Chronicle Editor
THE country is reaping the rewards of the Heritage-Based Education 5.0 championed by the Second Republic led by President Mnangagwa where the country’s learning institutions produce goods and services which seek to modernise and industrialise the economy.
President Mnangagwa has, on various fora, called upon the private sector and development agencies to partner with the learning institutions to accelerate the commercialisation and adoption of inventions and products from innovators.
The President has also urged learning institutions to constantly review their curricula and programmes to remain relevant and feed into the development needs of the country.
As part of the education model’s roll-out programme, the Second Republic has introduced innovation hubs at all State universities to serve as incubators from which ideas and science-based solutions can be nurtured to respond to national economic challenges.
The innovation hubs, which lay the foundation for the country’s industrialisation and modernisation, have already helped reduce the country’s import bill as they manufacture products that answer to the country’s needs and challenges.
The success of the education model has seen three first-year students from the National University of Science and Technology achieving global recognition for developing an innovative smart agriculture irrigation system.
The system, which aims to promote precision agriculture, leverages advanced sensor technologies to optimise the irrigation process. By doing so, it significantly reduces water costs while ensuring plants receive the optimal amount of water needed for their growth.
Tanaka Gudza, a computer science student, who was the team leader, Ebenezer Chisare, a data analyst and Tatenda Murwira, a technical co-ordinator participated in the global Innovation Seed Fund competition which was held at the University of Oxford, and they came first.
For their efforts, they were awarded certificates and a medal.
The smart agriculture irrigation system developed by the three students exemplifies how academic learning can be directed towards impactful innovations. By focusing on precision agriculture and water conservation, their project directly addresses critical issues such as resource management and sustainable farming practices, which are vital for both local and global communities.
Nust Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Innovation and Development, Dr William Goriwondo said the students’ innovation is in sync with the National Development Strategy 1 (NDS1), which requires universities to contribute to national growth.
He said the students’ innovation will complement the revolution taking place in the agricultural sector, which has seen the country achieving national food security.
Online Reporter