UB, UNIVERSITY OF MACHESTER SHARE NOTES ON SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY



Professor Bolaane and Professor Mativenga.

In a development akin to that of University of Manchester in the United Kingdom, the University of Botswana has also embarked on some initiatives to drive its strategic priority area of strengthening engagement with its stakeholders.

According to the 2008 University of Botswana Strategic Plan, engagement occurs when the university makes a full contribution to the social, economic, civic and cultural aspects of life in the society it serves through professional activities of its academics and institutional.

Similarly, Social Responsibility is one of University of Manchester’s three core strategic goals in the Manchester 2020 Strategy, sitting equally alongside commitments to world-class research and outstanding learning and student experience.

It was against this background that the Dean of the Faculty of Engineering and Science, Professor Benjamin Bolaane told attendants of a public lecture on October 16, 2017 that UB was engaged in a number of initiatives and activities to make a difference in the society it served.

The public lecture was on Social Responsibility and Impact: Are Universities making a Difference?  The guest speaker was Professor Paul Mativenga from the University of Manchester Faculty of Science and Engineering who made a presentation on innovative ways universities could use to improve the social and environmental wellbeing of their communities and wider society through teaching, research, public events and activities.

Giving an overview of the impact of the University of Manchester’s social responsibility programme, Professor Mativenga said  the university emphasised on making a difference to the social and environmental well-being of communities through teaching (and socially responsible graduates), research with impact and public events and activities.

He said the University of Manchester engaged with communities through research. He said they generated business ideas and solutions as per research outcomes besides promoting environmental sustainability through cultural exchanges despite such being a major challenge.

He observed that promoting environmental sustainability the University of Manchester focused on addressing inequalities and improving lives in the city and greater region of Manchester. Further, such was achieved through quality diversification and procurement process to protect the good image of the university. 

The Manchester don also reckoned that the university also encouraged students to volunteer in community projects hence a plan to develop a programme through which everyone would graduate within access of a social responsibility agenda. Professor Mativenga also stated that staff members served as school governors to help in developing leadership and improving the state of schools.

The university also engaged the community through cultural expos and some individuals low skills jobs around the university as well as scholarships, he added.

Likewise, Professor Bolaane said despite the challenges UB faced, there were a number of initiatives geared towards driving its strategic priority area of engagement with Batswana part of which was through volunteering services to communities particularly in areas of architecture, urban planning, and the construction industry.

Other contributions that UB made towards major community projects that Professor Bolaane mentioned included providing architectural engineering towards construction of a rehabilitation centre for children living with cancer, solar energy plant and a morula nut cracker for the Thamaga community.

The Acting Deputy Vice Chancellor Academic Affairs, Professor David Sebudubudu, said UB’s engagement initiatives also entailed UB Foundation sponsorships for graduate students while academics also volunteered their services to various organisations especially in the area of research.

Community Engagement in Health and Socio Economic Developments- Kgosi Maruje III

Given the relevant tools and means, Magosi who are increasingly young and educated can become powerful influence and strategic pillars for mobilizing communities to become engines of health as aspect of socio-economic developments in Botswana, revelled Kgosi Maruje lll Thabo Masunga of Masunga.

In delivering his research paper titled: “Mobilising Communities to become engines of health as an aspect of socio-economic developments,” during a public lecture  at University of Botswana Conference Centre on September 21^st 2017 which was organised by the University of Botswana, World Health Organization and Ministry of Health and Wellness. Kgosi Maruje explained that Communities and especially Magosi can however influence health through constructive engagement in conversations, activities, policy formulation and many other ways that can mediate circumstances and determinants of health.

“Many health issues interface with cultural norms, principles, behaviours and practices. They also interface with conditions and circumstances, in which people are born, live, grow and die. Levels of income and education, availability and accessibility of goods and services for instance can influence health” said Kgosi Maruje.

He also argued that Magosi as custodian of culture can influence cultural norms that cause bodily harm such as child marriages resulting in early sexual debut and pregnancy, or those that promote unhealthy habits such tobacco use, too much alcohol, fat and salt and many others. He said they can be stopped or at least reduced by societal pressure or communal efforts influence by Magosi since they have the powers to influence policy and direct leeway to other leadership structures. “Magosi remain strong advocates for community developments” said Kgosi Maruje.

He also explained that the biggest challenge they face in modern days as Magosi is remaining relevant in the face of rapidly changing cultural norms and population dynamics. “60 percent of population of Botswana is young and not as attached or amenable to Bogosi as generation that come before them” said Kgosi Maruje. The Kgotla is much less appealing to this cohort, which challenge them to find ways of becoming relevant to them.

Kgosi Maruje also explained that the advancement of technology such as social media also contribute to lack of communication within sub-community which presents serious challenge for mean fully conversation about community developments. He said social media presents a revolutionary and effective communication which he believes can be turned in to opportunity that can be harnessed to involve young people in community development. “It can be skilfully used to re-introduce cultural values and sense of community to a generation that seems to have largely disconnected” said Kgosi Maruje.

He also argued that Magosi should be provided with job training on this technological advancement to help them keep pace with contemporary conversations with increasingly young and sophisticated population and developments in order to influence policy and norms from a position of strength.