Zimbabwe’s universities must consolidate modernisation and
industrialisation agendas in line with Vision 2030 and use their innovation hubs
and industrial parks to produce goods and services that impact on all sectors
of the national economy, President Mnangagwa said yesterday.
Speaking after Great Zimbabwe University (GZU)’s 14th
graduation ceremony held virtually in line with Covid-19 regulations, the
President said universities should be nerve centres of the drive to accelerate
modernisation and industrialisation through coming up with inventions and
solutions to challenges afflicting the country.
Already, GZU is at the forefront. The President
commissioned a $10 million textile factory at GZU Industrial Park Complex in
the Masvingo Industrial area. This park is also booked for a food preservation
factory and a science innovation factory that will include a bottling plant and
a sanitiser-manufacturing plant.
GZU’s textile factory has been central in the manufacturing
of personal protective equipment (PPE) for health workers in the province and
face masks for ordinary people in the battle against Covid-19.
Prior to the virtual graduation ceremony and opening of the
factory, the President, who is GZU Chancellor, had commissioned the Robert
Mugabe School of Education nearby, which was built under the university’s
multi-campus system and named after former President Robert Mugabe in recognition
of his leading role in the development of education in post-independent
Zimbabwe.
President Mnangagwa said institutions of higher learning
should always focus on registration of patents, research output, development of
prototypes and continuous development of appropriate products. “Under Education
5.0, we must not look at those outside as our saviour. Innovations, inventions
and solutions which accelerate the modernisation, industrialisation and
development of robust rural industry systems must come from among us. In this
regard the centrality of local institutions of higher learning cannot be
over-emphasised,” said President Mnangagwa.
He underscored the crucial role to be played by
institutions of higher learning as centres of solutions to challenges
threatening the Second Republic’s industrialisation and modernisation agenda.
“Construction of innovation hubs and industrial parks are
not the ultimate end. The main interest of my Government is in the products and
services that must be churned out of these facilities impacting on every sector
of our economy.”
The President urged GZU and other universities to register
their patents, taking a leaf from the University of Zimbabwe which was leading
in that regard.
He also challenged local institutions of higher learning to
draw a lesson from the GZU which has immortalised local and regional luminaries
in the struggle for self rule by naming schools and theatres after them.
Among them are former Vice President Simon Muzenda (Simon
Muzenda School of Arts and Heritage Studies), Julius Nyerere (Julius Nyerere School
of Social Sciences), Gary Magadzire (Gary Magadzire School of Agriculture),
Robert Mugabe School of Education and Hebert Chitepo Law School.
“This warm gesture immortalised their contribution to the liberation struggle and independence of our region and nation. “The ideological ethos, culture and values which they bequeathed to us; that independence without economic emancipation is empty. What must inspire and guide present and future generations is to leapfrog our economic, scientific and technological development,” said the President.
He commended GZU for being the first local university to
have an on-campus radio station. The President challenged the local media, both
private and public, to promote national unity, love and honest hard work for
the good of the country.
In his address Higher and Tertiary Education, Innovation,
Science and Technology Development Minister Professor Amon Murwira underscored
the importance of Education 5.0, saying it would give impetus to the national
drive towards Vision 2030.
Institutions of higher learning were at the centre of the
country’s modernisation agenda and industries did not “fall from the sky” but
needed people with skills to develop them.
Masvingo Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and
Devolution Ezra Chadzamira paid tribute to GZU and Vice Chancellor Professor
Rungano Zvobgo for creativity and projects like sanitisers production and the
Campus Radio among others.
This had positively impacted on the province’s economy
especially under Covid-19. The opening of the textile factory by the
university, he said, would go a long way in easing shortages of personal
protective equipment especially amongst frontline health workers in the
Covid-19 fight.
Professor Zvobgo said besides being a laboratory for
students to learn practically, the industrial park complex would also be a
commercial wing of the university to generate revenue to augment its working
capital.
He singled out the Campus Radio as one of the institution’s
strategic business units that was already making a huge impact in society.
Earlier on in his welcome remarks before the graduation
ceremony, Professor Zvobgo had highlighted a number of milestones made by his
institution in the fight against Covid-19.
GZU had manufactured more than 40 000 litres of hand
sanitiser, made face masks and used the Campus Radio to promote virtual
learning. The radio was now accessible in Masvingo, Mashava and Chiredzi where
the university had campuses.
GZU was in the process of setting up a centre for research
in dryland agriculture in the semi-arid Chivi district while the institution’s
medical school was under construction with a lot of ground having been covered.
A total of 4 779 students were capped but only 116 were
physically present with the rest graduating virtually because of Covid-19
precautions.
Those who were physically present excelled in their studies
with distinctions and received awards. Among them was Chief Mugabe, Mr Matubede
Mudavanhu, who graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree (Honours) in Archeology,
Museums and Heritage Studies. He won a university book prize and is a
beneficiary of the Vice Chancellor’s Scholarship.
Also present at the ceremony was State Security Minister
Owen Ncube, GZU council chair Professor Mandivamba Rukuni and senior Government
officials. Herald
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