Africa-Press – Botswana. Universities will not thrive without academic research.
Therefore there is a need to equip research laboratories and support innovation through appropriate research funding.
South Africa Minister of International Relations and Cooperation also alumni of the then University of Botswana and Swaziland, Dr Naledi Pandor said this during the UB alumni reunion in Gaborone, Friday.
She expressed concern that despite a number of credible universities in Africa, the continent was not leading in terms of research and global innovation.
The continent is lacking transformative universities. African universities are failing to move the standards to substantiate their presence, she said.
Dr Pandor credited UB for playing a special place in the development of her modest academic credibility. She said UB and Gaborone Senior Secondary School contributed to what she was today. Dr Pandor said back then, the university was committed to transforming learners into quality graduates.
She said the fact that the people of Botswana personally contributed to the building of the institution resulted in a strong attachment between the society and UB.
“The community was founded on three objectives of teaching, research and community service,” she said, adding that the university must, therefore, entrench and convey key principles of value to the students so that when they graduate they would put into practice those values. She urged African universities to be truly transformative and urged the current crop to truly live and support the positive legacy that was established by the alumni.
UB chancellor, Dr Tebelelo Seretse said the alumni community must be part of the institution, and contribute towards its growth hence calling for the establishment of an alumni database. She said the alumni community had the potential to contribute effectively to current students and graduates through career guidance, internship programmes and employment.
“We want a proactive community of professionals taking pride in the institution,” she said and encouraged them to establish networks, and develop ideas that could help alumni growth.
Dr Seretse said most of the alumni were sponsored by government and therefore it was their time to act responsibly and guide the future generation.
UB vice chancellor, Professor David Norris said to date, UB had produced more than 80 000 graduates who continued to render service in different spheres of the economy.
In terms of physical infrastructure, Prof. Norris said UB ranked among the best in the world. Since its establishment in 1982, Prof. Norris said UB had made tremendous achievements and was undergoing transformation to align with the 4th Industrial Revolution and transition into a research-based university.
Therefore, Prof. Norris said the process called on the alumni to pull together and come up with ways of adding value to the envisioned transformation.
Prof. Norris also emphasised the importance of research and innovation as critical drivers of socio-economic and environmental development.
“Developing countries that prioritise research and innovation are likely to experience faster growth and increased competitiveness in the global market,” he said.
For his part, the Minister of Education and Skills Development Dr Douglas Letsholathebe said with the support of the alumni the country would achieve its dream of a knowledge-based economy.
He said the UB strategic plan was, among others, to transform the university into a research intense institution of higher learning and provide a base where Botswana could transform into a knowledge-based economy. He said it was through research that UB would lead the process of generating new technology and innovation to tackle the ever emanating changes.
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