Business and Management School
Economics
Assignment Report of Dr Peter H. Schmuki
Board Member of B360 education partnerships
Polytechnic of Namibia, Windhoek
March 5 - March 12, 2010
download report (pdf)
My trip to Namibia had two purposes: On the one hand, I had volunteered to lecture at the Department of Economics about International Financial Markets, while in my capacity as board member of B360 education partnerships, I was meeting with Polytechnic management and department heads across the school to discuss ways in which to broaden our successful partnership.
My wife and I were given a very warm reception and made to feel at home from the moment we arrived. Our very first impression of the country was how everybody we met (inside or outside the Polytechnic) was welcoming us enthusiastically and tried to be helpful in any way they could.
At the department of Economics, I worked closely with the department head Mr. Cyril Ogbokor and with Dr. Ravinder Rena whose classes I was going to work with. The Namibian students I was teaching were in their 4th year in subjects of Corporate Finance (CFN) and Economic Growth and Development (EGD). I worked simultaneously with full-time students who attend school during the day (typically between 07:30 and 17:00) and with part-time students who have jobs during the day and attend school from 17:15 to 21:30. The topics we covered included: History of International Financial Markets, European Monetary Union, African Countries in International Markets including a case study about the steps the Republic of Namibia would have to go through in order to access the markets and ‘The Road to the Current Financial Crisis and Lessons to be Learned’. We concluded the classes with a discussion on how the students should go about pursuing a career in international finance.
Through the dialogue with the students I personally learned a lot about the country and the challenges these young people are faced with in starting their professional careers. Many of them showed great enthusiasm to learn and an impressive level of knowledge, both in class as well as in private conversations outside the classroom, which should enable them to assume positions of leadership both in the business world or in government service. I can only hope that they have enjoyed my lectures half as much as I enjoyed working with them.
Given the scarcity of internship or traineeship opportunities in the local market compared to the number of students, there is clearly great demand for organizations in Switzerland or other European countries who are willing to host a student from Namibia. This topic came up in all discussions with every department head I met with and I offered the assistance of B360 education partnerships in this regard.
At a concluding meeting with school management, everybody expressed their appreciation for our efforts on behalf of the Polytechnic. From my side, I would like to sincerely thank all my hosts, notably, Ms. Neavera Olivier, the Director of Planning and International Relations, Mr. Erwin Awarab, the Planning Officer and B360 Program Coordinator and Mr.Cyril Ogbokor and Dr. Ravinder Rena, my colleagues at the Department of Economics for all their support and hospitality during my time at the Polytechnic. The time that Dr. Gert Guenzel, Vice-Rector and Dr. Tjama Tjivikua, Rector of the Polytechnic, took out of their busy schedules to meet with me underlines the support for our activities at the highest levels of the school. Finally, my thanks go to the students in CFN and EGD for their interest and participation in my classes, even though we sometimes met quite early in the morning or late in the evening. This may have been my first visit in Namibia, but it will certainly not be the last one.
Zurich, March 25, 2010