Ongenga Technical College Partners with Bulawayo Polytechnic to Foster Innovation and Entrepreneurship
In a move to strengthen collaboration and drive innovation in technical education, Ongenga Technical College, a leading institution in northern Namibia, has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Bulawayo Polytechnic in Zimbabwe. The partnership aims to facilitate staff and student exchanges, as well as the implementation of relevant programs that will empower the next generation of entrepreneurs and industry leaders.
Speaking at the breakfast meeting held on 10 July at Bulawayo Polytechnic, which was held during Bulawayo Polytechnic’s Innovation Week, the Director of Ongenga Technical College and one of its co-founders, Elia Haufiku emphasised the significance of the partnership.
“As an institution, we don’t exist in isolation. We have to ensure that the ladder of success we’re climbing is leaning against the right walls, and Bulawayo Polytechnic is one of those right walls,” Haufiku said.
Haufiku went on to highlight the success stories of Ongenga Technical College’s graduates, who have gone on to excel in their respective fields, and the institution’s desire to complement their experiences through this collaboration.
“We have seen the success of our graduates back home, and we want to seek collaboration with Bulawayo Polytechnic to complement us in several areas. There are programs that we want to implement that are relevant to their experience, and we also want to have staff and student exchanges in various areas of cooperation,” Haufiku explained.
The Director of Ongenga Technical College also acknowledged the importance of innovation in education, drawing parallels between the traditional high table protocol and the modern-day use of technology.
“Back then, you could see speakers, a whole bunch of people, and now I come here with just a simple device that carries almost everything that happens here. So, we should really apply innovation in that regard,” Haufiku noted.
Principal of Bulawayo Polytechnic, Chiedza Masanganise welcomed the partnership and expressed her institution’s commitment to incorporating the proposed changes in their curriculum.
The collaboration between Ongenga Technical College and Bulawayo Polytechnic resonates with the broader need to bridge the gap between academia and industry, ensuring that educational institutions produce graduates who are equipped to thrive in the ever-evolving business landscape.
Haufiku, speaking on the broader context of the partnership, highlighted the importance of applying innovation in the African context.
“We cannot overemphasise the need to deeply dive into our indigenous knowledge systems and technologies that were invented by our innovative forefathers and mothers before we speak of innovation in 2024,” he said.
The Director of Ongenga Technical College further emphasised the significance of collaborative efforts, stating, “We can never break the marriage between innovation, research, community, and collaboration. These four quadruplets work hand in hand. They are collaborative, contemplative, complementary to one another, and interdependent.”
This sentiment was echoed by the attendees, who acknowledged the crucial role that educational institutions play in driving economic growth and development within their respective communities.
Leaders from the University of Venda, who were present at the Bulawayo Polytechnic event, stressed the critical importance of authentic community engagement in driving impactful innovation and inclusive industrialisation.
“Unless we engage the communities with our scientists, we continue to perpetuate exclusivity and dominance of the previous,” said the Director of Community Engagement, Entrepreneurship, Inclusive Innovation and Commercialization at the University of Venda, Prof Vhonani Olive Netshandama.
Netshandama added, “We come to join you to learn and unlearn previous oppressive epistemic injustices through doing.”
The director emphasised that the theme of the week resonated strongly with their institution’s priorities, stating, “If it’s impactful, we are the ones who define it. We define the impact without involving the community.”
The University of Venda representatives stressed their exhaustion with “theoretical professors and self-referring” approaches, emphasising their commitment to a more impactful, community-driven model of innovation and development.
“We have taken the decision as the investor vendor that we are exhausted with theoretical professors and self-referring. If it’s impactful, we are the ones who define it,” the director said.
The community engagement leader underscored the importance of moving beyond mere rhetoric and actively involving local communities in the innovation process. “We come to join you to learn and unlearn previous oppressive epistemic injustices through doing,” the director said.
The emphasis on inclusive innovation and industrialization resonated with the Bulawayo Polytechnic audience, many of whom have witnessed the negative impacts of top-down, exclusionary development models in their communities.
“It’s inclusive innovation for the same reason that we would like the innovation that benefits the society. It’s inclusive industrialization because industries may not continue to oppress the people who help it to benefit,” the director said.
As the breakfast meeting concluded, the participants expressed optimism about the future of technical education in the region, with the partnership between Ongenga Technical College and Bulawayo Polytechnic, as well as the University of Venda’s commitment to a more participatory, community-driven approach, serving as catalysts for innovation, entrepreneurship, and the empowerment of the next generation of industry leaders.
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