Botho University in partnership with Huawei Technologies Botswana recently launched the ICT Academy at the Gaborone campus.
Speaking during the launch of the Academy, Huawei Technologies Botswana Managing Director, Ye Huihui said the company’s perspective is that knowledge and digitalisation are the key powers that are important to bring stability and fast restoration for both social and economic challenges.
“Setting up the Huawei ICT Academy in partnership with Botho was not an option, rather a must to enable the young generation to learn and use the expertise to save the work and also to bring economical balance to everyone,” said Huihui.
When delivering a keynote speech at the launch, Minister of Tertiary Education, Research, Science and Technology Dr. Douglas Letsholathebe, said the use of ICT or online learning has taken precedence for institutions to stay afloat in the space of training for the knowledge-based economy.
“The need to increase access to off-campus online teaching and learning is seen as a measure which can support the African Union ‘learning never stops’ initiative,” said Dr. Letsholathebe.
The minister noted that the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) has the potential to raise global income levels and improve the quality of life for populations around the world.
“Technology has made possible new products and services that increase the efficiency and pleasure of our personal lives,” said the minister, adding that the 4IR, finally, will change not only what people do but also who they are.
For his part, Botho University Pro Vice-Chancellor, Internationalisation & Communications – Ravi Srinavasan said the partnership between Botho University and Huawei is a step towards breaking the bottleneck of the Integration of Industry and Education in the Cultivation of Talent.
“The launch of Botho University – Huawei ICT Academy will provide multi-dimensional solutions addressing talent Ecosystem Pain Points Based on a strong ICT background of Botho University in partnership with Huawei’s technical accumulation, talent cultivation experience, and industry resources in the ICT industry over the past 30 years,” said Srinavasan.
