Botswana International University of Science and Technology is a Government of Botswana supported institution established through the BIUST Act (CAP 57:05) as a research intensive University that specialises in Engineering, Science and Technology at both undergraduate and graduate (Master’s and Doctoral) levels. It is located on an expansive and ecologically diverse 2,500 hectare site of gently sloping land in the Tswapong Hills, south east of Palapye. The University is a national strategic initiative that is intended to serve as one of the key platforms for transforming Botswana’s economy from being resource based to knowledge based through skills capacity building in Engineering, Science and Technology. Because of its research emphasis, BIUST works with the private sector to meet emerging skills needs of the industry, as well as identifies challenges that can be solved through applied research. The University’s curriculum takes into account the needs of the private sector and is driven by the mission of BIUST to contribute to the development of the economy towards a knowledge based economy through research. BIUST provides the best teaching and learning environment for students, professors and researchers. The University hopes to develop a Science, Engineering and Technology Research Park that would attract local, regional and international researchers to its campus. At full capacity, BIUST will enroll approximately 6,000 (six thousand) full time equivalent (FTE) students, including Undergraduate, MSc and PhD students.

Although relatively young, has a good record of international research projects. BIUST has received a large grant (>1.5 million USD) from the Simmons Foundation for improving mobility and networking in mathematics and related fields “Research Graduate Studies in Mathematics and its Applications: A network Approach” and from Unicef to improve gender balance in science “Organisation of Women in Science for Developing Countries (OWSD)-UNITED NATIONS” (ca. 70k USD). BIUST has also received funds from the Royal Academy of Engineering from the “Enriching Engineering Education Programme (EEEP)” (ca. 62k£). BIUST is part of a large consortia funded by the EU such as the “Network of Excellence in renewable energy technologies for development – NEED” project (ca. 300k euro). Projects pertaining to education and training in space science have been funded, such as the DARA Project/Newton Project (Department of Physics and Astronomy) which aims to develop radio astronomy skills for the SKA/AVN projects with funding allocated from 2016 to 2020 (managed by Dr. Mafu). BIUST has been also been funded by NERC UK Urgency grant (ca. 60k £) in 2017 and by NERC SHEAR project in 2018 ca. 300k £ (Co-I Dr. Fulvio Franchi). BIUST has been recently awarded an Intra-Africa mobility project under the EACEA 2019 call.

BIUST is one of the two African institutions directly involved as partner in the Europlanet 2024 Research Infrastructure, a 10 million euros project funded by the European Commission under Horizon2020 INFRAIA programme (Local Coordinator Dr Fulvio Franchi). BIUST is participating in the Europlanet2024 consortium with a Planetary Field Analogue under the Transnational Access facilities (https://www.europlanet-society.org/europlanet-2024-ri/transnational-access-ta/).

BIUST has organized the first Planetary Science and Technology workshop held in Botswana in October 2018, the event that kick started the initiatives for the creation of PAPSSN.



Project Coordinator:
Dr. Fulvio Franchi
Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences
Botswana International University of Science and Technology (BIUST)
Private Mail Bag 16, Palapye
BOTSWANA
E-mail:franchif@biust.ac.bw
Office: +267 4931549
Mobile: +267 74531017
Project Manager:
Ms. Gadibotsile Chakandinakira
International Linkages and Partnerships
Botswana International University of Science and Technology (BIUST)
Private Mail Bag 16, Palapye
BOTSWANA
E-mail: chakandinakirag@biust.ac.bw
Office +267 4931306
Mobile +267 71449198
Fax +267 4900102 Private

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