History
The Polytechnic emerged from the Academy for Tertiary Education, founded in 1980, which was the first institution of higher education in Namibia. Act 9/1985 of the South African administration defined three sections for this academy, a university part, the College of Out-of-School Training (COST) for vocational training programs, and the Technikon Namibia for technical programs related to science and technology.
When in 1992 the University of Namibia (UNAM) was founded, the Academy lost its university section. The remaining sections, COST and Technikon, were merged to form the Polytechnic of Namibia per Act of Parliament in 1994.
The Polytechnic consists of two campuses and a number of scattered former residential buildings all located in the Windhoek West suburb close to the city centre. The main campus consists of the structures originally erected for the Academy for Tertiary Education. At its center is the Elisabeth house, Windhoek's former obstetric hospital designed by Wilhelm Sander in 1907. Elisabeth house is a national monument since 1986 and houses the Senate chambers and the office of the Rector.
The Engineering campus is adjacent to the main campus; construction of this area started in 1995. Originally intended to house only the School of Engineering, this campus has gradually grown and accommodates the library, all auditoria, and many of the other faculty venues.
Read more about this topic: Polytechnic Of Namibia
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