Botswana University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (BUAN)
Botswana College of Agriculture (BCA), a parastatal institution offering higher-learning in agricultural sciences, has become a fully-fledged university after government’s approval.
The transformation was announced at a ceremony held at the institution on Tuesday, November 12 and will see the new institution re-named the University of Agriculture and Natural Resources. The new university will operate as an independent entity as it was initially an associate institute of the University of Botswana.
The new university will have its own governing and operational structures such as the senate, chancellor and vice chancellor as well as academic and support staff. It would further have its own academic seal and qualifications. The Assistant Minister of Agriculture, Mr Oreeditse Molebatsi, who officially launched the university, called the transformation a milestone achievement, adding that it would open new opportunities for the institution, as the college status prevented BCA from reaching new heights.
“As a university, the image of BCA and its graduates will be greatly enhanced, enabling it to have more international recognition and appeal. The end result is the attraction and retention of highly skilled local and international academic staff, something which has been a challenge to the BCA because of its college status,” said the assistant minister.
He explained that when fully developed, the university will have a number of faculties which offer demand-driven programmes in agriculture and related disciplines. He also said the new university will have easier access to membership academic networks and associations such as the Association of African Universities,” said the assistant minister.
As a result of the transformation of the institution, which currently enrolls around 1 000 students, it is hoped it would be able to enroll up to 5 000 learners annually. Mr Molebatsi said the increase in enrolment will lead to an increase in the number of school leavers joining tertiary institutions and thus contributing significantly to the Vision 2016 pillar of an educated and informed nation.
The permanent secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture, and also chairman of the BCA council, Dr Mucus Chimbombi hailed the transformation. He said it would create a new perspective for the university’s students and the agriculture sector in Botswana.
FOR INFORMATION RELATED TO BUAN BOTSWANA, REFER TO BOTSWANA COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURE
| Source : BOPA | Author : Jeremiah Sejabosigo |
| Location : Gaborone | Event : Institution transformation ceremony |
| Date : Nov 12 Tue,2013 |
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