being in the foreground in South Africa, Dr I Dennis and Dr SR Dennis were approached to join the unit as associate professor and subject specialist respectively, expanding the expertise and capacity in surface water problems. Moreover, the potential to add a new dimension to environmental research was realised with the addition of a number of agricultural economists to the unit s pool of expertise. The main challenges that the unit faces are to maintain an independent, objective image in the industry, which is the source of its funding, and to stay focused within a growing entity. All staff members must be congratulated on their efforts and continued motivation to establish a balance between their teaching and learning and research activities, while at the same time meeting the deadlines of industrial partners and adhering to their requirements. PROF LEON VAN RENSBURG Research Director: Unit for Environmental Sciences and Management Tel: Leon.VanRensburg@nwu.ac.za

54 Research focus areas Prof André Duvenhage Research Focus Area: Social Transformation The past year represented a period of dynamic and exciting change on the Potchefstroom Campus in general and the Faculty of Arts and Focus Area: Social Transformation in particular. A new research-oriented campus vision has gradually become entrenched, accompanied by the initiation of various strategic projects, coordinated from the office of the rector. This focus area is naturally well suited to this new research emphasis, as the following highlights of 2010 demonstrate: Social Transformation sustained an excellent level of research output, with a total of 54,7 accredited articles published in In 2010 the focus area produced 28 master s degrees and two doctorates. In 2010, 70 new postgraduate students enrolled for The focus area was awarded a Research Professorship in Governance, and Prof Gerrit van der Waldt was appointed to the position. The Centre for Corporate Social Responsibility was established, after the proposed initiative was approved by the NWU Council. The African Centre for Disaster Studies successfully tendered for a second multimillion rand United States Agency for International Development (USAID) project. Currently, the feasibility of a Centre for Governance is being investigated. If realised, such an initiative will provide a means for expanding the core business of the focus area, while simultaneously offering a platform for the commercialisation of knowledge and expertise. Over and above these highlights, the Social Transformation focus area has maintained a continued emphasis on its core business, and on refining the administrative and academic procedures surrounding postgraduate enrolment. As a result, postgraduate enrolments have reached a sustainable number, while being characterised by increasing quality. Furthermore, the external profile of the focus area was promoted through various projects and consultancies during the year. Approximately 26 presentations were made to a diverse range of interest groups and civil society organisations. Social Transformation remains optimistic about future developments on the Potchefstroom Campus, and the role it can play in realising the Campus vision. All indications are that 2011/12 will represent a watershed year for research activities on the campus. This focus area aims to be in the vanguard of change. PROF ANDRÉ DUVENHAGE Research Director: Social Transformation Tel: Andre.Duvenhage@nwu.ac.za FOCUS AREAS 53

55 Prof Alta Schutte Hypertension in Africa Research Team (HART) The Hypertension in Africa Research Team (HART) is a research focus area on the Potchefstroom Campus. HART strives to conduct dynamic and focused research on cardiovascular diseases in various ethnic populations of South Africa, with the emphasis on understanding the development of hypertension. Only by truly understanding the development of this condition can HART contribute to alleviating cardiovascular disease through preventive health care strategies and specific strategic interventions. The aim is not only to improve the cardiovascular disease situation in South Africa, but also internationally, since, according to the World Health Organisation, cardiovascular disease is the number one cause of death globally. In line with the vision of the National Department of Health, an important goal of the research team is to improve health status through the prevention of illness and the promotion of healthy lifestyles. Disease prevention and healthy lifestyles are important topics both for HART s own research agenda and for the postgraduate students who participate in the team s research projects. In line with the aims of excellence in research and postgraduate training, as well as making a concrete difference in the development of noncommunicable diseases in our communities, HART is in the process of establishing a Hypertension Research and Training Clinic on the Potchefstroom Campus. The vision is to extend this programme in the future into mobile clinics in order to reach the rural communities. The HART focus area is a small but dynamic group consisting of 10 full-time staff members, of whom five are NRF-rated. What the team lacks in numbers it makes up for in focus and expertise. This approach has enabled them to deliver projects of the highest quality, as demonstrated by the international award of excellence received in New York in 2008 by the Metabolic Syndrome Institute for the Sympathetic Activity and Ambulatory Blood Pressure in Africans (SABPA) study. The quality of HART s research is also reflected in the 13 publications in accredited, peer-reviewed journals in 2010, and 19 printed and in press for These publications were based on data from previous and current studies, including the SABPA study, the South African Study on the influence of Sex, Age and Ethnicity of Insulin Sensitivity and Cardiovascular Function (SAfrEIC) and the international Prospective Urban Rural Epidemiology (PURE) study. In line with HART s ethos of continual improvement, plans are in place to further enhance the quality of research publications in accredited international journals with high scientific impact. Researchers of HART also collaborated actively with other entities of the NWU, as well as with national and FOCUS AREAS In 2010, Prof Alta Schutte, the director of HART, was the first NWU researcher to be selected as a winner in the Women in Science Competition presented by the Department of Science and Technology (DST). This competition is organised by the DST to honour women who make a special contribution to research. Prof Schutte focuses on research into the alleviation of hypertension and cardiovascular diseases, particularly among the black communities of South Africa. The prevalence of strokes among these communities is double that of whites. Hypertension, a major risk factor for such illnesses, is a particularly big problem among them. A study conducted in the Potchefstroom area in 2008 established that 70% of black teachers and 50% of white teachers suffered from hypertension. 54

56 international scientists on various levels. The focus area is well represented at national and international expert conferences, with members serving on the council of the physiology Society of South Africa, as well as the advisory panel of the Southern African Hypertension Society. In addition, HART is successfully attracting postdoctoral research fellows who play an essential part in research projects. In the years to come, the aim is to strengthen the level of collaboration with co-investigators and collaborators, which will increase HART s standing in the national and international scientific community. Although HART is a young research entity, its researchers are conducting the quality of research that, within the next few years, will position HART as a role model of scientific excellence, both within the South African context and in international research communities. HART is rapidly gaining momentum as a research entity, and strives for scientific excellence within South Africa and internationally. PROF ALTA SCHUTTE Focus Area Director: Hypertension in Africa Research Team (HART) Tel: Alta.Schutte@nwu.ac.za In line with HART s aims, the team is in the process of establishing a Hypertension Research and Training Clinic on the Potchefstroom Campus. FOCUS AREAS 55

