ONDANGWA, Namibia, June 25 (Xinhua) -- Namibian President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah attended a ceremony on Wednesday in the northern city of Ondangwa to commemorate the upgrade of the Ondangwa Innovation and Cultural Center, as well as its newly built science exhibition hall.
"The relationship between Namibia and China is founded on mutual respect, shared interests, and a common commitment to development," Nandi-Ndaitwah said at the ceremony.
She noted that education, science and innovation are central to Namibia's efforts to build a knowledge-based economy, adding that the newly built facility will provide young people and communities with access to modern technology and digital resources, helping nurture innovators, problem solvers and future leaders.
The Rossing Foundation and Rossing Uranium Limited, which is majority owned by China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC), collaborated to build the Ondangwa Innovation and Cultural Center as an upgrade to the area's existing education and community-service facilities.
The newly built Dr. Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah Science Exhibition Hall covers about 800 square meters. Its core exhibits will include 73 hands-on science education models donated by the China Foundation for Development of Science and Technology (FDST) to the Rossing Foundation, covering basic science, physical phenomena, engineering principles and interactive experiments.
"The science museum project is a landmark initiative through which the foundation has mobilized social resources to deepen people-to-people cooperation with Namibia," said Jin Yinan, deputy secretary-general of the FDST, at the ceremony.
Jin said the project also exemplified efforts by the FDST and the CNNC to advance the China-Africa comprehensive strategic and cooperative partnership.
She added that the foundation would work with relevant partners to improve supporting facilities and ensure the hall's sustainable operation, making it a testament to the friendship that brings the peoples of China and Namibia closer together.
Zhang Tao, general manager of CNNC, said the inauguration marked a new starting point for the facility's development.
"CNNC will continue to leverage its scientific and technological resources, and work with the Namibian government, the FDST, the Rossing Foundation and other partners, to enrich the exhibition content and organize science lectures, practical learning programs, teacher training and youth science exchanges," Zhang said.
He noted that the CNNC aims to develop the facility into a leading science education venue in northern Namibia, a platform for promoting the scientific spirit and nurturing young talent, and a new bridge for people-to-people exchanges and friendship between China and Namibia.
The science exhibition hall will also combine a fixed venue with mobile science outreach, offering teacher training, youth science activities, school visits and community education programs. It is expected to benefit nearly 400,000 students across Namibia's four northern regions.
"Today we celebrate the deliberate construction of a pipeline of skills, curiosity and innovation that will serve this region for generations to come," said Sanet Steenkamp, Namibia's minister of education, innovation, youth, sports, arts and culture.
She said the upgraded center is a visionary investment in Namibia's scientific future and could become a platform for young people in northern Namibia to turn their ideas into innovative products and services that address challenges facing Ondangwa and the wider region. ■