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Speech at the Inauguration of the Vice-Chancellor

By

Professor Otlogetswe Totolo (Vice-Chancellor)

Date: Friday 2nd September 2016

Venue: BIUST, Palapye

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1. Assistant Minister of Education, Skills and Development,

Hon. Fidelis Molao;

2. Honourable Ministers;

3. Deputy Chairman of the House of Chiefs,

Kgosi Malope II;

4. Kgosi Masego Olebile of Palapye;

5. Your Excellencies Heads of Diplomatic Missions;

6. Permanent Secretaries;

7. BIUST Council Chairman, Rre Bernard Bolele

& Your TEAM;

8. District Commissioner, Mme Thoboekgolo Letlhare;

9. Heads of Parastatal Organizations;

10. Captains of Industry;

11. BIUST Student Community;

12. Distinguished Guests;

13. Ladies and Gentlemen;

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It is a great honour for me to deliver this address to you today at my

inauguration as the third Vice Chancellor of this new but bubbling institution – a

university that has so many opportunities and responsibilities ahead. Botswana

International University of Science and Technology (BIUST) has been deliberately

located in the Central District of the country with the mandate that it will be a

true catalyst in providing robust scholarship and generate knowledge that will

benefit the nation as a whole and spill over to SADC to affect the rest of Africa

and beyond in the diaspora. I am conscious that the position of Vice

Chancellorship is awesome and it is particularly significant for me as an individual.

If it is destiny that has accorded me this highest academic elevation, then I bow

and off my hat in humble adoration. I will henceforth cherish and begin to live

consciously with the appointment. Mr Chancellor Sir, I accept with profound

gratitude and a high sense of responsibility, the mantle of office and leadership

which you have just formally thrust on my shoulders. For the honour you have

bestowed on me, I promise not to buckle under its stress and loading but I will do

my outmost best to ensure success, whatever it takes in terms of my personal

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sacrifice and relentless service. In other words, from this moment onwards, I

dedicate myself to the huge task of being a leader of this University.

Today marks a very important day for Botswana International University of

Science and Technology (BIUST), the Nation of Botswana and indeed myself. For

me, it is testament to the success of the policy of equitable and accessible

education that was conceived and implemented by our country’s founding fathers

at Independence. Their vision to provide quality education, that generates an

informed population, has provided opportunities for many across the plains of

Botswana, including myself, to attain unrestrictive and all-inclusive education that

gratefully has propelled me to the levels I could only imagine, but here I am today

being inaugurated as the Vice Chancellor of this Great University! I also stand

before you today as evidence of the foresight and genius of the educational policy

initiated by the founding fathers of this Nation. Their vision is being manifested

into reality and has raised a rural village boy from one dusty corner of the country

(called Kgomo-ka-Sitwa) to become an educated Motswana and ultimately a Vice

Chancellor.

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This day is an important milestone for BIUST and the Nation at large

because it is day that the 3rd Vice-Chancellor is being inaugurated at this

important institution.

It is possible for some to say “Here we go again, another VC for BIUST? The

events of the recent past regarding BIUST leadership would have led people to

begin wondering about the wisdom of establishing the University in the first

place. But I want to assure the Government and Batswana in general, that the

decision to establish a second public University specifically to lead the nation in

the application of Science, Technology and Innovation was an excellent one; one

of the best decisions ever taken by our leaders. Science and Technology will thus

become a way of life of the people and serve as an engine of growth to drive the

transformation of Botswana from a nation dependent on a mono, unsustainable

mineral wealth to one anchored on sustainable knowledge-based economy. With

time, the nation will look back with pride and be glad that by establishing this

University, our leaders took the decision that set the country on the right path of

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true development to become the envy of other nations currently in comparable

natural resource based situations.

Establishing a University of Science and Technology is a capital intensive

venture. It comes with challenges associated with setting up the institution,

adequately resourcing it, and effectively operating it to the required level of

sophistication. It is even more challenging to us as a nation because we do not

have the full experience of establishing and operating such a University. However,

the political will of our leaders, the nation’s partnership with international

community and the great enthusiasm of our staff and students have helped to

mobilize vital assets for observable achievements.

