BIT named best private higher education institution!

Susanne envisioned a NextGen university to educate a new generation of leaders. She undertook the almost impossible task of building a modern university from the ground up. By exciting individuals and large corporates for her idea, Susanne raised enough funding for the first phase of this project. Within only 18 months she managed both the construction of a nucleus facility with award-winning architect Francis Kéré and the full accreditation of the university.

The Burkina Institute of Technology (BIT) leaves the inefficiencies and shortcomings of the existing education system behind. BIT boasts an infrastructure unheard of in Burkina Faso, as well as incredibly small classes and English as the language of instruction. Susanne uses technology to bring state-of-the-art education to Sub Sahara Africa. A partnership with edX, a high-quality online course provider, allows BIT’s students to benefit from world-class courses.

BIT’s education combines this knowledge with a focus on application. Together with the Technical University of Munich, she developed a cutting-edge computer science program that allows students to earn a bachelor of science. Now a second bachelor in electrical engineering with a focus on solar energy is being initiated. Susanne ensured that both programs strongly emphasize entrepreneurship through dedicated lectures, group projects, and internships.

Susanne shapes a new generation of Burkina Faso as the founder and president of BIT.

Brice Sawadogo is the head of the Department of Mechanical Engineering at BIT. His role at BIT is to ensure the proper functioning of the department, ensuring that the students have quality training adapted to the reality of Burkina Faso. He is particularly interested in the design of parts production machines. In addition, he is constantly looking for an optimal solution to improve the well-being of others. He believes that BIT will educate a new generation of leaders.

Dr. Sidiki ZONGO graduated from the University of Ouagadougou (currently Université Joseph KI-ZERBO) in Burkina Faso in 2010 with a BSc & Hon. of Physics. In August 2010 He moved to Cape Town in South Africa where he completed his Post-Graduate diploma at the African Institute for Mathematical Sciences (AIMS) in June 2011 and obtained an MSc degree in Physics from the University of the Western Cape (UWC) in March 2013. After receiving Ph.D. in Physics in June 2017 from the University of South Africa (UNISA) Dr. S. ZONGO returned back to Burkina Faso where he joined since November 2017 the Department of Physics at Joseph KI-ZERBO University as an Assistant Professor. Dr. ZONGO also intervenes in several institutions including BiT.

From a research point of view, his current research interests include NLO, materials, nanomaterials for photonics applications, and renewable energy. Dr. ZONGO authored and co-authored a number of peer-review publications. He has attended numerous meetings and conferences including Nobel Laureates Meeting in Germany. He also received several grants that included the AGNES Junior Research Grant and NAM S&T Research and Training Fellowship. Dr. S. ZONGO is an active member of NanoAfnet and the West African Society of Physics.

Dr. Seydou Ouedraogo has 20 years of work experience in Burkina Faso. After graduating as a Design Engineer in Electrical Engineering, he worked for a private company for 2 years. He taught in higher education for over 18 years, with a focus on electricity grids and renewable energies. Most recently, he was head of the Electrical Engineering department at the University Institute of Technology of Nazi BONI University in Burkina Faso. Doctor in Engineering Sciences, he is a master’s assistant in Electrical Engineering since 2019.

For him, innovative technologies occupy a vital place in students’ training, especially in the entrepreneurship area. Dr. Seydou Ouedraogo is motivated to train a new generation of leaders at BIT.

He showcases his professional skills to participate in the bachelor’s degree training program in electrical engineering and renewable energies, in order to shape tomorrow engineers, train leaders who will turn their technical knowledge into business opportunities, passionate future leaders who have strong ethical values, who are at their society’s service. Leaders who fight for their vision of a better Burkina Faso.

Maxime Bako is an IT engineer and believes that programming allows us to create something out of nothing. When programming we are not limited to physical constraints; if you can imagine it, you can create it with enough thought and effort. The idea of developing software that can intervene in several areas such as education, management, health, agriculture, livestock and others is fascinating. Being able to contribute to the improvement of the important areas for Burkina Faso’s development is a great motivation. And the computer programming problems and challenges, constant learning, and satisfaction that come from programming make him love it. No matter where you are in the world and who you are, as long as you have a computer you can program and make a change.

It is a great pride to see this knowledge transmitted to the future leaders of the world.

My name is OUEDRAOGO HAMED. I am a mathematics teacher. Hamed is passionate about mathematics. Indeed, mathematics is a fertilizer for the intellect. Learning mathematics reinforces the rigor and coherence in our analysis which is a guarantee of better discernment. My mission at BIT is to contribute to equipping learners with the mathematical means to ensure the understanding of their dream so that they build them for the happiness of our societies. Training better than you are is a personal achievement. Seeing my students succeed is my ambition.

