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University of Botswana and the Harvard School of Public Health Sign Formal Agreement (Gaborone, April 29th, 2005) During a recent visit to Botswana, the Provost of Harvard University, Dr. Steve Hyman met with University of Botswana officials led by the Acting Vice Chancellor Dr. Burton Nguni and signed a formal Memorandum of Agreement on Collaboration between the President and Fellows of Harvard College, on behalf of the Harvard School of Public Health and The University of Botswana. The agreement will facilitate reciprocal collaborative research, training and participation of staff and students from the respective institutions in each other’s academic and research programmes. The agreement, which was signed by the Provost and the UB Deputy Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, Dr. Brian Mokopakgosi in the council chambers at the University on Friday the 22nd of April, builds on the already existing collaborations between UB and the Botswana-Harvard School of Public Health AIDS Initiative Partnership (BHP). “This agreement formalizes the interactions which had already begun. It will create circumstances to increase interactions and enhance the partnership between UB and the Harvard School of Public Health”, says Provost Hyman. “I look forward to working together”. The agreement sets out the conditions under which the Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH), BHP and UB will work together to collaborate on various endeavors that include joint research activities, faculty staff exchanges, training initiatives and establishing a student exchange programme. UB Deputy Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs and the Project Director of BHP will manage the agreement, which is in effect for five years. One of the first assignments the collaborating managers will engage in is the development of an annual work plan. “Currently our collaborations include the provision of guest lecturers from BHP, a fellowship program at the Botswana-Harvard Reference Laboratory and the participation of UB professors in the Data Safety Monitoring Boards for BHP studies”, explains Dr. Ibou Thior, BHP Project Director. “Our hope now is to extend this collaboration to include other areas of common interest”. Also present at the signing ceremony from Harvard University and BHP was Dean John Lichten Dean for Administration and Finance HSPH, Professor Max Essex Chair HSPH AIDS Initiative, Dr. Ric Marlink Executive and Senior Research Director HSPH AIDS Initiative, Mr. Richard Skolnik Executive Director Harvard PEPFAR, Dr. Joseph Makhema Co Director BHPand Dr. Ibou Thior Project Director BHP. Representing UB, in addition to Dr. Burton Nguni and Dr. Brian Mokopakgosi was Dr. Thabo Mokoena, the Coordinator of Medical Education at the University. “This partnership will of course immensely benefit the university in several areas, particularly in providing research and research training in the area of HIV/AIDS, public health and biomedical sciences in general”, enthused Dr. Mokoena. He also stated the agreement allows the university to proactively create an early platform for research and research training in the Medical School and the Faculty of Health Sciences. “We want to start preparing researchers for the medical school”, he said. Now that the agreement has been formalized, there are future plans to look into a student and staff exchange programme across all faculties. For now though, the collaborators agree the priority areas are those related to HIV/AIDS, public health and aspects of biomedical sciences. |