INTRODUCING THE BOTSWANA ROBOTICS & AUTOMATION SKILLS TRANSFER (BRAST) PROJECT

Embodied in Vision 2036 is Botswana's aspirations to be a knowledge-based economy by the year 2036. There is a consensus that innovation is important for economic growth and technological advancement. Developed and some emerging countries have successfully sustained or graduated to high-income status through their investment in research, development and innovation. Consequently, this necessitates the development and implementation of impactful strategies. In an endeavour to generate the knowledge needed to transform Botswana from a resource-intensive to a knowledge-based economy, the Human Resource Development Council (HRDC) in partnership with the Ministry of Communications and Innovation (MCI) are undertaking the Botswana Robotics and Automation Skills Transfer (BRAST) Project. 

BRAST is a national strategic initiative designed to introduce robotics, automation, and Artificial Intelligence (AI) programming skills to Junior and Senior Secondary Schools across Botswana. Amongst others, this project seeks to empower students with hands-on technical skills and inspire innovation through structured training and competition, as well as to test the scalability of robotics education within Botswana’s diverse school contexts. There are twelve (12) schools that have been strategically selected for the pre-launch robotics training phase. The participating schools were identified across country to provide a diverse, representative, and high-impact pilot group.

Other partners to this project through their expertise in education, research, technology, and national development, are: University of Botswana UniPOD; Botswana International University of Science and Technology (BIUST), Botswana Institute for Technology Research and Innovation (BITRI), and International Telecommunication Union (ITU).

 The pre-launch training will be rolled out to the selected schools as the schedule below

5th and 9th May, 2025 hosted at University of Botswana UNIPOD Centre

Selected Schools: Mogoditshane SSS & Kagiso SSS & Maoka JSS.

08th – 09th May 2025 hosted at Shoshong Senior Secondary School

Selected Schools: Shoshong SSS & Shoshong JSS

08th – 09th May 2025 hosted at Masunga Senior Secondary School

Selected Schools: Masunga Senior & Ramoja JSS

08th – 09th May 2025 hosted at Gantsi Senior Secondary School

Selected Schools: Gantsi SSS and Marakanelo JSS(Ncojane)

08th – 09th May 2025hosted at Shakawe Senior Secondary School

Selected Schools: Shakawe SSS and Ngambao JSS