57 Prof Manie Vosloo Chemical Resource Beneficiation The research focus area for Chemical Resource Beneficiation (CRB), located in the Faculty of Natural Sciences, consists of participants from the School of Physical and Chemical Sciences, the School of Chemical and Mineral Engineering and the School of Pharmacy. The amalgamation of these related disciplines ensures a competitive advantage in providing research expertise and thoroughly trained researchers to the single largest industry cluster, the manufacturing industries (chemical, mineral, petrochemical and energy). The CRB aims to add sustainable value to the South African national mineral and chemical resource base and is well positioned to do so. The NWU is situated in two provinces, North-West and (southern) Gauteng, and neighbours two provinces, the Free State and Limpopo, which are all rich in metal- and carbon based resources. Metal-based resources include the platinum group of metals (PGM) and other metals such as chromium, while the carbon-based resources, such as petrochemicals, mainly come from coal. South Africa is a world leader in the production of the platinum group metals and chromium, as well as in the conversion of coal to petrochemicals. These industries make an important contribution to the GNP of South Africa and the beneficiation of these resources is thus critical for the sustainable economic development of the country. Strategic goals and alliances The vision of the CRB is to use fundamental and applied research to find innovative solutions to challenges faced by society. The focus area s strategic goals are to satisfy the chemistry based research and development needs of its regional clients; to train innovative-minded researchers; to establish a synergy between chemists and engineers; to undertake high-quality research and to strive towards optimal joint application of expertise by means of strategic alliances in cooperation with clients. In addition, the CRB aims to use available resources effectively and places a high premium on the publication of research results in internationally acknowledged scientific journals. The technological goal of the CRB is to create a portfolio that is based on market needs and opportunities available for research, development and implementation. Strategic alliances are imperative, and a number of these already exist, with collaboration in academic activities with universities or research institutions in South Africa, the Netherlands, Belgium, the United Kingdom, the United States, Germany and Romania. National programmes that harness strategic alliances are the Centre for Excellence in Catalysis, c*change, and the Centre of Competence in Hydrogen Economy (HySA). The research activities of the CRB have also led to commercial strategic alliances with organisations such as Sasol, Necsa, Mintek, the CSIR, Anglo Platinum, Xstrata and the NRF (THRIP). Research activities The CRB consists of research groups that work within and outside the boundaries of the two key knowledge areas, namely metal- and coal-based resources. The Ferrochrome research group, under the leadership of Dr Paul Beukes, targets the ferrochrome industries in South Africa. The group focuses on critical processes FOCUS AREAS 56

58 and environmental issues of the ferrochrome industry, as well as liaising with the PGM industry. The processrelated research aspects are aimed at the pre-treatment of ore, the optimisation of the recycling of chrome and the development of alternative, analytical handling techniques. The environment-related research aspects focus on chrome (VI). The PGM chemistry research group, under the guidance of Dr Cobus Kriek, focuses on specific aspects of the chemistry and hydrometallurgy of the PGMs. South Africa, and the North West Province in particular, is the world s largest producer of PGMs and produces approximately 75% of the total supply. With the exception of a few small catalytic converters, these precious metals leave the country before beneficiation. The group investigates the recycling of PGMs via leaching, as well as the development of PGM electro-catalysts. Moreover, the group also takes part in the HySA Infrastructure Centre of Competence of the Department of Science and Technology (DST). The Membrane Technology research group, under the leadership of Prof Henning Krieg, explores membrane technology as a future-driven, environmentally friendly alternative to traditional separation processes. The goal of this group is twofold. In the first instance, the group wishes to contribute to the well-being of the people in rural communities of the North West Province by improving the purity of water provision. Secondly, the group aims to support South African industry by using new membrane applications to improve traditional separation processes. The group also participates in the HySA Infrastructure Competency Centre of the DST. The Catalysis and Synthesis research group, led by Prof Manie Vosloo, studies homogeneous catalysed organic reactions. The focus is on the development and understanding of catalyst systems with potential industrial value. The approach of the research group entails finding new concepts, catalysts (ligands and organometal complexes) and reactions, demonstrating the proof of concept of a catalytic reaction and investigating mechanisms. The group actively partakes in the Centre of Excellence in Catalysis of the DST/ National Research Foundation, and Prof Vosloo is the programme leader of the South African Olefins Programme. The Coal and Femtochemistry research group, under the guidance of Prof Christien Strydom, studies the influence of impurities on the formation of minerals during the gasification and combustion processes of South African coal; the cost-effective production of hydrogen for fuel cells (steam reformation from methane), the conversion of methane to chemicals of higher value and the conversion of stranded natural gas to liquid products. The group aims to improve the efficiency of the gasification process, to reduce its environmentally unfriendly aspects and to develop new technology for carbon dioxide conversion and reduction. The group collaborates extensively with Sasol, one of the world s leading chemical companies. The HySA Infrastructure Centre of Competence is located in the CRB, with Dr Dmitri Bessarabov as the director. This centre is reported on elsewhere in this research report. The Laboratory for Applied Molecular Modelling (LAMM), under the management of Dr Cornie van Sittert, actively promotes the development of molecular modelling within all the research groups of the CRB. Other specialised analytical services are provided by the Laboratory for Analytical Services, under the management of Dr JHL Jordaan, and the Laboratory for Electron Microscopy, under the guidance of Dr LJ Tiedt. Highlights of research activities in 2010 Researchers published 24 articles in national and international journals. A total of 45 postgraduate students (20 PhD and 25 MSc) and three postdoctoral fellows were registered. At graduation ceremonies, seven master s and three PhD degrees were awarded. The Laboratory for Electron Microscopy, under the leadership of Dr Louwrens Tiedt, formally became part of the CRB. Dr Percy van der Gryp received an award for the best poster at the 3rd International Conference on Organic Solvent Nanofiltration, which was held at Imperial College in London from 13 to 15 September. Co-authors were Prof Sanette Marx and Prof Manie Vosloo. Prof Christien Strydom applied for re-evaluation at the NRF and kept her rating. FOCUS AREAS 57

59 Various highly regarded international scientists visited the CRB and participated in the colloquium series: Prof Rudi van Eldik (Germany), Prof Jochen Kerres (Germany), Prof Vijay Raman (US), Prof Valerian Dragutan (Romania), Prof Ileana Dragutan (Romania) and Prof Bruce Gates (US). Dr Dmitri Bessarabov was appointed as the director of the Centre of Competence and Dr Anton du Plessis of the CSIR was nominated as extraordinary senior lecturer in the CRB. The postgraduate students organisation, SWOT, undertook a highly successful academic tour to industries and academic institutions in Cape Town and surrounding areas. Researchers who participate in the CRB are regarded as being among the leaders in their respective research fields in South Africa, and this expertise was demonstrated during various international visits, workshops and conferences in The vision of the CRB to remain internationally relevant and competitive was improved even more in PROF MANIE VOSLOO Research Director: Chemical Resource Beneficiation Tel: Manie.Vosloo@nwu.ac.za The Chemical Resource Beneficiation focus area aims to add sustainable value to the South African national mineral and chemical resource base and is well positioned to do so. FOCUS AREAS 58

