Medical School Celebrates 79 Young Doctors
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UBOfficial UniversityNEWS of Botswana Newsletter www.ub.bw September 2018 MEDICAL SCHOOL CELEBRATES 79 YOUNG DOCTORS he University of Botswana School of country as well as to be kind, respectful and respect and to honour work and the profession’s TMedicine celebrated the 5th cohort of 79 caring to their clients. ethics. young doctors who graduated with Bachelor Professor Sebudubudu also advised them Ms Maphorisa said their contribution was Degrees in Medicine and Surgery (MBBS) with to always abide by their professional ethical very essential in assisting government and a dinner at the Phakalane Golf Estate Resort in code of conduct and to be part of the solutions the ministry to be more progressive. She also August. instead of the problem. In addition, he urged advised the young doctors to be cautious when Speaking at the Inaugural Convocation them to take their internship training seriously dealing with clients because some of them may Dinner for the Class of 2018, Dean of the Faculty and to face challenges in their profession head not necessarily present clinical deficiencies but of Medicine, Dr Oatlhokwa Nkomazana, said of on. social issues that needed to be referred to other the number, 69 graduated from the University “Make use of the internship training professionals. of Botswana while the rest were from abroad. opportunity and invest in your curriculum The Permanent Secretary also advised the Dr Nkomazana said the young doctors would vitae,” said Professor David Sebudubudu. graduates to be part of team work and study go for internship in public hospitals. Since its He also urged the graduates to further the environment where they would be engaged inception in 2009, the Medical School has so their studies at the University of Botswana as well as to be vigilant with their mental far graduated 200 doctors and most of them Medical School because the University was well health to avoid conditions such as depression. practise in public hospitals. endowed with resource and expertise. She also advised the graduates to keep fit and Acting Deputy Vice Chancellor for Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of to have a sound mind and stress free life. Academic Affairs, Professor David Sebudubudu, Health and Wellness, Ms Ruth Maphorisa, also encouraged the graduates to work hard for the advised the graduates to treat their client, with Some of the young doctors at the inaugural convocation dinner. INSIDE: DISCRIMINATION AGAINST WOMEN PERSISTS GLOBALLY, 2 RESEARCHERS SEEK NEW WAYS OF MANAGING ELEPHANTS 8 HAMPERS DEVELOPMENT 3 ENHANCING ENGINEERING EDUCATION PROGRAMME ENDS WITH HIGH 9 UNIVERSITY OF QUEENSLAND HONOURS PROF DUBE AS 2018 HOPES INTERNATIONAL ALUMNA OF THE YEAR 5 UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN MADISON EAGER TO AID UB 10 THIRTY-SEVEN YEAR GOOD SERVICE EARNS MATLAPENG TRANSFORMATION TWO AWARDS STRENGTHENING ENGAGEMENT RESEARCHERS SEEK NEW WAYS OF MANAGING ELEPHANTS of wildlife especially elephants in the area. The theme of the workshop was: Creating Sustainable Community Partnerships. The workshop was a sequel to a study carried out on the dynamics of human and wildlife interactions in the Mmadinare area. The University of Botswana in partnership with SFA Network ran a trial research to explore possible ways to sustain development through wildlife management. Therefore, the aim of the workshop was to share the results with all stakeholders in government, non-governmental organisations, private and parastatal organisations to ensure the Mmadinare community, and many other SAF Network representative from the University of Glasgow, Major Tiroyamodimo. similar communities benefitted from the Scotland. elephant populations in their areas. As was the case with the research, the he University of Botswana under the collectively across global contexts, disciplines workshop created a space whereby many auspices of its Department of Adult and with communities in advancing the goal T perspectives were heard, and knowledge Education last month led an interdisciplinary of ethically and successfully supporting shared. Thus, during the workshop the team of researchers from the Sustainable development and sustainability in contexts community aired its voice alongside political Futures in Africa (SFA) Network to a workshop negatively affected by the consequences of and economic perspective and ecological on human-wildlife interactions at the colonialism, globalization and climate change. findings of the project to date. It was designed Mmadinare Main Kgotla. Consequently, the Mmadinare workshop in an informative and transformative way. SFA Network is a collective of researchers, brought together different stakeholders to map During discussions, the residents decried