The University of Namibia (UNAM) and the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Land Reform have signed a Memorandum of Understanding aimed at strengthening cooperation in education, research and knowledge sharing.

Deputy Minister Ruthy Masake says that strong monitoring will be critical to ensuring that the newly signed agreement with UNAM produces tangible results.

The agreement creates opportunities for work-integrated learning and research projects involving UNAM students and ministry staff.

The partnership aims to bridge the gap between academic research and government implementation.

The minister, however, cautioned that many agreements fail to achieve their intended objectives when there is insufficient follow-up and monitoring.

She said regular research, sharing of findings and practical recommendations should be accompanied by continuous monitoring of interventions.

“I have seen many MOUs that were never implemented, or they did not achieve the desired goal, simply because we have not strengthened the monitoring system.”