Name: Dr Onjefu Leonard Agbo
Qualification: Doctor of Philosophy in Structural Engineering
Faculty: Engineering
My key area of research focus is Energy Efficiency Building design from appropriate material choice and design. One such appropriate kinds of research involve developing appropriate material technologies that will improve energy efficiency in the form of using agricultural residues/wastes readily available in Namibia. Insulating materials used in buildings in Namibia and most developing countries are imported hence very expensive and inaccessible to many due to their income levels.
Thus there is a need to develop new and affordable techniques of producing insulating materials that ensure high building performance in terms of energy efficiency i.e. using less or no externally driven energy to ensure ambient indoor temperature regardless of fluctuating outdoor temperatures throughout a year. Affordability comes into play when materials that are locally and abundantly available are used to produce energy-efficient materials that replaced imported ones.
My research focused on the use of wastes from millet (Pennisetum glaucum) husks, rice hulls, maize husks, and cow dung to develop an environmentally friendly and energy-efficient /thermal insulation building materials for building construction in Namibia. Wide-ranging investigations including laboratory tests were performed and appropriate isolation material was produced. The physical, mechanical, and thermal properties of the developed material were compared with internationally accepted building isolation materials.
Name: Dr Munyaradzi Maravanyika
Qualification: Doctor of Philosophy in Informatics
Faculty: Computing and Informatics
My main area of research focus is digital transformation. In particular, I am interested in domain transformation. Currently the domain I am focusing on is education, with an interest in technologies for supporting learners at the bottom of the pyramid economically. Emerging technologies are changing traditional products and services. This is also true for education where teaching, learning and assessment are increasingly being offered through digital means.
The application of technologies such as artificial intelligence, machine learning, predictive analytics and extended reality, commonly referred to as smart technologies in education presents real opportunities for unlocking value in educational institutions.
Digital transformation also has the potential to address the digital inequalities that exist between those who have access to technologies and those students at the bottom of the pyramid who find themselves more and more marginalised due to lack of resources to fully participate in digital learning solutions.
However, institutions will need to adopt new models and frameworks if that are radically different from the current models if this potential is to be realised. My research is focusing on developing models and frameworks that can assist organisations in developing economies to also realise the potential of emerging technologies.