educators and practitioners who work the way forward in relation to the management the conflict elephants caused and the dangers ORI TACKLES HUMAN- he Okavango Research Institute (ORI) has hence the need for amicable solutions,” he said. Tlaunched a project dubbed ‘Promoting Head of the project, Dr Richard Fyn, said WILDLIFE CONFLICT Sustainable Livelihood (ProSuLi) in Transfrontier the four villages experienced a lot of conflict, Conservation areas’ to address human-wildlife especially elephants raiding crops and cattle conflict through research. killed by wildlife. He noted that some farmers ORI Director, Professor Joseph Mbaiwa, had resorted to using poison to kill lions. Such said the three-year project was funded by the also affected vultures who fed on poisoned European Union at the tune of P2.5 million.He carcasses. was speaking at the unveiling of the project Dr Fyn explained that the project was and a new vehicle to be used for the project in intended to help affected communities find Maun last month. solutions and improve their livelihoods. He said The project area of scope, he said, was the one way was through stakeholder meetings in Okavango Delta as communities around the affected communities. Furthermore, he said the area experienced extensive human wildlife fusion of old and modern practices in cattle conflicts. He said incidents of elephants raiding herding may be a solution. crops and predation on livestock heightened Dr Fyn added that full time professional conflict. herders trained on ecology and herding may The four communities selected for the also be a solution. Another feasible solution, project Seronga, Eretsha, Beetsha and he said, was assisting communities to find Gunotsoga. Professor Mbaiwa noted that markets for their cattle and mobile abattoirs the project would help with data on how to to ensure cattle were slaughtered in their areas address human-wildlife conflict. “The whole under strict regulations. idea is to have sustainable development which will benefit communities now and in future Professor Joseph Mbaiwa. 2 | UB Newsletter: September 2018 communities and industry for shared solutions in dealing with a myriad of challenges that the country faced. Professor Sebudubudu said knowledge and science had no boundaries, noting that UB believed communities must own solutions instead of imposing such on them. He advised the Mmadinare community to use the elephants for economic benefit instead of wantonly killing them. SFA Network representative, Professor Daniel Haydon, also underscored the importance of communities owning methodologies and the need to diversify stakeholders in addressing challenges. Professor Haydon also highlighted Mmadinare local authorities listen attentively to the proceedings. the lack of research methods that were all they posed to people. They called for different suggestion that government should set up inclusive hence the challenge of bringing such ways to mitigate the situation and to achieve a an educational park where residents could differences together. harmonious co-existence between the jumbos learn about various subjects on elephants to Meanwhile, other dignitaries who and people. Botswana has an estimated promote co-existence between the elephants attended the workshop included Director population of 130 000 elephants and people and people. of the Department of Wildlife and National in areas such as Mmadinare have to constantly Job creation could also be enhanced Parks, Major General Otisitswe Tiroyamodimo, deal with property damages and human injury. through means such as hiring of escort guides, World Health Organisation representative in To mitigate the situation, some residents establishment of game reserves and wildlife Botswana, Dr. Martins Ovberedjo, Nigerian suggested culling to control the numbers camps to help control and monitor movement High Commissioner, Mr Moses Adeoye, and which they complained were way too high for of the jumbos. other captains of industry. the area, while others called for the setting In his keynote address, Acting Deputy Vice up of an elephant abattoir in Selebi Phikwe as Chancellor for Academic Affairs, Professor a way of revitalizing the economic fortunes David Sebudubudu, reiterated UB’s quest to of the mining town. In addition, there was a create partnerships and collaborations with ENHANCING ENGINEERING EDUCATION PROGRAMME ENDS WITH HIGH HOPES The Botswana team from the EEEP Symposium on a guided tour of Kazungula bridge. elegates to the joint symposium marking of having achieved what they set out to do of Higher and Tertiary Education, Science and Dthe end of a two-year programme aimed when the programme kicked off in October Technology Development, Professor Amon at enhancing the standard of engineering 2016. Murirwa, who delivered a keynote address. education in southern Africa