Hertta-Maria Amutenja
The Bank of Namibia, through its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives awarded eight students with bursaries to pursue their tertiary education in various fields of studies at SADC institutions of higher learning.
The students were accepted to pursue their studies in accounting, mathematics, economics, statistics and IT (artificial intelligence) for undergraduate and postgraduate studies at the University of Namibia, Namibia University of Science and Technology, University of Stellenbosch and at the University of Cape Town.
“The Bank awards bursaries based on merit after a thorough search and interviews with selected individuals. To date, the Bank has availed 183 bursaries from the inception of the programme. Of this total, 23 are current bursary holders at various universities.
Altogether 449 students from across the country applied for the undergraduate and postgraduate bursaries in 2022 from which the Bank carefully selected the eight successful beneficiaries,” Sandra Garises, the Principal Communications Team Leader at the central bank said.
The bursary scheme covers the students’ tuition fees, textbooks, transportation, accommodation, living related costs for the duration of studies and a return flight ticket for those admitted outside the country.
The bank’s Deputy Governor, Ebson Uanguta said through its bursary program, the bank honors exceptional students who will help the Namibian economy as a whole and the bank’s operations in the future.
‘’The Bank recognizes exceptional students through the bursary program who will fulfill future requirements related to the bank’s operations and the overall Namibian economy. This is why the Bank’s bursary scheme places emphasis on ensuring that we provide students with educational opportunities that will not only equip them with the skills to pursue their career aspirations but also enable them to lead fulfilling lives,” he said.
Uanguta further added that Namibia has undergone an exceptional acceleration in digitalization, similar to other rising economies.
“As part of our Strategic Plan, the Bank continues to drive greater digital transformation, financial inclusion, and economic growth in Namibia. As we look forward to a fully digital economy, our aim is to ensure we bridge the skills gap in the priority areas, as the country is indeed in need of the skills to move to the next level and the chosen field of studies for which the bursaries will be awarded today, will take our economy forward by building future resilience and innovation capacity’’ he added.