60 Prof Cornelia Roux Teaching-Learning Organisations The vision of the research focus area is in line with the Faculty of Education Sciences and the NWU mission and vision of high-quality, relevant, innovative and focused research challenges in education. This cutting-edge research is aimed at addressing, within the scientific parameters of education research, the challenges of effectiveness and productivity of teaching-learning within South Africa, the African continent and the international community. The position of the focus area within the North West Province creates ample research opportunities to address the challenging education system in South Africa. The two umbrella research programmes cover the following: creation of sustainable support and working environments in diverse educational contexts, and effective teaching-learning strategies and curriculum development in diverse educational contexts. Project leaders in the Teaching-Learning Organisations focus area are well established, experienced researchers in their fields of specialisation in South Africa. Four of the researchers are NRF rated and involved as project leaders of six internationally funded projects. Initiatives to apply for fifth-stream funding were very successful in 2010: three South African Netherlands Projects for Alternative Development (SANPAD) and one grant from the European Union were awarded. Three of these projects commenced in January The focus area s international projects are conducted in collaboration with 15 universities and faculties of education (seven international and eight national). These projects focus on Human Rights Education in Diversity (Prof Cornelia Roux); Computer Science Education (Prof Elsa Mentz); Mathematics Education (Metacognition) (Dr Marthie van der Walt); Literacy Theory Practice (Prof Carisma Nel); Environmental Education (Prof Barry Richter) and the European Union project on Strengthening Foundation Phase Teacher Education (Prof Carisma Nel). The Teaching-Learning Organisations focus area also hosted three NRF-projects, one Thuthuta project and four faculty-funded projects. These projects entail research on the educational needs in scarce skills and priorities set by the Department of Basic Education and interact with the challenges of education in the region and in South Africa. There are currently 20 active sub-projects in collaboration with international colleagues and which also stimulate the research capacity of young and novice researchers. The international collaborations are with universities in England (University of Plymouth), the Netherlands (Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Delft University of Technology, University of Tilburg, the University of Utrecht: Freudentahl Institute) and in Belgium (Vrije Universiteit Brussels). The total monetary value of successful projects for 2010 was R The focus area hosted four postdoctoral fellows working on the internationally funded projects. Dr Maike Malda of Netherlands (working with Prof Carisma Nel) Dr Hyacinth Skervin of Canada (working with Prof Cornelia Roux) FOCUS AREAS 59

61 FOCUS AREAS 60 Dr Annemagriet de Wet of South Africa (working with Prof Cornelia Roux) Dr Ellen Materechera of Malawi (working with Prof Petra Engelbrecht until August 2010) Ms Luiza de Sousa (lecturer) and Ms Shan Simmonds (junior researcher) each received the SANPAD Research Capacity Initiative PhD bursary for 2010/11. Two of the three candidates chosen from the NWU for this prestigious grant were from the Faculty of Education Sciences (Potchefstroom Campus), working on their respective funded projects. Ms de Sousa also received the international Deutscher Academischer Austausch Dienst bursary. She was hosted at the University of Hamburg in Germany from 18 September to 1 November 2010 and studied under the supervision of Prof Walter Leal. Publication outputs For the fourth consecutive year, there was an increase in the research outputs in the form of articles in accredited journals, books and chapters in books, as well as research papers presented at prominent international conferences. The 47,33 research units (48 accredited articles) indicated that researchers contributed to the intellectual capital through their scholarly outputs. The researchers in the focus area published 1,58 research units per researcher. These outputs once again indicated their commitment to disseminate education research in national and international peer-reviewed academic journals. Four books were published and invitations to publish chapters in national and international books were received, demonstrating the extent of international recognition for the focus area s research contributions. The research outputs and graduation of our postgraduate students (six PhD and 18 MEd) were also significant. International academics and extraordinary professors contributed to the focus area s noteworthy research culture and support for novice researchers. During their stay of two weeks, their workshops and special interaction with researchers in their respective fields of study contributed to publications and other research outputs. These professors were Prof Sharan Merriam (Georgia University, US), Prof Charlie Russo (Dayton University, US) and Prof Dolana Mogadime (Brock University, Canada). The international academics who visited researchers in the focus area were: Dr Marie-Louise Vanderlee (Brock University, St Catherine, Canada), hosted by Dr Aubrey Klopper Prof Joanna Goode (University of Oregon, US), who visited Prof Elsa Mentz Prof Charlie Russo (Panzer Chair in Education, University of Dayton), whose host was Prof Marius Smit Dr Lucy Guglielmino (University of Georgia, Georgia, US), who visited Dr Gerda Reitsma and Dr Aubrey Golightly Dr Luc Hens and Dr P Reinders (Vrije Universiteit, Brussels, Belgium), hosted by Prof Barry Richter Prof E Simmt (University of Alberta, Alberta, Canada), who visited Dr Marthie van der Walt Prof Joyce Mgombelo (Brock University, St Catherine, Canada), who also visited Dr Marthie van der Walt Dr K M Jørgensen (Aalborg University, Denmark), whose host was Prof Sechaba Mahlomaholo Dr Frank Dignum (University of Utrecht, Netherlands), who visited Prof Elsa Mentz Dr AJR van de Vijver (University of Tilburg, Netherlands), whose host was Prof Carisma Nel Dr Maarten Dolk (Freudenthal Institute, University of Utrecht Netherlands), who visited Dr Marthie van der Walt Dr Ina ter Avest (Vrije Universiteit of Amsterdam, Netherlands), who visited Prof Cornelia Roux Ms Pamela Segal (University of Maryland, US) and Ms Leigh Pritchard (Brock University, Canada) studied for three months at the focus area, working in collaboration with Prof Carisma Nel. The focus area introduced yearly workshops in 2010 to empower researchers to apply for research funding and support their initiatives. Dr Andrew Kaniki (Director: Knowledge Development) of the NRF visited Teaching- Learning Organisations in April 2010 and spoke on NRF funding and opportunities. Research in this focus area is aimed at addressing the challenges of effectiveness and productivity of teaching-learning within South Africa.

62 In 2010, the focus area has once again shown that the research initiatives initiated in 2007/08 are contributing to a new and responsible research culture. Researchers in the focus area also started a new initiative in 2010 to redefine the research focus and strive to become a leader in education as praxis. ensuring a successful year. With the new initiatives planned for 2011 to 2013, we will strive to accomplish the vision and research strategy of the focus area in particular and the faculty in general. This process will be further refined in 2011 to position the research focus and the projects within the education realm of the South African landscape and to strengthen our international collaborations through new initiatives. I wish to thank the researchers for their contributions to the research outputs, as well as the administrative staff for PROF CORNELIA ROUX Director: Teaching-Learning Organisations Tel: Cornelia.Roux@nwu.ac.za Focus Area: Outputs Research units Research units / permanent researchers in RFA Journals published accredited Conference proceedings international Conference proceedings national Conference papers delivered international Conference papers delivered national Project reports Books published Chapters in books published Contribution to encyclopaedia NRF rating FOCUS AREAS

