Ndjaleka urges Welwitchia graduates to transform knowledge into meaningful national impact

Mercure Hotel, Windhoek. 6–17 July 2026.

Keynote address by Hambelela Suzan Ndjaleka at the 9th Official Graduation Ceremony of Welwitchia University.

Madam Chancellor and Co-Founder of Welwitchia University, Professor Scholastika Iipinge;

Chairperson of the University Council and Co-Founder of Welwitchia University (in absentia);

Vice-Chancellor, Professor Marius Hedimbi;

Members of the University Council, especially Professor Alice Lakati from Amref International University in Kenya;

Dr Andreas Mwoombola, Welwitchia University Group Chief Executive Officer;

Mr Edward Kafita, Chief Executive Officer of Welwitchia Integrated Services;

Professors;

Members of the academic and administrative staff;

Representatives of other Higher Education Institutions;

Representatives of our regulators, including the Health Professions Councils of Namibia (HPCNA), the Namibia Qualifications Authority (NQA), the National Council for Higher Education (NCHE), and others;

Sponsors of this 9th Graduation Ceremony;

Distinguished guests, partners, stakeholders and members of the media;

Proud parents and families;

Welwitchia students and alumni;

Friends; and most importantly, the Class of 2026.

All protocol observed.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Good morning.

It is an honour to join you on this important day—a day of celebration, reflection and fresh beginnings. I thank the University Council and the Vice-Chancellor for the gracious invitation to deliver this keynote address.

To the graduates before me, today we gather to recognise your dedication, the long hours of study, the setbacks you overcame, and the accomplishments you have achieved. You have earned this moment. Congratulations.

I wish first to recognise the many people whose support has made your achievement possible. To parents, guardians and families, your financial, emotional and practical sacrifices form the invisible scaffolding of success. To faculty members and supervisors, your commitment to teaching, academic rigour and intellectual curiosity has shaped these graduates’ minds and characters.

To the administrative and support staff, your work behind the scenes created the environment in which learning could flourish. Graduates, you owe your success to many hands. Please take time today to thank those who walked this journey with you.

Dear Esteemed Guests,

Welwitchia University has chosen a powerful theme for today’s ceremony: “From Knowledge to Impact: Shaping the Future.”

Those words do more than adorn a programme; they issue a challenge. Knowledge is foundational. It enables us to understand complexity and imagine alternatives. Yet knowledge alone does not change lives. Impact requires knowledge to be translated into action—into products, policies, partnerships, performances and practices that improve lives, strengthen institutions and preserve what matters most to our collective wellbeing.

As Deputy Minister of Health and Social Services, I see clearly how universities sit at the crossroads of our nation’s most pressing priorities. Namibia is undergoing deliberate transformation. We are diversifying our economy beyond extractive industries, expanding opportunities for young people, embracing digital technologies responsibly, protecting our environment, and preserving our cultural heritage.

Achieving these goals depends on people who can transform ideas into practical initiatives and convert data into informed decisions. It depends on graduates who do more than know—they act; who do more than analyse—they implement.

Dear Graduands,

A recent national report indicates that 2,683 nursing graduates across the country did not pass the licensing examination required to practise in Namibia. This serves as a stark reminder that knowledge must translate into impact, not into statistics of failure.

Welwitchia University, however, has earned a strong reputation among industry partners, including professionals within the Ministry of Health and Social Services, for producing nurses who excel in both theory and clinical practice. Numerous success stories from hospitals and clinics attest to that quality.

Today, Welwitchia proudly graduates approximately 982 nursing students, alongside graduates from its other schools and programmes. I therefore challenge every nursing graduate to ensure that you do not become part of those disappointing statistics, but instead demonstrate the excellence this institution has prepared you for by successfully passing the national licensing examination.

To the academic staff, congratulations and thank you for equipping these graduates to make a measurable impact within our health sector and beyond.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Allow me to outline three practical pathways through which your knowledge can become measurable impact.

First: Entrepreneurship and Innovation.

Across Africa and here at home, graduates are establishing businesses and social enterprises that respond to local challenges while creating employment. Consider entrepreneurs bringing solar mini-grids to remote communities or graduates designing digital platforms that connect farmers to markets and weather information.

Namibia presents enormous opportunities in climate-smart agriculture, sustainable tourism, creative industries and digital services that expand access to education and healthcare. If entrepreneurship interests you, begin with a small, testable idea. Engage users early, learn from feedback, refine your concept and build partnerships with mentors and incubators.

