19 May 2017Official weekly newsletter of NUST

Namibia University of Science and TechnologyNUST_Namibia

@NUST_Namibia

NUST BRIEFwebsite: www.nust.na

Re-imagining University Engangement in the Knowledge Economy.

Finland’s Code Bus comes to NamibiaThe bus recently concluded a tour in Namibia and representatives from NUST’s Faculty of Computing and Informatics, the National Youth Council, and Finland, presented free workshops to more than 200 young people in Windhoek, Rundu, Mariental, Otjiwarongo and Walvis Bay. The project targets Africans aged between 12 and 20 years, with the special focus on girls. Through the workshops, participants are taught to code their own music, which is one of the basic tools that can be used to engage beginners in computer science. The launch of the event was held at the residence of the Finnish Ambassador to Namibia, HE Anne Saloranta, and the Minister of Education, Arts and Culture, Hon Katrina Hanse-Himarwa, the Deputy Minister of Higher Education, Training and Innovation, Hon Dr Becky Ndjoze-Ojo and the

NUST Vice-Chancellor Dr Tjama Tjivikua were in attendance.HE Saloranta highlighted Finland’s passion for young people. She also used the platform to commend Namibia’s strong ties with Finland. Dr Tjama Tjivikua, the NUST Vice-Chancellor, said that it is very important for young people to be aware of all the possibilities that technology can offer them, adding that such an initiative allows them to broaden their minds and develop different perspectives.One of the participants from Mariental said: “I found this very interesting. Coding is basically telling a computer what to do.” The project is led by Aalto University and jointly organised by the Finnish Ministry for Foreign Affairs and Finnish technology hubs, Non-Governmental Organisations, corporates

Finland is celebrating 100 years of independence and to mark this milestone, the Code Bus Africa initiative was launched. The aim of the tour is to bring together innovators in technology and offer coding workshops in 10 African countries, over a period of 100 days.

NUST and the Agricultural Business Development Agency (AGRIBUSDEV), signed a Memorandum of Agreement through which the University shall provide technical support for research and training to AGRIBUSDEV. In turn, the Agency shall provide a platform for supporting the University’s researchers and students. Furthermore, students will be afforded the opportunity to undergo in-service training in various fields such as Engineering, Agriculture, Human Resources, Finance, and Logistics and Supply Chain Management. AGRIBUSDEV is a state-owned company that facilitates sustainable growth of agronomic production through creative partnership, building capacity and improved technology and information management.

NUST partners with AGRIBUSDEV

From left: Petrus Uugwanga, Managing Director: AGRIBUSDEV and Dr Tjama Tjivikua, Vice-Chancellor: NUST, pictured at the signing ceremony.

EU-funded project kicks up a STORMThe opening meeting for the STORM (Strengthening of Collaboration, Leadership and Professionalisation in Research Management) project was held in Stellenbosch, South Africa in March 2017.

The project, funded by the EU’s Erasmus Programme, calls for capacity development in higher education, and aims to offer opportunities for professional development of research managers in the SADC region and Europe. Several training courses at different career levels will be developed, and these include: a certificate course for junior staff members, a curriculum for a Master‘s degree in Research Management, and an accreditation or registration process for the acknowledgement of the experience of senior staff in the research management sphere. The said Master’s in Research Management would be a first in Africa, through which careers of mid-level research managers will be promoted.The partners in this project will also use the opportunity to benchmark and to develop best-practice guidelines. According to the project leader, Dr Therina Theron of Stellenbosch University, the project has the potential to transform the landscape of Research Management in the

SADC area and beyond.Dr Anna Matros-Goreses, the Director of Project Services Unit at NUST echoed similar sentiments saying that STORM will play a role in levelling the playing field within the Research Management sphere. All the consortium partners, Bristol University, Copenhagen University, Kaunas University of Technology (Lithuania), the University of the Western Cape, the University of Namibia, the Namibian University of Science and Technology, the University of Botswana, the Botswana College of Distance and Open Learning, and SARIMA, were present.NUST will host the next STORM Consortium meeting on 22 May 2017, ahead of the start of the Southern African Research and Innovation Management Association (SARIMA) Conference on Research Management and Administration which will also be held in Windhoek, 22 - 25 May 2017, at the Safari Hotel and Conference Centre. For more information please visit: https://sites.google.com/view/projectstorm

and other educational institutions. The corporate partners include Nokia, the project’s main sponsor, and Mehackit, a technology education startup based in Finland.

Josephina Muntuuma, Junior Lecturer: NUST and Code Bus Namibia Coordinator (far left), pictured in Mariental with participants.

Professor Harold Campbell is the new Dean of the Faculty of Management Sciences at NUST. Prof Campbell has the following diverse qualifications: Doctorate in Business Leadership, Master of Science in Computer-based Management Information Systems, Master of Business Administration, Bachelor of Science in Industrial Engineering, and Diploma in Public Administration. He has worked at six different universities including the University of South Africa; University of Witwatersrand; and The University of West Indies. Prof Campbell is an active researcher and has published various peer-reviewed journals and conference proceedings. He has further supervised numerous Master’s and Doctoral students.

Welcome to NUST!

Dr Therina Theron, Senior Director Research and Innovation: Stellenbosch University (fifth from left); Dr Anna Matros-Goreses, Director, Project Services Unit: NUST (fourth from right) and Bas Rijnen, Projects Coordinator, Project Services Unit: NUST (eighth from right, back row), pictured with other consortium partners in Stellenbosh.

Prof Harold Campbell, Dean: Faculty of Management Sciences.