News

University of Botswana (UB) Vice Chancellor, Professor David Norris, has expressed a strong desire to see the University’s Scientific Glassblowing Unit expand into a large-scale and enterprising operation capable of producing glass products for the larger market.

During a recent visit to the facility, housed within the Department of Chemistry in the Faculty of Natural and Applied Sciences, Professor Norris underscored the need to scale up the unit’s production capacity to enable it to service the country’s growing demand for specialised glass products.

During the visit to the facility, Professor Norris commended the Scientific Glassblowing project, highlighting its significant potential to generate revenue for the University. He further underscored the importance of forging strategic partnerships with industry players to fully operationalise and expand the unit for optimal utilisation and long-term sustainability.

The Scientific Glassblowing Unit was established with the objective of designing, fabricating, repairing and modifying laboratory glassware for the University of Botswana, schools, colleges and other institutions with the broader goal of promoting self-sufficiency in the production of high-quality laboratory glassware in Botswana.

Through the unit, the University provides custom-made glassware tailored to ongoing research needs while also offering in-house training programmes ranging from short- to long-term courses, thereby equipping participants with practical, hands-on skills in scientific glassblowing.

Additionally, the scientific glassware was developed to address a widespread lack of glassblowing skills in the country which results in deteriorating laboratory services besides serving as an option for avoidable expenditure on replacement equipment.

Once commercialised, the glassblowing project will generate income through repairing and modifying damaged items, fabricating custom laboratory glassware and sponsored awareness workshops.

As an innovative solution, it therefore provides the requisite expertise to technicians, science teachers and scientists through its programmes over and above repairing and modifying glassware.

As a result, under the guidance of its Vice Chancellor, the University harbours ambitions to expand its glassblowing capacity by acquiring expanded workshop space, additional glass accessories, bench-top glassware lathe and a glass graduating machine