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University of Botswana (UB) Vice Chancellor, Professor David Norris, has said the University was embarking on a P43 million project to enhance its online platforms and expand internet connectivity across the campus.  

Professor Norris observed that the project, which is undertaken in collaboration with a group of investors and Starlink, sought to ensure that every space on the campus was covered, aligning with UB’s goal of becoming a world-class learning and research institution. To that end, Professor Norris underscored the importance of this investment in supporting the academic and research needs of students.  

He was speaking during a meeting with parents of Eswatini students in Mbabane, Eswatini on the 10th of August 2024. The meeting was organised to address and clarify concerns raised by both the parents and university management regarding the welfare of Eswatini students at UB. 

One of the key issues discussed was shortage of student accommodation. With a student population of 16 000 and only 4000 bed spaces available, Professor Norris acknowledged the challenges but highlighted that international students, including those from Eswatini, were given priority. Conversely, he observed that some students missed out on accommodation simply because they failed to apply well on time. To alleviate the situation, he said UB was pursuing Public-Private Partnerships (PPP) initiative to add 500 new bed spaces hopefully by the end of the year. 

In response to concerns about service delivery, Professor Norris briefed the parents on UB’s ongoing transformation into a High-Performance Organisation (HPO). The Vice Chancellor said the transformation was aimed at enhancing service delivery to create a more conducive environment for learning and work besides addressing inefficiencies that were raised by both students and parents. 

Professor Norris also spoke about the University’s infrastructure, acknowledging existing challenges as well as stating that UB remained one of the best-equipped institutions in the world. He assured parents that the University was committed to maintaining and upgrading its facilities notwithstanding the financial constraints posed by reduced government funding (subvention). As a result, Professor Norris noted that UB was exploring alternative income streams to ensure sustainability of its operations. 

To further demonstrate UB’s commitment to staying ahead of global trends, Professor Norris outlined some of the new academic programmes in cutting-edge fields that were being introduced such as robotics, artificial intelligence and machine learning.  

He also highlighted ongoing initiatives such as the recently established Innovation Centre. He said UB was working with the United Nations to establish an innovation pod where students could develop and commercialise prototypes to create new employment opportunities. 

Meanwhile, Professor Norris appealed to the parents to support their children and encourage them to participate actively in student activities and interact with peers from different nationalities. He observed that such engagement was crucial for developing a global perspective which was essential in today’s interconnected world.