NEW ERA COLLEGE – CHAMPIONS OF STEM EDUCATION
26 October, 2021
New Era College participated in the recently ended National Science Week and STEM Festival
2021, hosted virtually under the theme;Fueling socio economic transformation through STEM
awareness and innovation.
The College, being the only private institution of higher learning participating at this year’s
festivities, showcased the combined prowess of their students and staff in creating a
technological solution for everyday use by both commercial and non-commercial farmers, a
Smart Water Supply System. The system allows for farmers to automate the process of supplying
water for their farming processes especially for irrigation and livestock consumption, from
anywhere in the world using GSM communications technology.
The innovation is inspired by the recent occurrence caused by the Covid-19 pandemic which has
forced governments to implement hard lockdowns and strict movement control orders. It was
during these times that a lot of farmers were unable to fully take care of their farm management
including feeding of livestock and irrigation of ploughed areas, resulting in poor yield in the year
2020/21 and famine in most parts of Botswana and the world at large.
Speaking at the commencement of the STEM Festival, Minister of Tertiary Education, Research,
Science & Technology, Hon. Douglas Letsholathebe remarked, “The use of technologies at the
work place and in our daily lives has grown exponentially, our communities cannot therefore be
left behind. I therefore, challenge you, as educators and researchers, to continue to mentor, guide,
and teach our communities and prepare them for the technology-driven economy of the future.”
“As an institution of higher learning, we are committed to being a renowned center of excellence
in STEM based education and continue to equip young learners with 21st century skills in coding,
robotics and creative-solution based thinking. With the aim of growing our profile in STEM
Education, the college will be participating at the 1ST ANNUAL ALL AFRICA STEM
AWARENESS CONFERENCE 2021 billed for the 23rd and 24th of September 2021 in Lusaka,
Zambia,” Kgosi Moremong from the Marketing & Communications Department at the college
said.
New Era College offers young Batswana the opportunity to study towards a career in STEM
through their accredited Engineering programs which produce Engineers recognized by the
Engineers Registration Board (ERB) upon graduation. The College offers Bachelors in
Engineering majoring in Telecommunications as well as Electrical and Electronics.
A video of the Smart Water Supply System is available at the New Era College Facebook page.
