THE Namibia University of Science and Technology recently introduced advanced information technology courses on topics such as big data technologies, big data analytics, ethical hacking and Java programming.
Anicia Pieters, the dean of the faculty of computing and informatics computing at the university, told The Namibian last week that globally, disruption in all forms of business has become the new norm, and at the centre of every discussion is fear and optimism of what technology will bring and destroy.
Automation, artificial intelligence, augmented reality and blockchain technology all bring uncertainty about the future of work, and of what job functions might become redundant in future.
Pieters stated that the university has established a centre of excellence in information technology (CEIT), where the advanced IT courses will be conducted, as well as house Namibia’s first super-computer.
The initial phase of the initiative will offer certificate programmes in big data technologies, advanced web technologies and ethical hacking, as well as information security.
Pieters explained that the courses will help students keep pace with the changing face of technology and the requirements of the growing IT industry, adding that all three programmes will be offered in the first and second semester in full-time mode as well as in the evening, as resources permit.
The programmes are currently designed for practitioners working in the electronic communications and IT sector, as well as those who have prior qualifications in the field of computing.
“Targeted sectors include telecommunications and electronic communication operators, the broadcasting and digital audio-visual content services sector, regulatory agencies, consumer advocates, and development sector entities,” she noted.
It is widely perceived that skills sets which are required in the job market will change in most industries, changing how and where people work.
Pieters added that although the fourth Industrial Revolution brings about “fear of the unknown,” it’s not all doom and gloom, as an emergence of new job functions will also occur.
She added that these courses are aimed at equipping Namibia’s labour pool with skills for the digital world.
On the super-computer, she said the facility will boost current research due to the use of high-performance computing, which allows for the running of tests that require a lot of computer resources.
“The facility will be used for running various applications from different domain areas like bioinformatics, climatology, astrophysics, agriculture, computational fluid dynamics, computational chemistry, and finite element analysis and climatology,” Pieters said.
Audit and consulting firm PwC wrote in a recent report that globally, businesses are faced with a shortage of skilled workers to clean, integrate and extract value from big data.
This initiative is a product of bilateral relations between India and Namibia, following a state visit by president Pranab Mukherjee to Namibia, in which a memorandum of understanding was signed on 16 June 2016 to establish the computing centre at Nust.
The centre has to develop six certification programmes, and produce 500 graduates annually to address the needed skills shortages in the field of IT.
“The three courses will be offered at a price of N$12 000 each, and students will undergo comprehensive training in the lab for close to 300 hours. Anyone with at least a two-year IT qualification can qualify to register,” Pieters noted.
Email: michael@namibian.com.na
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