The 2010 to 2013 Revision of the Geology Curriculum at the University of Botswana: Geoscience Education

Introduction

The need for a Geology Department at the University of Botswana was recognized as soon as there was a realization that Botswana was endowed with many minerals such as diamonds, copper, nickel, gold and coal important for powering the nascent economy. This was important for the country to build up its human resources to provide critical skills in the economy. The broad areas required were mapping and exploration geologists, hydrogeologists, geophysicists, etc. The initial curriculum was designed to reflect the circumstances of the times (Wendorff, Kampunzu, & Vink, 1999). It was vital for the geoscience students to appreciate and understand earth processes. The geology curriculum was designed in large part to provide a sound theoretical background and instilling appropriate technical skills. The University of Botswana provided students with knowledge on rocks and minerals as well as introducing them to new techniques. The students were equipped with the ability to produce geological maps and reports employing the techniques learnt in field-based courses. The graduates upon completion were employed by the government of Botswana and private sector companies in diverse fields such as mineral prospecting, mining, geological mapping utilizing geophysical techniques such as gravity, resistivity and seismic surveys, groundwater exploration and groundwater resources evaluation.

Figure 1.

Map of Botswana showing the location of Botswana in southern Africa, showing location of major towns in the south and the Trans-Kalahari Highway (A3)

(Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica-Accessed- 23/02/2016)