Call for a higher education revolution

Stephen Mpofu, Perspective

OUR incumbent revolutionary Government introduced a pathway for the industrial and commercial transformation of Zimbabwe through the mantra: “Ilizwe lakhiwa ngabanikazi balo/Nyika inovakwa nevene vayo/A country is developed by its owners.” This powerful call to action is meant to inspire national ownership and collective responsibility in building the country’s future.

Yet, despite its resonance, institutions of higher learning and industry appear to be operating at cross purposes when they should be working in tandem to realise this vision and propel our motherland towards bold new developmental horizons.

This disconnect was laid bare at the Research, Innovation and Industrial Expo held at Midlands State University (MSU) this week. The event served as a platform to expose the lack of co-operation between academia and industry in implementing the Government’s development mantra. As a result, valuable research produced by students and institutions of higher learning continues to gather dust, rather than being harnessed to drive industrial growth and innovation.

Business executive Dr Tinashe Manzungu, who officially opened the Expo, was forthright in his assessment. A multilingual entrepreneur with vast professional experience, Dr Manzungu addressed the gathering under the theme “Linking Academia and Industry to Forge a Path of Sustainable Growth.” He noted that the theme speaks directly to the heart of national development, challenging Zimbabwe to rethink the relationship between knowledge and production, theory and practice, and ultimately, education and the economy.

“Traditionally, academia and industry have operated in silos,” he said. “Universities focused on generating knowledge, much of it theoretical, while industry concentrated on profit, markets and operations. The result has been research gathering dust on library shelves while industries import solutions that could be developed locally.”

This disconnect has had far-reaching consequences. University graduates, who should be agents of national development, are instead leaving the country in search of greener pastures — many of them ending up in exploitative conditions abroad. In response to this challenge, the Government introduced Education 5.0, a model that goes beyond teaching and research to include innovation, industrialisation, and community service. It is a bold step, but

Dr Manzungu’s remarks suggest that a deeper and broader review of the education system’s role in national development is urgently needed.

His address was not merely a critique but a call to action. It urged stakeholders to align their efforts with the government’s mantra and to recognise that sustainable development requires collaboration between academia and industry. Only through such partnerships can Zimbabwe unlock the full potential of its intellectual capital and build a future that truly belongs to its people.