Mogae showers Totolo with praises
Lindiwe Mozola | Tuesday September 6, 2016 15:28
Mogae was extending his praises at the inauguration of Professor Otlogetswe Totolo as the VC on Friday. He said Totolo is an outstanding and seasoned administrator, brilliant scholar and international renowned soil scientist who had contributed immensely to the science industry.
“I am proud to be inaugurating Professor Totolo as the third Vice chancellor of BIUST also the first Motswana to be appointed to such a position in the university. Furthermore, I am pleased to inform this house that he is bringing invaluable wealth of experience in academia having held senior academic positions at the University of Botswana (UB) where he served as deputy vice chancellor (academic affairs) and professor of environmental science,” Mogae said.
He said the responsibility of the VC is to ensure that BIUST lives up to its mission, vision and strategic goals as a premier research-intensive university, with proper governance structure through right policies that should drive quality service delivery.
In addition, he said the VC comes at a critical time when the BIUST council has just approved the strategic plan 2016-2022 therefore he will be driving this strategic plan to achieve the national agenda in alignment with the current national policies and plans such as vision 2036, National Development Plans and the Millennium Development Goals.
For his part, Totolo promised the multitudes that thronged BIUST multipurpose hall to bear a witness to his inauguration that he will deliver to the best of his capabilities and ensure the success of the university. “For the honour you have bestowed on me, I promise not to buckle under its stress and loading but I will do my outmost best to ensure success, whatever it takes in terms of my personal true development to become the envy of other nations currently in comparable natural resource based situations,” he said.
“Establishing a university of science and technology is a capital intensive venture as it comes with challenges associated with setting up the institution, adequately resourcing it and effectively operating it to the required level of sophistication. It is even more challenging to us as a nation because we do not have full experience of establishing and operating such a university,” he added.
Totolo extended his gratitude to BIUST management team, staff and students who he said their passion and zeal contributes immensely towards the growth of the University, and that they remain un-dampened despite the challenges, shortcomings and other issues they continue to face as they progress.
He noted that some of the challenges and issues facing BIUST currently include promoting basic scientific research and that Botswana has a long way to go before reaching the advanced world levels in science and technology due to lack of highly skilled humans, financial constraints amongst others. “But I am pleased to note that the government after 50 years of tradition in promoting good education has set a very good example to be emulated,” he said.
He further called on all stakeholders to help BIUST become a university of repute, visible from the four corners of the world. “Above all to produce a pool of graduates that will transform the lives of ordinary Batswana, that of Africa in general and global community by embarking on research and innovation leading to tangible products and services,” he said.