NAMIBIA: Training for the future: Hangula's approach

Professor Lazarus Hangula, Vice-chancellor of the University of Namibia, has been described as an innovative administrator. Calm on the surface, he paddles energetically below. Moses Magadza interviewed Hangula for University World News, to try to find out what drives the man at the controls of Namibia's academic blast furnace.

The University of Namibia, or UNAM, was established by an act of parliament in August 1992, following the country's independence from South Africa in 1990. It is the Southern African country's only public university and serves a population of two million people.

The university has seven faculties, four campuses and some 10,000 students. It has graduated 12,000 students. There are also eight regional centres countrywide managed by a lifelong learning unit. UNAM's motto is 'Education, service and development' and its programmes are designed to meet national human resource needs.

MM: Upon assuming office, what were your immediate challenges and how did you deal with them?

LH: The university's finances were in the red and we had to institute painful austerity measures. The other had to do with the rigid legalism with respect to staff appointments. After six years a position held by an expatriate had to be re-advertised. This created unnecessary animosity and uncertainty among our staff. Towards the end of their first contracts some people would begin to look for appointments elsewhere.

This university is young and growing horizontally and vertically. We had to set up satellite campuses in other parts of the country and introduce postgraduate programmes. All that needed a lot of human resources. We had to come up with our own rules so that we could keep the best people we had.

MM: What would you say are your major accomplishments since taking up the reins?

LH: I came in immediately after the university had celebrated its 10th anniversary. We managed to consolidate the undergraduate programmes and began to slowly phase in postgraduate programmes. We invested in information technology and popularised IT through computer-based teaching aids.

MM: To what do you attribute your successes?

LH: It is difficult to say. I am a member of a team. We are all academics. I encourage people to work and contribute to their fullest capacity. That way we can tap into what people know. I try to make people relax and do what they are good at.

MM: In which areas do you reckon you would have done better had all resources needed been available?

LH: I wish we had more student facilities like hostels so that we could accommodate more students on campus. I would have loved to see more research into the preservation of indigenous knowledge. I wish I could do more to make this university the place to be.

MM: What would you list, in order of priority, as your legacies as vice-chancellor of the University of Namibia?

LH: The teaching aids that we introduced, the engineering faculty and the school of medicine. The rice project just fascinates me. I was so fascinated to see our people make a difference and to see the head of state and our founding president physically working in our rice fields. The university has expanded into remote areas where we have set up satellite campuses, thereby making it more accessible to the community.

MM: How, in your view, have the various institutions in Namibia apportioned responsibilities in human resource development as the nation strives towards Vision 2030?

LH: I think institutions like the Polytechnic of Namibia have contributed much in their areas of expertise. Many people are entering the job market from the polytechnic. UNAM has done the same in its area of competence.

I am disappointed though that no government ministry has a programme to train their people. The private sector is also not doing much, apart from the small courses here and there given by consultancies. I am, however, happy that some private sector players are offering support to students at the polytechnic and at UNAM to pursue courses relevant to their businesses.

MM: How do you sustain the public and private mix in engineering and medical training institutions that you have initiated?

LH: We decided we would name some of our buildings, halls or laboratories after individuals or organisations that contribute significantly to their construction. It has worked. We are working with people who will be good ambassadors of some of our projects such as the school of medicine, which needs a lot of equipment. Some of them are my personal friends while others are friends of UNAM who want to help us.

MM: After the institutional successes of the last few years, what else is in the oven?

LH: The oven is never empty. You may know that we are in the process of introducing veterinary studies. We are in the process of designing the pre-vet curriculum. We worked closely with the public and private sectors on this. We are working towards introducing pharmacy soon, after which we will introduce dentistry. Funds are our limiting factor. Dentistry and pharmacy will start off as departments. With time they will become schools.

MM: What drives or inspires you?

LH: Doing something and seeing its positive results and the reaction of the people to it really motivates and inspires me. The whole nation is now very excited about our school of medicine and that reaction propels me. Seeing my team members playing their parts excites me.

MM: What frustrates or angers you?

LH: Doing my job wholeheartedly to the extent of denying my loved ones attention then getting nothing but character assassination and unfounded allegations from some sections of the media. That makes me angry. Fortunately such detractors are in the minority.

MM: How do you relax?

LH: I take my family out for lunch during the weekends. I exercise and when I travel I read on the plane. I love writing but seldom get the time.

MM: When all has been said and done, how would you want to be remembered?

LH: As the vice-chancellor of consolidation and expansion of the university.