SIMONS FOUNDATION SPONSORED FELLOWHIPS FOR SUB-SAHARA AFRICA NATIONALS- call for Applications. See attached documents for more information.

You are hereby invited to attend a 2-day workshop on the 20^th and 21^st March 2013 in the Computer Lab - Room 50 (Admin Bldg / Block 108) that is targeted at graduate students enrolled at UB. The workshop starts at 9am on both days.

The title of the workshop is Research Methods, Design, Supervision and Publications and the objective is to strengthen your skills with the practical aspects of the research process, including understanding the roles and responsibilities in the supervision process and also how you should plan your publications from proposal to manuscripts.

Please register to attend by emailing the completed attached registration form to Doreen at thibedid@mopipi.ub.bw. If you have any questions, please call 355-4394 / 2902.

To date, 74 students have benefited from such scholarships since the inception of the Endowment Fund in 2003.

The University of Botswana, in pursuance of its strategic plan, has committed to providing excellence in the delivery of learning to ensure society is provided with talented, creative and confident graduates; hence the interminable efforts made by the UB Foundation to raise funds towards the Graduate Scholarship Endowment Fund.

Call for Applications or Nominations

RECOGNISING AND CELEBRATING STUDENT SUCCESSES:

THE ROTARY CLUB AWARD ON VOLUNTEERISM 2010/11

University of Botswana students are involved in voluntary activities both within their immediate University community and the wider community within the nation. Notable successes have been made over the years in this area, as exemplified by the first award recipient, Tshwaraganang Charitable Society, which has been building permanent structures for low income families in rural Botswana, or the recent year’s individual recipient, Andina T.W. Ramokate, a student in the Master of Education programme, who exhibited a range of voluntary activities, in particular, benefitting Orphans and Vulnerable Children. While these activities of societies and individuals have been recognised mainly through articles in the University Newsletter, most are not reported and therefore not celebrated enough to encourage other students to engage and excel in voluntary services.

Volunteerism is an important approach to national development. When motivated young people engage as volunteers, more is achieved at a lesser cost with significant dedication. Hence, volunteerism needs to be acknowledged and encouraged. The award on volunteerism aims to point out role models for others and to cultivate a culture of volunteerism at UB and BCA.

Rotary International (www.rotary.org) is the world's first service club organization. Its more than 1.2 million members volunteer their time and talent to further the Rotary motto, Service Above Self. As one of five Rotary clubs in Botswana, the Rotary Club Gaborone [www.rotarygaborone.org] and its nearly 50 members are involved in multiple charitable projects and decided in 2007 to recognize volunteer efforts by graduate students, graduate student groups, or student societies by sponsoring the Rotary Club Gaborone Award on Volunteerism (a Certificate of Recognition and 6,000 Pula) to be awarded in each academic year. Recognised efforts must be of benefit to either the University community and/or the wider community. Such volunteer efforts can be demonstrated in multiple ways, for example, by:

·  Providing exceptional leadership,

·  Bringing innovation and change,

·  Demonstrating acts of courage, bravery and heroism,

·  Demonstrating activities beyond the normal call of duty,

·  Demonstrating values of honesty, integrity, compassion.

SELECTION CRITERIA:     Use this form (download from the SGS website at: www.UBotho.net)

·       Applicants have to be graduate students, graduate student groups, or student societies at UB or BCA.

·       Recipients are selected based on the information and recommendations provided in the application; shortlisted candidates might have to present at a Rotary Club meeting. Selection committee members are from Rotary, UB, and GSA.

·       Please note: your application is not considered complete unless all application materials, including letters of  

·       Any violations of the rules below will also render your application incomplete.

·       DEADLINE: All application materials must be received by Monday, 20^th February, 2011.

·       Application: Use a computer to complete your form and email the form to deansgs@mopipi.ub.bw. Answer all questions. Attach separate sheets when requested. Supplemental materials, such as resumes, certificates, newspaper clippings, event programs, or pictures may be submitted (scanned or in hardcopy); submissions will not be returned.

·       QUESTIONS: MAJOR emphasis is placed on this section of the application. Your answers should thoroughly describe and explain your experiences in relation to volunteerism, to enable the committee to evaluate your eligibility for selection.

·       Letters of Recommendation: Two letters of recommendation (including telephone numbers, mailing addresses, and e-mail addresses of recommenders) are required (see form below). It is recommended that one should be from an on-campus person. The other should be from a community person you have worked with through your service work or a beneficiary of your services. Both letters must be current and may not be from a relative. The letters must be confidential. Ask your recommenders to return the recommendation to you in a sealed envelope with his or her signature written across the seal.

·       Submit the application form on-line, mail in letters of recommendation and supplemental materials to address above, or hand-deliver to the School of Graduate Studies, Building 232, before the end of deadline.

Application Form

Please make sure your responses are typewritten.

Name: ____________________________________________         UB Student Number: __________________

Address: __________________________________________________________________________________

E-mail: _______________________________________________ Phone: ______________________________

If this is a Nomination, Nominator’s Name: ________________________________________________________

Nominator’s Mailing Address: __________________________________________________________________

Nominator’s Phone #: ________________________________________________________________________

Nominator’s E-mail: _________________________________________________________________________

ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS COMPLETELY ON SEPARATE SHEETS (typewritten, max.4 pages).