Though BIUST was established in 2005, it started admitting students only in

2012. Despite the initial struggles attributable to growing pains, the institution

has stabilised and advanced to a stage to convince our stakeholders that the sky is

the limit. Director of Ceremonies, permit me to present some of the laudable

achievements of the institution:

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(i) The first cohorts of students in the College of Sciences will complete their

programmes this academic year i.e. in a couple of weeks’ time. These

graduates will bear the mark or stamp of BIUST and carry the touch of a

new brand of professionals into the market and community.

(ii) The first cohort of Engineering and Technology students are currently

placed in various industries and government establishments for Industrial

Attachment. For example, some of them are working at Morupule A to

help refurbish that power plant and bring it on stream to generate the

much needed power for national development. Others are located in

different mines, or with telecommunications and computer engineering

companies. Anecdote reports reaching us indicate that these young men

and women are already learning the practical rudiments of engineering and

at the same time contributing to industrial development.

(iii) The first set of postgraduate students will complete their

programmes on or before the end of this year. This is a major achievement

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in that BIUST will shortly hold the first graduation ceremony and it will

consist of both bachelors and master’s degree holders.

(iv) The development of a robust University strategic plan that will propel

the institution to 2022 spanning a period of the remainder of NDP 10 and

the whole of NDP 11. BIUST is one of the first tertiary institutions to

prepare a Compact Agreement with the Ministry of Education and Skills

Development (stakeholders’ representative).

(v) Currently we are running 19 Bachelor’s degree programmes, across the two

colleges and are able to provide Master’s and Doctoral degrees in all these

major areas of Science, Engineering and Technology. These programmes

would have otherwise required government to sponsor students abroad at

a very high cost to the national economy /budget. Some of these

programmes include Biology & Biotechnology, Chemistry & Forensic

Science, Physics and Astronomy, Geological Engineering, Mechatronics &

Industrial Instrumentation, Manufacturing & Industrial Engineering, Energy

Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Materials & Metallurgical Engineering,

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Telecommunications Engineering and Computer Engineering. The

programmes will be the bedrock of knowledge creation that will lead to

innovation and rapid development of our country.

(vi) A 2-radio-telescope interferometer and computer laboratory were

secured and installed through Square Kilometer Array (SKA) project of

South Africa. These national facilities are housed at BIUST and will be used

to develop capacity (through training of postgraduate students and staff) to

operate and maintain a 25m antenna to be commissioned around 2020.

The antenna and receiver are at estimated to cost at least 50 million Rand.

(vii) Installation and commissioning of an outdoor automatic weather

station on a 10 meter tower. The facility will be used to capture and

monitored various parameters including: wind speed and direction, global

solar radiation, dust intensity and, rain measurement. The facility is to be

used for multidisciplinary studies in wind energy technology, solar resource

assessment, applied physics and, water and environmental assessment.

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(viii) BIUST is a member of a consortium of five partner institutions from

Botswana, Germany, Namibia and Zambia which is building a ‘Network of

Excellence in Renewable Energy Technologies for Development’ (or NEED).

The NEED programme is intended to enhance adoption of renewable

energy technologies in the target countries and subsequently in the whole

of Southern Africa. The NEED project is an EU funded programme.

(ix) The University has successfully organised 2 successful international

conferences on Clean Energy and Transportation engineering respectively.

A third one on Telecommunications and Computer Engineering will be

delivered later this year.

(x) The Pre-University and Academic Programmes Unit continues to run

programmes across the country to promote and demystify Science and

Technology.

(xi) The ability of BIUST to have research impact both nationally and globally

will depend on the strength of the partnerships it establishes with other

universities and research institutions. It is pertinent to state that the

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University has developed collaboration and linkages with various

institutions within Botswana, in the SADC, the rest of Africa and

internationally.

