A panel discussion ensued on the 'The Do’s and Don’ts in Leapfrogging Innovation in Namibia: Lessons Learned and Strategies Explored', moderated by Tanya Stroh in conversation with Sem Mandela Uutoni, Professor Heike Winschiers-Theophilus and Brad Wilson where we covered different points of view from public to private sector, the role of education institutes and fostering community through long-term commitment.
Question to Sem Mandela Uutoni: According to the Global Innovation Index 2023, Namibia is 96th (up four spots since two years ago). It’s 6th in Sub-Saharan Africa. According to the report, our innovation level aligns with the overall development level as an Upper middle-income group. How would you describe the level of innovation taking place in Namibia at the moment?
“Innovation in Namibia has come a long way. The challenge lies in trying to create an ecosystem that feeds off of each other and that is ultimately what the essence of optimisation is. It’s not about being ‘small pockets’ in that area; it’s about a unified ecosystem that feeds off of each other in terms of knowledge, resources, and capacity."
Question to Prof Heike Winschiers-Theophilus: Based on this capcity, we move our attention to education institute. Related to the ability to innovate can include creativity, Problem-Solving, Risk-Taking, and Collaboration. The school system I went through most likely supported these skills in various ways. Still, my experience was that I was taught to memorise the correct answer and that there is only one right answer, which I’m supposed to know without asking someone. How would you describe the role of education in improving the innovation ability of Namibians? Can you share an example of work by NUST that supports it?
"Our education system has to reinvent itself. If we want to prepare the new generation to be creative, flexible, and to challenge authority, including technology, one of our recipes is exposure. So, expose the students to whatever they've never seen before. We have the resources, access to international partners, and different technologies. It's about throwing the students into the cold water, pushing them to engage in things they've never done before and allowing them to struggle."