Lubango: Mandume ya Ndemufayo University (UMN) has secured $3.5 million in World Bank funding to support and strengthen Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) programs across its constituent units. This funding is part of the Angolan Government's Higher Education, Science, and Technology Development Project (TEST), which aims to transform the higher education sector by focusing on quality, gender equity, digital innovation, and sustainable management. According to Angola Press News Agency, the initiative is expected to benefit at least 2,832 individuals in the STEM field, including undergraduate and specialized master's students, non-teaching staff, faculty members, and researchers. UMN's Vice-Rector for Scientific Affairs and Postgraduate Studies, Francisco Maiato Gonçalves, noted that the proposal was submitted in 2025 and recently approved, with implementation likely to begin this year over a three-year period. Gonçalves explained that the initiative aims to foster postgraduate training (master's and doctoral degrees) to address the shortage of qualified faculty in the fields of engineering, technology, and mathematics. He highlighted the existing deficit in these areas and the limited availability of master's and doctoral programs in engineering within the country, as well as the fact that available scholarships have been insufficient to cover all disciplines. According to the source, the focus is on establishing a Pure and Applied Biology program, with plans to construct a Faculty of Natural Sciences at the future UMN University Campus. Additionally, support for the existing Master's program in Genetic Biodiversity and Conservation, run in partnership with the University of Porto, is included. The funding will also be used for the acquisition of laboratory equipment and optimization of existing infrastructure at the Huíla Polytechnic Institute (IPH) and the Ondjiva Polytechnic Institute (IPO). Gonçalves emphasized that the funds are expected to be disbursed this year following the signin g of contracts by the heads of the higher education institutions. Regarding research promotion projects under the Foundation for Scientific and Technological Development (FUNDECIT), Gonçalves highlighted that UMN has developed seven projects nearing completion, with funding ranging from 23 to 26 million kwanzas per initiative. These include projects from the Faculties of Economics and Medicine, as well as initiatives led by the university administration and the Ondjiva Polytechnic Institute. Additionally, he mentioned a project funded by the European Union to support the higher education subsystem, which includes a specialization course in medical microbiology and parasitology currently underway at the Faculty of Medicine. UMN currently boasts over 200 faculty members and 7,164 students, offering more than 10 STEM-related courses taught at the IPH and IPO.
