IUM starts construction of coastal campus at Walvis Bay

The International University of Management (IUM) had a groundbreaking ceremony for the construction of its new coastal campus at Walvis Bay on Thursday.

The university, to be constructed to the tune of N$38 million, will cater for residents at Walvis Bay, Swakopmund, Henties Bay and Arandis.

Its founder, David Namwandi, pledged ongoing commitment towards excelling and expanding service delivery in the academic arena.

“The last two years have witnessed an impressive trajectory, not only in terms of student numbers, but also in terms of investment and infrastructural development. IUM has decided that education should not be offered in faraway capital cities but close to where the communities reside, in order to reduce the costs of higher education and make it more accessible to all groups in society.

“This is in line with the development goals of Namibia and the long-term Vision 2030. Our governing council has made a principle decision to invest heavily in the infrastructural development which will make the institution compete with the best in the world,” he said.

Namwandi applauded the regional leadership who partnered with the university, while lashing out on those making this endeavour difficult.

Erongo governor Neville Andre expressed gratitude to IUM for choosing the Erongo region as the location for its new campus.

“Universities are important players in three main ways of contributing to regional development. They participate in economic development planning by generating economically viable knowledge and engaging with regional partners to cause and respond to the skills demand of the private sector. They provide academic and or synthetic evidence to government officials for using valid and reliable evidence for defining development strategies and interventions. They use their international connections and knowledge generated to connect regions to the global scale of economic activities.

“This is specifically relevant now for the Erongo region, as we diversify to cleaner energy, through green hydrogen and the findings of oil and gas,” he said.

Andre called on the Namibian youth, particularly in the Erongo region, to seize the opportunity presented by IUM and enroll for various academic and professional qualifications once the campus is completed.

Walvis Bay deputy mayor Saara Mutondoka was excited that the development would save local parents money.

“Gone are the days when parents sent their children to Windhoek for studies, where they suffered rent, transport and food challenges. The university is now right here at our doorstep. We take our hats off to Namwandi and the IUM leadership for taking tertiary education throughout the country. This development will contribute greatly towards the growth of our economy by creating jobs during and after construction,” she said.

The Walvis Bay council also renamed 11th Road at the town to David Namwandi Street, after the groundbreaking ceremony.
On 30 May 2022, the university began the construction of a N$35 million research, training and conference centre at Swakopmund, due to be inaugurated during the second half of 2024.

Another massive construction project is underway at Eenhana for the establishment of a N$27 million campus, which is due to be completed around July 2024.