Featured Research: People & Society

Web Series

Meet Constance Ntuli - a University of Pretoria researcher with complex communication needs

Constance Ntuli's research matters because she wants to change mindsets and help others who, like her, have little or no functional speech. “With assistive technology, and specifically AAC, I can demonstrate how one can live a life of meaning and purpose, and a life of abundance.”

Story

UP study shows 81% of Grade 4 learners in SA have reading difficulties

The South African portion of the Progress in International Reading Literacy Study 2021 conducted by UP has found that 81% of South African Grade 4 learners are struggling to read for comprehension at age 10.

Lecture

Unlocking the secrets of the invisible universe within and beyond us: A call to discover Africa’s microbiomes

Microbes (bacteria, archaea, fungi, and viruses) are the most diverse and numerically abundant entities on our planet. However, we know surprisingly little regarding the vast microbial universe within and beyond us. The past two decades of sequencing-enabled research have revealed remarkable insights regarding the diversity and functional attributes of microbial communities, yet we lack...

Story

RE.SEARCH Issue 5: Impact

This issue of RE.SEARCH looks at the impact of the University of Pretoria's research from early childhood interventions and the use of traditional medicines for holistic nursing to the role of women in peacekeeping efforts. The issue also provides insight into the critical question of coal power supply and how it will affect the economic opportunities of communities in the future.

Story

RE.SEARCH Issue 4: Transdisciplinary

Our latest issue of RE.SEARCH is out and focuses on how the University of Pretoria (UP) is implementing transdisciplinary research to co-create new knowledge to develop solutions and design new futures for us all.

Stories

UP hydrogeologists use isotopes to pinpoint root of Hartbeespoort Dam’s water hyacinth problem

For years now, invasive water hyacinth plants have clogged up the North West’s Hartbeespoort Dam, which lies downstream from Pretoria and Johannesburg. In new research, hydrogeologists from the University of Pretoria (UP) have used the internal workings of the plants themselves to reiterate that the infestation is fueled by below-par sewerage works and inadequate sanitation facilities for...