NUST and SACU Explore Strategic Partnership to Advance Regional Integration and Skills Development
Last week, NUST Executive Dean of the Faculty of Commerce, Human Sciences and Education, Professor Efigenia Semente, hosted an engagement with Dumisani Masilela, Executive Secretary of the Southern African Customs Union (SACU), and his delegation. The visit focused on exploring practical areas of collaboration to strengthen regional integration, skills development, and research partnerships.
The engagement opened up meaningful discussions on a range of potential areas of cooperation. These include public lectures by SACU experts, structured student internship opportunities, collaborative research on regional integration and value chains, and the development of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between NUST and the SACU Secretariat to formalise the partnership.
At the heart of the discussions was a shared recognition of the importance of building strong institutional linkages to support Southern Africa’s economic transformation. Both parties emphasised the role of research, knowledge exchange, and capacity building in shaping evidence-based policymaking and preparing graduates who can thrive in an increasingly interconnected regional economy.
For Namibia, the collaboration offers an opportunity to deepen understanding in key areas such as trade, industrialisation, and regional value chains, while also creating pathways for student development and applied research that can directly contribute to economic growth, competitiveness, job creation, and sustainable development. It also serves as a platform to enhance awareness of SACU’s work and its contribution to regional integration and prosperity.
NUST continues to prioritise partnerships that deliver real impact for students, for industry, for government, and for society, while advancing Namibia’s development goals and strengthening regional cooperation across Southern Africa.
(Pictured: Dumisani Masilela, Executive Secretary of the Southern African Customs Union (SACU), Prof Efigenia Semente, Executive Dean, Faculty of Commerce, Human Sciences and Education, Lameck Odada, Lecturer, Development Finance, Abed Iyambo, SACU Senior Office Manager)
