University of Botswana

The University of Botswana, popularly known as UB, was established in 1982 as the first institution of higher education in Botswana. The university has three campuses: one in the capital city Gaborone, one in Francistown, and another in Maun. The university is divided into six faculties: Business, Education, Engineering, Humanities, Science and Social Sciences and the University of Botswana School of Medicine, a collaboration with the University of Melbourne in Australia.[2]

University of Botswana
MottoThuto Ke Thebe (Setswana)[1]
Motto in English
Education is a Shield[1]
TypePublic university
Established1982
EndowmentP334 million(US $50million)
ChancellorLinah Mohohlo
Vice-ChancellorProfessor David Norris
Administrative staff
2,658
Students15,484
Undergraduates14,093
Postgraduates1,445
Location
Gaborone, Francistown, and Maun
,
Botswana
CampusUrban, 1.15 square kilometres (280 acres)
ColorsBrown and blue
NicknameBasco
MascotBull (steer)
Website

History
Aerial View of University Of Botswana(Botswana History)

UB began as a part of a larger university system known as UBBS, or the University of Bechuanaland (Botswana), Basotoland (Lesotho), and Swaziland; which was founded in 1964 to reduce the three countries' reliance on tertiary education in apartheid-era South Africa. After Botswana and Lesotho became independent in 1966, the university was called the University of Botswana, Lesotho, and Swaziland (UBLS).

In 1975 Lesotho withdrew from the partnership and established its own national university. For several years a joint University of Botswana and Swaziland existed until in the early 1980s the university was amicably divided into two separate national universities. It was at the time of Lesotho's initial withdrawal that Botswana, which was among the poorest nations in the world, started the One Man, One Beast (motho le motho kgomo) movement. This fundraising campaign formally known as the Botswana University Campus Appeal (BUCA) was spearheaded by the late President Sir Seretse Khama in 1976. The campaign was launched to raise money for the construction of the Botswana Campus of the University of Botswana and Swaziland.

BUCA followed in the wake of a unilateral nationalisation of a joint-university campus facility in Roma by the Lesotho government. Batswana (People of Botswana) and other stakeholders made contributions of all types (including cash, cattle, grain, eggs, etc.) towards accomplishing the set target of one million rand. By 1982, the University of Botswana became a reality and remains the oldest institution of higher education in the country. The One Man, One Beast (motho le motho kgomo) movement endures today on the university's main statue located in front of the new library.[3]

Administration
UB Library

The President or Vice President of Botswana serves as the Chancellor of the University.[4][5] The top administrator on campus is the Vice Chancellor. There have been five Vice Chancellors of the university:

  • 1982–1984: Prof. John Turner,
  • 1984–1998: Prof. Thomas Tlou,
  • 1998–2003: Prof. Sharon Siverts,
  • 2003–2011: Prof. Bojosi Otlhogile,
  • 2011–2017: Prof. Thabo Fako.[6]
  • 2017–present: Prof. David Norris[7]

Student life

Many students live on campus in residence halls.[8] Students that live in the residence halls are served meals in campus refectories.[9]

Campus amenities, include an Olympic-sized swimming pool, an entertainment arena, and sports courts (basketball, tennis, handball, netball, volleyball). The university is adjacent to the National Stadium, which is available for university use. The practice fields outside the stadium are the location for university intramural sports.

The university provides a free medical clinic and counseling services.

Library system

The university library has been in existence since 1971 when the first thousand volumes were housed in an unused church building in the village of Gaborone. The first official building was opened in 1986, which was two stories tall and contained only five computers.

In 2001, the library moved to a new building, more than tripling its size. The new main library is one of the largest university libraries in Africa with five floors.

Faculty of Business
University of Botswana Faculty of Business

The Faculty of Business was established in 1997 following the reorganisation of the School of Accounting and Management Studies under the Faculty of Social Sciences.[10] Under the umbrella of this new faculty, three departments were created to offer specialism in management, marketing, and accounting and finance. The most popular of these is the Bachelor of Accountancy (BAcc) program, which trains students for a professional level accounting certification exams, most notably the ACCA. Many graduates have integrated this degree into tracks such as becoming American CPA's or members of the UK's CIMA.[11] The faculty offers five degrees:

Faculty of Education

This is the oldest faculty in the university. The faculty is composed of eight departments including Lifelong Learning and Community Development, Educational Foundations, Educational Technology, Family and Consumer Sciences, Languages and Social Sciences, Mathematics and Sciences Education, Primary Education and Sports Science.[12] There are fifteen undergraduate programmes: a Master of Education degree with eleven specialisations; a Master of Masters in Lifelong Learning and Community Development program, a Master of Counselling and Human Services programme, two MPhil and Ph.D. programmes and a Post Graduate Diploma in Education.[12]

The new semester schedule has resulted in the discontinuation of the certificate in Adult Education and Diploma in Home Economics, Physical Education and Science Education programs. New programmes have been introduced including the Bachelor of Educational Management. Changes in structure of the faculty are expected during the Botswana government's National Development Plan 9, with some departments being incorporated in the envisaged Faculty of Health Sciences. The academic staff complement stands at 124, making the staff/student ratio 1:14.

