Rundu
The University of Namibia (Unam) yesterday signed a memorandum of agreement (MoU) with Rundu Town Council (RTC) which will see it assisting the town in areas where it lacks capacity.
In terms of the MoU the town council will get assistance from Unam in various programmes such as helping the town council undertake feasibility studies, conduct environmental impact assessments and undertake market research.
Other areas where the town council could get assistance is on how to undertake customer satisfaction surveys, staff engagement surveys, impact assessment studies, programme evaluation and assessment, policy design and review, and concept and product development.
“This is indeed a big milestone for the Rundu Town Council to put in place such an arrangement,” said Rundu deputy mayor Ralf Ihemba.
The town council will also benefit from professional development training programmes to be offered by Unam in the areas of health and community services, economics and finance, management science, human resources and organisational development, administration and secretarial, natural resources and land management, tourism, urban planning and civil engineering.
“I have to thank the Unam Council and Rundu Town Council for sanctioning this memorandum of agreement – it will benefit both parties but RTC will benefit the most from the services to be provided to it by Unam,” Ihemba added.
The agreement was signed at Rundu by the chairperson of the management committee Annastasia Antonio and Unam pro-vice chancellor for administration, finance and resource mobilisation Dr Ellen Namhila at council chambers.
Namhila said Unam is honoured to see RTC take this initiative, adding Unam is in the business of knowledge transfer and thus it is happy to transfer knowledge to the town council.
“We transfer knowledge of what we know to other people, to students, but we also have a strong component of community development because we are very concerned about the development of our people,” Namhila said.
“We want to contribute to the development of this Namibian house where no one will be left out. So this agreement is very important for both Unam and our people here in this region. We are taking services to the people, to see our country realise the knowledge-based economy, while taking into consideration the implementation of Vision 2030, the National Development Plans and Harambee Prosperity Plan,” Namhila added.