WINDHOEK, March 25 — Namibia on Wednesday launched a new initiative to internationalize its higher education sector, as the country seeks to position itself as a global academic hub.
Speaking at the launch in Windhoek, Minister of Education, Innovation, Youth, Sports, Arts and Culture Sanet Steenkamp said the Sustainable Strategies in Higher Education Internationalization Toward Excellence in Namibia (SHINE) project is designed to strengthen the quality and global relevance of Namibian universities.
The initiative is part of the country’s Sixth National Development Plan and reflects efforts to align higher education with the demands of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, she said.
“Our goal is to transform Namibia from a consumer of global knowledge into an active co-creator on the world stage,” said the minister. According to Steenkamp, the project brings together local institutions and European partners, including the University of Alicante in Spain and Saarland University in Germany.
Currently, Steenkamp said, international students account for only about 3 percent of enrollment in Namibian universities.
The project will inform the development of a formal national strategy for higher education internationalization, with government oversight ensuring long-term impact, she added. (Namibia Daily News/Xinhua)
