Pinehas Nakaziko
Windhoek-The Namibia University of Science and Technology (NUST) is hosting its fifth International Education Day from next Tuesday to Thursday at its campus.
To be celebrated under the theme Internationalisation of Higher Education and Global Citizenship Education, it relates to the preparation of individuals as global citizens through the internationalisation of higher education. “Our primary target group are tertiary level students at NUST. By hosting these activities we aim to inform and educate our students not only of the importance of internationalisation of higher education and the significance of gaining international exposure, but also to inform them of the opportunities available to them for study abroad,” says the International Relations Officers at NUST, Nico Smit.
With the celebration of the event, the department of International Relations at NUST also aims to share information with the NUST community about the role and functions of the Department.
“We also use this opportunity to inform and educate the NUST community about the importance of internationalisation of education, as well as new trends in internationalisation of education,” says NUST International Relations Officers Nico Smit.
Regarding the role and function of the international department, Smit says they are tasked with implementing NUST’s internationalisation strategy.
“This has numerous components and speaks to ensuring that our academic offering is benchmarked against international standards as well as ensuring international exposure for our students and staff member.
“This is we achieve through the development of partnerships with international higher education institutions through which we conduct curriculum development and review, staff and student exchange and joint research initiatives,” he says.
The first event is taking place on Tuesday in the Auditorium at the Civil and Engineering Building with the Inter-Varsity Debate, between NUST and University of Namibia (Unam), while on Wednesday there will be a Public Dialogue featuring Dr Carolyn Medel-Anonuevo, Senior Education Specialist at the UNESCO Regional Office for southern Africa, as the Key Note Speaker. The public dialogue event is taking place in the Auditorium 1 on the NUST Campus in the morning, while in the afternoon there will be a presentation on the Chevening Scholarship Programme.
The last day of the event (Thursday) will be a wrap up of the event, with an Information sharing session that will take place on the NUST main campus from the morning.
According to the organisers, the last day of the event will include stands by the Department of International Relations, the British high Commission and the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD).
Also included at the three day event will be an International Street Food Festival, with students from the NUST Hotel School setting up stalls and selling street food from different countries.