By Frederick Philander WINDHOEK The new chairman of the Council of the Polytechnic of Namibia last week urged the new student intake for the new year not only to be consumers of education, but to become effective users thereof globally. Mike Hill, who took over the council’s reins from Reverend Nangula Kathindi, was speaking at the official start of the academic year. Hundreds of students and invited guests attended the event under the theme, “Leadership in the 21st Century” on Thursday. “I want to reassure everyone that the Polytechnic of Namibia is committed to academic excellence, productivity and efficiency in all spheres of activity so that we can continue to make a maximum contribution to Namibia’s human resource and economic development,” Hill said. In his view, the institution has made remarkable progress since its inception in 1995 in an effort to serve the needs of the country’s economy by producing the leaders of the future. “However, our achievements are meaningless unless they represent a greater purpose and that greater purpose is our common interest to serve humanity. As we continue to move forward and evolve as a university of science and technology, more and more is being asked of us as an institution that is committed to excellence. Learning at this institution has never been just about earning a diploma or a degree, but about acquiring a well-rounded education,” Hill said. He stressed the institution’s education mission to prepare men and women to take up positions of leadership. “Of course the word ‘leadership’ conjures up an image of a managing director or a chief executive officer or someone in position of power and authority, but leadership is much broader than that. A real leader is someone who has that powerful combination of intellect, strength of character and determination to make a positive difference in the world. What sets leaders apart from others is their ability to think creatively and get things done and to put the needs of others before their own,” he reminded the audience at the open-air gathering. “The Polytechnic will continue to educate and train students to assume positions of leadership and responsibility. We vow to be part of that process of introspection that will provide answers to what we need to do differently to make the world a better place,” Hill concluded, also advising that critical thinking requires openness to view the world through a different lens.