By Albertina Nakale
WINDHOEK – The executive director of the Namibia Institute of Public Administration and Management (Nipam), Professor Joseph Diescho, has been installed as the chancellor of SADC’S first African Leadership University of Southern Africa (Alusa).
Alusa is an African initiative that endeavours to be an effective instrument for empowering client, individuals, managers, directors and principals in tertiary institutions, business enterprises, or existing leaders from sector training programmers.
This is done by offering training towards accredited qualifications and research programmes for existing leaders to grow in leadership excellence, through the effective and recognised enhancement of existing capacity.
The university is branching into all SADC countries with Dr Gerhard Buys, the Alusa rector yesterday saying the first intake in Namibia would be with 40 aspiring students intending to complete their master’s and doctoral degrees.
When asked how the university will operate, he said there would be seminal classes offered twice a year at Nipam in Windhoek and the University of South Africa (Unisa) in Pretoria. Classes will also be offered at Capetech in Cape Town and the rest will be done through online studies and assessment such as tests, exams and assignments.
Regarding tuition fees, Buys said: “Our costs are the same as most other universities in SADC such as Unam (University of Namibia) and Unisa.”
Buys said the new university draws from distinguished academics and intellectuals from Africa with distinguished careers in academic and religious leadership.
“The university’s standards are rigorous and of high international standing.The university is attracting a great deal of attention from many in the SADC region who want to research and write their theses on various aspects of African leadership and management pertaining to the African condition today,” he said.
As an African-based online institution, applications are open for candidates from any continent, he added.