Gobabeb and Polytech sign affiliation aggreement.
The Polytechnic of Namibia and the Gobabeb Research and Training Centre this week signed an Affiliation Agreement that will strengthen their relationship. Sealing the agreement in ink are Dr Gillian Maggs-Kolling (left), Director of the Gobabeb Research and Training Centre and Prof Tjama Tjivikua, Rector of the Polytechnic. (Photograph by Mandisa Rasmeni).
Prof. Tjama Tjivikua, Rector of the Polytechnic said that this relationship should be seen in the light of the more commonly used terminology, smart partnership, a form of strategic alliance that brings synergistic benefits to all parties involved. “Therefore through deeper and deliberate consultative processes, we have designed innovative mechanisms, build on their independent competitive advantages, to unleash a new force in research and development, education and training, focusing on arid and semi-arid landscapes,” emphasised Tjivikua.
Dr Gillian Maggs-Kolling, Director of the Gobabeb Research and Training Centre said the value of being able to draw on the technical expertise within the Polytechnic to develop concepts, draft proposals, secure support and implement projects that address research topics, is aligned to their mandate. Therefore, within the sphere of tertiary training they see valuable prospects for innovative interventions. This affiliation agreement will allow the joint development of post-graduate short courses for both local and international scholars and scientists.
The agreement also makes provision for joint development of research projects and programmes of mutual interest, on-site joint supervision of students engaged in practical education experiences and research, and joint application for grants and other appropriate financial instruments for projects. The Gobabeb Research and Training Centre was founded in 1962 by entomologist Dr Charles Koch and is distinguished internationally for its research in the world’s oldest desert, the Namib Desert, in the fields of bio-diversity, climate, ecology, geomorphology, community based natural resource management and alternative livelihoods. The centre continually tests, demonstrates and promotes appropriate technologies.
