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The University of Botswana (UB) will offer scholarships to high-performing students from Dukwi Refugee Camp as part of its continued commitment to social responsibility and inclusive education.

The initiative was announced by Vice Chancellor, Professor David Norris, during a courtesy visit by Assistant Minister of Justice and Correctional Services, Hon. Augustine Nyatanga, at the University recently.

Hon. Nyatanga lauded government efforts to provide access to basic education in refugee camps such as Dukwi but lamented lack of support structures for academically gifted students seeking tertiary education.

“Despite some refugee students achieving as high as 46 and 48 points in national examinations, many remain idle because of financial constraints,” he said, citing data from as far back as 2022. He described the situation as a pressing concern that demanded urgent attention.

In his remarks, Professor Norris reaffirmed UB’s commitment to supporting disadvantaged students, noting that the University already had a policy allowing admission of students from marginalised backgrounds, even when they fell short of standard entry requirements.

“We do not apply cut-off points rigidly when it comes to disadvantaged students,” said Professor Norris. “We are aware of the unique socio-economic and educational barriers these students face.”

He further pointed to ongoing initiatives such as the SAN Research Project which mentored underprivileged students from undergraduate through to postgraduate levels, including master’s degrees.

“These success stories prove the power of inclusive education to transform lives,” he said.

However, Professor Norris acknowledged challenges in identifying deserving students in remote areas and called for strengthened collaboration with social workers and district councils. These stakeholders, he said, were better placed to identify and refer potential candidates for university admission. “We have already begun engaging district councils countrywide to ensure that no deserving student was left behind due to lack of access or awareness,” he added.

Beyond education access, the meeting also explored opportunities for collaboration between the University and the Ministry of Justice and Correctional Services particularly in the development of short courses and specialised training programmes for the justice sector personnel.

A shared emphasis was also placed on inmate rehabilitation. Both parties agreed on the need to equip incarcerated individuals with skills and education to enable their reintegration into society to reduce marginalisation post-release.

The courtesy visit marked a critical step towarsd broadening UB’s social impact through educational equity and capacity building in national development sectors.