04 Apr 2024

In a significant stride to transform its campus into a state-of-the-art facility, Botswana International University of Science and Technology (BUIST) has budgeted P240 million to develop a student centre in the next three years. 

Already under construction, the student centre fits within the university’s vision to create spaces that fostered learning, empowered groundbreaking research, and offered an enriching university experience. 

Briefing BOPA on innovation in infrastructure development, BIUST’s Chief Operations Officer, Mr Davis Tele, said the student centre would house all amenities that learners need to enhance their learning and living experience at the university. 

As the institution is about 10km outside Palapye, students currently have to travel into town to buy some essential goods and services. 

Mr Tele explained that once the student centre becomes operational, students would be relieved of the need to make frequent trips into town. 

For the much-needed convenience, the facility would house a post office, a bank and shops. 

Mr Tele noted the university currently had 1300 accommodation facilities, including prefabricated structures and port cabins. 

He said these were not comfortable and tended to be hot inside in summer and cold in winter, noting that the situation brought a non-conducive environment for learning. 

He disclosed that to address this situation, a feasibility study to construct 3000 bed facility on campus was carried out through a Public Private Partnership (PPP) model, and already the recommendation has been co-approved by the Ministry of Finance and Ministry of Education and Skills Development. 

He said currently the project was on the procurement phase to appoint a company that would design, finance, build, maintain and operate the envisaged eco-friendly structure. 

In addition, he said, BIUST had also designed a teaching and learning centre with three auditoriums including a 500-seater one as well as two 250-seater theatres. 

Cumulatively, he said, this would all translate into a teaching space of 1000 seats consisting of three auditoriums, as well as classrooms, labs and outside teaching spaces. 

He emphasised that the developments, which would be on a phased approach, would enable the university to supplement its student intake. 

With government subvention across entities being reduced, Mr Tele said the development of the university’s infrastructure would help generate own income through increased students intake, and other activities. Ends