(xii) Development of Campus Master Plan to guide physical location of

various facilities and also promote their aesthetic integration with the

natural environment of BIUST Campus.

There will be some unavoidable challenges, problems and setbacks as we

move this valuable project forward. As we turn the various challenges into

opportunities, our problems will become pillars of perseverance, and our journey

towards a repositioning of the University to achieve its vision will be

accomplished.

We are encouraged by the fact that India established the Institute of

Technologies in the 60’s and 70’s amid laughter from some circles. India today

through provision of quality technical education is a leading power in IT and the

Indian Nationals are leading powerful companies like Microsoft.

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Let me at the this point thank the President, His Excellency, Lt General Dr.

Seretse Khama Ian Khama and his Cabinet, The Hon Minister of Education and

Skills Development, Dr Unity Dow for the great opportunity you granted me to

lead this University as the Vice Chancellor. It is an opportunity I take very seriously

and I commit to do my very best to position BIUST to play the role it was set out

to undertake, that is, to lead the transformation of Botswana from a resource-

based to a knowledge-based economy by embarking on Research and Innovation

leading to tangible products and services that will touch and transform the lives of

ordinary Batswana, that of Africans in general and the global community.

Let me also take this opportunity to thank the Government of Botswana for

the continuous support to this University in the face of severe constraints and

competing demands. We will forever be grateful!

When I reported for duty as Vice Chancellor of BIUST on the 1st of March

2016, I was quite surprised at the level of excitement, commitment, motivation

and enthusiasm of the whole University Community (Staff and Students alike).

They gave me a lot of hope about the future of the University.

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Similarly my interaction with our Chancellor, His Excellency Dr Festus

Gontebanye Mogae, Our Former President, showed a committed Statesman who

despite his numerous national and international commitments is ever willing and

available to provide sound advice and leadership as well as offer his time to

undertake tasks for and on behalf of BIUST to ensure that the University

continues to progress towards achieving its mission.

Your Excellency, I doff my hat and I will continue to rely on your continuous

support, advice, and wisdom as we embark on the journey ahead of us.

I also wish to add that when I resumed duties, I found a highly dedicated

and committed University Council led by Rre Bernard Bolele. This is a team that is

committed and determined to do everything within its power to advance BIUST

forward. The Council has already achieved some important milestones including

but not limited to; keeping the University running (under difficult circumstances)

and ensuring some stability; provision of infrastructure; and review of BIUST

Statutes. A major outcome of these commendable efforts is that the University’s

first cohort of students will be ready for graduation at the end of this academic

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year. Also, the University is well-positioned to seek institutional, programmatic

and professional accreditation from various recognised bodies.

Honourable Council Members, in the days ahead I will continue to call on

your support as we reposition BIUST and respond to the challenges that lie ahead.

Above all, as intimated earlier, I found a cohesive management team, staff

and students with passion, zeal, drive and commitment to ensure that the BIUST

brand continues to move forward and fulfil its mandate as a Premier Research led

University nationally, regionally, and internationally. Their zeal and drive remain

un-dampened despite the challenges, shortcomings and other issues they

continue to face as they progress with the task of building a new Science and

Technology University (BIUST). Some of these challenges and issues I have come

to identify with during my short stay as Vice Chancellor of the University and

member of the BIUST Family.

I know that the Botswana government fully supports our endeavours and is

committed to pursuing and achieving development through a series of programs,

such as, the erection of the Botswana Innovation Hub Pack, launched nationwide

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to promote basic scientific research. We are aware that Botswana has a long way

to go before reaching the advanced world levels in science and technology. We

also know that the advancement of science requires investment, cooperation and

collaboration. I am pleased to note that the government after 50 years of

tradition in promoting good education has set a very good example to be

emulated.

The core mission of the Botswana government is to provide excellent

advanced education, and to produce researchers and problem solvers capable of

contributing to the development of the nation. I want to challenge the tertiary

institutions in Botswana to promote a critical and creative thinking human

resource. The problems we encounter as we develop our countries require highly

skilled humans.