Diébédo Francis Kéré was born in 1965 in Gando, Burkina Faso and studied at the Technical University of Berlin. Parallel to his studies, he established the Kéré Foundation (formerly Schulbausteine für Gando e.V.), and in 2005 he founded Kéré Architecture.

His architectural practice has been recognized nationally and internationally with awards including the Aga Khan Award for Architecture (2004) for his first building, a primary school in Gando, Burkina Faso. Kéré has undertaken projects in varied countries including Burkina Faso, Mali, Germany and Switzerland. He has held professorships at the Harvard Graduate School of Design and the Swiss Accademia di Architettura di Mendrisio). In 2017 he accepted the professorship for “Architectural Design and Participation” at TU München (Germany).

Kéré continues to reinvest knowledge back into Burkina Faso and other sites across four different continents. He has developed innovative construction strategies that combine traditional building techniques and materials with modern engineering methods.

Kéré’s work has recently been the subject of solo exhibitions at the Architecture Museum in Munich and the Philadelphia Museum of Art (both in 2016) and his work has been selected for group exhibitions such as: Small Scale, Big Change: New Architectures of Social Engagement, at the Museum of Modern Art, New York (2010) and Sensing Spaces, at the Royal Academy, London (2014).

A physicist by training, Professor François Zougmoré brings a wealth of experience to us stemming from his many years of teaching at Université Joseph KI-ZERBO in Ouagadougou. For over 33 years Zougmoré taught at Burkina Faso’s largest university, most recently as director of the Laboratoire de Matériaux et Environnement (LAME).

Professor Zougmoré’s motivation to join BIT: “The spirit of BIT fits very well with my ideals, especially ‘Educating a New Generation of Leaders’. This corresponds perfectly to what brought me to the University of Ouagadougou when I built what is now ‘Physics’ in Burkina Faso, and generally in Africa.”

Arnaud is a Work engineer in Maintenance of Industrial Equipment and passionated about electrical, mechanical, and hydraulic processes. Autonomous and very rigorous, I showcase my professional skills and adapt easily to project management in line with the values ​​of the institute. I have acquired three years of experience as a technical and commercial manager of the company TMh (mechanical and hydraulic technology). From there I pursued a master’s degree in physics, energy option which was a success. As a result, I have the feeling of teaching to bring more to the students, to transmit them my motivation, and work on a team with the administration. Arnaud is motivated to educating a new generation of leaders at BIT.

Dr. Kersley Peters is an educator whose research interest lies in access, retention, and equity in higher education. Dr. Peters holds a Doctorate in Education, Policy, and  Higher education Leadership, from the University of Toronto.   He holds a Master of Science degree in Economics and Development from Southern New Hampshire University Graduate school, and a Master of Arts in Education, from Central Michigan University. He also holds a Bachelor in Education from the University of Toronto, and a Bachelor in Religious Studies from Tyndale University College and Seminary. Dr. Peters is a certified Cognitive Behavior Therapist and Coach (Wilfred Laurier Univ), as well as a certified Therapeutic Family Mediator (University of Toronto). He has worked with the provincial and federal governments as a specialist in program development and worked for 17 years as a senior manager in the social development and human services field. He is the founder and Executive Director of the Career Resource and Education Centre in Toronto, providing career and workplace skills to unemployed and underemployed job seekers. He is a keen educator that believes the role of education is to effect change and fully develop human potential. Primary to his work is,  engaging students, stakeholders, scholars, and community members to implement effective means to ensure black students succeed in higher education. He believes in educating the next generation of academics from an interdisciplinary approach. He has taught in colleges and university and for the past 16 years have been employed by the Toronto District School Board. He has researched and co-authored publications in academic journals. He has also worked in family and cognitive behavior counseling for a number of years, dealing primarily with immigrants from the Caribbean and Africa facing challenges adjusting to life in Canada. Dr. Peters has worked extensively in humanitarian work in Africa and the Caribbean. His focus has been on educational and social development, and mental health, using a social justice and anti-black racism praxis.

Flora Doris Soudre, the IT manager of BIT, is interested in new technologies and by innovation. She started out in data-processing studies and has a master degree in information systems engineering and IT project management. She is delighted to contribute to the mission of educating a new generation of leaders by joining BIT’s team.

Education is the key to development in the world, Africa and particularly Burkina Faso is not on the sidelines. My role in life is to contribute to strengthening the managerial, and technological skills and know-how of the leaders of tomorrow. For that BIT is the ideal place to be because, here, they are educating, what am I saying? We are educating a new generation of leaders.

I am Mrs. NANA/SAWADOGO Djéminatou, a state-qualified nurse. I was trained at the National School of Public Health(ENSP). I took an oath to relieve and save lives. I joined BIT in order to fulfill this oath through quality care to students and administration while helping them to a new generation of leaders.