Africa-Press – Botswana. Government will increase research funding to the University of Botswana (UB) annually, President Dr Mokgweetsi Masisi has announced.
Addressing a UB alumni reunion in Gaborone on Friday, he said the move was in support of the institution’s transformational strategy towards becoming a research and innovation centre of excellence.
Dr Masisi observed that UB had continued to earn global recognition and maintained its position as the top-ranked university in Botswana and among the top 30 in Southern Africa.
“Most importantly, UB is on the cast of becoming amongst the world’s top 1 000 universities and to be the top tier of global universities,” he said.
Describing UB alumni as a resource that could help move Botswana into the 4th Industrial Revolution, President Masisi challenged the former students to be change agents by contributing towards a knowledge-based society.
He said UB had to remain relevant by creating industry linkages and partnerships as well as establishing ways to serve the community better.
Dr Masisi said sacrifices made by previous generations deserved to be appreciated as their determination ensured the institution’s establishment in 1982.
Batswana men and women who never imagined themselves attending a university mobilised resources towards building UB, he noted.
“Batswana were so … forward in thinking and through their goats, bags of beans, eggs and cattle gave the country a remarkable future through a campaign dubbed Motho le Motho Kgomo spearheaded by the founding president the late Sir Seretse Khama who organised ordinary citizens to contribute anything of value,” said Dr Masisi.
Firmly anchored into the national ethos, he said, the spirit of self-reliance had enabled Botswana not only to transcend many challenges but to develop a character of self-sustenance.
The President said as a result of UB many men and women had been transformed into what they never imagined becoming.
Therefore every family in the country had a patriotic duty to pay homage to the institution, he said.
President Masisi said it was now time for the alumni to serve and contribute to the development of UB.
“I call upon you to retrace your steps back to Mmadikolo (UB) and find what you can do to the institution as a way of giving back to the nation,” he said.
The President said when UB was established, Batswana wanted an university that was fully alive to their national goals and democratic ideals.
It was against that background that the university was tailored to produce the needed human capital for the advancement of democracy and a modernised economy, he said.
Dr Masisi said without the democratic ideals of peace and tranquillity, UB would never thrive to serve Batswana, Africa and the world in the way it was exceptionally doing serving as a reference point for many countries.
The reunion was held under the theme: UB Alumni: Our Gateway To Academic Excellence.
Among other dignitaries who attended the event was First Lady Neo Masisi. The first couple pledged five cattle each as seed towards investment in research.
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