LAUNCH OF THE UNAM PRESS PUBLISHING UNIT:
‘A TREASURE HOUSE OF KNOWLEDGE’

To honour the 10th anniversary of its establishment, the University of Namibia started in 2002 to publish titles under the name of UNAM Press. Now in its 20th year, the University has established a dedicated UNAM Press publishing unit, whose vision is to be the leading publisher of scholarly research and innovation in Namibia. This is an important milestone in the history of the University and of publishing in Namibia.

The UNAM Press publishing unit was officially launched in Windhoek on 16 February 2012 by Vice Chancellor Professor Lazarus Hangula, along with two new titles: Labour Law in Namibia by Justice Dr Collins Parker; and Understanding Policy Domains, their Salient Forces, and Organisational Challenges by Dr Tapera O. Chirawu.

UNAM Press will publish works on topics related to Namibia and the Southern African region. Future titles include studies of art, culture and language; nation building and democracy; education; law; history; autobiography; the environment and sustainable development.

The publishing programme is guided by a UNAM Press Senate Committee chaired by the Pro Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs and Research, Professor Osmund Mwandemele. The Editorial Board, chaired by Dr Leslie Blaauw (Head of the Department of Political and Administrative Studies), works with the UNAM Press unit to implement policy and approve or reject publication proposals and manuscripts, which go through a rigorous peer-review process.

UNAM Press intends to publish a range of titles reflecting the strengths of the University and the best scholarship in and on Namibia, and to play a vital role in fulfilling the vision and mission of the University, as defined in its key statements, by:

• Disseminating the results of the university’s research across a broad spectrum of real-world problems, in order to communicate and share this research with others and so contribute to nation-building.
• Serving as a repository for the preservation, development and articulation of national values and culture, through the promotion of Namibian history, art and languages.
• Engaging with society in the creation and dissemination of knowledge.
• Becoming a treasure house of knowledge at the service of national development.