Following an extensive search within and outside the borders of Namibia, Professor Hippolyte Muyingi has been identified as the most suitable candidate to drive the ICT research and development agenda at the Polytechnic of Namibia. MTC and the Polytechnic of Namibia signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in which the mobile cellular services provider will fund the Endowed Chair for a period of five years. The Endowed Chair has been designated as Professor in the School of Information Technology. Professor Muyingi's main areas of responsibility are to support teaching, research and services, and focus on ICT in Education and Development. He is also now the advisor on ICT to the Namibia Business Innovation Centre (NBIC).
The NBIC will be a one-stop-shop for business incubation, consultancies, start-ups and anchor companies, research and technology transfer. According to MTC's Managing Director, Miguel Geraldes, the funding of the ICT Professorship is another demonstration of the company's commitment to building intellectual capital for the country. 'We at MTC believe that the return on our investment will propel Namibia into a country that will compare with the best in terms of ICT research and development. It is also our hope that the ICT research initiatives undertaken under the supervision of Professor Muyingi will be beneficial to the entire citizenry. ICT provides the platform to work faster and smarter and it is MTC's expectation that the ICT research conducted at the Polytechnic will be shared with our public service institutions for efficient service delivery,' said Geraldes. Tjama Tjivikua, Rector of the Polytechnic, said MTC's funding of the Professorship is an indication of how far the country can go through collaborative efforts of this nature. 'Professor Muyingi's coming to the Polytechnic has brought untold joy and excitement. He is renowned for his expertise in ICT research and its application to the business sector. I can only imagine the manifold ICT research initiatives and projects that this institution can undertake under the tutelage of Professor Muyingi. It is my fervent hope that our lecturers and students will learn as much as possible from him during his five years with us.' In terms of the MoU, funding for the ICT Professorship will be for a period of five years, which is renewable by mutual consent.
