Chairman of International University of Management (IUM) David Namwandi said the institution wants to cater for about 50 per cent of the Grade 12 students who cannot be accommodated at existing higher education institutions.

Around 12 000 students leave school every year of whom around 4 000 are admitted to the University of Namibia (Unam) and the Polytechnic of Namibia.

A further 690 go to education colleges, 60 to agricultural colleges, 1 500 to vocational training centres and 155 are absorbed by health training institutions.

Namwandi said IUM was not in direct competition with Unam but complemented the roles played by other higher education institutions.

The IUM was registered in June last year and took over from the former Institute of Higher Education (IHE).

Its Chancellor is the Bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in the Republic of Namibia and retired politician, Zephania Kameeta.

Kameeta said IHE had gained the nation's confidence in tertiary education and had matured into an indigenous private university, solely owned by Namibians.

He said IUM would cater for the needs of the working population who explore ways to accrue higher and marketable advanced qualifications at an affordable fee.

President Nujoma called on the Council of IUM to identify children at grassroots level in the curriculum and to academically empower them.

"There are many, many gifted children out there, let us equip them and bring them to enhance the socio-economic development and creation of wealth, through imparting the necessary knowledge and skills to our people," he said.

Namwandi said students who passed through IUM would be different from most other institutions of higher education because of the way the programmes were designed.

The IUM will be headed by Professor Derek Moul as Cice Chancellor and is associated with Assumption University (Thailand), Global University, Limkokwing Institute of Creative Technology (Malaysia), Association of Business Executive (United Kingdom), Institution of Computer Education (South Africa) and Society of Business Practitioners (UK).

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