Things can't just carry on as 'normal' now that university students in South Africa have demanded massive systemic change. Shiraaz Mohamed/EPASouth Africa’s higher education ministry issued a “call to action” in October 2015 for real change in the sector. It wants universities to become more democratic spaces whose staff and student bodies represent the country’s … [Read more...] about After protests, it can’t be business as usual at South Africa’s universities | The Conversation
Africa’s
The three culprits behind South Africa’s weird weather patterns | The Conversation
Mountains overlooking the Hex river valley in the Western Cape, South Africa. The country has been experiencing inclement weather this summer. EPA/Nic BothmaAs maximum temperatures soared to 39℃ in South Africa’s capital city, Pretoria, during the second week of November, residents were asking: why is it so unbearably hot this year? And why have there been successive heat … [Read more...] about The three culprits behind South Africa’s weird weather patterns | The Conversation
South Africa’s universities risk becoming bureaucratic degree factories | The Conversation
Universities are losing sight of their role as places of teaching and learning. Instead, they are becoming hugely stressed business enterprises. ShutterstockUniversities around the world have become stressed business enterprises. Funding considerations now dominate institutional strategy. This commercialisation is often driven by falling government subsidies and funding … [Read more...] about South Africa’s universities risk becoming bureaucratic degree factories | The Conversation
How understanding microbes can help farmers manage Africa’s soil crisis | The Conversation
Tens of millions of smallholder farmers across sub-Saharan Africa have a stake in improving the health of the soil their cattle graze on. Reuters/Goran TomasevicTo harness the potential of soil microbes Africa must move quickly. As soil degrades, so too does microbial life. Understanding the microbial diversity of Africa’s soils is important for another reason as well. At … [Read more...] about How understanding microbes can help farmers manage Africa’s soil crisis | The Conversation
More sex during South Africa’s World Cup meant more boys nine months on | The Conversation
South African fans got into the World Cup spirit in more ways than one. Reuters/Siphiwe Sibeko Nine months after South Africa hosted the 2010 football World Cup a disproportionately higher number of male babies were born compared with the previous eight years. There are two reasons for this: people were having more sex and they were happy. In our study, published in the … [Read more...] about More sex during South Africa’s World Cup meant more boys nine months on | The Conversation