The Ministry supports various start-up programmes and funding opportunities for emerging entrepreneurs. Explore these opportunities. Entrepreneurship is not solely about profit; it is a powerful means of solving community problems while creating economic and social value.

Second: Public Service and Evidence-Informed Policy.

Many of you will pursue careers in government, non-governmental organisations, international organisations or research institutions. These sectors play an essential role in transforming research into policies and programmes that improve millions of lives.

The analytical, research and critical thinking skills you have developed are directly applicable to improving education, healthcare, social protection and environmental management. I encourage you to move beyond academic publications. Translate your research into accessible policy briefs, engage community stakeholders, and pilot practical interventions before scaling them. Evidence-based policy leads to better public outcomes.

Third: Cultural and Civic Leadership.

Our graduates in the arts and humanities have a vital responsibility in preserving our history, strengthening national identity and promoting social cohesion. Creative industries are central to nation-building. Whether you become an artist, writer, historian or educator, your work strengthens the social fabric.

Use your talents to preserve local histories, amplify underrepresented voices and create cultural initiatives that generate both meaning and livelihoods.

Across all these pathways, five qualities will strengthen your impact:

• Curiosity ensures that learning continues long after graduation.

• Ethical judgement reminds us that knowledge without integrity can cause harm. Always ask who benefits and who might be disadvantaged.

• Adaptability enables you to respond effectively to a rapidly changing world.

• Collaboration recognises that complex challenges require multidisciplinary solutions.

• Communication allows you to translate complex ideas into language that policymakers, funders and communities can understand and act upon.

Dear Esteemed Guests,

Allow me to address the importance of technology.

Artificial intelligence, digital platforms and data analytics present enormous opportunities for education, healthcare, agriculture and governance. They can extend services, personalise solutions and generate valuable insights. However, they also carry risks, including algorithmic bias, privacy concerns and widening inequalities where access remains uneven.

I encourage you to master these technologies while remaining firmly grounded in ethical principles. Build systems that are inclusive, protect personal data and always remember that technology is a tool to improve human wellbeing—not an end in itself.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Let me leave you with three practical challenges.

• Within the next six months, identify one local problem and develop a small pilot project to address it. Test your idea, learn from experience and improve it.

• Mentor one or two younger students in your community by sharing knowledge, study techniques and career guidance.

• Convert at least one academic project into a public resource, whether through a policy brief, community workshop, radio programme or educational video. Knowledge locked away in academic journals cannot transform society.

Dear Esteemed Guests,

As a Ministry, we recognise the importance of supporting graduates as they transition from university into society. We are expanding internship opportunities, strengthening partnerships between universities and industry, and providing targeted support for youth-led innovation and community-based research.

We invite Welwitchia University to deepen collaboration with the Ministry on initiatives that connect academic programmes with labour market needs while preserving academic independence and research integrity.

Dear Strategic Partners and Stakeholders,

Government cannot achieve these goals alone. Industry must invest in apprenticeships and workplace training. Civil society must create opportunities for youth leadership. Universities must continue renewing their curricula, while development partners should prioritise sustainable, locally driven programmes.

Our measure of success should extend beyond employment statistics. We must ask whether people live healthier lives, whether communities become more resilient, whether our cultural heritage is strengthened and whether democratic participation increases.

Before I conclude, allow me to share a simple example.

A group of university graduates once designed a low-cost irrigation system for smallholder farmers. Their first attempt failed. Rather than abandoning the project, they returned to the community, listened carefully to farmers’ experiences, improved their design and tested it again. The revised system doubled crop yields while reducing water consumption.

Their success resulted not from one brilliant idea, but from persistence, humility, community engagement and continuous improvement.

Graduates, you now possess knowledge that others may not. With that privilege comes the responsibility to use your knowledge for the common good, to lead with humility and to serve with integrity.

To parents and families, thank you once again for your sacrifices. To faculty and staff, thank you for shaping minds and character. To Welwitchia University, thank you for preparing graduates to meet the challenges of our time with curiosity, compassion and excellence.

In closing, Ladies and Gentlemen,

I leave you with one clear message: carry knowledge into the world, and let impact be your measure. Build careers defined not only by titles or income, but by the problems you solve and the lives you improve.

If you live by that principle, you will not only build successful careers—you will help create a Namibia that is more equitable, innovative and resilient.

Graduates of Welwitchia University,

The future is not a distant destination—it begins with what you choose to do tomorrow.

Go forward with curiosity, courage and compassion.

Congratulations, and may your work honour the trust that our nation places in you.

Thank you.

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