Africa-Press – Lesotho. The National University of Lesotho (NUL) Vice-Chancellor (VC) Prof Olusola Isaac Fajana detailed the progress achieved by the institution during the 2021/2022
academic year. This he said last week at NUL main campus in Roma. “We are re-strategizing in recognition and appreciation of the roles expected of us as a mature institution.
We are now poised to strengthen our postgraduate offerings to enable the University to service sister institutions that the Government of Lesotho is establishing in
line with the Lesotho National Strategic Plans,” he said while taking stock of the progress recorded by the University. Prof Fajana said among their notable
achievements was the recent hosting of the African Regional Intellectual Property Organisation (ARIPO) Conference in early February working in collaboration with the Office of the Registrar General.
He hailed this development as successful. The VC said in March, NUL launched seMoshoeshoe Concept under the “active support” of His Majesty King Letsie III, NUL’s
Chancellor. He said this concept “speaks to rebirth” of the ideal espoused by the founding fathers of Lesotho. In May, he said the University’s Thomas
Mofolo Library convened a workshop for the librarians on the topic ‘Open Access and Open Science’. This workshop had attracted the participation of both local
and international librarians, he had said. He further noted yet another milestone saying, NUL staffer at the Faculty of Science and Technology (FOST) received
the status of the “best” scientist in Lesotho. Also among other achievements, Prof Fajana said they have “engaged in meaningful” collaborations with other institutions
of higher learning: the University of Free State, Central University of Technology, University of Pretoria, and Luiss University in Italy. He highlighted that NUL has signed Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) with over 40
institutions. On the academic activities, he said: “All academic activities of the NUL had moved on without any hitch. First-semester examinations were conducted successfully and the results have since been
considered and approved by Senate and subsequently released to the students and their sponsors. “The second-semester is running smoothly, credits to our dedicated staff members.
In February, the efforts of the Management to secure additional funding for students in the 2021-2022 academic year, who could not obtain NMDS (National Manpower Development Secretariat) funding
on the account of limited quota, paid off handsomely as the Minister of Development Planning partnered with the NUL to give additional 120 scholarships
to students,” he said. On the grievances raised by the “concerned” NUL Community, over the ICT system (Fedena) which they argue is costly to the university and
amounts to duplication of efforts as there is already a similar system in place that is run by the University. The petitioners also allege that due diligence processes were not exercised in procuring the
private ICT services. Reacting to these concerns, NUL Pro-Vice Chancellor Prof Kananelo Mosito said these are receiving attention at the University Council.
Prof Mosito said the Council has mounted a task force that is looking into these claims raised by the petitioners and they are yet to compile a report that will be presented
before the Council for it to pronounce itself on the matter. “We are waiting for a validated report,” he said. For her part, NUL Bursar ‘Masechaba Mantsoe-Ntaopane said the institution is facing financial
constraints and they have since adopted stringent measures. She said the subvention fund had dropped from M199 million for the 2020/2021 academic year
to M87 million for the 2021/2022 academic year. Ntaopane said the University requires at least M230 million to run its activities smoothly. Prof Fajana appealed for the cooperation of all internal and external stakeholders.
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