Staff Reporter
WINDHOEK – The Bank of Namibia (BoN) and the British High Commission in Namibia, last Friday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to offer two jointly funded Chevening and BoN scholarships covering three academic years. The MoU, which expires on June 3, 2021, with the option of renewal, covers the 2019, 2020, and 2021 academic years.
The scholarships are meant for talented Namibians wishing to pursue one-year Master’s degree programmes in the areas of economics, banking, finance and international trade at any accredited and recognised university in the United Kingdom.
At the signing, Governor of the Bank of Namibia, lipumbu Shiimi, stated: “The scholarships come at a time when the financial sector as a whole is impacted by technological changes, new governance frameworks, competition, new organisational forms, increasing demands from consumers and issues of financial exclusion. The Bank has therefore prioritised skills development as a necessary intervention to help Namibia gain relevant skills in these emerging and highly critical areas.”
He continued: “At the Bank, we pride ourselves with mutually beneficial collaborations with our partners in our human development endeavour, and through this programme, our capacity building efforts will indeed reach even more Namibians.”
British High Commissioner to Namibia, Kate Airey OBE, expressed her excitement about the joint scholarship: “l am delighted to see the Chevening programme further strengthening ties between the UK and Namibia. My thanks go to the Bank of Namibia for choosing to partner with us in this way. With London at the heart of the international banking system and with the UK’s excellence in tertiary education, we are confident that the scholars will have a first-class experience. Our aim is to support them using the Chevening-Bank of Namibia-scholarships to further fuel Namibia’s economic development.”
Chevening is the UK Government’s global scholarship programme, funded by the Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO) and partner organisations.
The programme awards scholarships to outstanding scholars with leadership potential from around the world to study fully funded postgraduate courses at UK universities. The programme provides an opportunity for the scholars to network and learn from their various experiences. Upon their completion, the scholars are expected to return to their countries of origin where they are expected to make meaningful contribution to their economies.