News

Department of Family and Consumer Sciences (Apparel Manufacturing and Meal Management) students have established a departmental store trading under the name CUL-TEX as part of their semester project. CUL-TEX  is derived from culinary and textile.

A departmental store is a large-scale retail organisation with several departments under one roof and management specializing in different trades.The store has two major departments, Food and Culinary and Apparel and Fashion sections. Meal Management students are tasked with operating the food section of the Departmental store while Apparel Manufacturing students research, analyze the apparel market and produce spring/summer office wear line in the Covid-19 era. The aim is to sharpen the students’ entrepreneurial skills and prepare them for enterprising.

Thus, the intiative to establish a departmental store is to further expose students to relevant entities that can be resourceful in the development and implementation of enterprises in the food and fashion area once students graduate. It is also to increase the visibility of the Department of Family and Consumer Sciences which is under the Faculty of Education.

Speaking at the grand opening of the store, Vice Chancellor, Professor David Norris, expressed his excitement at the students’ initiative, noting that it was in line with the new University of Botswana strategy of Creating a Future for the Knowledge Generation.

Professor Norris said the CUL-TEX initiative fit well within the University of Botswana’s strategic objectives of producing quality students who could serve as industry leaders and compete on a global scale. He also stated that it was important to note UB’s determination in creating a nurturing environment for innovation and creativity. The Vice Chancellor said he was overwhelmed with excitement at the sight of such student ingenuity because it was a sign of a developing culture of entrepreneurship in the University of Botswana. Professor Norris added that the development of such skills in collaboration with industry could broaden initiatives that were also critical in aiding the University of Botswana to become a financially sustainable institution.

Also speaking at the grand opening, Deputy Dean of the Faculty of Education, Professor Tonic Maruatona, said the department was moving towards focusing more on nurturing competencies and skills offered by the eight departments in the Faculty. He said that would in turn contribute to the national development agenda and the drive towards a knowledge-based society.

Professor Maruatona also highlighted the relevance of the programmes that the faculty offers whose aim is to develop entrepreneurial skills and produce students who are competent in their different career paths. Ms Hazel Moyo, a third-year student of the Culinary Arts, said it was high time UB students produced goods to contribute towards improving the country’s economy.