63 Research niche areas Prof Ishmael Kalule-Sabiti NICHE AREAS 62 Population and Health In line with the vision of the NWU in general and the Mafikeng Campus in particular, the Population and Health research entity is devoted to the discovery of new knowledge, insights and forms of expression through significant innovative research and analysis and synthesis of existing knowledge. Through capacity development and marketing of its expertise, the entity aims to accomplish its research and postgraduate mission by building on existing programme strategies, fostering an effective, cross-disciplinary approach and contributing to the resolution of socio-economic and cultural challenges facing the North West Province in particular and South Africa as a whole. The strategic aim of Population and Health is to provide research-based empirical evidence about the population changes in South Africa, as well as health and demographic dimensions of the family and household functioning to facilitate policy development and implementation. This will be achieved by building a strong staff development programme. That entails attracting, recruiting and retaining well-qualified and experienced researchers, enrolling dedicated and highly productive graduate students, and providing inspirational leadership, among others. Human capital The research entity has a strong team of population and health experts, all with PhDs. Of the 19 people linked to the unit in 2010, there were 10 full-time employees, two NWU associates and seven external supervisors. This team worked with a total of 37 postgraduate students, comprising 23 master s students, 13 doctoral students and one postdoctoral fellow. The expertise of the research entity s representatives added value to several international conferences where members delivered papers, including the Commonwealth Local Government Conference, the annual meeting of the Population Association of America and the 5th Nigeria HIV/ Aids Conference. The team was also represented at the annual conference of the Population Association of South Africa. Research programmes In 2010, the niche area ran two main research programmes, Household health and population change, and Poverty and HIV/Aids. Each programme comprised a number of research projects. Projects active in 2010 in the Household health and population change programme included the following: Trauma and wellbeing of homeless Zimbabweans in South Africa; Framing migration as the anvil on which both vectors and discourses of change are shaped; The demography of North-West Province; Ethnic differentials in fertility in Malawi; Some selected Millenium Goals in the North-West and Gauteng Provinces; HIV/Aids and psychosocial and demographic changes in the African family in the North-West Province, and Exploring migration and intergenerational relations among African migrants to South Africa post In the Poverty and HIV/Aids programme, there was only one active project, namely Child-headed households in the North West Province. PROF ISHMAEL KALULE-SABITI Leader: Research Niche Area: Population and Health Tel: Ishmael.Kalulesabiti@nwu.ac.za This entity aims to contribute to the resolution of socio-economic and cultural challenges.

64 Prof Hanlie Moss Physical Activity, Sport and Recreation (PhASRec) Physical Activity, Sport and Recreation (PhASRec) is the research niche area researching physical activity from the cradle to the grave. It has the vision of contributing to a more physically active, healthy and winning nation through appropriate research and services. PhASRec has 16 full-time staff members who are involved in under- and postgraduate teaching, research and community engagement. In 2010 the Physical Activity Health and Longitudinal Study (PHALS) and the North-West Child Study collected baseline data. In both studies, information on physical activity, health and motor development was collected. The participants in the NW-Child study were seven years old and those in the PAHLS 14 years. Both studies will follow the children over the next five years to determine the longitudinal changes that take place in physical activity and the influence on the health risk profile of the participants. Research output in 2010 During 2010, 52 students were enrolled for postgraduate studies, of whom 36 were master s degree students and 16 PhD students. During the year, eight students obtained their master s degrees and seven were awarded PhD degrees. order to do cutting edge research in the future. This equipment included an eight-channel electromyography (EMG) instrument that determines muscle activation patterns during movement. The SmartSpeed was also purchased and has the functionality to measure agility, reaction time and speed in athletes. PhASRec also obtained a biofreezer and equipment to handle blood sample preparations in order to perform exercise physiological determinations in future interventions. The research entity can also now measure three-dimensional motion analyses together with reaction forces, following the purchase of the Qualyses 3D high-speed camera motion analyses system, together with a force plate. Finally, the role of visual integration will also be facilitated through equipment capable of measuring depth perception and peripheral vision (as required when learning to read and to be a high-performing athlete in ball sports). PhASRec also has three NRF-rated researchers, of whom two are C2 rated (Prof Hans de Ridder and Prof Anita Pienaar) and one is Y2 rated (Dr Andries Monyeki). The researchers also serve on the review panels of various journals and committees of controlling bodies for the various disciplines, and are closely involved in community engagement. A total of 22 accredited publications were produced during Researchers from PhASRec presented papers at 42 national and international conferences. Strategic research equipment During 2010, PhASRec obtained strategic research equipment in PROF HANLIE MOSS Research Niche Area leader: Physical Activity, Sport and Recreation (PhASRec) Tel: Hanlie.Moss@nwu.ac.za NICHE AREAS 63

65 Prof Hetta Potgieter Musical Arts in South Africa: Resources and Applications A highlight of 2010 was the successful negotiations to take over the Choir Academy of South Africa (CASA), which was founded by Dr Salome Hendrikse in CASA is involved in the training of choir leaders with different levels of knowledge. CASA courses make provision for anyone from beginners to specialists on master s degree level. The Musikhane project is a valuable community project where learners from previously disadvantaged communities receive music training at the School of Music. In 2010 the project received R from the Rupert Foundation. The undergraduate music education students presented the children s theatre in October, with the Conservatory hosting four shows for local nursery school children. Fiela fluit vind haar stem (Fiela flute finds her voice) was very popular with the audience, and the students entered this production for the Aardklop 2011 festival. Exchange projects such as the North-South project once again created unique opportunities. The research focus of the project is Cultural Identity in Music Education, funded by the Centre of National Mobility. The University of Jyväskylä, Finland, is the initiator of the project and the participating universities are Kenyatta University in Kenya, the University of Botswana, the University of Pretoria, Unisa and the North-West University. A congress was held in Gabarone in February, and various lecturers and postgraduate students presented papers. During 2010, Mr Walso Weyer (in April) and Ms Santisa Viljoen (in September) visited the University of Jyväskylä, while Ms Janelize van der Merwe (a BMus IV student) and Mr Khaile Olifant (a BAMus Hons student) were exchange students during the second semester. A second exchange project dealing with the Dalcroze approach in music education is being investigated. Dr Eva Wedin of the Royal School of Music in Stockholm is a Dalcroze Eurhythmics specialist who visited the school and held workshops during April. The Swedes are interested in the research this niche entity is doing in multi-cultural music education and African music. The following experts visited the School: On 15 and 16 April Dr Anet le Roux from Unisa held a lecture on brain dominance and a workshop on music for the young child. On 9 September Ms Freda Wilkens from Pretoria, who works as a consultant for the Department of Education, amongst others, held talks with the school on writing and teaching packages. Mr Manie Bodenstein, a well-known concertina player, visited the school on 16 September and spoke about boeremusiek during a colloquium. Dr Dawn Joseph from the University of Monash in Melbourne visited from 18 to 20 October. She does research on African music in collaboration with Dr Alvin Petersen. NICHE AREAS 64

