BIUST entered into collaboration with the Confucius Institute of University of Botswana (CIUB) in 2015. The collaboration enabled BIUST to set up a Chinese Unit which offers Chinese courses to BIUST students as credit elective courses. The ability to speak and write in Chinese has given BIUST graduates a competitive edge in the job market over their peers from other universities. For instance, big Chinese companies operating in Botswana prefer to employ graduates who can speak, read, write in Chinese and understand the Chinese language.
The Unit also offers Chinese courses to members of the public that lead to HSK qualifications up to Level 6. The HSK qualification is specifically provided for non-native speakers of the Chinese language. Through this collaboration, CIUB provides the teaching staff and material while BIUST provides resources for teaching as well as accommodation and transport for the Chinese teachers. In 2020 BIUST became the HSK examination Centre. Due to this status, BIUST can host HSK examinations. This arrangement is mutually beneficial to CIUB and BIUST in that CIUB students in the northern part of the country can write their examinations at BIUST instead of traveling to Gaborone to do so. Similarly, BIUST students and adult learners registered for HSK examinations can also write their examinations at BIUST without having to travel to Gaborone to take the examinations at CIUB. The collaboration is still valid, and both parties are looking for ways to strengthen it.