Mr. Chairman, Ladies and Gentlemen, in short I am saying that the education

that we provide must possess the following characteristics:

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1. It must be Relevant to our development. To achieve this, research which is

a critical tool for enhancing discovery and provision of solutions to our

problems must be improved in our institutions.

2. Innovation, a vital safe guard will be required to ensure that we do not

repeat what is being done in places where the economic climate is different

from ours.

3. The education that we provide must be Cost effective. This will ensure

value for our money and that the education we provide is sustainable. In

this regard ways of sharing resources among institutions must be sought.

4. The education that we provide must be Heuristic, that is, it must allow for

advanced research as a key to discovery and innovation.

These four points (Relevant, Innovation, Cost, Heuristic) combine nicely to

spell the word RICH education which is one of the goals of our institution, BIUST.

Permit me to outline some of the challenges and issues facing BIUST currently.

They include:

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(i) Lack of adequate teaching facilities (class rooms, lecture theatres; laboratories);

(ii) Inadequate research facilities (Research laboratories, research equipment);

(iii) Difficulties in attracting and retaining high calibre staff (Academic and

Administrative) and students

(iv) Inadequate accommodation (hostels for students and housing for staff);

(v) Lack of recreational facilities for both staff and students);

(vi) Lack of adequate academic support facilities (Modern Library, IT infrastructure,

and associated services);

(vii) Inadequate research and research support funding

During my tenure as Vice Chancellor, we will embark on a drive to procure

more cutting edge facilities and other resources in order for us to fulfil our

mandate as a research intensive University. We will be calling on Government,

industry, business organizations and well-meaning citizens to team up with us to

provide facilities for this great Institution. I will always count on the Council’s

support and cooperation.

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We will also be establishing a BIUST Endowment and Innovation fund. We

are therefore calling upon all stakeholders in advance to contribute generously to

the fund when it is operational so that we are able to use its resources to provide

an environment where innovation will thrive.

Ladies and Gentlemen, BIUST is destined to become a gateway to

opportunities which must be tapped and harnessed by internal stakeholders

(students and staff) and external stakeholders. The reasons why students choose

to study at BIUST vary widely, as does the length of their studentships and their

level of academic preparedness. Most of our students, who hope to move directly

into the workforce or establish their own enterprises, come here to learn new

skills and acquire cognate competencies so as to improve their career prospects.

Most of our students come to us directly from secondary schools and have

diverse needs and goals. Enrolling at BIUST which is located in a rural community

shows that these students have made a commitment to a better future. It is our

duty to ensure that they receive a well-rounded, high-quality, skills-loaded

education that prepares them for the needs and challenges of society

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The education and training we offer our students also have long-term

benefits for the community and the local economy. Our students will go on to

become entrepreneurs of high impact and involved citizens. Local businesses will

benefit from this highly trained, competitive workforce with prospects of turning

around the economic outlook of their enterprises and ultimately that of our

country.

The idea that we are engaged in “driving change” should motivate us even

more to cross all boundaries of confinement. It also highlights the importance of

overcoming the obstacles we still face. Already in place are a series of institutional

priorities designed to help us take on those challenges. There are five priority

areas that will shape our actions and planning and will determine how resources

are to be allocated.

1. Student Life and Experience: Student success at BIUST will remain our

biggest priority. It is not enough for students to be admitted and enrol;

once they are here, we must help them set clear pragmatic goals

(including personal ones) and devise a strategy to attain them. This

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therefore means everything, from monitoring students’ academic

progress to helping them navigate the system so that they know where

to go for help and are not hesitant to seek advisement and/or tutoring.