66 Church music is one of the research subjects of the niche area. Various congregations in the vicinity of Potchefstroom were visited to do research on hymnology. The journal for church music in South Africa, Vir die Musiekleier, was submitted to the Education Department and approved towards the end of The Talking Drum is a journal which is issued nationally and internationally twice a year. Students and lecturers from the niche entity deliver more and more articles for this journal. and thesis), Ansie Vercuiel (MMus dissertation), Heidi Twilley (MMus modules and thesis) and Dzorkpey, a PhD student. PROF HETTA POTGIETER Research Niche Area Leader Musical Arts in South Africa: Resources and Applications Tel: Hetta.Potgieter@nwu.ac.za Prof Jaco Kruger was the guest editor of the December issue, and the entire journal was written by NWU students and lecturers. Fieldwork is being done continuously to find resources that can be used in publications: Prof Jaco Kruger visited Limpopo for a week in October. Dr Alvin Petersen and Dr Susan Harrop-Allin from the University of the Witwatersrand undertook a week-long field excursion to HaMakuya in Venda. Prof Jaco Kruger and Prof Hetta Potgieter, along with Dr Christian Onyeji, Dr Gerrit Jordaan, Dr Alvin Petersen, Ms Dirkie Nell and undergraduate and postgraduate students, worked at Tsupane Primary School in Ikageng and Domisang Public School and Ramagopa Primary School in Ottosdal. The Musikhane project is a valuable community project where learners from previously disadvantaged communities receive music training at the School of Music. In 2010 the project received R from the Rupert Foundation. During 2010, six accredited articles, two selected congress papers and 10 articles were published in journals. Postgraduate students who completed their courses are Danell Herbst (MMus dissertation), Phewe Makaula (MMus modules NICHE AREAS 65

67 Prof Melville Saayman Socio-economic Impact of Tourism (SEIT) Having conducted well over 330 major research projects for the private sector and government clients in the past 27 years, the research track record of SEIT, formerly known as the Institute for Tourism and Leisure Studies, is unrivalled in South Africa. The institute s tourism research programme (SEIT) was the first National Research Foundation (NRF)-accredited niche programme in South Africa and is still the country s only NRF-funded tourism programme. SEIT s prolific research output for the eight years from 2003 to 2010 is summarised in the table below Publications: Books Articles submitted Manuals Chapters Projects Conferences: National International Courses Postgraduate studies (completed) Master s Doctoral NICHE AREAS As the table shows, the research entity produced a total of 24 technical publications during Research output was especially strong for articles submitted in accredited journals, which totalled 28 compared to 24 in the previous year. Research highlights in 2010 A record 29 international conference papers were presented. The unit successfully hosted the 60th International Association of Scientific Experts in Tourism (AIEST) in Potchefstroom from 12 to 16 September. Two postdoctoral fellows from Italy were appointed, namely Dr Andrea Giampiccoli and Dr Francesca Cini. One foreign master s degree student from Italy, Mr Guiseppe Del Genio, completed his master s degree. Successful surveys were conducted during the FIFA Soccer World Cup. Two awards were won at the International Conference on Global Sustainable Tourism in Nelspruit from 15 to 19 November for: - Best Paper in the category for Social and economic impacts: Local community - Third place in the Effective sustainable tourism management category The Tourism Niche is one of the key role-players in hosting the 7th International Wildlife Ranching Symposium 2011 in Kimberley. Dr Martinette Kruger received the ABSA bronze medal for the best master s dissertation. Prof Melville Saayman was named the second most productive researcher at North-West University. He was also re-elected to the executive committee of the International Association of Scientific Experts in Tourism (AIEST). Successful surveys were conducted at all the major arts festivals in South Africa. 66

68 The unit completed socio-economic impact studies for the Kruger National Park and for hunting in the Northern Cape. Research projects Over the years, the Institute has conducted research for various government departments, private companies and local authorities. Public sector clients have included organisations such as South African National Parks (SANParks), North West Parks and Tourism Board, Mpumalanga Tourism Authority (MTA), the National Zoo, the Northern Cape Provincial Government, the Western Cape Finance Department and Botswana s International Tourism Research Centre. In the private sector, the Institute has worked with clients ranging from Standard Bank, SASOL and the National Business Initiative to the South African Hunting Association, Aardklop National Arts Festival and Klein Karoo National Arts Festival. During 2010, SEIT continued to assist many of the tourism industry s most prominent role-players by conducting marketing surveys, socio-economic impact studies, entrepreneurship surveys and quality-of-life assessments on their behalf. The research projects that were conducted during 2010 spanned all sub-sectors of the tourism and leisure sector, from the arts to sport, hunting, nature conservation and ecotourism development: Marketing surveys were conducted to determine the profile of visitors to five festivals and to assess the impact of the festivals on the local economy. The festivals concerned were the Klein Karoo National Arts Festival, Aardklop National Arts Festival, Innibos Arts Festival, Cape Town International Jazz Festival and Wacky Wine Festival. Entrepreneurship surveys were also conducted at the KKNK and Aardklop National Arts Festival to study the demographic backgrounds, roles and attributes of the entrepreneurs and their roles at the festivals. A socio-economic impact study was undertaken at the Kruger National Park to assess the social impacts of the park on the community, as well as the direct and indirect impacts of the park on the local economy. A report on the national profile and economic impact of biltong hunters in South Africa was compiled to determine the impact of the new firearms legislation, as well as to ascertain the economic impact and national profile of biltong hunters. The socio-economic impact of hunting in the Free State and Limpopo provinces was assessed, confirming the important role hunting plays in these provinces. Marketing surveys at selected national parks in South Africa were conducted in order to determine the profile and spending behaviour of visitors. The following national parks formed part of the 2010 surveys: Addo Elephant National Park, Tsitsikamma National Park, Bontebok National Park, Karoo National Park, Wilderness National Park, Kruger National Park, West Coast National Park, Mountain Zebra National Park, Table Mountain National Park, Kgalagadi Transfrontier Augrabies National Park and Golden Gate National Park. A social impact analysis survey was done at the 2010 FIFA Soccer World Cup in various host cities. Socio-economic impact studies were also conducted at the Klein Karoo National Arts Festival and Aardklop National Arts Festival. A travel behaviour survey was conducted at the Natal ATKV resort. An interim research report was developed for Tongaat Hulett. Other events where research was done included the Midmar Mile, the Old Mutual Two Oceans Marathon and performances of the Cape Philharmonic Orchestra. Tourism in Southern Africa has become a significant generator of revenue and growth and its contribution to regional economies is expected to grow further in the aftermath of South Africa s hosting of the 2010 FIFA World Cup. As the leading tourism research and training unit in Southern Africa, SEIT is committed to working with stakeholders in the private and public sectors to assure the ongoing success of the Southern African tourism industry in an increasingly competitive global marketplace. PROF MELVILLE SAAYMAN Research leader: Socio-economic Impact of Tourism Tel: Melville.Saayman@nwu.ac.za NICHE AREAS 67

