27 Jul 2014

Research is important in the economic growth of the country, says Botswana International University of Science and Technology (BIUST) vice chancellor, Prof Hillary Inyang.

Speaking during the media forum at BIUST campus in Palapye recently, Prof Inyang said research was an engine of economic development as such good things could come out of the country as a result of research.

He said through research, small countries such as Botswana could take international leadership, adding that Africa was lagging behind in economic development because of limitations in the area of research.

He said BIUST as a key driver of economic diversification would establish research centres that will deal with issues citing Foot and Mouth Disease as an example.

He said BIUST that had relocated to Palapye, will therefore have a research and technology incubation park as well as research centres of which the first three will start in November.

Prof Inyang said however that Botswana had a challenge of shortage of skilled people, adding that the country had few people beyond Bachelor degrees.

He said therefore BIUST will also engage researchers from other countries, adding, “we need people from other countries to drive the economy.”

He said the United States and China’s economies were growing fast because they allowed people from other countries to bring in their skills to improve their economies through various sectors.

Furthermore, he said the university is working with the Department of Research, Science and Technology (DRST) under the Ministry of Infrastructure, Science and Technology on plans for the country’s National Development Plan 11.

There is also an ongoing incorporation of the Roads Training Centre (RTC) based in Gaborone into BIUST and re-configuration of academic and field programmes to better serve the country and beyond in that economic sector.

On other issues, Prof Inyang raised concern over students who failed to complete their studies, saying that students should be given second chances. He said there were students who could not finish their programmes because they failed one or two modules.

He said there should be a remediation programme to reclaim such people so that those who do well enroll with BIUST and other institutions and ultimately contribute to the development of the country.

For the past two years, he said the university has been offering programmes under two colleges of Science and Engineering, adding there is plan to increase the number of colleges from two to four to include colleges of Management and Entrepreneurship and Agriculture.

The college of science has been temporarily accommodated at Serowe Institute of Health Sciences following relocation of BIUST from Oodi to Palapye. The university will be graduating its first batch of students in 2016 for science students and 2017 for engineering students. ENDS