08 Apr 2025

There is need to explore alternative revenue streams to secure the future of the Kanye Seventh Day Adventist College of Nursing (KSDACON). 

Speaking during business networking gala dinner meant to share the institution’s strategic plan with the business community and industry leaders on Saturday, KSDACON Principal, Ms Carole Shabane said while government grants remained essential, financial sustainability was critical for the  growth of the college.

She said they were planning to expand the scope of college to incorporate other industry relevant programmes in the health sector. 

Ms Shabane said the agenda, which was already rolling, was anchored on sustainability, improving operational excellence, building the college brand and good governance. 

Amongst the expected new developments carried within the agenda is expanding the academic scope to introduce new disciplines that respond to the emerging health care industry needs. 

“We are working on developing new programmes while growing the enrollment of the existing programmes,” she said, adding that for the institution to see growth enrollment, there was need to consider international partnerships and programmes hence the current scope diversification. Highlighting on the agenda’s progress, she stated that some new programmes await the Botswana Qualification Authority’s approval. 

“These are credit bearing courses that are raging from certificate to degree courses of which some will be non-clinical,” she added. 

Furthermore, Ms Shabane said KSDACON was in the process of developing short courses from which four of them have already been approved by the Human Resource Council. The approved courses are; Embalming, Mortuary Services, Infection Control and Case Management. 

She said the Disaster Management short course was still under way. Ms Shabane said the scope was expected to include partnerships with international universities such as Adventist University of Africa, so that KSDACON may host their master’s programmes in its quest to increase scope of programmes. She added that the college had started consultations with Lomalinda University to extend its affiliation with the Adventist University and at the same time, they were working on strengthening affiliation with the University of Botswana. 

Moreover she called on the industry leaders to come on board and drive the workforce development programmes, establish scholarships and create funding opportunities that would empower the next generation of healthcare professionals. 

For his part, the Vice Chancellor of the University of Botswana, Professor David Norris said Africa was behind because for years the continent  had not evolved. 

He said most universities across the world were in their fourth generation phase and going to the fifth while most African universities were in the first generation phase. 

“If we are going to resist change and do not research, we are teaching what is outdated and we will forever become paupers,” he said and urged the learning institutions to rise to a level where they would generate income and inculcate entrepreneurial skills upon students whilst studying to start up projects.  

He shared that the curriculum should be reviewed and revamped and further called for the introduction of scholarships in various dimensions as well as capacity building in institutions of learning. ENDS