69 Prof Martie Lubbe Medicine Usage in South Africa (MUSA) NICHE AREAS 68 MUSA s research and postgraduate training focus on the appropriate use of medicine by patients in both the public and private health care sectors in South Africa. This includes factors that may positively and negatively influence the usage of medicine. Currently, MUSA has different research projects that are implemented within the South African health care context, with special reference to the North West Province and possible application nationally and internationally. It is currently the only research entity in the Faculty of Health Sciences to focus on the financial aspects of health care delivery, specifically medicine cost. This makes MUSA highly relevant in the context of the South African health care system, which is facing serious challenges such as the following: rapid growth in health care expenditure, especially medicine costs; the high cost of treating chronic diseases, as well as pandemics such as HIV/Aids, tuberculosis and sexually transmitted diseases; lack of access to essential medicine; problems experienced with the use, misuse or irrational use of medicine, and the implementation of the proposed National Health Insurance system. MUSA aims to help find solutions for these challenges by conducting research that will make it possible to: determine and compare the medicine utilisation patterns and cost in both the public and private sectors of South Africa; evaluate the impact of policy decisions influencing the National Drug Policy, with emphasis on indicators such as access to and affordability and availability of medicines in South Africa; investigate factors that may influence (positively and negatively) the appropriate use of medicine in South Africa, and develop pharmaceutical care models to improve appropriate medicine usage in South Africa. During 2010, a total of 10 full-time members of staff were involved with the research unit, which had 17 master s and seven PhD students. Eleven master s and one PhD student completed their studies. MUSA cooperated with other pharmacy schools in the training of postgraduate students, including those at Walter Sisulu University, the National University of Lesotho, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University and the University of Limpopo (Medunsa Campus). In another highlight of the year, MUSA formalised research collaboration agreements with: a pharmacy benefit management company in South Africa and Namibia, and the Management System for Health (MSH) in Namibia. Postgraduate students completing their postgraduate studies in this research entity are leaders in South Africa through the positions that they hold within the pharmaceutical community, be it industry, managed health care organisations, pharmacy groups, research or the pharmaceutical community at large. In the next few years, we will focus on building capacity in health research, specifically pharmacy practice and clinical pharmacy research. PROF MARTIE LUBBE Research Niche Area Leader: Medicine Usage in South Africa (MUSA) Tel: Martie.Lubbe@nwu.ac.za

70 Other NWU centres and institutes focusing on research Prof Kayah Kaya Centre for Indigenous Knowledge Systems The IKS Centre of Excellence reached a critical milestone during 2010 when it was designated to host the IKS regional node of the New Partnership for Africa s Development (NEPAD)/Southern African Network for Biosciences (SANBio). The designation of the centre as the IKS regional node followed an evaluation in January 2010 by a delegation of the NEPAD/SANBio Steering Committee. The following month, the outcome of the evaluation was announced and the centre was successfully designated. This set the scene for extensive collaboration between the IKS Centre and the NEPAD/SANBio partnership. In May 2010, the two parties organised a regional workshop on activating IKS regional networks for IKS in biosciences. Participants came from different Southern African countries, including Lesotho, Malawi, Mauritius, Namibia and the Seychelles. The aim of the workshop was to draw up terms of reference for collaboration among countries in the region. Next, in Rustenberg from 17 to 19 August, the IKS Centre of Excellence, NEPAD/SANBio and a number of other partners organised a regional workshop on IK community innovations in the biosciences and technology. The other partners in this venture included the Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation (ACP-EU), the National Research Foundation and the National IKS Office of the Department of Science and Technology (DST). Similarly, the IKS Centre participated in the ACP-EU Advisory Council for Africa, Caribbean and Pacific Countries on IKS, held in Johannesburg in November The theme of the Advisory Committee in 2010 was IKS and sustainable development in the CPA countries. Other important national, regional or international events or visits in which the centre participated were: The Knowledge Management conference organised by the University of Namibia and the Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation ACP-EU in January The centre s Prof Kayah Kaya presented a paper on the Bachelor of Indigenous Knowledge Systems (BIKS) degree programme and its regional implications. The 26th Biennial Southern African Universities Social Sciences conference on governance and democracy in Southern Africa in the 21st century. This was held at the NWU s Mafikeng Campus from 20 to 22 January Prof Kaya, Mr TM Koitiswe and Mr MZ Diratsagae, a master s student, presented a joint paper on the relationship between traditional leadership and the Ratlou local municipality in the North West Province, highlighting challenges and prospects for service delivery. Visits to various IKS resource centres within and outside the country, including libraries and archives, to collect reference material for the BIKS degree programme. IKS Centre members and master s and doctoral students took part in the visits, which took place between February and April In addition, the team initiated several innovative IKS projects, one being a project incorporating the fine arts into IKS. The aim of the project is to use fine arts as a tool for communicating IKS practices to the broader public. The centre engaged two fine arts graduates to work on the project, which has themes such as IK and renewable energy sources for sustainable community livelihood, IKS and climate change, and IKS and food security. The centre is proud of its contribution to the development of IKS through its active participation in all the stages of the drafting of the Accreditation and Certification Framework for IK Holders and Practitioners in South Africa. Throughout 2010, the team collaborated with the National IKS Office of the DST and other stakeholders in the drafting of this framework. A number of public stakeholder meetings were organised to share experiences and progress on the development of the draft framework document. All in all, it was a productive and dynamic year for the IKS Centre and has paved the way for further significant strides in the future. PROF KAYAH KAYA Research Leader: Centre for Indigenous Knowledge Systems Tel: Kayah.Kaya@nwu.ac.za OTHER CENTRES AND INSTITUTES 69

71 Prof Chris Vorster Centre for Human Metabonomics OTHER CENTRES AND INSTITUTES The Centre for Human Metabonomics was established in 2008 as a centre of competence at the Potchefstroom Campus. It is the main biochemistry research focus and the only one of its kind in South Africa. Metabonomics is the newest addition to the omics technologies. Broadly speaking, the ambition of metabonomics is to describe and understand the global metabolic response generated during the maintenance of homeostasis. Metabolomics, on the other hand, seeks a global characterisation and quantification of all low-molecular weight molecules in a sample. This analytical approach produces an enormous amount of data which has to be processed using statistics, bioinformatics and knowledge of biochemistry. Thus, when metabolomic data is processed into information, the ambition of metabonomics is achieved. Postgraduate programmes The centre offers a master s and PhD degree in biochemistry. Students are assigned to various research groups, each with a slightly different research focus, but mostly metabolomics related. A total of 23 master s and 25 PhD students were enrolled in Six master s and seven PhD students graduated during the course of the year. One student is currently enrolled for a PhD in clinical biochemistry at the University of Amsterdam (UvA) and is funded by the Carolina McGillavry fellowship fund. This fellowship requires complementary research between the NWU and the UvA. Two students presented their research at international conferences and one of the two was awarded the young scientist award. In addition, the Centre for Human Metabonomics offers professional development to clinicians in metabolic medicine, and also provides practical sessions for Unisa students. Research The centre continues to focus on the application of metabonomics in medical research. The technology is applied to metabolic medicine, biotransformation, oxidative stress and tuberculosis. Correlation and integration with molecular biology and genomics are also being investigated. Biopad (now seeded into the Technology Innovation Agency) continued to be the main funder of the centre s metabolomic and metabolomic-related research. Additional funding of almost R1 million was received from various other institutions. The centre has applied to the Technology Innovation Agency to host its centre for metabonomics at the Potchefstroom Campus. Construction of the facility is awaiting final approval. During the course of 2010 a total of 14 papers were published in peer-reviewed journals and two patents were registered. Prof Albie van Dijk was re-evaluated by the NRF and received a B3 rating. Prof Du Toit Loots received the 70

