01 Dec 2013

Botswana International University of Science and Technology (BIUST) has engaged consultants to come up with a 20-year master plan to guide the future growth and development of its campus in Palapye.

Consultants GAPP Architects and Royal Haskoning DHV were appointed in July to formulate the BIUST campus master plan, the work that was expected to be complete by January next year.

Director of physical planning and campus facilities for BIUST, Ms Linda Moseki said in an interview after the BIUST Master Plan consultation meeting on November 27 that the draft master plan had been drawn already but was still at consultation stage.

The plan, Ms Moseki said, was to consult all relevant stakeholders. Already, she explained that the consultants had consulted BIUST management and just recently the Palapye Administration Authority leadership.

She said Palapye community would also be consulted so that at the end of the day consultants would compile a document that would incorporate comments made, leading to a final draft that would again be presented to BIUST management.

She said it was important to consult Palapye community because it perceives BIUST as a facility that would benefit them economically. Once done the final draft would then be submitted to the council for approval.

Ms Moseki said according to BIUST strategy there should not be a barrier between the institution and the community as such the master plan would be made such that the community was not detached from the campus. 

According to the draft master plan, the campus would have a technology park where private sector would come up with a light industrial development. Ms Moseki said the idea was to have incubation parks within BIUST which would be rented out to the public.

The move, she said would enhance capacity building, generate income as well as bring technological changes that would impart knowledge. The incubation parks, she said would be located at the main entrance and would portray the institution’s theme, which was a culture of research.

In addition she said BIUST would have its own incubation centre within which would be used to impart knowledge as well as promote innovation.

One of the consultants from GAPP Architects, Ms Catherine Deacon highlighted that the idea was to bring some life into the university hence the draft plan which entails other developments such as a primary school within the university, adult education facility as well as retail businesses. Thus, Ms Deacon said the university would not be accessed by staff only but would be made accessible to the public as well. Ends