By Cathy Godfrey
KATIMA MULILO, 5 May 2022 – The University of Namibia (Unam) celebrated the first of a series of graduation ceremonies for the Katima Mulilo campus in the town on Tuesday.
It took place at the Kamunu village hall with the theme ‘The Engaged University @30’ as this year marks Unam’s 30th anniversary.
The ceremony was special as it marked a return to face-to-face graduation ceremonies after a two-year hiatus caused by Covid-19.
In his speech Vice President Nangolo Mbumba, who is chancellor of the university, said the pandemic has and still continues to severely impact the economy and livelihoods of people, including a loss of lives. It also disrupted teaching and learning.
Both academic staff and students experienced difficulties in virtual teaching and learning, especially the students from disadvantaged backgrounds considering connectivity challenges in rural and remote areas and data costs in Namibia.
He encouraged the graduands to be gracious at all times and to be conscious of the fact that education serves personal and societal needs.
That is the reason the public, through the government, invests in education.
The expectation is that you would use the acquired knowledge and skills to improve the lives of others, he noted.
Unam vice-chancellor, Prof Kenneth Matengu, added that as a university they are a community that aims to achieve meaningful societal development. Their strategic objectives include a five-year research agenda that focuses on mango jam production, curbing and eliminating malaria in Namibia and a plan to establish a Unam multipurpose research farm, which is at an advanced stage.
The farm, when fully operational, is expected to contribute to food security in the region and the country. – Namibia Daily News
