Terence Mukasa
Higher education minister Itah Kandjii-Murangi says higher education institutions should continuously engage and actively strengthen research in emerging fields.
Speaking during the ceremony, where the National Council for Higher Education (NCHE) awarded various institutions affiliated by the council with certificates, Kandjii-Murangi said, “The ultimate aim is quality products from the higher education institutions”.
“I implore higher education institutions to find ways of contributing to the green hydrogen initiative through research and development of relevant programs to support this initiative,” added Kandjii-Murangi.
The institutions include Namibian University of Science and Technology (NUST), Sunshine Private College Group of Schools, the International University of Management (IUM), Institute of Open Learning (IOL) and Headstart Montessori Teacher Training College (MTTC).
NUST vice chancellor Erol Naomab said the awarding of programme accreditation certificates indicates the programmes are not only meeting the institutional requirements but also the requirements of the external agency for higher education quality assurance.
Naomab added NUST has received a total of 18 programme accreditation certificates and will, therefore, continue working towards the vision of offering only fully accredited programmes by 2024.
“We are happy to receive the certificates for five programmes, which are PhD in Mathematics, PhD in Statistics, PhD in Health Science, Bachelor of Engineering in Mechanical Engineering and Bachelor of Engineering in Civil Engineering.”
IOL head of education Ilana Calitz expressed her gratitude upon receiving the institutional audit.
She said, over the last two years, IOL, like other higher educational institutions, faced a number of challenges due to the Covid-19 pandemic that resulted in varying restrictions on economic activity.
Calitz said IOL management has set a formidable change on improvements that have been identified.
“IOL will continue to proceed with care to ensure that governance and management structures are reflected in the organisational chart, and that the quality review and management planning procedures have a clear focus on impact and improvement,” added Calitz.
At the same event, Sunshine Private College director Nomakando Kangira expressed her gratitude.
“The Namibian nation has made an official establishment of the status, legitimacy and appropriateness of Sunshine Private College as a private institution of higher learning in Namibia,” said Kangira.
Kangira added the accreditation certificate means the college’s programme of study has been determined by its reliability and credibility nationally, regionally and internationally.