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Industry experts in Molecular Biology from various institutions recently conducted a two-day workshop at the University of Botswana (UB) Conference Centre to enhance the skills and career development of Molecular Biology students UB.

The workshop served as a platform for industry experts in Molecular Biology to exchange experiences, discuss challenges, and highlight successes in their studies while also focusing on career development. Botswana Vaccine Institute (BVI), Quality Control Manger, Mr Elliot Mpolokang, Fana shared the BVI mandate.

He mentioned that working for BVI would afford students the opportunity to apply their professional skills in Molecular Biology by conducting tasks such as Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) diagnostics, characterising FMD outbreaks, merging vaccines, and providing vaccine training on FMD for Sub-Saharan African countries.

Mr. Fana stated that BVI offered student internships to provide valuable real-world exposure to industry work experience. He also said attached students on internships at BVI that performed well had the opportunity to be employed. He advised the students to remain focused on their studies and perform exceptionally.

Botswana Institute for Technology Research and Innovation (BITRI), Associate Researcher, Mr Kefentse Tumedi, said the graduates had the opportunity to find employment in a various fields including teaching, clinical genetics, bioinformatics, pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries, private diagnostic laboratories and research institutes.

Mr Tumedi said the skills learned in molecular biology and genetics could be applied to a variety of research areas, including medicine, agriculture and biotechnology. He further stated that molecular biology and genetics were at the forefront of scientific innovation and discovery. Innolead Executive Chairman, Mr. Oabona Kgengwenyane, advised the students to prioritise happiness in all aspects of their lives to maintain focus and achieve their goals. He underscored that happiness was an internal state of being that relied more on internal focus than external circumstances.

Mr Tumedi said the emotional state of learners played a pivotal role in the effectiveness and efficiency of learning. When learners are happy, their overall learning experience improves significantly, leading to enhanced retention, motivation, and cognitive abilities, he observed.