From Poly to NUST

Namibia now boasts with two State universities as the process of transforming the Polytechnic of Namibia into the Namibia University of Science and Technology (NUST) has been completed and the rebranding and launch of the new university will start within the next few weeks. The Minister of Higher Education, Training and Innovation, Itah Kandjii-Murangi announced that the Namibia University of Science and Technology Act has been gazetted on September 14 already. Kandjii-Murangi said that she would like to set the ball in motion leading to the official rebranding and launch and other auxiliary activities of NUST. “These events also entail the gazetting of the commencement date of the Namibia University of Science and Technology as per the Act which I as the Minister am mandated to do and which shall be gazetted in the next two weeks,” Kandjii-Murangi told reporters on Friday. It is only once this process is completed that people must start to refer to the Polytechnic as NUST. Itah Kandjii-Murangi said it is important that all the above-mentioned events are realised before the end of the year, preferably within the next few weeks, in order for the institution to commence in the new year as a fully-fledged university of science and technology and thereby take its appropriate role in higher education. She said that the transformation of the Polytechnic into the NUST is one of the most significant milestones in the development of higher education post-independence in the country. Kandjii-Murangi thanked the Polytechnic of Namibia for the outstanding contribution they have made to the provision of scarce human resources and services that was urgently needed in society during the past 20 years of the institutions existence. “The story of the Polytechnic is remarkable as it reflects an inexorable spirit of the people who took the institution from its humble beginnings and were not restricted by the realm of their mandate in building an excellent institution that has become the pride of our nation.” The minister singled out the Rector of the Polytechnic Professor Tjama Tjivikua and said his visionary leadership and relentless efforts have taken the institution to where it is today. “Realising the profound impact of globalisation as well as the rapid changes taking place in higher education internationally he is convinced that the Polytechnic in its current form is not an appropriate vehicle for transitioning to a knowledge-intensive economy,” she said. Kandjii-Murangi said the new university is marking greater diversification to higher education with applied research as its focal points. According to her, through learning from economically advanced and developed countries, Namibia is mindful of the fact that one of the distinguished features driving the innovation ecosystem is a network of suburb research universities. She said for the innovation system to thrive it requires superb research universities. “For the innovation ecosystem to thrive it requires support by dynamic collaborations involving universities, industry, government and civic society underpinned by mechanisms that promote silo-breaking and multidisciplinary research.” Tjivikua said there are many polytechnics that have moved on to become universities. He said: “…Namibia needs a network of innovative institutions. Are we comfortable that we have created it?” ELLANIE SMIT