Launch of Namibia Statistical Yearbooks

Friday, 28. October 2016

 Launch of Namibia Statistical Yearbooks

Welcoming Remarks by Dr. Kalumbi Shangula, Chairperson of the National Council for Higher EducationProtea Hotel Furstenhof, 28 October 2016

Director of CeremoniesHonourable Minister of Higher Education Training and InnovationFellow Council MembersDistinguished Vice Chancellors of UNAM, NUST and IUMRepresentatives of Government Ministries, Offices and Public EnterprisesRepresentatives of the International Development Partner Agencies Representatives of Private Higher Education InstitutionsStudent RepresentativesMembers of the Media

Ladies and Gentlemen

Allow to wholeheartedly welcome Honourable Dr Kandjii-Murangi, the Minister of Higher Education, Training and Innovation, In the same vein I am heartened by the presence of the fellow Council Members. I recognise the presence of the Vice Chancellors of UNAM, NUST and IUM and the heads of other sister Public Enterprises under the Ministry of Higher Education, Training and Innovation.I would also like to welcome representatives of the International Development Partner Agencies, the Government institutions, the private higher education institutions and the student representatives. Members of the media, you are welcome too.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

The Launch we are witnessing today is two-fold: We are officially presenting to you the Namibia Higher Education Statistical Yearbooks of 2013 and 2014 as well as announcing the commencement of the Graduate Survey at IUM, NUST and UNAM.The Yearbooks contains statistics from all that have registered higher education programmes at Level five or higher, on the National Qualification Framework.

However, the Yearbooks contains data only of those who are in training or have just graduated and does not tell much about what happens to them afterwards. This is why a graduate survey is a necessary undertaking to help assess the employability and mobility of the graduates. Its results are beneficial to many stakeholders.

Honourable Minister, Ladies and Gentlemen,

This month marks the end of the term of the Third Council. This is certainly a moment to reflect on our work at NCHE over the past three years. I stand before you today, as a proud Chairperson. I am proud of the many policies and systems we have instituted during our tenure. If you allow me, I will mention but a few:It was during our term that the first twelve higher education programmes at UNAM and NUST were accredited; we have registered the first ten private higher education institutions; the Funding Framework was adopted and implemented during our tenure; analysis of the Higher Education Statistics started during our period; we continued with the administration of the Fund for training academic staff members at the public universities which produced 61 graduates to date; and we maintained the culture of Annual Public Lectures and even hosted an international conference on quality assurance in higher education in Africa last month.

As you can see, today we are signing off in style with the launch of yet another important product, the Statistical Yearbook and the commencement of the third Graduate Survey. Although there are some businesses we left incomplete such as the completion of the construction of the NCHE Offices and the formulation of the Higher Education Policy, we are confident that these would have reached an advanced stage by the end of the financial year. Allow me to use this opportunity to thank the Council members for their support and the professional manner in which they have discharged their advisory duties during our term. My gratitude goes to the Executive Director and the entire Secretariat which, though very much lean in structure, have served the council with zeal and enthusiasm.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

I believe I have now set the stage for the next speakers.

I thank you.