Online Reporter
Mukudzei Chingwere
Herald Reporter
THE Research Council of Zimbabwe is emphasising the need for partnerships between academia and industry to foster innovation and drive national development.
Speaking at the launch of a new capacity-building programme recently, council vice chairperson Professor Edward Ndhlovu said it was critical to align the research community with goals outlined in National Development Strategy 1 (NDS1).
The council had a three-day training initiative focusing on enhancing understanding of intellectual property rights, developing skills to convert research into marketable products and promoting ethical research practices.
A crucial element of this programme was the encouragement of partnerships between academic institutions and industry, which Prof Ndhlovu believed was essential for innovation development.
He highlighted the programme as a strategic milestone aimed at addressing gaps in the research ecosystem, particularly the translation of research findings into practical applications that can benefit the country.
This capacity building programme sought to enhance understanding of intellectual property rights within the national research ecosystem of Zimbabwe; train participants on local and international intellectual property registration processes; develop skills within the research ecosystem of Zimbabwe for converting basic research findings into real-world, marketable applications; present pathways for bridging the gap between laboratory research and practical implementation and present trajectories for digital health research that the research ecosystem of Zimbabwe might interact with.
This would need to encourage partnerships between academia and industry for innovation development; instil a culture of ethical research practices among Zimbabwe’s research community; educate participants on identifying and avoiding unethical practices such as plagiarism and data fabrication and create awareness of issues of compliance with institutional and international research ethical standards.”
Prof Ndhlovu said the training marked not just a training programme, but a strategic milestone in strengthening Zimbabwe’s research ecosystem, aligning to the demands of the NDS 1.
While policies provided the framework for progress, their full potential was unlocked through continuous institutional strengthening and professional development, which was precisely why this gathering of Zimbabwe’s research leaders is so vital.
“Building on last year’s successes, we’ve designed this edition to be more interactive, practical, collaborative, and outcome-driven,” said Prof Ndhlovu.