Faculty of Engineering

The Faculty of Engineering and Technology was created in 1996 as a result of Botswana Polytechnic being incorporated into UB.[13] The faculty was located approximately 1.7 kilometres (1.1 mi) from the main UB campus in downtown Gaborone where it is now known as BCET, but it has since been moved to the main campus. The Faculty provides a wide range of Engineering courses including Mechanical, Civil, Electrical, Mining and Mineral Engineering, Industrial Design and Technology.[14] Other courses such as Architecture, Real Estate, Planning Survey are also offered.

It offers Certificate, Diploma, Bachelors and Masters in areas related to Engineering. and the planning courses which takes five years (four years in Botswana and the last year to complete with masters at professional planning institutions).

Faculty of Science

The Faculty of Science, which has the largest annual enrollment, began as the School of Science of UBBS in 1971. Its original four departments (Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics and Physics) were involved only in teaching Part I of the BSc degree programme. In 1975, when the Lesotho campus dissociated from UBBS, the teaching of Part II (years 3 and 4) began in all departments. The departments of environmental science, geology, and computer science were added to the faculty before the University of Botswana came into existence in 1982.[15]

University of Botswana Earth Science

The head of the Environmental Science department, Dr. Segosebe, is also the Chair of Somarelang Tikologo, a local environmental NGO in Gaborone.

Faculty of Social Science

A number of programmes at the certificate, diploma, degree, and masters levels are offered by the Faculty of Social Sciences. Students admitted into the BA programme are allowed, with the permission of the heads of department, to pursue a combined major in two subjects from departments within the faculty as well as selected departments in other faculties. Degree programmes offered in the faculty include Bachelor of Law, Bachelor of Social Sciences, Bachelor of Social Work, and Master of Public Administration, as well as Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice Studies.[16]

School of Medicine
Main article: University of Botswana School of Medicine

The Bachelor of Medicine Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) professional degree is a five-year programme. The first two years follow an integrated Problem Based Learning approach. The last three years are clinically structured providing the opportunity to practice in the hospital and community.[17]

A modern building complex, erected on the main university campus to house the medical school was completed in 2012. A 450-bed academic teaching hospital was completed in 2014.[17] On average, a total of 50 medical undergraduates are admitted to the MBBS programme annually.[17]

Notable alumni
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References
  1. "Facts and Figures". Retrieved 2014-07-02.
  2. http://uninews.unimelb.edu.au/articleid_1252.html accessed 2008-09-18
  3. Mokopakgosi, Brian T. (2008-05-22). "Self-reliance and the History of Higher Education: The Botswana University Campus Appeal (BUCA)*". Journal of Southern African Studies. doi:10.1080/03057070802037977.
  4. Online Editor (6 July 2017). "Vice President Masisi appointed UB Chancellor". University of Botswana. Retrieved 8 July 2017.
  5. "Welcome to University Of Botswana :: Home Page". www.ub.bw. Retrieved 2017-09-16.
  6. "Welcome to University Of Botswana :: University Council". www.ub.bw. Retrieved 2017-09-16.
  7. "Professor Norris appointed sixth UB Vice Chancellor | University of Botswana". www.ub.bw. Retrieved 2019-07-27.
  8. "Welcome to University Of Botswana :: Home Page". www.ub.bw. Retrieved 2017-09-16.
  9. "Welcome to University Of Botswana :: Home Page". www.ub.bw. Retrieved 2017-09-16.
  10. "History | University of Botswana". www.ub.bw. Retrieved 2020-05-30.
  11. "Business | University of Botswana". www.ub.bw. Retrieved 2020-05-09.
  12. "Faculty of Education | University of Botswana". www.ub.bw. Retrieved 2020-05-30.
  13. Teferra, Damtew (2017-06-26). Flagship Universities in Africa. Springer. ISBN 978-3-319-49403-6.
  14. "Faculty of Engineering and Technology | University of Botswana". www.ub.bw. Retrieved 2020-05-31.
  15. "History | University of Botswana". www.ub.bw. Retrieved 2020-05-30.
  16. "Faculty of Social Sciences | University of Botswana". www.ub.bw. Retrieved 2020-05-30.
  17. Gaonyadiwe G. Mokone; Maikutlo Kebaetse; et al. (August 2014). "Establishing A New Medical School: Botswana's Experience". Acad. Med. 89 (8 0): 83–87. doi:10.1097/ACM.0000000000000329. PMC 4116079. PMID 25072587.
  18. "Welcome to University Of Botswana :: News :: UB confers Honourary Doctorate on Khama". www.ub.bw. Retrieved 2017-01-31.
  19. Botswana Daily News (5 April 2018). "Botswana: New Botswana Cabinet Appointments". Botswana Daily News via AllAfrica.com. Gaborone. Retrieved 24 October 2019.
  20. Daniel Mumbere (5 April 2018). "Botswana's 30 year old minister becomes internet sensation across Africa". Africanews.com. Retrieved 24 October 2019.
  21. Motlhoka, Thobo (23 October 2013). "Mohutsiwa: Young, gifted and touting black consciousness". Botswana: Sunday Standard. Retrieved 10 December 2016.

Further reading

Mokopakgosi, B. T. (2013). Why the University of Botswana, Lesotho and Swaziland Failed: Lessons from the brief history of a regional university in southern Africa. Journal of Southern African Studies, 39(2), 465-480.

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