UB, ORI in joint Anniversary celebration

University of Botswana’s 40th Anniversary and the Okavango Research Institute were commemorated concurrently in Maun on September 22.

The Okavango Research Institute (ORI) is an arm of the University of Botswana dedicated to the study of wetlands and adjacent drylands.

The need for scientific information on the Okavango Delta ecosystem resulted in the Botswana Government establishing the ORI under the auspices of the University of Botswana in 1994.

ORI is mainly focused on five research programmes namely Ecosystem Dynamics, Ecosystem Services, Water Resources Management, Sustainable Tourism, Climate Change and Graduate Studies.

In fact UB Vice Chancellor Prof David Norris assured Maun residents that before long, ORI will become a leading wetlands and adjacent dry lands research institute in Africa and the world as it aims to have reached that milestone by 2029.

“I feel proud that to date, ORI has become a national asset that is globally recognised, a feat worth celebrating. The University of Botswana 40th Anniversary Celebration evokes in me a feeling of nostalgia, a feeling of excitement. That is so as I reflect on the history of this institution and its contribution to the development of Botswana and Batswana,” said the VC.

Norris revealed that the vision to be a leading institute is anchored on the new University of Botswana strategic plan of “Creating a Future for the Knowledge Generation”.

As they roll out this new strategy, Norris said their emphasis is on becoming a research-intensive and engaged university that is responsive to societal needs besides playing a leading role in the implementation of the national development agenda.

Minister of Environment and Tourism Hon Kereng said it is a remarkable feat for the University of Botswana the nation of Botswana who, through their generous contributions, established ‘this colossal national asset of higher education with the primary aim of driving knowledge production and enhancing human capacity development’.

She further stated that the Botswana University Campus Appeal (BUCA) under the rallying appeal of Motho le Motho Kgomo was a mammoth task which conversely demonstrated our determination and ingenuity as Batswana in the advancement of our national development agenda.

“It was the first national university established in Botswana and since its inception in 1982, it has demonstrated its worth as a national asset by producing more than 84,000 globally recognized graduates. Popularly known as Mmadikolo for championing education development in the country, the status of UB continues to soar both nationally and internationally,” she stated.

Mmadikolo is amongst the top 30 universities in Africa by Times Higher Education, and Kereng said the University of Botswana has indeed reached a milestone having been in operation for only 40 years.

Furthermore Kereng acknowledged the government’s intention to transform Botswana to a knowledge-based economy as a key cornerstone, on which the current vision of the University of Botswana rests.

She said the government continues to strive to ensure to meet the target of 4 to 6% of GDP or 15 to 20% of public expenditure on an annual basis earmarked for education.

Currently UB strategy is to become a high performing organization (HPO) and the minister said it’s enshrined within the current government vision to make Botswana a knowledge economy.

“The new UB strategy to move away from being an

“Ivory Tower” to an institution that significantly impacts society, partly led to the establishment of the Okavango Research Institute (ORI), which has metamorphosed into different names since its creation in 1994,” she

further stated.