Online Reporter
Nyore Madzianike
Senior Reporter
UNIVERSITIES and research institutions must work hand in hand with Government to ensure Zimbabwe’s development remains firmly anchored in its heritage, driven by home-grown innovation, and guided by the shared national vision of attaining upper-middle-income status by 2030, a senior official has said.
Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Trade and African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) Focal Point for Zimbabwe, Ambassador Albert Chimbindi, said the country’s higher and tertiary education institutions play a pivotal role in shaping a knowledge-driven economy that can transform ideas into tangible solutions for national progress.
He was speaking during the official opening of a focus group discussion with academia and policy think tanks drawn from universities, research institutions, and public policy bodies as part of the ongoing APRM targeted review on economic governance and management.
“Let us continue to transform education into innovation and innovation into prosperity for all,” Amb Chimbindi said.
“Guided by the visionary leadership of His Excellency, Dr Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa, President of the Republic of Zimbabwe, our Government introduced the Heritage-Based Education Card and Self-Philosophy, which reorient higher and tertiary education from theory and academia alone to focus on innovation, industrialisation and community impact.”
He said the Education 5.0 model, which promotes teaching, research, innovation, industrialisation, and community engagement, empowers universities to become engines of economic transformation that produce goods, services and technologies responsive to national challenges.
Amb Chimbindi said the role of academia and think tanks in driving national development cannot be overstated, as innovation, technology and intellectual capital are now the key determinants of a nation’s competitiveness.
He noted that the country is creating an enabling environment for universities, innovation hubs and research centres to thrive — a goal enshrined in Section 13 of the Constitution, which mandates Government to involve citizens in the formulation and implementation of development programmes.
Science parks and innovation centres established across the country, he added, are now incubating industrial start-ups, developing indigenous technologies and nurturing a culture of entrepreneurship among students and researchers.
Amb Chimbindi also highlighted that Zimbabwe’s foreign policy increasingly prioritises education, science and technological cooperation, aligning with Section 12 of the Constitution, which promotes international collaboration, peace and development.
“As a result, our diplomatic missions abroad continue to facilitate partnerships between Zimbabwean institutions and international counterparts to enhance research capacity, to mobilise resources and to expand access to emerging technologies.
“Such initiatives are helping bridge the gap between research and industry, while pursuing Zimbabwe as a hub for innovation in Africa and beyond,” he said.
Amb Chimbindi said the ongoing APRM targeted review offers a vital opportunity for academia and think tanks to contribute analytical, data-driven insights that can strengthen governance systems and improve economic performance.
“In line with Vision 2030 and the forthcoming National Development Strategy 2, the Government remains committed to promoting an economy that is modern, competitive and knowledge-driven,” he said
The APRM peer review process, led by Ambassador Aly El Hefny, a member of the African Union Panel of Eminent Persons, runs until November 18 and will assess Zimbabwe’s performance in economic governance and management.
