2018-02-20Staff Report 2 Albertina Nakale Windhoek-The founder and chairman of the privately-owned International University of Management (IUM) Dr David Namwandi has revealed the institution increased its student population this year to nearly 10,000 from the over 8,000 of last year. Namwandi yesterday during IUM’s 2018 academic opening shared his excitement about the growth of the institution he founded with one student in 1994. “I am so grateful to God that today I stand here in front of many students, professors and lecturers. But in 1994, I could only stand in front of one student, just imagine. Today I am a chairperson of the university that has a student population of nearly 10,000 but this was not the case in 1994. I thank God. This is your legacy and pride Namibia, it’s not my legacy. I want to be humble and bow down and thank thee,” Namwandi said. Addressing the audience, he said IUM has students from more than 29 countries around the world which, he says, surely was not the case in 1994. In 2018 the Unirank African University ranked IUM among the top 200 officially recognised higher education institutions. He says this is an indication that the world recognizes IUM’s contribution to the body of knowledge. According to him, at times the students operate under extremely difficult conditions but some people have decided unfairly to criticise IUM. “They work so hard day and night sending SMS’s to discourage students, saying all sort of things. That’s is why they don’t even write their names because they know whatever they are saying is not true,” noted the IUM founder. Namwandi encouraged students to study very hard and ensure they attend their lectures punctually and regularly and also do their academic assignments themselves. “Note that at IUM any academic dishonesty is not tolerated and will render you to disciplinary action. Plagiarism is academic theft and is considered a serious crime. We encourage you to read. Not just pass the exams but read to acquire knowledge for yourself,” he urged the students gathered at the opening. Namwandi, who spoke of the many achievements by IUM, including newly-introduced courses, said he would forever remain indebted to the Namibian government and its people as well as international partners for the support in the continued growth of IUM. He noted that in 2017 they successfully reviewed the curricula that guarantee relevant and market-driven programmes for students. He says these programmes ensure that graduates will not only be marketable but in fact be much sought after by industry. He thanked all the new students for choosing IUM as their preferred university of choice, saying the university does recognize other institutions that these students could have enrolled with. To returning students, he said seeing them back to continue to the next level of their studies says a lot about their commitment. He assured the new and continuing students that IUM would continue to deliver quality education, saying, “We value your patronage and we, therefore, commit to do everything in our power to provide you with nothing but the best.” IUM management also invited some of its alumni who have since secured employment in crucial positions to speak and motivate the new and continuing students. These included Herman Walter Rutz who is employed by the Electoral Commission of Namibia, and Hamutenya Hainghumbi who is at the Ministry of Environment and Tourism. 2018-02-20Staff Report 2
