Staff Reporter
THE Namibian Revolutionary Transport and Manufacturing Union (NARETU) and Welwitchia University have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) aimed at providing structured practical internship opportunities for law students and strengthening the link between academic legal education and practical workplace experience.
The partnership will enable suitably qualified law students from Welwitchia University to undertake practical internships at NARETU, where they will gain exposure to dispute resolution, case preparation, conciliation, arbitration, disciplinary hearings, worker representation and labour rights advocacy.
Speaking during the signing, Prof. Marius Hedimbi, Vice-Chancellor of Welwitchia University, said the partnership would benefit the university by contributing to the development of well-rounded, market-ready legal professionals.
“For us, this is also beneficial to us at Welwitchia. It means we will be able to produce well-rounded, market-ready legal professionals. And this MoU then allows us to place our qualified law students directly into the field of labour-related law, and this exposure then satisfies the crucial practical training component of our students in the law curriculum. Because we do not just want to do theory. We want students to have practical exposure to what they are being taught,” Hedimbi said.
The partnership therefore provides an important opportunity for law students to complement their academic studies with practical workplace experience, particularly in the field of labour-related law. It is expected to contribute to the development of graduates who are better prepared to enter the legal profession and understand the realities of labour relations and workplace disputes.
Speaking at the signing, NARETU Commander-in-Chief (CIC) Petersen Kambinda said the partnership responds to the need to give students practical experience alongside their academic training.
“We have seen a lot of our students, every time they complete the theory part, they struggle to find jobs because they do not have exposure or experience,” Kambinda said.
He added that the partnership would provide students with an opportunity to take what they learn in the classroom and practise it in the field. He further highlighted the potential for Welwitchia University’s regional campuses to benefit from NARETU’s presence in different parts of the country.
“They are going to experience the real world of what they have been taught.”
The importance of practical legal education was also emphasised by Professor Marvin Awarab, Dean of the Faculty of Law, Commerce & Education (FLCE) at Welwitchia University, who said the university’s LLB curriculum was designed to ensure that students gain more than theoretical knowledge.
Professor Awarab said the law is not confined to textbooks, but is “alive in the real world, in workplaces, in the everyday lives of Namibian workers.”
Under the MoU, NARETU will provide training placements, suitable workstations and mentorship, while Welwitchia University will screen and recommend qualified students, provide academic oversight and monitor their progress.
The agreement will remain in force for three years, with the possibility of renewal by mutual agreement. The two institutions have also agreed to explore further cooperative engagements and strategic partnerships aligned with their respective mandates.
PICTURED: From your left: Prof Marvin Awarab (Dean of the Faculty of Law, Commerce and Education), Prof Marius Hedimbi (Vice Chancellor at Welwitchia University), NARETU CIC Petersen Kambinda and Prof Sifiso (Pro-Vice Chancellor of Academic and Research).
