St. George’s University has announced the establishment of a new SGU Alumni Association in Botswana—the first such association in Africa, in a country where one in every five practicing physicians is a graduate of SGU.
The association provides a platform for personal and professional development and aims to strengthen the ties between alumni, the community, and the University through outreach and regional events.
The establishment of the Botswana alumni chapter was announced by Dr. G. Richard Olds, president of SGU and Robert Alig, vice president of alumni affairs, at a special launch event on September 21 at the Avani Resort in Gaborone.
“The new chapter in Botswana will offer our graduates here the chance to connect with their fellow alumni in the country, and hundreds more in Africa and beyond,” said Alig. “We are thrilled to be launching this chapter which will assist graduates of SGU by strengthening personal and professional networks and laying the foundations for new ones.”
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Earlier the same day, Dr. Olds led a workshop on “How to Get Into a Top Medical School,” as part of the Inspired Horizons international careers fair in Gaborone. Dr. Olds shared experiences and insights from his career in medicine and medical education, and spoke with prospective Botswanan medical students about applying to SGU.
“We believe the best way to give our students a truly global medical education is to foster a community of global scholars, who will go on to work as physicians and medical professionals all around the world,” said Dr. Olds.
Dr. Orapeleng Phuswane-Katse, a 2011 graduate of SGU from Mochudi, Botswana, now works as medical officer in at Princess Marina Hospital in Gaborone and is doing her residency in public health medicine. She welcomed the announcement of the new alumni chapter in Botswana.
“SGU gave me the opportunity to study in the Caribbean and undertake clinical rotations in the UK,” she said. “It was always my intention to return to practice in Botswana, and this new alumni association will be an especially valuable platform for connecting graduates working throughout the country and demonstrating SGU’s commitment to producing skilled, capable doctors through training and career development opportunities.”
In August, SGU and the Inspired Horizons Association signed a Memorandum of Understanding to further education development for Botswanan students and facilitate opportunities for cooperation between both parties.
