Development of a Concept Note for the Natural Resources Polytechnic Institute of Southern Africa

Lippert, Delaney; Pearson, Daniel; purnell, James; Lambert, John

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Development of a Concept Note for the Natural Resources Polytechnic Institute of Southern Africa

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Namibia is not benefiting from its natural resources as much as it could since the country exports minerals in their raw form. To increase the value of exports, value addition processes need to be increased in the region, but to do this, the skills necessary for these processes need to be developed. The Natural Resources Polytechnic Institute of Southern Africa (NaRPISA) will provide these skills. To develop NaRPISA, three main objectives were completed: to conduct a needs assessment for a value addition institute, to develop a value addition curriculum framework that also supports environmental sustainability, and to make recommendations on the organizational and physical structures of the institute. To achieve these objectives a qualitative study design was conducted by using three data collection methods: secondary data reviews, in-depth interviews, and field observations. Through this analysis it was discovered that Namibia is cut out of the most profitable part of the value chain, and that taking the next step to increase value addition will produce social and economic benefits for the region. To do this NaRPISA proposes a brand-new degree program called “Mineral Value Addition Engineering” focused on training students in mineral processing, industrial engineering, chemical engineering, mining engineering, computer science, politics, and international relations. By providing the skills necessary for these processes, NaRPISA will be able to assist in the push towards more value addition in the region. While Namibia’s economy is already heavily influenced by the mining industry, it is clear that adding more value before exporting a product would not only help the economy, but also the surrounding communities since more locals would be employed due to their new skillsets.

This report represents the work of one or more WPI undergraduate students submitted to the faculty as evidence of completion of a degree requirement. WPI routinely publishes these reports on its website without editorial or peer review.

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