23 Jun 2013

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

BIUST is currently accommodated at Oodi College of Applied Arts and Technology where it initiated teaching and learning operations at the campus in August 2012 as an interim measure.

Briefing members of Ntlo ya Dikgosi on the progression and relocation of the University on June 19, BIUST acting vice chancellor, Mr Shabani Ndzinge said if things go according to the plan, the university would move to Palapye by August, mostly the non-academic staff.

He said the delayed phase one which was due to be completed by September 2010 was completed two and half years behind the schedule in March this year.

The planned cost for phase one was P429 million, but to date P449 million had been paid and P9 million left for retention. 

As for phase two, Mr Ndzinge said the campus master plan project was ongoing and it will be completed in November.

The vice chancellor also noted that the university and government are working on funding the second phase of the campus’ development. Mr Ndzinge said this will likely be based on the public-private partnership funding option as it will take many years to complete.

He however said demand for BIUST programmes far exceeded capacity, noting that the university received over 2500 applications for 250 places in 2012.

Furthermore, he said, a similar challenge will recur for the year 2013 as there will be a significant number of international applications from countries such as Kenya, Malawi, Swaziland, Zimbabwe, India, Lesotho, Namibia, Nigeria, Liberia, Zambia, Tanzania, SA and Ghana.

Meanwhile, 56 students will graduate in 2014 as the first group from the UB School of Medicine.

Faculty of Health Sciences Dean, Professor Yohana Mashaka also told members of Ntlo ya Dikgosi that Botswana has always been faced with critical shortage of human resources for health hence the idea to produce more doctors locally.

Professor Mashaka said the school ran quality undergraduate programmes while it was currently engaged in relevant health research on Malaria and HIV/AIDS for Botswana.

He however noted that the challenges that they faced since the establishment of the School of Medicine was that the public has never understood that the school was an integral part of the Faculty of Health Sciences at UB, poor publicity and attraction and retention of staff.

However, UB vice chancellor, Professor Thabo Fako said the school started with 15 but now has 67 full time lectures and 12 adjunct lectures, something he viewed as growth. He also noted that the hospital at the School of Medicine was 80 per cent complete and it will have 450 beds for patients. ENDS