Annual Report - University of Namibia

MULTIDISCIPLINARY RESEARCH CENTREDirector: Dr Hina Mu AshekeleMULTIDISCIPLINARY RESEARCH CENTREThe key mission of theMultidisciplinary ResearchCentre (MRC) is to promote,conduct and coordinateapplied and academic research;provide advisory services to theGovernment of Namibia and to therural community in particular. The MRCwas mandated to support, manageand coordinate the multidisciplinaryresearch activities of UNAM and gearthese activities to the real needs ofsociety in general and those of ruralcommunities in particular.During the year under review, the MRC hadnine permanent academic staff membersand fi ve others on contract. These wereassisted by three administrative supportstaff and two student interns.Research and PublicationsIn line with Vision 2030, a long term policydocument of the Government of Namibia,which is to transform Namibia into adeveloped country by the year 2030,the MRC has three operational Divisions:Life Sciences, Science and Technology,and Social Sciences. The Social SciencesDivision focuses on applied research onissues such as drought monitoring andcoping mechanisms of poverty-strickencommunities, gender equality and foodsecurity, regional and local developmentstrategies, general evaluation of thecountry’s economic and educationalperformance, and on various facets ofrural community development and policyinterventions. The thrust of the Life SciencesDivision is on harnessing Namibia’s livingresources for sustainable development,and conservation of her biodiversity andgenetic resources. Some of the Division’sresearch focus includes climate changeand the application of biosciences indevelopment planning. The Scienceand Technology Division focuses on theadoption of science and technologytowards facilitating and promotingimproved low-cost housing, renewableenergy technologies, local mineralprocessing, benefi ciation, and materialdevelopment methods. The Centre isalso focusing on exploring ways by whichNamibia can take advantage of hernational resources. In line with its mandateto coordinate research and build researchcapacity, the MRC received fundingto the tune of N$5million to establisha Collaborative R&D programme. Theprogramme was implemented jointly withfaculties at UNAM. These included theFaculties of Economics and ManagementScience, Science, Education, andHumanities and Social Sciences. MoreAnnual Report 2009 -56-