Welcome to Research Matters
Welcome to Research Matters. This curated site highlights some of the University of Pretoria’s most impactful and innovative research which addresses some of our society’s most pressing concerns so that we can transform lives and communities. We are rated as the number one university in South Africa for research outputs. Our vision is to be a leading research-intensive university in Africa that is recognised internationally for its quality, relevance and impact. We develop people, create knowledge and strive to make a difference locally and internationally.
‘Ubuntu’s Implications for Philosophical Ethics'
Is there one thing that all morally wrong actions have in common? Western philosophers have searched for an answer to that question for nearly 400 years, and have focused on the features of causing harm, on the one hand, and degrading autonomy,on the other. Prof Metz considers how we could answer the question by appealing to the southern African ethic of ubuntu, and argues that its implications for how to understand the nature of wrongdoing are attractive, compared to those of the dominant Western philosophies.
Engineering 4.0: The future of smart cities in Africa
The term Smart Cities might conjure up ideas of robots, flying cars and buildings that know what you want before you do. But according to UP researchers, Smart Cities are cities where there are jobs and food for everyone, different parts of the city work together to make for a better place to live, and these improvements are driven by gathering and using data in the best way possible.
'World's first 3D-printed middle-ear transplant: Technological Advances in the 4IR'
On 13 March 2019, Professor Tshifularo performed three middleear transplants using 3D-printed ossicles (the hammer, anvil and stirrup). This procedure is significantly less risky than the use of prostheses and their associated surgical procedures and is hailed as the answer to conductive hearing loss, a middle-ear problem caused by congenital birth defects, infection, trauma or metabolic disease. The surgery further aims to simplify the reconstruction of ossicles during middle-ear procedures and reduce the risks associated with traditional surgery, which include the potential for facial nerve paralysis.
UP researcher's team discovers new compounds with the potential to eliminate malaria
The University of Pretoria (UP) has discovered new potent chemical compounds that show potential as candidates for both the treatment and elimination of malaria. Professor Lyn-Marie Birkholtz was part of an international team that published this discovery in the journal Nature Communications
Discussion: COVID-19: A coronavirus and how it's affecting the population
Professor Anton Stoltz (Head of the Division of Infectious Diseases in the Department of Internal Medicine); Professor Wanda Markotter (NRF-DSI South African Research Chair in Animal Infectious Diseases and Director of the Centre for Viral Zoonoses); and Professor Marietjie Venter (Head of the Zoonotic Arbo- and Respiratory Virus Research Programme at the Centre for Viral Zoonosis) give an overview of zoonotic diseases like COVID-19.
‘Can International law address the most pressing concerns of society? In search of solidarity’
Our society is facing a myriad of challenges, many of which have been exacerbated and highlighted by the recent COVID-19 pandemic. These include, among many others, the scourge of poverty, and environmental issues such as anthropogenic climate change. Academic literature has observed that the rise in populism has eroded the ability of international law to play a positive role in addressing many of the world’s current challenges. The point of departure of this lecture is that for international law to address contemporary global challenges, it needs to be based on solidarity. The lecture seeks to assess the system of international law against this background of solidarity.
UP Research Facts
