Bulawayo Polytechnic holds research conference

Whinsley Masara, Chronicle Reporter
THE Bulawayo Polytechnic is set to hold a research and innovation conference next week in Victoria Falls aimed at finding ways to dove-tail its courses with ZimAsset, the country’s economic blueprint.

About 80 delegates drawn from institutions of higher learning across the country are expected to attend the two-day conference, which starts next Thursday.

Bulawayo Polytechnic principal, Gilbert Mabasa, said the conference, will this year be held under the theme: “Technical and Vocational Education (TVET) for socio-economic transformation through the value addition beneficiation.”

Mabasa said: “Bulawayo Polytechnic is one of the key players in TVET and the conference will highlight how TVET contributes to socio-economic transformation through the value addition and beneficiation.”

“Researchers, leaders, academics, policy makers, business executives and practitioners in the area of TVET will attend,” he said.

“The polytechnic is working on realigning its education system with Zim-Asset in an effort to turn its graduates into key players in the country’s economic development,” he said.

Mabasa said such conferences have in the past been held by universities but this will be the second time it is held by a polytechnic.

Last year it was held in Hwange.

“Bulawayo Polytechnic holds these conferences to give the opportunity to share knowledge and experiences, research findings and recommendations for policy makers. Its impact is to encourage and inform better research in TVET practicing institutions.

“On ZIMASSET, all these activities improve TVET which in turn develops human capital, furthermore, the innovation and artifacts have the potential to improve the economy,” said Mabasa.

Bulawayo Polytechnic was established in 1927 initially as a technical school to meet the demands of the industry when the city was then the industrial hub of Southern Africa.

It has grown from a preserve of a minority, which started with 37 white students, to an institution enrolling more than 5,000 students drawn from all over the country.