Bradley Velleman

cooperation with university staff

The faculty staff and I collaborated on multiple topics to draw value for the students. This exchange was professional and successful and helped define particular sections of the content that would be most beneficial for the students with reference to practical case study work.
We also worked together to develop suitable assessment questions related to the content that I was sharing to ensure the students had gained the required knowledge from our interactions. This also encompassed defining group work and presentation topics as well as the marking guidelines for these assessments.
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed the interactions and collaborations with the faculty staff at NUST.

Collaboration with students

I had many insightful interactions with students from both the Undergraduate and Postgraduate Master’s levels. The students had many questions about how theoretical concepts are implemented in practice and I was able to share examples from industry and through my own experience. I found that the students were very engaged and eager to learn from “real-life” industry examples and were very appreciative of any time I could make for these discussions. I was thoroughly impressed by the students' commitment to their studies and advancing their knowledge.

impact and win-win

Throughout my time at NUST, it was very evident that the learning extended both ways. Not only could the students learn from me and my practical experience, but I also learned a lot from the students about the Namibian market and its correlations to the rest of Africa.
The most valuable impact I observed was through the practical class discussions and case studies which generated valuable impact for the students. These allowed the students to view the theoretical concepts as they are demonstrated in practice, and further evolve their understanding through interactions and discussions with both their peers and with myself.

Memorable event

I was fortunate enough to host a Public Lecture while at NUST. This lecture focused on the Diagnostics Supply Chain challenges of the African continent and generated positive feedback and a very insightful discussion following the presentation.
I was very pleased to have attendees from the student faculty, department staff and industry players which further enhanced the diversity of the discussion.

expectancies

Before starting my assignment, I did not know what to expect from the students, faculty staff and environment of Windhoek. However, as the assignment progressed, I learned to expect spontaneity, to be flexible and to encourage engagement in every interaction. I also found it helpful to clearly define my purpose for the assignment and what I expected from the students in each interaction. This ensured that we were all on the same page and could steer the conversations in each interaction to align with the purpose of the assignment.

personal message

I highly recommend this programme to any prospective volunteers. Not only was it a fulfilling activity, but I learned so much about the diverse cultures of Namibia and made invaluable connections with students and academic staff throughout my time at NUST. It is extremely evident that these young individuals are highly appreciative of the B360 programme and are motivated by the opportunity to learn from the industry.