Onesmus Embula
WINDHOEK – Namibia’s International University of Management (IUM) and the People’s Friendship University of Russia (RUDN) have launched a centre for Russian language and pre-graduate studies at IUM.
An agreement to this effect was signed with the aim to collaborate in the fields of research, development of education and training, transfer of technology, and dissemination of knowledge.
At the occasion, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of International Relations and Cooperation Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah announced that her ministry is in the process of establishing a diplomatic academy, which will also offer all UN official languages, including Russian.
Nandi-Ndaitwah, during her keynote addres, further commended IUM for its effort in fostering the internationalisation of tertiary education and promotion of international collaboration at the academic level.
“The number of students choosing to study internationally is constantly rising, and for this reason, partnerships with international universities are relevant in the higher education sector,” said Nandi-Ndaitwah.
The establishment of RUDN-IUM centre in Windhoek further provides people an opportunity to learn the Russian language right here in Namibia, for any length of time and at any level that they shall wish, before going for their actual studies or training in Russia.
Therefore, Nandi-Ndaitwah is optimistic that the centre will provide a conducive Russian language teaching and learning environment as well as providing a pleasant cultural exchange platform for the people of Russia and Namibia.
The centre, in collaboration with the Russian Alumni Association of Namibia (RAAN), aims to mentally prepare anyone going for studies or training in Russia on the way of living, and cultural and social conditions in that country to enable easy adaptation.
Nandi-Ndaitwah said she was pleased to see the two universities partnering to ease the language burden on people who would like to further their studies or undertake any other training in Russia.
“In the globalised world, learning a foreign language is a plus in one’s life and I am encouraging Namibians to learn foreign languages with particular reference to all UN-used languages, namely Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish,” she remarked.
Additionally, IUM has also signed an agreement with another Russian university, the Russian Academy of National Economy and Public Service, under the President of the Russian Federation (RANEPA), to collaborate in the organisation of international academic exchange, development and implementation of educational programmes for training of information technology (IT) managers and information security managers (IS) as well as the implementation and coordination of joint projects in the fields of education, science, publishing, seminars, forums, conferences and summits.
IUM founder and chairperson of the university’s governing council Dr David Namwandi, used the occasion to announce that IUM has established the Master’s in International Relations degree, and a diplomacy and management course to cater for both Namibian and foreign nationals. “Many staff members of the Ministry of International Relations and Cooperation are enrolled in this programme,” he said.