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The Herald, December 15, 1979
MORE than 400 past and present staff members of the University of Rhodesia last night attended a farewell presentation party for their retiring principal and vice chancellor, Professor Robert Craig.
Professor Craig (62), who was appointed principal in December 1969, will be returning to Britain with his wife and family on February 2.
At the gathering, held in the Students’ Union hall, the chancellor of the university, Sir Henry McDowell, paid tribute to Professor Craig’s academic capabilities, humanity and determination.
A silver cigarette box, eight silver goblets, four stools and a copy of a pictorial book on Rhodesia signed by members of the staff was presented to Professor Craig by the chairman of the university’s council, Mr John Cameron.
He was also presented with a cheque and a gift by the chairman of the Students’ Union and Administrative Council, Mr Nyika Ngundu.
Prof Craig said he had chosen to take early retirement – he announced he would be leaving in June this year – three years before his retirement falls due for purely personal reasons.
Describing the occasion as an “extremely emotional one”, Prof Craig said he felt gratitude to his staff, the country and its people.
“I came from a family who considered themselves lucky to have jobs. I was lucky to have been appointed here but now the time has come to return to my native land. It is better to go when people are still asking why you are going than to wait until they say ‘why don’t you go?'”
No successor has yet been named. Mr John Cameron said last night that the working party of the university council were still considering the matter and he hoped a decision would be reached in January.
LESSONS FOR TODAY
- It is always a pleasant thing when one is appreciated by work colleagues. It gives one a sense of worth, belonging and achievement to the organisation.
- Prof Craig who was also a theologian, was upon retirement succeeded by Prof Leonard J. Lewis, who served as transitional principal until Prof Walter Kamba took over in 1981. Prof Kamba was the first black principal of the University of Zimbabwe (UZ).
- The UZ evolved from the University College of Rhodesia and Nyasaland in 1955 to the University of Rhodesia.
- The UZ had a monopoly in higher education, until the establishment of the National University of Science and Technology in 1991. To date, there are now almost 20 public and private universities.
- The President is Chancellor of all public universities.
- From a colonial education curriculum, public universities have now adopted the education 5.0 model, which is expected to “produce relevant and cost effective knowledge products . . . that result in production of new goods and services towards the modernisation and industrialisation of Zimbabwe”, in line with Vision 2030 and Agenda 2063.
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