News

The University of Botswana (UB) continues to advance its strategic commitment to innovation-driven education and skills development through its active participation in the Smart Manufacturing Engineering Education for the Knowledge Economy (SME2KE) project.

The SME2KE consortium convened in Ukunda, Kenya, from the 7th – 9th January 2026 to review project progress and coordinate the rollout of postgraduate programmes across partner institutions. The meeting brought together senior academics and project leaders from nine universities, including UB, Botswana International University of Science and Technology (BIUST), Dedan Kimathi University of Technology, Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology, Nelson Mandela University, University of the Witwatersrand and Università di Bologna. UB was represented by Professor Jerekias Gandure, Dr Kobamelo Mashaba and Mr Robert Monageng from the Department of Mechanical Engineering.

Discussions focused on postgraduate curriculum development, quality assurance and accreditation, capacity building, and long-term programme sustainability. Particular emphasis was placed on aligning academic programmes with industry needs, regional skills priorities and the demands of a knowledge-based economy.

Through its engagement in SME2KE, UB is strengthening its role in shaping future-ready engineering education that responds directly to Africa’s industrialisation and economic diversification agenda. The project supports UB’s strategic priorities of producing highly skilled graduates, fostering international collaboration and enhancing the University’s contribution to national and regional development.

As the initiative approaches its conclusion, consortium partners reaffirmed their commitment to sustaining the progress achieved, with UB positioned as a key contributor to ensuring that manufacturing engineering education continues to evolve in step with emerging technologies and industry requirements.