15 Apr 2019

Botswana Geoscience Institute (BGI) and the University of Botswana (UB) recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for collaboration in geoscience research.

The MoU, which was signed in Lobatse, was described by BGI chief executive officer Mr Tiyapo Ngwisanyi as a momentous occasion.

Mr Ngwisanyi said UB had highly skilled personnel in geology, geophysics, seismology, remote sensing and all information communications technology (ICT) related disciplines, which BGI would tap into, especially in areas of geohazards, minerals systems, and information delivery programmes.  

He said given the dependence of the economy of Botswana on minerals, it was important for BGI to establish partnerships with other institutions to broaden its expertise on geoscience research.

“This is a logical partnership because our deliverables are underpinned by research. Not only do we both do geoscience research, but UB provides geoscientists that conduct the research to BGI”, he said.

He said areas where the partnership would be beneficial included assessing national geotechnical indicators, response to expanding towns and villages, as well as e monitoring and mitigation of geohazards.

He stated that BGI wanted to demonstrate that the country could ride on the fourth industrial revolution to increase benefits from natural resources.

“We aim to utilise technology to improve discovery of mineral resources as well as to provide a market to use mineral resources,” he said.

He explained that BGI was established to undertake research in geoscience and provide specialised geoscientific services, to be a custodian of geoscience information and to promote research and exploration of minerals in Botswana.

UB vice-chancellor, Professor David Norris said they were equally excited by the signing of MoU since issues of collaboration were at the forefront of what the institution did.

Professor Norris said the partnership would result in research that had an impact.

He further said apart from issues of research, the partnership could lead to the two institutions sharing their equipment infrastructure and human capital resources.

“The era of working in silos is over. If BGI has certain equipment that we don’t have we can collaborate and use it. The same thing, when it comes to human resources, if we don’t have a professor in geoscience we can come here and get one of the experts,” said the UB vice chancellor.

UB Dean of Science, Professor Julius Atlhopheng said the partnership was most welcome because earth science was important in the transformation of the economy.

“The knowledge that we generate from these geoscience researches and the benefits of the fourth industrial revolution should now really take over,” he said.

BGI director of information delivery, Ms Lesego Peter, said their institution had for a long time wanted to sign an MOU with UB. ENDS