SASSCAL expresses a warm welcome to Dr. Budzanani Tacheba who is joining the organisation as the newly appointed Director of Science, Technology and Capacity Development on 1st July 2022.
Dr Tacheba is no newcomer to the science, research, and innovation fields having had representation in these areas in Botswana, at African continental Institutes and international bodies. He brings to SASSCAL a wealth of experience in innovation, technology, research, and science. He served as founding Executive Director for Innovation and Technology at the Botswana Digital and Innovation Hub (BDIH), where his key responsibilities included innovation support programmes, technology entrepreneurship development, facilitating R&D, innovation, and technology funding/commercialization.
His illustrious career has seen him hold senior positions such as Research Fellow at the University of Botswana at the Okavango Research Institute), Regional Coordinator at the Global Monitoring for Food Security Consortium led by Flemish Institute of Technology (VITO); and interim Coordinator in the Botswana Innovation Hub Project Office, among others. Dr. Tacheba has more than 20 cumulative years experience in academia (Research and Development), industry (products development) and government (science, technology, and innovation policy and Science and Technology Parks operationalization).
He also served as non-executive director in the Medical Education Partnership Initiative Advisory Board and Botswana Geoscience Institute, among others. Additionally, he was a review panelist for the National Research Foundation’s African Union-Flagship projects. Currently, he is the founding Chairman of the Botswana International University of Science and Technology (BIUST) Physics and Astronomy department’s Advisory Board; a non Executive Director the Botswana Postal Services Limited since 2918; editor of “The Science, Technology and Innovation Policy Making :Its Trends and objectives in developing countries”, and Harvard Executive Education Alumni.
Just like every other person who has their proud moments in life, Dr Tacheba also has a number of them. In 2015, he completed the Diacore Full Marathon in record time. The following year in 2016, he hosted the Innovation Prize for Africa. Dr. Tacheba also delivered a keynote address at the 5th Regional Conference of Vice-Chancellors and Deans of Science, Engineering and Technology.
