After an extensive search within and outside the borders of Namibia, Professor Hippolyte N Muyingi was 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 have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), according to which MTC will fund the Endowed Chair as a fulltime position at the Polytechnic, 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 in 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.
Dr 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 between MTC and the Polytechnic, funding for the ICT professorship will be for a period of five years, which is renewable by mutual consent.
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MTC Namibia
MTC (Mobile Telecommunications Limited) was established in 1995 as a joint venture between Namibia Post and Telecommunications Holdings (NPTH), Telia and Swedfund. During May 2004, NPTH concluded a deal that saw it hold 100% of the shares in MTC by acquiring the 49% held by Telia Overseas and Swedfund International. NPTH is 100% owned by the government of the Republic of Namibia. During 2006, the sale of 34% of MTC shares was concluded with Portugal Telecom, which also holds the management contract. NPTH retains the balance of 66% of shares on behalf of the Namibian government.
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