Education joins two nations

Helene Bam
Justicia Shipena



On 7 June the British High Commission in Namibia and the Bank of Namibia (BoN) signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for joint Chevening scholarship funding in Windhoek.

The scholarship funding will cover the 2019, 2020 and 2021 academic years and is expected to expire on 30 June 2021, but there is a possibility that it will be renewed.

Namibian students pursing one-year masters’ degree programmes in the fields of economics, banking, finance and international trade at any accredited university in the United Kingdom qualify for these scholarships.

According to BoN governor Ipumbu Shiimi, the scholarships come at a time when the financial sector is obstructed by technological changes, new governance frameworks, as well as competition.

Shiimi continued said new organisational forms, the increasing demand from consumers and issues of financial exclusion are among the others reasons why the scholarships are critical.

“The bank has therefore prioritised skills development as a necessary intervention to help Namibia gain the relevant skills in these emerging and highly critical areas,” he said.

Shiimi further stated the BoN takes pride in its beneficial collaboration in the human development venture.

“Through this programme, our capacity-building efforts will indeed reach more Namibian citizens,” he said.

British High Commissioner to Namibia, Kate Airey, said she is very excited about the joint scholarship programme and is pleased it is strengthening ties between the two nations.

“I am grateful the Bank of Namibia chose to partner with us and we are confident that the scholars will have a first-class experience,” she said.

Speaking to The Zone on Thursday, Chevening officer, Hans-Christian Mahnke, from the British High Commission in Namibia, said they decided to sign the MoU with the BoN to offer Namibians the opportunity to have access to a Chevening scholarships.

“The moment I realised that BoN is also giving scholarships to Namibian students in the banking and finance sector, I realised we have a winning match here,” he said.

Mahnke further added that usually Chevening scholarships are offered to between five to ten students.

Beneficiaries are expected to rise to top leadership positions and make significant contributions to their sector and the country at large.

Applications for this year are expected to open on 6 August and close on 6 November.