The Botswana International University of Science & Technology (BIUST) is pleased to announce that Professor Patricia Makepe has been appointed a member of the Monetary Policy Committee.
This follows the commencement of the Bank of Botswana (Amendment) Act, 2022 (No. 24 of 2022), the composition and membership of the Bank of Botswana Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) include external members and specified internal staff.
Prof Makepe is an Associate Professor of Economics and Director, Centre for Business Management, Entrepreneurship and General Education in BIUST since 2019. Prior to joining BIUST, she served as Head of Department of Economics, University of Botswana, for six years, and was promoted to Associate Professor in 2013.
She holds a PhD in Natural Resource Development (2003) from Michigan State University, a PhD level Certificate in Environmental Economics from Gothenburg University in Sweden (1997) and a MSc. in Agricultural Economics (1996) from Michigan, State University, U.S.A. She completed her Bsc (Hons) in Agricultural Economics (1992) from the University of Zimbabwe. Professor Makepe completed the Oxford Strategic Management Executive Programme in 2022 and the London School of Economics, MBA Essentials programme.
Professor Makepe’s selected previous engagements include consultancy work for the Botswana National Human Resource Development Plan for HRDC, Botswana (2019), which identified the skills (now and in future), as well as the competency needs for Botswana. Among others, she was a member (2020 to 2023) of the SmartBotswana Ministry of Tertiary Education iTeam which produced the blueprint for establishment of the Science and Innovation School of Excellence (SISE) in Botswana.
She also worked as a consultant for various international organisations namely: the Food and Agriculture Organization, United Nations Development Programme, United Nations Environmental Programme and ResearchICTAfrica. She has served as an assessor and external examiner and is also a member of the African Economics Research Consortium and the Botswana Economics Association. She is currently a co-principal investigator on a Solar Network project involving several international universities like Ulster University in the United Kingdom and Europe based industries.
Professor Makepe has served as a board member in several organisations such as the National Development Bank (2015-2021), African Economics Research Consortium (Kenya, 2011-2015), Botswana Institute for Development Policy Analysis (2012-2015) and Citizen Entrepreneurial Development Agency (2008-2012).
She is a member of the editorial review board of the Journal of Southern African Studies published by Taylor Francis, U.K. and, a member of the editorial review Board of the Tanzanian Economic Review, University of Dar-es-Salaam School of Economics.
The University wishes her all the best in this assignment, and it is confident that Prof Makepe will bring the necessary skills and experience to fulfil her role.