05 Oct 2020

Young girls have been encouraged to consider joining the world of science and engineering given the low female enrolment for such programmes at universities. 

Speaking during the donation of liquid hand washing soap at Tsabong Unified Senior Secondary School recently, BIUST vice-chancellor Professor Otlogetswe Totolo urged girls not to shy away from taking up science and engineering courses and become players in driving innovation.

He told students, teachers and parents that government formed the University in 2006 upon realising that there were fewer professionals in the fields of science engineering and technology. 

He said the university was targeted at increasing numbers of students trained in such fields to be able to drive the fourth industrial revolution. 

Professor Totolo, therefore, impressed upon girls to consider applying to BIUST and do away with the perception that engineering and science were for the boy child as the girls were equally capable. 

“Female population numbers are higher than those of males, but the females lagged behind in participating in science and engineering,” he said. 

He said the government was striving to diversify the economy and such fields were critical to driving it, hence females must participate in science and engineering in large numbers. 

Prof. Totolo encouraged the teachers to adopt a modern, student-centred approach to learning, which he said was problem-solving based learning to be able to solve today’s challenges. 

He said gone were the days where professors and teachers stood in front of the class to doll out knowledge, hence the need to employ interactive learning as the young people were also knowledgeable. 

For her part, director of basic education in Kgalagadi region, Ms Maipelo Kesenye appreciated the donation from BIUST, which she said should serve as motivation and inspiration for students to desire to excel academically and move to higher institutions of learning. 

She said the presentation on BIUST and the donation of products produced by the higher institution of learning was an eye-opener as it gave students an opportunity to know what was being offered at BIUST and the possibilities of a better future.  

Ms Kesenye noted that Kgalagadi District was unique as it was endowed with natural resources, hence the need to harness the natural resources, leverage on the comparative advantages and come up with new products and services to suit communities. 

She was optimistic that the region shall strive to deliver results despite the outbreak of COVID-19. ends