Botswana Institute for Technology Research and Innovation (BITRI) and Botswana University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (BUAN) signed a Memorandum of Agreement yesterday, paving the way for collaboration between the two institutions. This MoU is expected to enhance synergies between these two institutions with complementary expertise, with the potential to make substantial contributions to the fields of agriculture and food security.

The objectives outlined in the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) include a focus on research in key areas such as Agriculture, Medicine, Natural Resources Management, Environmental Management, and Information Communication and Technology (ICT), research projects in Indigenous Knowledge Systems with the aim of integrating traditional knowledge with contemporary scientific approaches, fostering a holistic understanding of various subjects, community outreach and social responsibility activities, publication of research findings in peer-reviewed publications, and knowledge and technology transfer generated from joint research.

When delivering his speech, the BITRI Chief Executive Officer Prof Shedden Masupe said, “This high-level document works only if there is a project envisaged. And we already have a couple of projects running between us. We are on a transformation journey as a country, and the destination is ‘Prosperity for all’.  We are also hoping that in this journey along the way, we will become one of the high-income countries.”

Prof Masupe further added that the MoU affords both institutions an opportunity to take a strategic approach to leveraging competitive advantages and focusing on food security as a singular, impactful objective, recognizing the vast amounts of land and scarcity of water resources as a key competitive advantage and developing a collaborative model where BUAN serves as a nexus for capacitation of agricultural production.

The BUAN Vice Chancellor Professor Ketlhatlogile Mosepele extolled the commitment of both institutions to advancing knowledge, fostering innovation, and making a positive impact on various aspects of society.

“Our collaboration serves as a platform aimed at the improvement of the lives of Batswana. Our collaboration can and will facilitate Botswana’s achievement of most of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals such as SDG1 (No Poverty), SDG2 (Zero Hunger), SDG3 (Good Health and Well-being), SDG7 – Affordable and Clean Energy, SDG11 – Sustainable Cities and Communities, to name but a few.”