By: Justicia Shipena
University of Namibia (Unam) spokesperson John Haufiku says one student who was schooling in Ukraine has, thus far, been enrolled at the university.
This comes after the higher education ministry announced that it is working on ways to integrate students who fled the war-torn country into local universities.
“One faculty officer has informed me that we have already registered one student who fled the conflict from Ukraine,” said Haufiku.
He said this student has registered for a bachelor of education at the university.
“The student that has been enrolled has been a student previously at Unam. She had left to go do science and was admitted into the faculty because she qualifies.”
It’s still early to tell how many the university will be able to take in.
“However, registration is still ongoing. We just completed the first round of late registration, and we should still be having space,” he said.
He said it’s usually at the end of March that the university says it’s too late to register students.
According to Haufiku, they would only take in students that meet the university’s requirements.
“People must remember that there are many entry requirements and routes into Unam.”
He said there are a lot of dynamics that need to be considered.
“At the end, Unam is bound by the higher education and NQA framework on which kind of students it can accept. So I don’t see us diverting from that.”
He added that the ministry had approached them, and discussions are also taking place.
After many returning students expressed their concerns about their future at the Hosea Kutako International airport on Sunday, higher education executive director Alfred van Kent said they had engaged Unam and will engage other universities.
“We will first have to establish their courses and their level. It is an issue that we are still unpacking and see how best we will deal with it,” said van Kent.
He said this is a new dynamic for the government to deal with, and thus, the ministry has begun to engage local universities in this regard.
He also said several institutions are in use, and this depends on the programmes and supports the students will need.
Van Kent had said they also plan to reach out to the association of private high education institutions in Namibia to bring their support.
Moreover, Namibia Students Financial Assistance Fund (NSFAF) chief executive officer Kennedy Kandume told The Villager that the funded students would continue with funding despite enrolling into a new university.
“The budget provision is already there, and for those that NSFAF does not fund, we have to go back and look at how much we have and whether we can afford to fund them should they continue this academic year,” he said.
On Tuesday, the international relations ministry said Namibia had welcomed 51 nationals thus far with the assistance of the government.
“Eight arrived on Saturday, 22 on Sunday, 19 on Monday, and two arrived on Friday having made their arrangements. This brings the total to 51 nationals safely back home.”
