Her Excellency Tebelelo Seretse, ambassador of Botswana to the United States, will give a public lecture today before communicating face to face with students and faculty at a reception later this afternoon.
Seretse assumed her assignment on Feb. 16. She had served as a member of Parliament and Cabinet under the former president of Botswana, Festus G. Mogae, from 1999 until 2004, and also contributed to the private sector in Botswana as a board member for several organizations.
The relationship between Ohio University and Botswana started in the 1980s.
“Ohio University won a five-year tender to establish faculty of education in Botswana,” said Beatrice Mary Selotlegeng, who is in charge of ambassador Seretse’s visit and also the director of the Cardinal Health Junior Executive Business Program.
Steve Howard, director of the Department of African Studies, said OU’s relationship with Botswana is an important one because of the country’s stability.
“Botswana is an important African country with a dynamic economy and a stable and democratic political system which is also home to many of our Ohio alumni,” Howard said. “We look forward to renewed energy in our Botswana-OU partnership of two decades.”
So far, OU has hosted two presidents of Botswana on visits.
“This visit will follow steps of our third president’s visit last year, and the visit of our president in 1989,” said Sophie H. Mautle, Minister Counselor of the Botswana Embassy, who is accompanying the ambassador during the trip. “The ambassador is very excited to have this opportunity to see people at OU. We hope we can further develop the relationship between OU and Botswana.”
In 1989, former president of Botswana and Dr. Charles Ping, the president of OU at that time, designated Alden Library as the Botswana depository, meaning it is the richest in information about Botswana in United States.
“The ambassador is coming to bring some books to continue to grow the depository,” said Selotlegeng. “Because I’m from Botswana, I think it’s important whenever it’s possible to bring in somebody from Botswana and cooperate in whichever way, so this relationship can grow from strength to strength.”
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