degrees in technical subjects and the applied sciences. In many cases these programs could be combined such that the academic degree could be attempted after a more basic vocational training was successfully passed. Since gaining university status in 2015 several Master and PhD programs have been developed, and short, entry-level certifications have been phased out. The Namibia University of Science and Technology comprises six academic faculties and offers undergraduate as well as postgraduate degrees in the areas of business and management, engineering, information technology, journalism, hospitality, natural resource management, and medicine. there were 86 undergraduate and 19 postgraduate degrees offered at the institution. The university now also offers master's degree courses. A Centre of Excellence in Information Technology (CEIT) has also been set up. Competition with the University of Namibia NUST has been in constant competition with Namibia's other state-owned university, the University of Namibia (UNAM). University rankings consistently list both institutions among Africa's Top-50, until 2009 usually with UNAM a few places ahead of NUST. In recent years NUST has been ahead of UNAM; the Webometrics lists it on rank 28 in Africa (2,284 globally), and UNAM on rank 48 (3,160). On the local level, judging service and contributions to the Namibian economy, NUST usually tops all other educational institutions. In 2010 the argument about who delivers the best tertiary education in Namibia entered a new stage when a local study found the NUST again to be far ahead in terms of services delivery. This study has subsequently been rejected by the Students' Representative Council of UNAM but endorsed by NUST management staff. Naming controversy The Polytechnic of Namibia had for a number of years attempted to change its name and its mandate to that of a Namibian university of science and technology. The institution intermittently adopted the name on its web site and in much of its official communication. This, however, was against the law that established the institution. In August 2010, the motion was stopped by cabinet, stating upcoming overall changes to the Namibian education sector as the reason to decline the name change. More than two years later in December 2012, cabinet instructed the Ministry of Education to grant the Polytechnic of Namibia university status and a change to the desired name. Part of the transition process was the phasing out of one-year Diploma and one-semester Certificate courses within five years. In 2015 the new act