WINDHOEK – The International University of Management(IUM) has scored various academic successes last year, which includes the development and approval of new study programmes in the field of nursing, educational leadership and management, as well as public policy and management.
IUM Vice Chancellor, Virginia Namwandi yesterday announced the successes, saying that the much-anticipated Masters of Business Administration (MBA) degree was also approved by the National Qualifications Authority (NQA). “I am happy to say these programmes are already being rolled out and their demand during the ongoing registration is very encouraging and is an indication that IUM continues to provide relevant programmes. The exercise to expand our existing programmes up to Masters and Doctorate level is also at an advanced stage with a number of them having been submitted to the NQA,” she said. The Masters in HIV and Honours in Digital Communication (DCT) degrees were also registered in the National Qualifications Framework (NQF), Namwandi revealed. She explained that the IUM is in the final stages of a curriculum review that will see adjustments in the current programmes on offer. Infrastructure development is another growth point, which is evident with the newly completed lecture hall with a capacity to accommodate 400 students at the Dorado Park campus. She said this will go a long way in complementing existing lecture space.
Also, the first hostel block for 175 female students has also just been completed and will open its doors to the very first batch of resident students on March 4 this year. Also under construction, she said, is a building for lecture halls and offices and this will be able to cater for a total of 1 200 students at a sitting. At the Ongwediva campus, the construction of an additional lecture hall that will sit 400 students is also nearing completion. At the Walvis Bay and Swakopmund campuses, additional lecture space has been secured to cater for the ever-growing student population, she said. Last year, the IUM registered about 8 000 students although this year’s student enrollment figure is not yet available, since registration is still in progress until end of February. “A milestone worth mentioning is the acquisition in 2013 of the Integrated Management System (ITS). This system has just been launched during our 2014 registration process and we can already see the benefits of the system, both for the management of the university and for the students alike. One can see that IUM is growing tremendously,” she said. Namwandi congratulated those final year students who excelled in their studies last year, saying the graduation ceremony will be held on the September 26 later this year. Namwandi encouraged continuing and new students to study hard and persevere until they achieve their goals.
By Albertina Nakale