The University of Botswana Chancellor who is also the Vice President of Botswana, Mr Mokgweetsi Masisi, has paid tribute to his predecessors, Sir Ketumile Masire and Dr Festus Mogae.
Mr Masisi paid Sir Ketumile and Dr Mogae tribute at a ceremony where he was inaugurated as the fourth Chancellor of the University of Botswana at the UB Stadium on October 14, 2017. Thereafter, Mr Masisi conferred degrees and diplomas to 2 753 graduates at the 35th Joint Graduation Ceremony of the University of Botswana and Botswana University of Agriculture and Natural Resources.
He thanked Sir Ketumile and Dr Mogae for their committed leadership as they presided over their University. He said as Chancellor he was stepping into the shoes of great wise men who led the University of Botswana with honour and integrity.
“I wish to assure you and all here present that I will do the very best I possible can during my tenure, with God’s grace too, in order to continue the legacy of my predecessors,” said Mr Masisi.
As the first alumnus to assume the position of Chancellor, Mr Masisi said it was an emotive moment for him given that he could not have imagined then that one day he would “be standing here being inaugurated as its Chancellor”.
The Chancellor appealled to all stakeholders to commit themselves to making sure that UB not only fulfilled its purpose and mandate but also that it became one of the best tertiary institutions in the region and across the globe.
That, he said, was because he was taking over as Chancellor at a critical moment in the development of Botswana striving to move from a resource-based to a knowledge-based economy. Also, the tertiary education landscape was undergoing a rigorous transformation globally, he said.
Therefore, Mr Masisi said it was a fact that universities like many other businesses globally were affected by social, political, economic, technological and demographic transformation. As such, the tertiary education environment has become less predictable and more challenging than ever before. He said it was important for UB to learn from global front-runners in such transformation process.
“We are best known the world over as a great producer of diamonds. We need to focus on producing another class or type of gem in the form of our graduates,” said Mr Masisi. He said he was looking forward to a solid, transparent and genuine working relationship in the quest to transform UB into a world class institution of higher learning.
The Chancellor reiterated that UB was Botswana’s premier institution of higher learning and that those who gave it the epithet ‘Mmadikolo’ or loosely translated to English as ‘Mother of all Schools’, did so recognising its unique status as a premier institution and an embodiment of learning.