Staff Reporter
Windhoek-Of late the International University of Management (IUM) has witnessed unprecedented attacks against it on a scale never witnessed before against any institution of higher learning – and this comes as no surprise but IUM has time and again exonerated itself from unwarranted criticism.
“Since its inception, the university has endured unfounded criticism from self-styled detractors for reasons only known to them, yet through hard work and determination IUM has not only persevered but excelled prominently and continued to grow stronger on a daily basis,” stated IUM’s public relations unit in a statement issued to counteract the recent wave of attacks.
At inception, IUM embarked upon a mission “to establish a higher seat of learning in Namibia and train innovative specialists for the public and private sectors in Namibia and other countries in the world”. The university has, since then, positioned itself as competitive and high quality by offering demand-driven qualifications.
“IUM has year in and year out contributed magnificently to the nation’s economic and social pillars that support the national developmental goals and national agenda through training of highly skilled personnel. The university has also taken higher education to the doorsteps of many Namibians by establishing various campuses across the country and our standards are so high and our lecturers are so highly-skilled that we have enlisted students from more than 28 countries, such as Angola, South Africa, Zambia, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Malawi, Botswana, Tanzania, Kenya, Sri Lanca and St Lucia, among other countries from the global village.”
“IUM continues to make significant strides by expanding in terms of infrastructural development, provision of new facilities and equipment, expansion in the number of campuses, expansion in the provision of different types of qualifications, and student population. This year the university is geared towards thriving positively to ensure that it offers education programmes of the highest quality,” it further expounded.
The 2018 academic year will be one of the most exciting years in the history of IUM as it marks the first graduation of the bachelor degree in nursing students. The university started offering the bachelor degree in nursing in 2014 to respond to the need of creating more nursing schools, due to the lack of healthcare professionals in the country.
IUM completed the review of its registered qualifications in consultation with stakeholders by the end of the academic year 2017. The exercise resulted in the revision of 28 qualifications and 30 new qualifications, thus bringing IUM’s total number of qualifications to 58. The revised qualifications and newly developed qualifications will be rolled out this year.
The review of the qualifications and development of new ones is in compliance with the university’s registration and accreditation conditions set by the Namibia Qualifications Authority (NQA) and the National Council of Higher Education (NCHE).
In addition, the review and development of qualifications was part of the university’s strategic development. As a university whose motto is “Global Hub for Management Science and Information Technology,” the offering of quality assured qualifications that are useful and relevant to the changing global economy remains a matter of priority.
As regard the coastal areas, IUM has now merged the Swakopmund and Walvis Bay campuses into a Coastal Campus. The Coastal Campus offers different academic programmes and will cater for areas such as Swakopmund, Henties Bay, Arandis and Walvis Bay.
As a result, the Swakopmund Campus has been transformed into a Research, Consultancy and Short Course Centre of high repute.
Another landmark by the private institution of higher learning is the construction of a multi-million-dollar hostel facility at Dorado Park Main Campus, which is set to open in the first quarter of 2018. The hostel will cater for not less than 500 male and female students.
“The university is also on course to increase its academic and administrative staff to cater for the growing student population. This year additional and highly qualified lecturers and professors have been recruited whose diverse areas of expertise will build upon the remarkable dedication to excellence in teaching and learning at IUM,” it stated.
Contrary to the unwarranted criticism by detractors who hide behind the veil of secrecy, IUM remains committed to serve SADC, and the nation, by building and developing an African cadre of men and women who can operate at international standards in business and management, it says.