Online Reporter
Lovemore Kadzura
Mutare Bureau
THIRTY students from Mutare Polytechnic will this Saturday leave for China to undertake one-year diploma programmes in Water Resources Engineering and Electrical Engineering as part of the Government’s efforts to strengthen technical skills development.
The students, 20 males and 10 females, will be studying at Guangdong Polytechnic of Water and Electrical Engineering.
This is the second group to be sent to the Asian nation, and the first group that was sent last year to study the same courses returned home last month.
Speaking at the send-off ceremony yesterday, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education, Innovation, Science and Technology Development, Professor Fanuel Tagwira, said the country is on an industrialisation drive, and the students must acquire knowledge from developed countries and apply it locally.
“Our Ministry, under the Education 5.0 philosophy, has consistently emphasised that teaching alone is not enough,” he said.
“We require research, innovation, industrialisation and community service to walk hand in hand. It is no accident that the disciplines you are pursuing-electrical engineering and water resources and irrigation engineering- sit at the very heart of our national development priorities.
“Zimbabwe’s drive towards energy security and climate-resilient agriculture through irrigation development requires precisely the calibre of technical expertise the Guangdong Polytechnic of Water and Electric Engineering is renowned for producing.
“As you depart on September 5 2026, represent Zimbabwe with discipline, humility and diligence. Study hard, respect the laws and customs of your host country and remember always that you are ambassadors of Mutare Polytechnic and of Zimbabwe. We shall be watching your progress, and we look forward to welcoming you home a year from now as skilled, disciplined and industrious graduates ready to serve our nation.”
Speaking on behalf of the departing students, Never Muzara said they have been afforded a rare and precious opportunity to learn from one of the most advanced institutions and vowed to acquire the knowledge which they will use back home to transform their motherland.
“We have been allowed to learn and explore from China, which has well-developed water and electrical systems. We are grateful to the government for having a cordial relationship with China, which has opened doors for this prestigious scholarship. We will follow in the footsteps of the first cohort, which performed well during their study,” she said.
A representative of the parents, Mr Last Gurure, called upon the students to remain disciplined and be good ambassadors of the country.
He applauded the government for opening such important avenues for young people to acquire high-value technical skills.
“We urge our children to remain disciplined and patriotic as they study abroad. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that must not go to waste,” he said.
“The Government has done its best for our children and must be paid back through hard work and success during the study.”
