12 Jun 2014

Botswana International University of Science and Technology (BIUST) will relocate to Palapye in July.

The university was accommodated temporarily at Oodi College of Applied Arts and Crafts in 2012 following delay in the completion of the BIUST project.

BIUST’s vice chancellor, Professor Hillary Inyang told councillors during the ongoing Palapye sub-council meeting that students and lecturers would relocate from Oodi to Palapye campus in July when the next academic year commences.

He said the university had already relocated all its administration units including his office since August 2013. Furthermore, he said the university was currently at phase one stage, adding that phase two which will be developed through public private partnership will follow after.

The university was planned to be developed in phases and phase one, which was solely funded by the government had been completed and handed over.

It consisted of student residence block, an administration block that had offices for academic and administrative staff, residential staff houses, cafeteria, multi-purpose hall, laboratories, library and auditorium as well as sports grounds.

Phase two which would be funded and developed through public private partnership, entailed a comprehensive residential campus designed to accommodate up to 6 000 students and staff that includes offices, classrooms, student centre, recreation and sports facilities, a comprehensive library and complete facilities to support research and technology transfer.

Prof Inyang said the university had developed a comprehensive master plan that would guide future development of the university. He said the university was currently offering programmes under two colleges of science and engineering.

He said the university had planned to increase the number of colleges from two to four to include colleges of management and entrepreneurship and agriculture.

Furthermore Prof. Inyang said BIUST had successfully solicited MPI Properties Company from Gaborone to build residential facilities in Palapye to support BIUST. The university will be graduating its first batch of students in 2016 for science students and 2017 for engineering students.

Prof Inyang said his university will not operate in isolation, rather it was going to build a rapport with Palapye residents, the council and other organisations.

He said the university contributed P3.3m towards the paving of the Khurumela/BIUST access road which is scheduled for completion end of July.

Councillors thanked the Vice Chancellor for funds contributed towards the paving of Khurumela/BIUST access road, adding that it showed that the university had the best interest of Palapye at heart.

Senior assistant council secretary Mr Koti Molefi said BIUST seemed to be moving at a fast pace as a result the council needed to up its game to match it.

He said he would like to see the university making contributions in the Sub District Development Committee which comprised different government departments and parastatals in Palapye.ENDS