THO BO U N Y I T MARCH 2015 NEWS VOLUME 17 V E R SI BOTHO UNIVERSITY PROUD WINNER OF THE 2014 AAT INTERNATIONAL TRAINING PROVIDER OF THE YEAR AWARD Dear readers – Please join me and all the Botho staff and students who made it possible as we celebrate the release of the 17th volume of the Botho News newsletter, the first volume of 2015. Botho University Having been editor of this newsletter for the past 15 volumes, I can joyfully tell you that it has been a lovely experience. We have put a great deal of effort into the gathering and creative design of news International Research stories that we believe will prove interesting and useful to you. These are the news stories we are committed to sharing with you for your benefit as a stakeholder of Botho University and we are Conference 2014 delighted for you to read and enjoy this copy. ... pg 3 In this issue, we celebrate student and staff excellence at all levels with community service initiatives, Editor sports activities, new infrastructural developments, and new partnerships, bringing a fresh outlook to Tebogo Matebesi new horizons. Some of the key stories include the ExpoTees, an Information Technology exhibition of students’ projects through which one student won the first place prize of a trip to Teesside University Botho State-Of-The-Art in the UK, and the glitz and glamour of the first ever Botho Excellence Awards celebrating staff achievements. In addition to these are BUIRC 2014, LINKZ ICT Challenge 2014, a new partnership Campus In Francistown with Black Hills State University in the USA, a new arts and culture partnership with Maitisong, and ... pg 4 the Botho University inter-campus games. Enjoy! Your comments are of great value to us. Please stay in touch at: Deputy Editor [email protected] Excellence Awards and Kibo Ngowi Christmas Party... pg 2 BOTHO NEWS Botho University Hosts COVER STORY Botho ExpoTees 2015 On the 30th of January Botho 1 2 University (BU) showcased the creative achievements of its Campus news finest IT students at the Botho ExpoTees 2015 event. ExpoTees is an annual event BU has adopted from its partner institution, Teesside University, UK, that gives final year IT students the opportunity to Botho participates in Tati exhibit their innovative final projects Nickel Charity Walk...pg 6 to industry captains and potential employers. 3 4 This year, 42 students exhibited projects ranging from mobile applications and online systems to standalone or distributed systems and game applications. Some of Visit by university of the inventive products that scooped the Cincinnati...pg 7 top prizes included a network to enable automated vehicle parking assistance at shopping malls, a system to automate the census enumeration for Statistics Botswana, and a mail delivery notification system for Botswana Post. 5 6 Botho University wins Linkz ICT Challenge 2014...pg 8 Dignitaries in attendance included Honorable Minister of Infrastructure Science and Technology Nonofo Molefhi and Human Resource Development Council (HRDC) Acting CEO Dr. Patrick Molutsi, along with CEOs, IT managers and HR managers from various companies. 1. Dr. Andrew Bingham from Teesside University, UK, gives a brief history of ExpoTees 7 8 2. Key note address by Hon. Minister Nonofo Molefhi, Ministry of Infrastructure, Science and Technology 3. All listening attentively during the minister’s speech 4. Hon. Minister Nonofo Molefhi tours the exhibition 5. Members of the community tour the exhibition 6. Ms. Kate Sennye, BU Board member, tours the exhibition 7. Winner of the ExpoTees posing for a picture with Botho University Vice-Chancellor, Mrs. Sheela Raja Ram and Hon. Minister Nonofo Molefhi 8. Winner of the ExpoTees, Keorapetse Seboko Visit our ADVERTISE IN website using Contact the this QR Code Marketing BOTHO NEWS Department on: +267 363 5482 1 BOTHO NEWS Botho University Hosts Excellence BUIRC 2014 Highlights COVER STORY Awards and Christmas Party The Power of E-Learning to On the 12th of December all three campuses of Botho University simultaneously hosted the institution’s annual award ceremony to recognize the performance of exceptional university staff. The honours bestowed on deserving individuals Transform Higher Education on the night included the Teaching Excellence Awards, Service Excellence Awards, Research Excellence Awards and Long Service Awards. 1 The ceremony was combined with Botho University’s Christmas Party and in her heartfelt opening remarks at the Gaborone Campus, Vice- Chancellor Sheela Raja Ram recalled that 12 years ago the institution’s Christmas party was held at her house in Gaborone and included roughly 40 people, many of whom had driven from Francistown to attend. “I look out at this crowd now and I think ‘Wow we’ve really come a long way,’” she enthused. 