University Life

The Impact of Women in Research

Women have been responsible for some of humanity’s greatest contributions to science and research. However, women are frequently denied their due credit, with male counterparts and the media all too often downplaying their contributions. With this in mind, we take a step back and stop for a moment to appreciate the true impact of women in research.

Marie Curie

Marie Curie was the first woman to win a Nobel Prize and the only woman to win this award in two separate categories. Curie’s research predominantly centred on radioactivity, and she is perhaps best known for her discovery of two new elements, Polonium and Radium.

Katherine Johnson

The protagonist in the recent based-on-a-true-story Hollywood blockbuster, “Hidden Figures”, […]

How to Choose the Best Research Partners

Whether it be the quantity of the data or an extremely nuanced focus area, circumstance will often have it that assembling a team, as opposed to a solo effort, is the best course of action when conducting your postgraduate research. However, assembling the optimal research team is no easy feat, with a poor decision in this regard having the potential to completely derail the project. So just how do you choose the best research partner?

Something Different
Choosing to partner with an individual who has been exposed to exactly the same educational background as yourself can be great for team chemistry, but it can also limit the partnership’s ability to contextualise the research […]

5 Areas of Study Where You’re Guaranteed a Job in the Future

Schumpeter’s theory of creative destruction is more relevant today than ever before, with technology and a changing environment set to render a number of traditional careers redundant. However, although the destruction of the commercial viability of certain jobs is inevitable, other careers are set to step into the breach and flourish in the new job market. Bearing this in mind, students should invest in areas that are suited to the job market of the future:

1) Water

With water already growing increasingly scarce due to pollution and extreme droughts arising from global warming, the issue of water is only set to become more and more prominent. Whether it […]

5 Ways to Make Yourself Immediately Hireable

Although the skills and attributes required to land a job naturally differ depending on an individual’s preferred career, there are some general steps that every prospective employee can take to all but cement their spot in the job market.

1) Cover Your Bases

In the last decade, modern employers have hurtled full tilt into the digital age meaning that most have chosen to dispense with traditional hiring techniques in favour of an online approach. Consequently, modern-day job search protocol has changed, meaning that the majority of job application errors now manifest themselves in either an understated or excessive online presence.

Although there are multiple channels through which individuals can market themselves online, the non-negotiable […]

The Ever-Changing Dynamics of the Doctoral Degree

The doctoral degree; for many of you reading this, it’s the ‘light at the end of the tunnel’, an achievement that far outweighs the incredible stress and strain of having very little sleep, and even less of a social life. In a world that is increasingly starved of experienced and qualified talent, it is rewarding not only for you but for the larger society in general. However, the concept of the doctoral degree is gradually changing. Take a look.

What Is Dead May Never Die 

Please ignore the above Game of Thrones reference, because it is clearly an aphorism for the idea of a doctoral degree. You see, by working towards achieving a […]

Why Sexual Abuse Is So Prevalent In Worldwide Universities…

Universities in South Africa suffer from an unusually high rate of sexual abuse and sexual assault. However, there is a global of trend regarding cases of sexual abuse within all universities. Students at the University of Saskatchewan in Canada decided that they would study sexual abuse within universities worldwide, and come to a conclusion as to why women are so often sexual victims on campuses.

A Dangerous Combination 

The study highlighted a few trends on campus; trends that they believe create the perfect environment for sexual predators. The first is a reference to university culture. Universities all over the world have become very large semi-public spaces for a younger generation. The […]

5 Ways To Make Friends In Uni!

We thought we’d compile a short list of ways you can get in touch with some of the guys and gals around you in varsity. As a research faculty we’ve been around campuses enough to realise how isolated a student or researcher can feel when he/she is not socialising, and before you say ‘hey, this has nothing to do with research and academics’, think again. Depression and anxiety, exacerbated by student isolation, is one of the reasons why students flop, especially when a student is conducting postgraduate research. So instead of throwing on the earphones and playing Kendrick Lamar all alone in your digs, get to know some of the people around […]