Progress in this area will be measured not only in terms of rising

graduation numbers with excellence, transfer and retention rates, but

also in the level of student engagement in the classroom and in the life

of the University. Naturally, we will take great pride in the triumphs of

our high-achieving students. But we shall also celebrate hard-won

accomplishments such as a passing grade, a semester completed, a

degree earned, a research undertaken, a job placement, and a market

created—to know that we are really making a difference to those for

whom BIUST was created. We shall endeavour to create an environment

that promotes learning, incubation and stimulates innovation, knowing

that some of our students who might not even graduate can still engage

in innovative venture after leaving the University. Experience of the

recent past has proven that some of the great innovators that have

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changed human lives and global events through technology at one stage

or the other have attended universities, but all left without completing

their degrees. The list includes Bill Gates (Microsoft), Steve Jobs (Apple)

and Mark Zuckerberg (Facebook). There is no doubt that their

experiences in the university played a role in stimulating their creative

and innovative thoughts that brought about the products, artefacts and

services which have transformed our lives. It is therefore our belief that

every student that will pass through BIUST (no matter how brief) will

have a great role to play in the community.

2. Investment in Human Capital: There can be no student success or

positive experiences without adequate and right academic and support

staff in the University. We shall invest in human capital development

and training, and address the needs of employees. We will endeavour to

provide a working environment that offers meaningful opportunities for

professional development and advancement. Talent and abilities should

be appropriately cultivated, nurtured and rewarded. As the University

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moves forward technologically, training and education must be made

available to all. We are all engaged in a common purpose and it is

imperative that we feel invested in, and focus on the work we are doing.

It is the people of this University whose energy and talent will ensure

the growth and sustainability of this great Institution. BIUST will support

capacity building and training programmes to equip fresh academics

with appropriate research skills. The revised performance management

system due to be introduced shortly will be instrumental to develop and

institutionalize a research culture among the academe.

3. Research, Development and Innovation

Most conventional universities were initially known for quality teaching

and eventually developed research agenda with time. Extensive

emphasis on research in the modern era is consequential to the impact

of research on industry, government, and the general community. The

vision of the Government to diversify economy and become a

knowledge-based egalitarian society can only materialise as research

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efforts are promoted, funded and institutionalised. BIUST commits itself

to topics of enquiry that will address several human needs and industrial

problems. These will include, but not limited to topics in environmental

science (soil erosion, GIS, climate change, environmental pollution

desertification), engineering (water, energy, mining,

telecommunications, manufacturing and, materials and metallurgical

engineering), mathematical & natural sciences (astronomy, computer

science and biotechnology).

We will appeal to government to provide enhanced research funding

and plead for support from donors, national and international agencies,

and industry. Research at BIUST will be conducted with sophistication

and standards comparable to international requirements but with local

focus, relevance and adaptation. Our research activities will go beyond

individual and silo discipline-based enquiry. Mono discipline based

research activities have been found to have limited impact to proffer

integrated and sustainable solutions for a vagary of multi-disciplinary

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societal problems. This makes a paradigm shift to collaborative research

imperative in the pursuit of applicable scholarship.

4. Communication: Essential to all our efforts is clarity and ease of

communication, both internal and external. In an institution like ours,

effective communication is always necessary. Lack of communication

and miscommunication can lead to misunderstanding and alienation. I

am committed to fostering an environment of transparency and

inclusion, and I hope that every member of the University Community

will feel that his or her voice can be heard and respected. We can only

address concerns if we know what they are. Keeping an open channel of

communication entails keeping one another informed of changes in

policies, procedures and plans. It entails sharing news of what is

happening around the University, in and out of the classroom. It also

involves communicating such news to the public in order to raise

awareness of the University work, recruit students and gain support for

University initiatives. Our constituency needs to know what we are

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doing and what we offer to justify the huge investment at taxpayers’

expense.

5. Community Engagement and Partnerships: In keeping with our

mission, community engagement is one of the highest institutional

priorities. We continue to work hard to establish strong partnerships

with industry, business and other collaborators, nationally and

internationally. Our alliances with these partners will assist in creating a

robust and well-trained graduate who can participate in transforming

the economy. By ensuring access to a high level of knowledge and

specialized skills, the University will be able to help fulfil the recruitment

needs of local employers, and create entrepreneurs that will lead the

diversification and transformation of Botswana’s economy.

