Uncertain future for Namibian students that fled Ukraine
Some Namibian students who fled from Ukraine at the end of May this year as they were approaching the end of their academic year, are yet to hear if they can enrol at the University of Namibia (UNAM).Eighty-five students were enrolled at various universities in Ukraine, 37 of which were funded by the Namibia Financial Institutions Fund (NSFAF) while the rest were privately funded.
Percy Tjahere, NSFAF senior manager for marketing and communications, said the institution’s responsibility is to the 37 students, while the other students are the responsibility of the Ministry of Higher Education, Technology and Innovation.
“We have accorded all the students funded by NSFAF an additional year to complete their studies at any of their chosen institutions in SADC, on condition that the students provide the required documentation, such as proof of registration,” he said.
Tjahere added that the fund had also decided to allow these students to be transferred where they wanted to go with the fund footing the bill.
“Government has taken a decision to continue assisting these students with what we call repeat payments, for example, if a student was in their fourth year but was asked to repeat a year,” he said.
According to UNAM’s assistant director of corporate engagements and international relations, Shahid Dickson, UNAM has not taken in any Namibian students that returned from Ukraine due to the war there.
“We have four faculties at UNAM. The Faculty of Health Sciences and Veterinary Medicine had an initial discussion on the possibility, but all its programmes are currently full. This assessment was done before having had to look at admission merits,” he said.
Dickson added that space on programmes to possibly enrol students are one of the challenges.
He could not comment when asked whether students would need to start their studies from scratch.
Speaking on condition of anonymity, a privately funded student who was studying general medicine at Ternopil National Medical University in Ukraine, said that the situation has affected his academic progress.
“Most of us tried to seek admission at UNAM, specifically at the School of Medicine. However, we were told that we should wait until this academic year is over so that we can apply and start from scratch,” he said.
He added that he was in his fifth year and his restarting with another course does not make sense. He hopes to be placed at UNAM to complete his studies. In the meantime, he has been doing clinical practice at Katutura intermediate hospital.
This situation is no different from another anonymous student funded by NSFAF who was in his final year. He said that most of them have been left in a state of confusion as they do not know what to do next.
Namibia National Student’s Association (NANSO) spokesperson Dorthea Nangolo said they are working around the issue and could not yet give a substantive answer.
Efforts to gain comment from the Ministry of Higher Education, Technology and Innovation, proved fruitless.