News

The University of Botswana (UB) is seeking to deepen its collaboration with Germany to address socio-economic challenges, enhance technical and vocational education as well as invigorate campus life through arts and culture. These priorities were outlined during a strategic meeting between UB Vice Chancellor, Professor David Norris and Mr Christoph Degen, Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Science, Research, Arts and Culture in Hessen, Germany.

Professor Norris underlined the UB’s commitment to transforming into a research-intensive institution geared towards addressing real societal challenges. He highlighted the importance of arts and culture in empowering youth especially in the face of high unemployment rates. He stressed the need to create an environment where young people could turn their talents into opportunities.

For his part, Mr Degen noted that his ministry in Hessen, Germany, oversaw science, research, arts and culture, a unique combination that enabled support for a broad spectrum of academic and creative endeavours. He expressed interest in exploring opportunities for collaboration with the University of Botswana.

In response, Deputy Vice Chancellor Research and Enterprise, Professor Doreen Ramogola-Masire, noted the successful launch of the Falling Walls initiative, a collaborative project with German partners. Professor Ramogola-Masire called for increased support in informatics particularly in health and science while underscoring the urgency of introducing degree programs in artificial intelligence and machine learning.

Meanwhile, Acting Dean of the Faculty of Science, Professor Moffat Setshogo, reiterated UB’s commitment to developing programmes in cybersecurity, machine learning and chemistry. He acknowledged strong research partnerships while noting persistent challenges in acquiring scientific equipment, suggesting that international collaboration could help bridge such gaps.

On the other hand, Acting Dean of the Faculty of Humanities, Professor Thapelo Otlogetswe, shared insights into existing partnerships with a German university, Rheinland-Pfälzische Technische Universität Kaiserslautern-Landau (RPTU) particularly in theology and African languages, through student exchange programmes. Furthermore, Professor Otlogetswe advocated the expansion of UB’s performing arts department, citing growth in music, photography, painting and film production towards enriching student life and contributing to the creative economy. He also proposed extending exchange programmes to departments beyond English and theology.

Moreover, Professor Otlogetswe mentioned that Botswana’s rich cultural heritage particularly in dance and traditional arts, remained under-documented.  He therefore expressed a strong interest in partnering with German researchers and filmmakers to produce documentaries and academic studies that captured and preserved these traditions. This initiative will not only celebrate Botswana’s cultural identity but also contribute to global knowledge and appreciation of African arts.