72 prestigious NWU award for the most productive junior researcher of the year. Specialised diagnostic services The centre develops and implements diagnostic services that are too complex to be offered by the South African diagnostic industry. The following services are included: The Potchefstroom Laboratory for Inborn Errors of Metabolism (PLIEM) continues to provide a diagnostic service to the public and private health sectors as it has done for the past 30 years. The total number of tests done approached during A number of positive diagnoses were made during the year including two pre-natal diagnoses. The laboratory also established a website ( and created a database to assist clinicians with the diagnostic process. The Newborn Screening Laboratory (NBS) continues to offer a screening test that is in line with newborn screening in the developed world. The services attract attention from all over the country. Additional information on the programme can be found at Both the NBS and PLIEM laboratories were internally audited by Ampath Pathologists and an external accreditation by the South African National Accreditation Service is planned for Towards the end of 2010, the centre added oxidative stress and biotransformation testing to its current test menu. It is the only laboratory in South Africa to offer this kind of testing and demand is growing rapidly. The centre continues to focus on the application of metabonomics in medical research. The technology is applied to metabolic medicine, biotransformation, oxidative stress and tuberculosis. Correlation and integration with molecular biology and genomics are also being investigated. PROF CHRIS VORSTER Head: Centre for Human Metabonomics Tel: Chris.Vorster@nwu.ac.za OTHER CENTRES AND INSTITUTES 71

73 Dr Dmitri Bessarabov HySA Infrastructure Centre of Competence South Africa has more than 75% of the world s platinum group metal (PGM) resources and also boasts some of the best solar resources. However, the country currently depends mainly on coal for its primary energy supply. hydrogen-generation solutions focusing on renewable energy sources such as solar and wind, and promoting equity and inclusiveness in the economic benefits from South Africa s resource rent. OTHER CENTRES AND INSTITUTES In a renewed drive to beneficiate these resources and in response to the National Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technologies R&D and Innovation Strategy, the Department of Science and Technology (DST) has established a national hydrogen programme called Hydrogen South Africa (HySA). HySA consists of three competency centres, namely HySA Infrastructure, HySA Catalyst and HySA Systems. The HySA Infrastructure Centre of Competence (CC) is hosted by the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and the NWU. For the first five years, the NWU will be the lead party in the HySA Infrastructure CC, which is a virtual hub in which the two institutions pool resources and facilities. The centre is tasked with developing hydrogen production, storage and distribution solutions, as well as relevant codes and standards within the framework of the DST s strategic objectives. These objectives place the focus of the research, development and innovation on: wealth creation through high value-added manufacturing and the development of the catalysis value of PGM resources; building on existing knowledge in high-temperature gascooled nuclear reactors and coal gasification Fischer- Tropsch technology, to develop local cost-competitive The work to be conducted in the CC promotes the Ten-Year Innovation Plan for South Africa of the DST. This plan was published in 2007 and calls for the achievement of a number of grand challenge outcomes for South Africa by The scope of the HySA Infrastructure CC is to develop applications and solutions for small- and medium-scale hydrogen production through innovative research and development to promote beneficiation of PGMs. The project portfolio of the HySA Infrastructure CC includes improving and developing cleaner methods to produce high-quality hydrogen from renewable energy sources at lower cost. It also entails increasing the energy density of hydrogen applications by improving and developing storage and distribution strategies that are practical and economical for various applications, such as portable fuel cells, combined heat and power applications, material handling, etc. in the short and long term. Other objectives are to develop advanced materials for hydrogen storage and advanced compression, as well as catalysts for chemically-enhanced water electrolysis. The centre is also responsible for developing efficient and safe infrastructure strategies to facilitate the deployment of hydrogen energy technologies. 72

74 The five-year vision of the HySA Infrastructure CC is to: be a significant player in mastering existing solutions and discovering new solutions for hydrogen production, storage and distribution, leading to the development and application of new products and processes which improve the competitiveness of South African industry and the quality of life of all South Africans. prepare South Africa to participate in hydrogen-related applications, primarily by beneficiating its resource base in becoming a significant supplier of material, components, products, sub-systems and systems for export, as well as appropriate introduction into the South African economy of technology for hydrogen production, storage and distribution. The 15-year vision of the HySA Infrastructure CC is, in selected applications, to be a leading, well-established and internationally recognised centre for research and innovation into solutions for hydrogen production, storage and distribution. During 2010 the HySA Infrastructure CC refined its business plan based on feedback from the DST and appointed a Center of Competence director and programme manager. The current business plan approved by DST includes projects in small-scale distributed hydrogen generation using renewable energy and electrolysis, chemical hydrogen storage, hydrogen storage using solid-state nanostructures, and projects in reticulation and safety codes and standards. DR DMITRI BESSARABOV Director: DST HySA Infrastructure Center of Competence (HySA Infrastructure) Tel: Fax: Dmitri.Bessarabov@nwu.ac.za Such solutions will address the specific needs of developing countries and encourage maximum participation so as to derive the full benefit of South African strategic reserves and capabilities. The objectives of the CC are to establish a science and technology base and a human resource base for hydrogen infrastructure, and to establish raw material beneficiation and product development for hydrogen applications. According to the HySA Infrastructure CC s business plan, it aims to become an important contributor to human resource development and wealth creation in South Africa. The work conducted in the centre promotes the DST s Ten-Year Innovation Plan for South Africa. OTHER CENTRES AND INSTITUTES 73

75 SPECIALIST ACADEMIC SERVICES FOR RESEARCH Animal Health Clinic (Mafikeng Campus) The academic service provided by the Animal Health Clinic is based primarily on the Mafikeng Campus. Electronic Services (Potchefstroom Campus) Ths devision provides electronic systems in support of the core business of the university, as contained in the Potchefstroom Campus Plan. Instrument Manufacturing (Potchefstroom Campus) This unit provides the following services: Advice with regard to and design, development, manufacture and maintenance of research equipment for organisational units within the university. The design, development and manufacture of specialised equipment for clients outside the university. Acceptance of work from external clients is subject to the condition that the level of service to university clients is not adversely affected. The design, manufacture and engraving of trophies. Specialised maintenance of university equipment. The manufacture of glass apparatus. Servicing and repair of microscopes and balances for the university, as well as for external clients. The Instrument Services Section also manufactures instrumentation for Antarctic expeditions. index_e.html Statistical Consulting Service (Potchefstroom Campus) This devision provides advice and guidance on the statistical planning of clinical trials and surveys. Laboratory for Electron Microscopy (LEM) (Potchefstroom Campus) This is a specialist academic support service that renders research support to the university. This unit provides highquality research equipment to ensure quality service, as well as committed staff members with several years of experience. SPECIALIST ACADEMIC SERVICES 74

