admin
Leroy Dzenga in Victoria Falls
Academic studies whose findings could be of national relevance are now being sponsored by the Government to incentivise education that speaks to the country’s needs.
Higher and Tertiary Education, Innovation Science and Technology Development Minister Professor Amon Murwira said the move will ensure Government can formulate policy from an informed point.
He said this while addressing delegates at the Africa Regional Science, Technology and Innovation Forum here yesterday.
“Innovation shall be driven by societal change-based research. Within a year of adopting this model, more than 60 patents have been applied for by higher education institutions,” said Prof Murwira.
Government is sponsoring 15 PhDs and 15 Mphils and 25 students with projects that have a commercial potential.
Presently, university researches which are mandatory before the completion of each academic stage, are now being submitted as a ritual, without adding to the body of knowledge.
But Prof Murwira said it will no longer be business as usual. He said the continent needs to have a common position and determination of how it wants its science, technology and innovation will transform humans and cause economic transformation for Africa.
Speaking at a different session within the same event, renowned scholar and president of the African Institute of Biomedical Science and Technology, Prof Collen Masimirembwa, called for strict quality control on degrees.
“We should not accept substandard degrees because if we allow that, we will allow flawed knowledge to be passed down.
‘‘We should not qualify our degrees by location to say I graduated from Zimbabwe; as if it is a way of saying do not expect much from me,” he said.
Zimbabwe has been trying to reconfigure its tertiary education curricula, to spearhead economic revival.
Online Reporter