4 2 5 8 3 6 9 Group picture of delegates, presenters and panelists at BUIRC 2014 On the 30th and 31st of October 10 7 Botho University hosted the Botho THO University International Research BO Conference (BUIRC) 2014. This 3rd U N Y I T annual research conference turned V E R SI 1. Vice-Chancellor, Mrs. Sheela Raja Ram, giving the welcome remarks 2. Mr. Ananth Ram, the spotlight on the relationship Pro-Vice-Chancellor, Education and Quality, announcing the Teaching Excellence Award winner 3. Members of Staff in a celebratory mood 4. Mr. Clever Gumbo receiving the Teaching Excellence 11 between tertiary education and Award from Mr. Shiv Pal, Dean, Faculty Accounting 5. Mrs. Priya Iyer, Pro-Vice-Chancellor, Employability and Development, announcing the Service Excellence Award winner 6. Members of communication technology with Staff in a celebratory mood 7. Mr. Ananth Ram receiving the Long Service Award from Pro-Chancellor, Mr. Raja Ram 8. Mr. Mojalefa Ramafifi receiving the Service Excellence Award from the theme ‘Transforming Higher Mrs. Aravinda Ram, Deputy Pro-Vice-Chancellor, Internationalisation and Communications 9. Mrs. Oabona Tshane receiving the Service Excellence Award from Mrs. Jaya Ramanarayanan, Education Through E-Learning’. Deputy Pro-Vice-Chancellor, Operations 10. Mrs. Jaya Ramanarayanan receiving the Long Service Award from Pro-Chancellor, Mr. Raja Ram 11. Mrs. Subha Ravi receiving the Long Service Award from Pro-Chancellor, Mr. Raja Ram The inspiration to hold a conference under this theme arose from the fact that over the last fifteen years, the world has witnessed a dramatic and irreversible penetration of technology as an effective and efficient tool for building student‐centred education. E‐Learning Botho University Attends represents an exciting set of tools and innovations that have contributed immensely to the massification of education and carries tremendous potential in terms of its impact on current institutional Higher Education Fair in Lesotho practices. As governments, employers, students and academics International grapple with the pressures of making education a “right” for all their citizens, the role and place of E‐Learning in education and the On the 25th to the 26th of February Lesotho held workplace has raised its profile, giving it pre‐eminence in the field of CIMA conference education. its 2nd annual Higher Education Fair at Lehakoe Delegates listening attentively during the Panel Multi-purpose sports hall and Botho University staff Discussion at the Otse multipurpose hall In her welcome remarks Vice-Chancellor Sheela Raja Ram Microsoft Technology Enriched Instruction Workshop members were on hand to announce the launch highlighted that gross tertiary enrolment in Africa is well below facilitated by Victor Mc Nair, Senior Lecturer, University of of BU in Lesotho to the public and begin recruiting Ulster, Northern Ireland and Dr. Elizabeth Langran, Associate the worldwide average and thus E-learning has emerged as an Professor of Education, Marymount University, students. opportunity to improve accessibility and affordability of education Arlington, VA, USA across the African continent. Keynote speaker Dr. Patrick Molutsi, the Acting CEO of the Human Resource Development Council (HRDC), The aim of this annual conference is to facilitate interaction between emphasized this point by highlighting that tertiary enrolment in secondary school students, especially LGCSE school leavers, and Botswana is well below that of other middle-income countries. He tertiary institutions both within Lesotho and regionally. Various added that it is for this reason that HRDC welcomes any initiative institutions from Lesotho, South Africa and Botswana were present that can increase access to education without increasing the cost of for this year’s edition of the fair. Mr. Ravi Srinivasan, Pro-Vice-Chancellor of Internationalisation and Communications, briefing accessing education, such as E-learning. Hon. Minister ‘Makabelo Mosothoane, Ministry of Eight Botho University staff members attended the event, including Education and Training, Kingdom of Lesotho As the multi-disciplinary university with the largest computing faculty Pro-Vice-Chancellor of Internationalisation and Communications Ravi in Botswana Botho was able to demonstrate its leading role in the Srinivasan and Dean of BU Lesotho Campus Professor Subbaram field of ICT research as several of its academics presented papers at Ranganathan. The BU staff members engaged in counselling students the conference that added different layers to the timely discussions on programme choices and also assisted them with the application Panelists (L-R): Prof. Heiko Schroder, Botswana International on E-learning and higher