1. Please describe your community service.

a) What did you do with the community? Describe the service activities.

b) Who did you assist in the community? Describe the people assisted (agency or community organization)

c) Give the dates when the service activity started and ended.

d) Approximately how many total hours did you devote to these activities during the year?

2. How did either your community service benefit the community?

3. What did you gain from your community service?

Place all items into one sealed envelope

Make sure that your name is written clearly on the front of the envelope

1. RESPONSES TO QUESTIONS

2. LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION

    Please submit 2 letters of recommendation from people who are familiar with your community work.

3. OTHER SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION

    Photos, letters of support, etc. may be attached, but will not be returned.

Nominee:

Name __________________________________________________________________________________

Position and Organization (if applicable) _______________________________________________________

Address ________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

In your opinion, why does the nominee deserving this award? Describe in detail the volunteer service rendered, which local organizations and agencies were involved, when it was rendered, the degree of involvement, and the time commitment involved. Use additional sheets if necessary. Letters supporting the nomination, news clippings, and other relevant materials are welcome, but will not be returned.

Nominations must be received by Monday, 20th February, 2011. Mail/deliver to address above.

PRESS Release [1^st July 2009]                                                                    

[Gaborone, Botswana] – The University of Botswana (UB) has been selected by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, globally headquartered in Chicago, as one of 10 universities worldwide to receive significant support in the amount of 2.5 million Pula (330,000 US$) to create a new master’s degree programme in Development Practice. The MacArthur Foundation has awarded $7.6 million US (57.5 million Pula) to seed the creation of Master’s Development Practice (MDP) programmes that will provide rigorous post-graduate training for a new generation of development experts over the next three years.

“Being chosen to receive this grant signifies the increasing global importance of sustainable development and acknowledges the multi-disciplinary competencies the University of Botswana has developed in this area,” said Prof. Ulrich Schmitt, Dean of UB’s School of Graduate Studies (SGS). “UB’s MDP programme will provide an effective enabler towards Botswana’s Vision 2016 and beyond, and its modular delivery (to commence in late 2010 with 21 weeks of residential requirements over 2.5 years) means value-added convenient access for participants and organizations alike.”

The MDP programmes are designed to provide graduate students with training beyond the typical focus on classroom study of economics and management found in most development studies. The programme’s core curriculum bridges the natural sciences, health sciences, social sciences and management. It combines classroom study with field experiences in a range of disciplines, including agriculture, policy, health, engineering, management, environmental science, education, and nutrition.

 “Through our work around the globe, we at MacArthur understand that poverty, population, health, conservation, and human rights are all interconnected, requiring sustained and comprehensive interventions,” said Foundation President Jonathan Fanton. “These new programmes are a model for training the next generation of these critically needed professionals.”

Through financial and other support, the University of Botswana will create a modular programme designed for working professionals. Rigorous independent study will be complemented by two to three weeks of on campus training each semester. University of Botswana will partner with University of Florida to offer field training experiences in Botswana. Other universities that will receive funding to establish the 10 MDP programmes are:

·  Columbia University (New York, New York)

·  Emory University (Atlanta, Georgia)  

·  The Energy Resources Institute University (New Delhi, India)  

·  James Cook University (Cairns and Townsville, Australia) 

·  Trinity College Dublin and University College Dublin (Dublin, Ireland)  

·  Tsinghua University (Beijing, China)  

·  University of Cheikh Anta Diop (Dakar, Senegal)

·  University of Florida (Gainesville, Florida)  

·  University of Ibadan (Ibadan, Nigeria)

Columbia University in New York City, will serve as the Master's in Development Practice Secretariat in helping to manage the MDP network of universities, and will develop an open-source repository for the MDP curriculum and other teaching materials. Ultimately, materials will be shared with other universities as part of an open-source resource on sustainable development for students worldwide, including an online Global Classroom. The universities are expected to produce 250 graduates with a Master’s Degree in Development Practice by 2012, with a total of 750 students enrolled. They were selected based on numerous criteria, including support from top university leadership, excellent infrastructure and academic programmes, the ability to serve as a regional hub, geographic representation among students, exceptional faculty, and a timeline and business plan for financial sustainability when funding ends in three years.

There was widespread global interest in establishing the programs, and the quality and diversity of the proposals indicate strong interest in expanding inter-disciplinary development studies around the world. More than 70 universities in North America, Africa, Europe, Asia, Australia, and Latin America submitted proposals.

CONTACT:  Prof. Ulrich Schmitt, (+267) 355-2391, schmittu AT mopipi.ub.bw

The University of Botswana (UB) is a national asset of significant importance in the country’s ability to achieve national goals and priorities with a student population of 15,000. UB’s School of Graduate Studies (SGS) is one of the eight Faculties of the University and hosts 43 taught graduate programs and 22 MPhil/PhD programs for 1,500 graduate students. More information is available at www.ub.bw.