06 Feb 2025

Botswana Accountancy College (BAC) and the United Nations (UN) Botswana have formalised a partnership that is dedicated to strengthening and advancing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through the signing of a Memorandum of understanding (MoU).

Speaking during the MoU signing ceremony in Gaborone today,  UN Resident Coordinator, Mr Zia Choudhury, said the partnership was a commitment to shaping a better future using education, research, and collaboration to drive sustainable development in Botswana.

“Success depends on partnerships like this one, where we combine expertise, resources, and networks to create real impact. Universities and academic institutions play a critical role in this effort. They are hubs of innovation, knowledge, and youth engagement, the very ingredients needed to drive meaningful change,” he said.

Mr Choudhury said the partnership was committed to engaging students through workshops, research, and policy dialogues, empowering youth to take action on sustainability, including green initiatives and impact-driven projects, raising awareness on SDGs and embedding sustainability into the academic culture as well as strengthening connections with international organisations to exchange knowledge and best practices.

He said through this collaboration, the two entities would ensure that the SDGs were not just ideas but a practical roadmap for Botswana’s future.

“The challenges we face such as climate change, economic instability and inequality demand bold and sustained efforts,” he said.

For her part, the acting Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Higher Education, Ms Dintle Setlhotlhe said Botswana had made strides in developing SDG Planning Guidelines to ensure a shift from discussion to action.

She said the guidelines were currently rolled out across all sectors to accelerate implementation and meet the national SDG targets.

Ms Setlhotlhe emphasised the contribution of the institutions of higher learning, saying they played a significant role in the achievement of the SDGs.

“Education in its essence is also one of the crucial drivers of the achievement of these goals. Through education, awareness can be created therefore advancing the attainment of the SDGs.”

Ms Setlhotlhe added that partnerships such as this one were necessary for the youth to have an opportunity to contribute to the attainment of SDGs.

She said young people must be equipped with necessary skills to drive transformative change.

Ms Setlhotlhe said her ministry would support all initiatives and projects that BAC and UN embarked on.

She said for the ministry, this partnership served as an example of how academia was a key driver in the process of sustainable development.

“Through research, innovation, and collaboration, higher education institutions can lead in tackling global challenges, from climate change to digital transformation and economic development,” she said.

BAC Executive Director, Ms Serty Leburu said their growth as an institution was embedded in collaborations, adding that their vision was to be the university of choice for business in Africa and beyond.

Therefore, she said, to achieve this, there was need for collaborative efforts of all stakeholders at national, regional and international levels to achieve their aspirations.

Ms Leburu said the deliverables of the MoU would facilitate integration of SDGs in their curricular, and research in areas of digital transformation, economic development and climate change.

Additionally, she said BAC had the right population of young people who were full of passion, ideas and innovation.

Therefore, Ms Leburu said the collaboration with UN would ensure that this group of demographic played an active role in the attainment of the SDGs. ENDS