Botswana�s Own Nuclear Scientists In-The-Making Applauded

Katlego Motsamai | Friday February 2, 2018 15:00

 

Addressing the students during the ceremony at the Livingstone Ipeleng hall, The Director in the Department of Tertiary Education Financing, Josephine Ntshinogang, said living in the 21st century era has exposed the world to numerous opportunities that the country and the youth of Botswana can take advantage of in order to benefit from their enormous opportunities they bring.

We are living in an evolving world of technology and as a country we have to exploit these changes that the world of technology brings to us, Ntshinogang said.

“As I speak, we have a visitor within the country, the General Director for the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) who is responsible for nuclear technologies all over the world.”

The agency’s main aim is to help Botswana exploit nuclear technologies to come up with solutions in our country, especially in the Agricultural sector.

Over the years we have had a lot of outbreaks for instance foot and mouth disease and other crop diseases.

The partnership between Botswana and the IAEA is to educate Batswana on how to make opportunities from atomic energy and to possibly come up with solutions to curb foot and mouth disease and many other diseases affecting the country using nuclear technologies.

This will be done through training, “With this knowledge, I’m challenging you as Livingstone Kolobeng students to go all the way to become nuclear scientists. Go beyond more than just becoming a nurse or a doctor. You live in a world that has got a lot of information. Take these opportunities look beyond Botswana.”

At our times, when growing up we only knew nuclear technologies as bombs and dangerous to our lives but today things have changed. We now know we can use nuclear technologies to better our lives, she said.

As a Ministry, we are excited to have students who excel in our country. We have opened doors for these brilliant minds to go anywhere in the world to learn with the best and come back to this country and develop it.

“I know you didn’t start from the day of your examination to prepare. It started with determination, hard-work and interest in your school work. You sacrificed your time, dedicated your time on your studies and put in extra hours to be here today.

“I can assure you that having reached this stage is indeed a milestone worth celebrating. You have not made only yourselves proud, but also you have your families proud and everybody that looks up to you, she said.

An achievement such as this one for those who have completed their high school, is not the end, in-fact it is the beginning of another chapter in your lives, Ntshinogang said.

“At at the Ministry of Tertiary Education, we sponsor Batswana students to further their studies. I believe this is a reward from the Botswana Government because it is taking you to another level in your lives.”