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International Jazz Day celebration Windhoek

April 29, 2022 - April 30, 2022

Challenges and opportunities for science, technology and innovation in six African countries

Representatives of Congo Ghana Namibia Sierra Leone Tanzania and Zimbabwe reflected on their experiences from implementing and monitoring the 2017 UNESCO Recommendation on Science and Scientific Researchers RSSR at the fourth edition of the Africa Regional Science Technology and Innovation Forum in Kigali Rwanda on 1 March 2022

Namibia Conducting Nationwide Data Collection Exercise

A multistakeholder team in Namibia has embarked on a nationwide data collection exercise to benchmark the countrys science technology and innovation system against the norms and standards of the Recommendation on Science and Scientific Researchers Namibia is one of six pilot countries taking part in the project Strengthening STI Systems for Sustainable Development in Africa an initiative funded by the Swedish International Development Agency SIDA In its latter stages the project will support Namibia in designing inclusive policies that integrate the recommendations standards and norms The benchmarking exercise will inform this process by helping to identify gaps needs strengths and opportunities in policy and practice Across the country about 700 stakeholders had completed online or physical questionnaires by early December 2021 Data were collected for all but two regions between 20 September and 1 October 2021 Many of these stakeholders reported that the data collection exercise had been their first opportunity to learn about or engage with the recommendation a significant portion also indicated that they wished to be consulted on the issues raised by the recommendation in future The data collection team consisted of stakeholders from Namibias National Commission on Research Science and Technology NCRST the Ministry of Higher Education Technology and Innovation and UNESCO On 17 September 2021 the team discussed the national exercise on the Namibia Broadcasting Corporation NBC TVs Good Morning Namibia show Members of the team also participated in interviews with regional radio stations to raise awareness on the data collection exercise

January 31, 2022

Science Week Organized in Namibia to Boost Public Engagement with Science

Science Week was held in Namibia over 2226 November and 611 December 2021 under the theme Better Health Through Better Understanding Organized by UNESCO the Goethe Institute Ministry of Mines and Energy and Swakopmund Museum The objective of Science Week was to promote public engagement with science through handson enjoyable activities About 212 school children 20 young researchers and 20 members of the public participated in the activities Thirtysix secondaryschool children participated in two sessions of coding and robotics on 22 and 24 November supported by Minds in Action a Namibiabased organization with a focus on science technology engineering and mathematics Using SCRATCH coding software the learners simulated the transmission of the Covid19 disease A panel discussion was held on 25 November on the wellbeing of scientists featuring three scientists who represented the fields of metallurgy chemistry and engineering The audience comprised of about 20 university students and early career scientists threequarters of whom were under 30 years of age Panellists discussed some of the challenges faced by scientists in Namibia today including what they perceived as a shortage of laboratory equipment and chemicals and a lack of robust mental health facilities and support The panellists identified some opportunities to strengthen Namibias science ecosystem such as by expanding the provision of mental health clinics which could provide professional counselling promote lifelong learning improve policy implementation and raise public awareness of national success stories in science Some of the challenges and opportunities identified by the panellists reflect the provisions of the Recommendations on Science and Scientific Researchers an international accord that sets common standards for science adopted by UNESCOs 195 member states in November 2017 For instance paragraph 28 of the Recommendations reads Member States should encourage the provision of facilities so that scientific researchers enjoy lifelong opportunities for keeping themselves up to date in their own and in other scientific fields

January 31, 2022

Online workshop held with Namibian STI leaders

On 14 October 2021 UNESCO and the Namibia National Commission for UNESCO organized a workshop to review programmes and activities implemented by the Sectors for Natural Sciences and Social and Human Sciences in Namibia as well as identify national needs and establish a roadmap for activities over the next two years The workshop was attended by 62 participants representing academia government parastatals the private sector and UNESCO The workshop included a panel discussion on the state of Namibias national innovation system featuring two university Vice Chancellors the Director of Research and Innovation at the Ministry of Higher Education Technology and Innovation and two representatives of the Minds in Action science learning centre The panellists identified a need to significantly improve communications relating to scientific results and issues ensure that research is adequately funded including by the private sector and provide stakeholders in the tech industry with sufficient legal protections for their intellectual property The panellists highlighted developmental programmes as a way of fostering innovation among the youth The challenges and opportunities highlighted by the panellists reflect some of the values inscribed in the Recommendations on Science and Scientific Researchers which calls on UNESCOs member states to Promote access to research results and engage in the sharing of scientific data between researchers and to policymakers and to the public wherever possible while being mindful of existing rights paragraph 16 av Treat public funding of research and investment as a form of public investment paragraph 6 Ensure that the scientific and technological results of scientific researchers enjoy appropriate legal protection of their intellectual property paragraph 37 and Lend their support to all educational initiatives designed to a strengthen all sciences technology engineering and mathematics education in schools and other formal and informal settings paragraph 14 a Namibia is one of six pilot countries taking part in the project Strengthening STI Systems for Sustainable Development in Africa an initiative funded by the Swedish International Development Agency SIDA As part of the project stakeholders in Namibia are conducting a baseline assessment of the countrys science technology and innovation system benchmarked against the standards of the Recommendations Having identified challenges and opportunities for Namibia the project will then seek to raise national capacity to design and monitor inclusive policies

January 31, 2022

Workshop: Development of the Policy Framework on Namibian research outputs and Journal Accreditation

About 30 stakeholders from academia government and NGOs attended the first consultation workshop on the development of the policy framework on Namibian Research outputs and Journal Accreditation from 2728 October 2021 in Otjiwarongo The consultation jointly organized by the Ministry of Higher Education Technology and Innovation MHETI and National Commission on Research Science and Technology NCRST aimed to exchange information to support the development of the policy An Interim National Steering Committee was established by MHETI to provide expert advice and drive the development of the policy on Namibian Research outputs and Journal Accreditation To facilitate the monitoring and reporting on the 2017 UNESCO Recommendation on Science and Scientific Researchers a data collection tool developed by NCRST was used to collect data from the researchers on the current Science Technology and Innovation STI research climate UNESCO supports the strengthening of national STI systems and governance

November 25, 2021

Science Week: Better Health Through Better Understanding

In November and December 2021 UNESCO the Goethe Institute Ministry of Mines and Energy and the Swakopmund Museum is organizing the Science Week under the theme Better Health through better Understanding Participating schools and members of the public will have the opportunity to engage and interact with local scientists This years theme takes into consideration the effects of Covid19 on scientists schools and the public and looks at scientific ways of improving our wellbeing such as mental health The Science Week is a melange of entertaining handson educational activities by local scientists and noncommercial science films that promote science literacy and facilitate awareness of contemporary scientific technological and environmental issues The overall aim of this initiative is to communicate science in a more accessible way to support and advance inclusive science and quality education for all Activities include Panel discussion on the Wellbeing of Scientists Hybrid Sand Play Therapy Coding Covid19 simulation and Robotics Doodle video on the Science of Happiness and workshop Social media challenge on a science experiment Screening of Goethe Science Festival Films

November 22, 2021

ICT Ministers in Africa pledge support to implementation of Windhoek+30 Declaration

Participants from 13 African countries including ICT ministers from Angola Eswatini Lesotho Namibia and South Africa came together to discuss information as a public good as key to the future of the continent

November 10, 2021

Launch of Namibia’s Revised National Science, Technology And Innovation Policy

November 10, 2021

Namibia moves to boost local content production in cultural and creative industries

November 2, 2021