BIUST engineering dept. not relocating to S/Phikwe - Molao

 

Government would not commit as to when the Department of Mining and Geological Engineering of the College of Engineering and Technology at Botswana International University of Science and Technology (BIUST) will relocate to Selibe-Phikwe.

This was revealed by Assistant Minister of Tertiary Education, Research Science and Technology Fidelis Molao this week. The transfer of the department was to commence following the adoption of a motion by Parliament in March 2017 that requested the relocation of the department.  Molao stated that the relocation to Selibe-Phikwe is not feasible at the moment due to financial, logistical and human resource constraints. According to the minister the university is still at infancy stage with its main campus still being developed.“As indicated during the time that the motion was being debated, programmes in Mining and Geological were not stand alone programmes.

They share both human resources, infrastructure and equipment with other programmes. The various Departments and Faculties in BIUST share common resources and facilities like lecturers/professors, laboratories, workshop as well as other administrative and logistical facilities,” said Molao adding that in terms of the current structure of Engineering/Science programmes at BIUST, Year 1 and Year 2 students in the Faculty of Engineering and Technology and Geology, Earth and Environmental Science have to take common courses.