The University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, also known as Wits University, is a leading, internationally-ranked, research-intensive university located in Johannesburg, South Africa, the economic heartland of Africa. Committed to academic and research excellence and social justice, Wits generates high level scarce skills for a globally competitive world, while addressing local social and economic development. At the forefront of a changing society, Wits is a social leader, dedicated to advancing the public good.
Wits is known for its work in deep level mining, science, health sciences, accountancy, law, governance, and the humanities, amongst others. It houses five faculties which comprise 34 schools. Wits offers approximately 3 600 courses to about 32 500 full-time students, of whom about a third are postgraduate and 55% are female. Almost 65% of all doctoral candidates and about half of all enrolments are in the Science, Engineering and Technology fields. Wits has developed about 130 000 graduates in its 93 years of existence. It has a proud record in that about 87% of all publications are in accredited international journals.
C’est en séquençant le matériel génétique contenu dans des échantillons issus de personnes testées positives pour le coronavirus que les scientifiques identifient les nouveaux variants.
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Une nouvelle lignée de SARS-CoV-2, B.1.1.529, a été identifiée. Baptisée Omicron par l’OMS, qui l’a catégorisé « préoccupant », ce variant a un profil génétique très différent des précédents.
What not to do: ban travel. Scenes at South Africa’s OR Tambo International airport after the first flight bans were announced.
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There’s a new COVID lineage called B.1.1.529. It has a genetic profile very different from other circulating variants
“Alfie”, a moral choice machine, is pictured in front of an important question during a press conference in Germany.
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Inclusivity and diversity also need to be at the level of identifying values and defining frameworks of what counts as ethical AI in the first place.
South Africa President Cyril Ramaphosa: His party’s 2022 elective conference and the country’s 2024 national elections will define political choices.
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Despite a succession of different challenges, Bgoya’s approach has been consistent.
An illustration shows how, about 65 million years ago, a large asteroid collided with Earth. It hit what is today Mexico and created the Chicxulub crater.
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Vaccination uptake is influenced by many factors and carries a variety of meanings – social, political, economic, ideological, moral as well as biological.
The COVID pandemic highlighted the gaps in South Africa’s health system.
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Budgets on their own don’t solve structural issues. But they do provide some insight into government plans for addressing its broader developmental priorities.
The land surface heats up during the day because of solar radiation coming in from the sun.
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Many of the temperatures presently being recorded in Africa, and those projected in the next decade, are already close to the limits of human survival, or “liveability”.
Damon Galgut at a photocall for this year’s Booker Prize in London.
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Will white South Africa ever give up part of its privilege? This is the contentious issue at the heart Damon Galgut’s Booker Prize-winning novel.
People queuing to get vaccinated. Instead of vaccinating 12-17 year olds, government should focus on giving boosters to people who need it.
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The focus of the government seems to be about how many people can get vaccinated rather than ensuring the greatest protection against severe disease and deaths.
The author set out to understand how the faith of displaced LGBT people in South Africa has evolved over time, and how religion has shaped their experiences of displacement.
Iqbal Survé, executive chairman of the Independent newspaper group.
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The provision of better health services and social grants has aided rural women’s progress in South Africa, but there are still tremendous needs to be met.
Floodwaters in the town of Bushmans River in the Eastern Cape of South Africa.
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The picture seems hopeless, but with mitigation and adaptation strategies and policies driven through COP26, southern Africa can reduce the impacts of climate change on local livelihoods.
COVID-19 forced the rapid upskilling of academics and students to teach and learn remotely in ways unfamiliar to most.
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The shift to emergency remote teaching and learning enabled academics to start questioning some long-held assumptions about in-person teaching and learning.