Many of our students come to us unprepared for university-level work.

Addressing this challenge requires a joint approach by the University

and the country’s education system. We will undertake to work together

to create standards for academic preparation that meet university

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requirements and create a smoother transition from secondary school

to university.

Community service also includes being involved in activities that

enhance life in our immediate community. The University as an

institution is already providing some variety of services to the

community, including educational tours and programmes. We will

endeavour to see more employees and students involved in community

service initiatives in and around our immediate communities (Palapye,

Serowe, Mahalapye, etc) and beyond to other areas of Botswana. BIUST

must and will make a difference to the education landscape in the

country. Teaching our students to be good citizens includes teaching

them responsibility for their community and leading by example.

Community service opportunities are rewarding not only to the direct

beneficiaries, but also to the volunteers themselves.

6. Organizational Improvement: An essential priority for BIUST is

organizational improvement. This is an all-encompassing and continuous

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effort to establish methods of assessment for all University programmes

and services to ensure that we provide the highest quality of service in

every aspect of our work. It may sound like a given, that we want to be

all that we can and should be, but in practice, it requires constant

monitoring and evaluation. In addition to using of data to identify areas

of strength and weakness and acting accordingly, it is vital that people

know what the standards are to determine whether we are measuring

up to them. Even then, it is not a matter of simply meeting those

standards; we must be able to exceed them. We will all have to join

hands with one sole purpose of moving this University forward.

Directors of Ceremony, Ladies and Gentlemen, I have a vision that we can

unite to create a world class university that is totally devoid of nepotism,

corruption, racism, religious intolerance and bigotry, and ethnic prejudice. My

dream is to have a university that operates on the basis of the following values:

teamwork, collegiality, transparency, trust, honesty, fairness, compassion,

empathy, rules, regulations and high academic and communication standards.

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BIUST will be driven by a culture where students and staff follow due

process and protocol in their daily operations. I dream of a university that upholds

academic freedom. For BIUST to constantly assess its relevance to stakeholders,

climate surveys will be carried out regularly.

Let me take this opportunity to thank all of you, friends, family members,

partners, colleagues, and well-wishers who came from far and wide to attend this

occasion. There is an age-worn saying “Behind every successful man, there is a

woman”. My deepest gratitude goes to my wife, Dr. Angelina Totolo. She is a

woman of immense strength and ability and has supported me throughout my

academic career and agreed to stay in Gaborone when I relocated to Palapye. I

also want to appreciate my mother, Mrs Victoria Totolo, my in-laws, brothers,

sisters, friends and relatives who contributed in one way or another to my

education and career.

Director of Ceremony, as I end this speech, I wish to again unreservedly

express my gratitude to the Chancellor and the University Council for appointing

me as the third Vice-Chancellor of BIUST and for inaugurating me before the

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distinguished guests and visitors present here today. I appreciate this great

chance: to be the captain of BIUST in our journey to become an established

University of repute, visible from the four corners of the world. We carry the

touch of sound academia to illuminate beyond the boundaries of Botswana. It is

the theme of the journey we embark on now that provided the stimulus for my

inaugural speech. We invite others of like mindedness to join in the music of

progress, academic excellence, and high performance at BIUST as the tune is

heralded today and the music goes on.

Dear friends, colleagues and partners, I must emphasize that your presence

at this inauguration underscores your commitment and partnership with us on

this journey of building a Great University. I enjoin you to continue to be part of

our history making process aimed at driving change in Botswana, Africa and the

world at large.

Last but not least, I wish to extend a special thank you to the Deputy Vice-

Chancellor (Academic Affairs), Prof Dennis Siginer for ably chairing the committee

that organised this august event. Mr Rafifing and CPA Directorate Staff, the SRC

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and the different academic and administrative departments that worked tirelessly

to ensure that this event is a resounding success. Le kamoso Bagaetsho

Thank you for your attention and God bless you all!!

PULA!!