10 August 2018Official weekly newsletter of NUST

Namibia University of Science and TechnologyNUST_Namibia

@NUST_Namibia

NUST BRIEF website: www.nust.na

An award-winning university• Rated Best Higher Education Institution in Namibia (PMR 2014, 201 5, 2016, 2017)

• Rated Most Innovative Institution in Namibia (PMR 2014, 2016)

Applications for 2019 admisssion are open until 31 August 2018. Visit www.nust.na for more information.

The Official Openning of the Festival, was attended by thousands of students, staff, as well as members of the public. Her Excellency Dr Jana Hybášková, the European Union Ambassador to Namibia, accompanied by several ambassadors and high commissioners of EU member states, delivered the keynote address. She spoke highly of research that NUST is currently heading and that is funded by the European Union. Hybášková singled out a project where tablet computers will be designed for Himba communities. “We want indigenous communities to have the means of preserving their traditions and to tell their own stories without them being destroyed through interpretation,” she said.

Dr Tjama Tjivikua, the NUST Vice-Chancellor said: “We are very mindful of the potential inherent in promoting diversity, when enrolling students or recruiting staff, because as visionaries we always require new thinking and we also value good connections to elevate our

quest to become ‘a world-class university.’  Those connections are evident everywhere and this event signifies the veritable explosion of colour among your various cultural displays, including the food, dress outfits, sports and musical performances and much more.”

NUST has enrolled nearly 600 students from the SADC region, and more than a hundred students from other countries, among them Denmark, Finland, India, Malaysia, The Philipines, South Korea, Switzerland and the United States of America. The University’s population currently stands at approximately 12 000 students. Furthermore, local students represent a multitude of ethnic backgrounds, thus truly showing the cultural diversity on campus.

An ‘International Cuisine Day’ was held, as well as the Mr and Miss NUST Pageant. Jessy Angula and Elizabeth Mansanga won the coveted titles, respectively.

Celebrating Cultural Diversity As OneThis year’s theme for NUST’s Cultural Festival, “Celebrating Cultural Diversity as One,” is aimed at encouraging the University community to take pride in its diverse traditions, whilst at the same time embracing those of others. The First National Bank of Namibia is the main sponsor of the event, and Mr Leslie Puriza, the Head of Public Sector Banking, handed over a cheque of N$75 000.

Mr Morné Du Toit is the new Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Administration and Finance of NUST. His predecessor, Dr Gert Günzel, will be retiring from the Institution this year after having served collectively for about 33 years in senior positions at the then College for Out-of-School Training under the Academy for Tertiary Education, which later merged with Technikon Namibia to become the Polytechnic of Namibia in 1995, and now NUST.

Mr Du Toit has vast experience in the higher education sector and the following are some of the roles he has assumed over the years:

• Director: Finance and Procurement, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Saudi Arabia (2013-2018)

• Chief Executive Officer: Aspire Group (Pty) Ltd, South Africa (2009-2013)

• Associate Director: KPMG, South Africa (2007-2008)

• Associate Professor: University of Johannesburg, South Africa (2005-2006)

• Senior Lecturer: University of Johannesburg, South Africa (2000-2005)

• Senior Accountant: PriceWaterhouseCoopers, South Africa (1995-1999)

Mr Du Toit is a Chartered Accountant (South Africa) and holds a Master’s degree in Commerce from the University of Johannesburg.

Welcome to NUST!

Mr Morné Du Toit

Juanita Frans, Manager Business Systems and Processes in the Department of Information and Communications Technology and Dr Suama Hamunyela, Acting Head in the Department of Informatics said the training was offered by internationally recognised professors, among them Prof Yaoxin, the Director of the Department of Computer Science and Engineering at SUSTech. “After every topic, we were exposed to a practical experience at either a private or a government institution, such as the Shenzhen Police Station, and IT giants Huawei and HIKVISION,” said an excited Frans.

The overall aim of the seminars was to enhance capacity-building for government officials and University leaders in using ICT for educational purposes.

According to Dr Hamunyela, participants were exposed to specialised lectures in various cities such as Shenzhen, Beijing and Hangzhou. “We were introduced to China’s achievements in ICT implementation in higher education reform, and were presented with the latest developments of ICT in Chinese Universities,” she explained.

Adding that their exposure to local IT giants and

other ICT-enabled higher education institutions gave them first-hand experience in the use and power of ‘Big Data and Cloud Computing.’

Elaborating further on the Big Data and Cloud Computing, Frans said: “This is definitely the language in China as they use Big Data to streamline and integrate data between government and business entities by using features like the ID numbers and visuals.”

The two NUST representatives were impressed by the fact that the usage of Big Data and Cloud Computing enable the capture of integrated citizens’ data in great detail. They added that it is useful for the custodians of citizens’ data, such as the Ministry of Home Affairs and Immigration to enable the cautious sharing of information with other entities and allow a seamless flow of accurate data about citizens. “This way communication, health and social issues can be addressed before situations can deteriorate. The police also need Big Data and visual equipment to solve or prevent crime,” Frans concluded. Participants came from 12 African countries including Kenya, South Africa, South Sudan, Egypt, Djibouti, Uganda, The Gambia, Sierra Leone, Zambia, Botswana, Tanzania and Namibia.

NUST represents Namibia at ICT forum in China

Two staff members from the Namibia University of Science and Technology (NUST) represented the Institution and Namibia at a 21-day seminar on Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Applications in Higher Education for African Countries, held at the Southern University of Science and Technology (SUSTech) Shenzhen, China last month.

FROM LEFT: Dr Suama Hamunyela, Acting Head: Department of Informatics, Faculty of Computing and Informatics; Juanita Frans, Manager: Business Systems and Processes, Department of Information and Communications Technology; and from the International Centre for Higher Education Innovation, Professor Li Ming: Director, as well as Yang Chaomei and Li Xue.

Scenes at the Official Opening Ceremony