As environmental challenges continue to intensify across the globe, the need for highly skilled professionals capable of managing natural resources sustainably has never been greater. In Botswana, the Okavango Research Institute (ORI) is playing a pivotal role in addressing this need through its graduate programmes which are equipping a new generation of scientists, researchers and practitioners with the knowledge and skills required to safeguard the country's natural heritage.

The value of environmental research lies not only in generating knowledge but also in shaping policies, protecting ecosystems and improving livelihoods. This is the overriding message from Professor Michael Alan Murray-Hudson, a leading wetland ecologist and long-serving researcher at the Okavango Research Institute (ORI), as he reflects on the contribution of research to Botswana's development and the challenges confronting scientific inquiry.

For many people, the Okavango Delta is defined by its vast waterways, rich biodiversity and thriving tourism industry. Yet behind efforts to protect this globally significant ecosystem lies an equally important resource: scientific evidence. From monitoring water quality and environmental health to supporting conservation and sustainable development, reliable laboratory analysis plays a crucial role in ensuring that decisions affecting the Delta are based on sound science.

As Botswana grapples with increasingly complex social challenges ranging from substance abuse and family breakdown to mental health concerns and child protection issues, the need for highly skilled social workers has never been greater.

University of Botswana (UB) climate scientists based at the Okavango Research Institute (ORI) recently met with colleagues from across disciplines and external stakeholders to pilot a newly developed Climate Adaptation Research-focused Organisational Capacity Assessment Tool (CO-CAT), aimed at strengthening institutional capacity for climate change adaptation research in Africa.

The University of Botswana (UB) recently partnered with the Letlhakeng District Council in advancing community-based efforts to combat child malnutrition through a Child Malnutrition Outreach Initiative held at Ditshegwane on the 22nd of May 2026.

The University of Botswana Social Work Society (UBSWS) hosted an end-of-semester handover ceremony on the 18th May 2026, at Block 139, under the theme ‘Continuity of Care, Continuity of Change’.

The Austrian Development Agency (ADA), through the SOLTRAIN+ project, has awarded bursaries amounting to EUR 7,291.00 (approximately P114,000) to University of Botswana (UB) staff and students to support innovative research experiments and projects in renewable energy and solar thermal technologies.

The University of Botswana (UB) continues to reinforce its commitment to human capital development through the delivery of industry-relevant professional training programmes organised by the Centre for Learning and Teaching Innovation aimed at strengthening workforce capabilities and supporting national development priorities.

University of Botswana (UB) Vice Chancellor, Professor David Norris, recently engaged students from the Department of Chemistry in the Faculty of Natural and Applied Sciences on key institutional developments including the introduction of tuition waivers and the University’s transition into a High-Performance Organisation (HPO).