Gravity originating from this visible matter is simply not enough to have led to the formation of our galaxy or stars, astrophysicist Prof Yin-Zhe Ma says. “We therefore know that there must be ‘more’.” He is on a mission to connect fundamental physics with astronomical observations in order to understand the basic laws of the universe, as well as its expansion and the birth of the first galaxies.
Long-term cross-disciplinary collaboration between researchers in the fields of cell physiology and electronic engineering at Stellenbosch University (SU) is leading to new insights into cellular processes, specifically within the context of neurodegenerative diseases.
Although we may listen to it daily, we seldom think of all the components that were combined to create our favourite piece of music. We don’t think about each musical note individually but rather hear and experience the bigger structure that constitutes the whole of these elements. Simply put, this is what Gestalt theory is all about – the whole being greater than its parts. Individual notes say nothing about the musical creation as a whole. They only make sense when a variety of them are organised rhythmically on various pitches and at different intervals to construct a melody.
We are committed to achieving excellence in research, and to ensuring that our work contributes to the well-being of society. Click on the links below to read about some of the new interdisciplinary knowledge being generated and the research fields emerging at the University.
Our strategic research areas help ensure that our work connects the university with the world. Explore our research focus and its relevance to the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals, the African Union's Agenda 2063 and the National Development Plan here.
At SU, we are committed to achieving excellence in research and scholarship, and to ensuring that our work contributes to the well-being of society. This section features profiles of some of our prolific researchers whose work is featured on this site. Some of them are world leaders in their respective fields. New profile features on some of our many innovators, postdoctoral students and emerging researchers will be added regularly.
Dr Uhuru Portia Phalafala focuses on black geographies and critical ecological studies from the perspective of black life, which has always been entangled with the natural environment. "The very understanding of the self and who we are and how we relate to the living environment is part of black life," she says.
Seeking to understand the twin scourge of poverty and inequality in South Africa, and figuring out how best to combat it would become the main focus of Prof Servaas van der Berg’s initial studies and, later, his academic career.
Prof Xanthe Hunt’s vision is to transform South Africa’s public mental health services landscape, especially for the two vulnerable population groups that her work focuses on: the youth and people with disability.