76 CONTACT INFORMATION Institutional Department of Research Support PROF LUCAS VENTER Director of Research Support Tel: Fax: Building C1, Office 330 Promotion, integration and implementation of research policy and strategy of the NWU Implementation of the research capacity development programme Facilitation and monitoring of the research entity model Monitoring, evaluation and reporting of research MS HANNEKIE BOTHA Research Support Official Tel: Fax: Building C1, Office 328 MR JOHANN DU PLESSIS Senior Financial Research Officer Tel: Fax: Building C1, Office 327 Management of pre-award research process Postdoctoral fellowship administration Administration of Strategic Research Equipment Fund and Most Productive Researcher of the Year awards Management and support of NRF evaluation and rating process Management information of NRF evaluation and ratings Financial support and administration of all NRF research funds Management information and analyses on NRF research funds Financial support and administration of NRF postgraduate bursaries MS MARIETJIE HALGRYN Senior Research Support Officer Tel: Fax: Building C1, Office 325 MS MPE MEINTJES Secretary Tel: Fax: Building C1, Office 329 Management of post-award research process of all research funding bodies Management of MRC, NRF postgraduate bursaries and NWU scarce skills bursaries for M&D Management, administration and coordination of NRF THRIP programme Coordination of the annual HSRC & R&D Survey Management and support of research capacity training workshops Coordination and support of Institutional research ethics process and database Management information of postgraduate bursaries Secretary to Director: Research Support Programme administration of Research Support Commission and coordination of external research evaluation process General office administration and coordination of budget Coordination of annual research function CONTACT INFORMATION 75

77 MS TERESA SMIT Research Officer Tel: Fax: Building C1, Office 324 MS RIA VAN SCHALKWYK Senior Financial Accountant Tel: Fax: Building C1, Office 326 Administration of research publication subsidy claims and internal incentive awards Implementation of the National Research Management Information Systems (RIMS/InfoEd) Maintenance or research databases and reports (including virtual Research and Equipment Store) Research Annual Report, related marketing material Financial support and administration of all NWU research and innovation funds Financial support and administration of NRF Thrip funds Management information on research and innovation funds (including Focus Area Financial Report) Financial support and administration of MRC and other external research funds (excluding NRF) General office hours: 08:00-16:30 General enquiries: Mailing address: Internal Mailbox 116, NWU Private Bag X1290, Potchefstroom 2520 Institutional Department of Innovation DR RUDI VAN DER WALT Director: Innovation Tel: Fax: CONTACT INFORMATION MR JOHANN COETZEE Intellectual Property and Contracting Manager Tel: Fax: MS ROSLYN LODEWYK Secretary Tel: Fax: Contact the Institutional Department of Innovation for any enquiries about: Assisting with funding applications for commercialisation Marketing technologies Building networks with industry Protection of Intellectual Property Industrialisation Commercialisation Managing existing licensing agreements Organising and conducting workshops on entrepreneurship for students 76

78 LIST OF ABREVIATIONS AEE Association of Energy Engineers ATKV Afrikaanse Taal- en Kultuurvereniging AUTHeR Africa Unit for Transdisciplinary Health Research ASSAf Academy of Science for South Africa BRICS Biotechnology Regional Innovation Centres BioPAD Biotechnology Partnership and Development CALL Computer-Assisted Language Learning CATSA Catalysis Society of South Africa CC Competence Centre CFA M Centre for Advanced Manufacturing CHPC Centre for High Performance Computing CoC Centre of Competency CoE Centre of Excellence CRB Chemical Resource Beneficiation CSIR Council for Scientific and Industrial Research CTA Cerenkov Telescope Array CTexT Sentrum vir Tekstegnologie (Centre for Text Technology) DHET Department of Higher Education and Training DoH Department of Health DoSD Department of Social Development DSM Demand Side Management Decision Support Model DST Department of Science and Technology DVD Digital Video Disk EASA Education Association of South Africa ETETLF Educational Technology for Effective Teaching, Learning and Facilitation ERM-II Enterprise Risk Management International Institute FIFA Fédération Internationale de Football Association GDP Gross Domestic Product G.I.R.R.L Girls in Risk Reduction Leadership HART Hypertension in Africa Research Team HEI Higher Education Institution IACCP International Association of Cross-Cultural Psychology IATE International Association of Tourism Economics ICPD International Conference on Population and Development ICSU International Council for Science ICT Information and Communication Technology IKS Indigenous Knowledge Systems IMK Indigenous Musical Knowledge IRENSA International Research Ethics Network for Southern Africa ISAK International Society for the Advancement of Kinanthropometry ISI International Science Index ITSC International Tourism Students Conference KKNK Klein Karoo National Arts Festival LAMM Laboratory for Applied Molecular Modelling MS Mass Spectrometer MUSA Medicine Usage in South Africa M&V Measurement and Verification NACI National Advisory Council on Innovation NASA National Aeronautics and Space Administration NMC Netherlands Metabolomics Consortium NMR Nuclear Magnetic Resonance NRF National Research Foundation NWU North-West University OBE Outcomes-Based Education PBMR Pebble Bed Modular Reactor PGM Platinum Group Metal PIRLS Progress in International Reading Literacy Study PMSM Permanent Magnet Synchronous Machine POWIRS Profiles of Obese Women with the Insulin Resistance Syndrome PRMIA Professional Risk Managers International Association PURE Prospective Urban-Rural Epidemiology S2A3 Southern Africa Association for the Advancement of Science SAAA South African Accountancy Association SABPA Sympathetic Activity and Ambulatory Blood Pressure in Africans SAfrEIC South African Study on the Influence of Sex, Age and Ethnicity on Insulin Sensitivity and Cardiovascular Function SADC Southern African Development Community SANERI South African National Energy Research Institute SANParks South African National Parks SAPFI South African Psychological Fitness Index SAPT Centre for Academic and Professional Language Practice SARChl South African Research Chairs Initiative SASOL South African Coal, Oil and Gas Corporation SEIT Socio-economic impact of Tourism SITES Second Information Technology in Education Study TB Tuberculosis THRIP Technology and Human Resources for Industry Programme TIMMS International Mathematics and Science Study TWAS Third World Academy of Science UNFPA United Nations Population Fund UNISA University of South Africa USA United States of America UvA University of Amsterdam LIST OF ABREVIATIONS 77

79 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The 2010 Annual Research Report is published by the Institutional Department of Research Support in collaboration with Corporate Affairs and Relations. The department would like to acknowledge each and everyone who contributed to the publication of the Annual Research Report EDITORIAL TEAM Ms Teresa Smit Mr Cliff Smuts Ms Clairwyn van der Merwe Ms Nelia Engelbrecht CORPORATE IDENTITY Ms Lindi Cameron PHOTOGRAPHY NWU colleagues Maclez Studio Tel: DESIGN AND LAYOUT Graphikos Tel: PRINTING The Platinum Press Tel: ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 78