The Minister of Education, Jacob Nkate, is scheduled to lead a delegation from the Botswana International University of Science and Technology (BIUST) to the United States of America and the United Kingdom for the next two weeks.

According to a press release from his office, he will visit the highly reputed universities of science and technology in the two countries to seek partnership and collaboration for the development of the Botswana International University of Science and Technology, branded by the ministry as a centre of excellence in the region.

The minister and his delegation will visit the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the University of California at Berkeley, the California Institute of Technology and Harvard University USA. While in the UK he will visit Cambridge University, the Imperial College in London and University of Central England.

"These institutions will provide useful lessons for BIUST to be developed not just as a centre of excellence but to also truly serve as a catalyst for rural development and diversification of the economy," the press release stated.

On his way back, the minister will attend the third ordinary session of the conference of ministers of education of the African Union to be held in Johannesburg, South Africa, on August 9-10 2007. He is expected back on August 13.