The history of the Botswana University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (BUAN), dates as far back as 1967. Between 1967 and 2016 the University existed as Botswana Agricultural College (BAC) and Botswana College of Agriculture (BCA). BUAN was established on 1st February 2016, through an Act of Parliament of Botswana No. 12 of 2015 and abolished the Botswana College of Agriculture (BCA) Act no.9 of 1991 which had existed since 31st May 1991.

The University is a Parastatal transitioning from the Ministry of Agriculture to the Ministry of Education and Skills Development. The University offers certificate, higher diploma, undergraduate and post graduate degrees programmes in Agricultural sciences and Natural resources. Short courses are offered through our Centre for In-service and Continuing Education (CICE), as well as Certification in Meat Inspection at our campus in Lobatse, Meat Industry Training Institute (MITI).

The University’s period of transformation is still ongoing, with a vision of becoming an agricultural and natural resources university of international repute. This vision is set to make BUAN an institution of choice both in the region and internationally for training specialists in the area of Agriculture and Natural Resources. The University emphasis is based on providing innovative teaching methods and research. The intention is to expand teaching facilities, ICT infrastructure, student accommodation, and acquire state of the art research equipment in order to ensure the quality of the programmes offered as well as increase access to education.

https://buan.ac.bw/ 

Membership: Since 2024 

Representative: Assoc. Prof. Samodimo Ngwako

sngwako@buan.ac.bw 

Prof. Ngwako is currently the Dean, Research and Graduate Studies since April 2019. He was the Head of Department for Crop and Soil Sciences from 2011 to 2017 and has acted as the Dean of the Faculty of Agriculture from 2017 to 2018. Prof Ngwako has almost 20 years of teaching and research in the fields of agriculture, plant breeding and biotechnology. He has taught courses in agronomy, plant breeding, biotechnology and seed production. Prof. Ngwako has more than 20 referred publications. He has supervised 14 postgraduate students and attended and presented at conferences and workshops in Botswana, Japan, Tanzania, Indonesia, Mali, Sweden and United Kingdom. Ngwako was a member of Useful Plants Project (UPP) funded by RBG Kew, BAMLINK project funded by European Union and chairperson of the Botswana Biotechnology and Biosafety and Public Awareness Participatory Innovation Platform (BOPAPIP) funded by RAIEN-Africa. He was a member of the Southern African Science Service Centre for Climate Change and Adaptive Land Use (SASSCAL) project team. He is a member of the Kirk House Trust (UK) project team working on “Screening and Marker-Assisted Introgression of Aphis Craccivora Koch (Homoptera: Aphididae) Resistance in Cultivated Cowpea (Vigna Unguiculata)”.

The University of Botswana (UB) was established on 1st July 1982 by an Act of Parliament after a separation from the tripartite arrangement between Basutoland, Bechuanaland and Swaziland (UBBS) on January 1st 1964. The formal inauguration of the University of Botswana was performed on 23rd October 1982 by His Excellency Sir Ketumile Masire, President of the Republic of Botswana.

The University is closely involved in the national development process of Botswana. In this regard the special functions of the University are to engage in improving the quality and in expanding the quantity of the human resources needed for development, and to act as the repository of the collective knowledge and experience of the nation and the world. The first of these functions is fulfilled through the teaching programmes offered by the University and its affiliated institutions, leading to the award of degrees, diplomas and certificates. The second function is carried out individually and collectively by the staff of the University and its affiliated institutions, through the research and development, consultancies and information services which they undertake.

The University of Botswana envisages to be a leading centre of academic excellence in Africa and the world and strives to improve economic and social conditions for the Nation while advancing itself as distinctively African university with a regional and international outlook

The University currently has 8 faculities; Business, Education, Engineering and Technology, Humanities, Science, Social Sciences, new Faculty of Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, and the School of Graduate Studies.

The university provides quality education, research, innovation and engagement for sustainable national development and global impact.

www.univ-biskra.dz

Membership: Since 2024

Representative:

Dr. Robert Batane; batanenr@ub.ac.bw 

Dr. Robert Ntirelang Batane holds a PhD in Mechanical Engineering from Clarkson University, USA obtained in 2008. He also holds a Master of Science (Mechanical Engineering) and a Bachelor of Engineering (Mechanical), from Ohio University, USA and Technical University of Nova Scotia, Canada, respectively. Dr. Batane joined the University of Botswana as a lecturer in 2000, and is currently the Head of Department, Mechanical Engineering at the University of Botswana. In addition to teaching, he has supervised both under graduate and post graduate student. His research activities cover areas such as: Nickel based super alloys; behavior of sub-microcrystalline metals; natural fiber-reinforced composites and others. 

Dr. Batane was part of the University of Botswana Response Team during the covid19 pandemic. He is part of the researchers in the consortium for the SME2KE ERASMUS-EDU-2022-CBHE-STRAND-2 project — Capacity Building in the field of Higher Education: Strand 2 - Partnerships for transformation in higher education; and Fogarty International Center/NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH/DHHS working on ‘Affordable Robot–Based Assessment of Cognitive and Motor Impairment in People Living with HIV and HIV- Stroke’, in partnership with University of Pennsylvania, USA and University of Botswana.

Dr. Batane has represented the University of Botswana under different pot-folios at national level. His professional and administrative role include: Botswana Bureau of Standards (BOBS) as a Technical Committee member for development of National Standards; Botswana Training Authority (BOTA), Educational Consultancy Team for Curricula development; Botswana Testing Laboratory Systems (BTLS) EXCO member; African Materials Research Society (AMRS) EXCO member; and Human Resource Development Council (HRDC) Manufacturing Sector for skills development Small, Micro and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMMEs).