Winner. University of the Year 2023

Namibia University of Science and Technology

Motto: Technology and development
Type: Public
Established: 1994
Vice Chancellor: Dr. Erold Naomab
Academic staff: 449
Students: 16617
Address: 13 Jackson Kaujeua Street, Windhoek, Namibia
Website: www.nust.na

Namibia University of Science and Technology (NUST) is a vibrant institution of higher learning with over 16,000 students studying on a full-time, part-time, and distance education basis. The University has four Faculties: Computing and Informatics; Commerce, Human Sciences and Education; Engineering and the Built Environment; Health, Natural Resources and Applied Sciences.

NUST is at the forefront of higher education in Namibia. The University offers various Certificates (under- and post-graduate), Diplomas, Bachelor's, Bachelor Honours, Master’s, and Doctoral degrees in more than 60 programs.

The University occupies 15 hectares near the Windhoek Central Business District. It is a vibrant and exciting blend of historic and modern buildings with state-of-the-art classrooms, auditoria, laboratories, a library, and technological infrastructure, including campus-wide Wi-Fi connectivity. Apart from residential facilities for students, the University has a modern Hotel School with accommodation, conference, and restaurant facilities that are open to the public.

History of NUST

Higher education in Namibia started around 1979/80. Before this, all students wishing to pursue higher education had to study abroad or through distance education.

The Namibia University of Science and Technology, a public university, has its roots in establishing the Academy for Tertiary Education. Classes in Teacher Training and Secretarial Courses started on 14 January 1980.

Five years later, Act No. 9 of 1985 was promulgated, and by it, the Academy - consisting of a university component, a Technikon, and a College for Out of School Training (COST) - was established.

The Technikon offered 17 Diploma and Certificate programs in Agriculture and Nature Conservation, Personnel Management, Public Administration, Cost Accounting, Secretarial, and Communicative and Legal Training. The College for Out-of-School Training (COST) offered 13 certificate courses in Technical and Commerce/General areas. Some of the courses included pre-tertiary teacher training.

Shortly after independence in 1990, it was resolved to restructure the three components into two independent higher education institutions: a university and a polytechnic.

Act No. 18 of 1992 saw the establishment of the University of Namibia, leaving the Technikon and COST together as a stand-alone unit, however, under the auspices of the new university, until the promulgation of the Polytechnic Act.

Two years later, with the establishment of the Polytechnic of Namibia (Act No. 33 of 1994), Technikon Namibia and COST merged to become the Polytechnic of Namibia. The Act provided for phasing out vocational training courses and granting degrees by the Polytechnic.

The former “City Campus” (former Academy) became the main campus of the Polytechnic under its founding Rector, Dr. Tjama Tjivikua, who was appointed on 04 August 1995. The first meeting of the Council was held on 10 August 1995. These events accelerated and completed the de-linkage of the two higher education institutions in December 1995. Thus, with effect from 01 January 1996, the Polytechnic became independent and autonomous.

After 20 years of tremendous growth and relentless pursuit of a new status under the visionary leadership of Dr. Tjivikua, the Polytechnic was renamed the Namibia University of Science and Technology (Act No. 7 of 2015). The University has been ranked as the best higher education institution in Namibia since 2002 (PMR Africa) and the most innovative institution in Namibia (PMR Africa 2014 and 2016), and it has won numerous local and international awards.

NUST operates in a highly technological environment in terms of academic programs and services and offers highly rated programs in computing and informatics, technology, and engineering in Namibia. The University is the first Namibian higher education institution to have established a dedicated Quality Assurance Unit; its programs are accredited by the Namibia Qualifications Authority (NQA), among others.

The NUST research domains directly address global partnership for development – by bringing together various scholars from all corners of the world through conferences, research engagements, and resource pooling and explicitly focusing on cross-cutting research areas on the following aspects:

• Focus on water-energy and food security programs/projects offers an integrated approach analyzing the synergies and trade-offs between the different sectors in order to maximize the efficiency of using the resources while developing solutions that are cost-effective, secure, and aimed at improving quality of life from special healthcare cases;

• Digital security has grown to be among the primary education needs for every cyber citizen, and those still not yet, as its ripple effects do not spare anyone. Focusing on smart and secure solutions (smart cities, smart communication, and transport) addresses the knowledge gap in ensuring environmental sustainability.

• Indigenous Knowledge Systems, with a focus on sustainably protecting and enhancing cultural heritage with indigenous knowledge holders, and promoting cultural practices and values by the communities themselves.

The University enjoys a cherished partnership with industry, public sector, and civic society through various initiatives such as curriculum advisory boards, work-integrated learning, and joint research.

Students are equipped with a blend of contemporary knowledge, skills, and competence acquired in classrooms and simulation laboratories, through fieldwork and job attachments to drive competitiveness in the knowledge economy. NUST graduates are sought after in the Namibian labor market and beyond, and are accepted for further studies in other universities internationally.