Debswana Diamond Company (Pty) Ltd is a partnership between the Government of the Republic of Botswana and the De Beers Group of Companies. The company was incorporated on 23rd June, 1969 under the original name of De Beers Botswana Mining Company (Proprietary) Limited. On 25th March, 1992 the name of the company was changed to Debswana Diamond Company (Proprietary) Limited.
The mandate of Debswana is diamond mining and associated processes on behalf of the government and people of Botswana. Revenue from the sale of diamonds goes towards broader development, including development of infrastructure, services and human resources in Botswana.
Debswana offers full scholarships to Botswana to pursue diverse disciplines under its scholarship scheme. The focus of the scheme currently is to address the existing skills gap in the mining sector as well as to ensure that the sector has adequate supply in future. Fifty (50) scholarships have been offered in the following disciplines at undergraduate level for the first cohort:
• Electrical & Electronics Engineering
• Civil & Structural Engineering
• Automation &Instrumentation
• Geology
• Geotechnical Engineering
• Mechatronics
• Mechanical Engineering
• Chemical/ Ore Processing Engineering
• Safety and Human Factor – Occupational Hygiene
• Hydrogeology
• Mining Engineering
• Supply Chain Management
• Mine Survey
Debswana has partnered with the British Council to manage the scholarship scheme. Students may be placed in the UK, Canada and Australia and placement will be on the basis of relevance (to mining and industry), quality and value for money.
Fourteen (14) of the fifty scholars are enrolled for A levels in the UK and the remaining 36 are in different institutions in Botswana on programmes which prepare them for entry into university at undergraduate level in 2018/19 for the above stated disciplines.
The British Council would like to invite UK institutions which offer undergraduate programmes in the above disciplines and can demonstrate track record in the mining sector to express their interest in participating in the scholarship scheme and becoming eligible to receive scholarship students.