Botswana
Social and Political Transformations in Botswana
June 15-24, 2008
Itinerary
This 10-day seminar begins and ends in Gaborone.
Seminar Fee
CIEE Member: $2,600 Non-Member: $2,800
Academic Content (please note this is tentative and subject to change)
Lectures
- The Evolution of Setswana Culture
- Human Rights and Development in Botswana
- The Struggle between African Traditional Religion (ATR) and Christianity in Contemporary Botswana
- Civil Society, Politics and the Process of Democratization
- Contemporary Societal Ills: Immigration/migration, Crime, Unemployment, and Poverty
- The HIV/Aids Scourge and its Impact on Development
- Socio-Cultural Factors Leading to the Spread of HIV/Aids in Botswana
- Race, Ethnicity and Identity in Botswana
- Women and Development in Botswana
- The Role of NGOs in Botswana’s Development Discourse
Co-curricular Site Visits & Field Trips
- City tour of Gaborone and the University of Botswana
- Cultural Village and Manyana Rock Paintings
- Nature Reserve
- Visit NGO organizations
- Visit Botswana crafts centre
Rationale
Since independence, the government has been recognized for its successful democracy and thoughtful allocation of resources from its mineral wealth and mining operations. Endowed with amazing biodiversity and vast natural resources, Botswana’s significant economic growth and development has been widely hailed. In recent years, however, this growth has slowed and the country is coping with the repercussions of having a population of which approximately one-quarter is infected with HIV. Go beyond Botswana's credo of Democracy, Development, Self-reliance and Unity to understand how Botswana is attempting to balance tradition and modernity; economic growth with preservation of natural resources; and development amid the HIV/AIDS pandemic.
Host Institutions
The University of Botswana traces its roots back to the founding of the University of Basutoland, Bechuanaland and Swaziland (UBBS) in 1964. The current institution was established in 1982, and has a student population of 15,000. The University’s Vision is to be a leading academic centre of excellence in Africa and the world; while its Mission is to advance the intellectual and human resource capacity of the nation and the international community. The University is comprised of six Faculties, including Business, Education, Engineering and Technology, Humanities, Science and Social Science, and a School of Graduate Studies and School of Medicine.
Seminar Leadership
Batsirai Chidzodzo received his BA from the University of Zimbabwe and holds a Diploma in Personnel Management from the Institute of Personnel Management of Zimbabwe. He recently completed an MBA at De Montfort University, where he was recognized for his thesis focusing on the flight of intellectual capital from Zimbabwe. A native of Zimbabwe, Batsirai has spent over ten years working with U.S. study abroad programs in Zimbabwe and Botswana, and is currently the Resident Director of the CIEE Study Center in Botswana. Batsirai’s research interests include the history and politics of Southern Africa in relation to global political history.
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