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Herald Correspondent
The Government has shown its commitment to the innovation agenda by being at the fore of establishing the necessary ecosystem, infrastructure and policies to support research, innovation, and industrialisation developments, Deputy Minister of Higher and Tertiary Education Innovation, Science and Technology Development Raymond Machingura said yesterday.
The sentiments come as Government, under the Second Republic, has been persistently pursuing the Heritage-based Education 5.0 doctrine, which is a bold statement to Zimbabwe’s modernisation and industrialisation initiatives and universities are better positioned to grasp and decipher the new age technologies such as the Internet of Things (IoT), advanced robotics, and the automation that continue to dramatically reshape the global business and social landscape.
In a speech read on his behalf by the ministry’s Permanent Secretary Professor Fanuel Tagwira on the official opening of Technovation Expo at the Harare Institute of Technology (HIT), the Deputy Minister said universities have to emphasise on the three pillars of teaching, research and community service as a way of finding relevance to national development.
“The Government of Zimbabwe has set a vision for the nation to become an upper middle-income economy by 2030, every sector of the economy has its unique role to play in delivering the vision, universities are undeniably the most powerful catalyst for transformation of the economy.
The Deputy Minister applauded HIT for completing important national research projects.
“I am happy HIT has been a cut above other universities by finishing critical projects such as Local Authorities Digital Systems, National Fuel Management Project, impilo Healthcare System, RBZ Bureau de Change transaction management System, labour Case Management System, tapcard Payment System, Battery Grade Lithium Carbonate Cannabis-Hemp beneficiation and Activated Carbon Project for water treatment,” said the deputy minister.
Public Diplomacy Officer at the United States embassy Mr John O. Hishmeh said they partnered with local universities to share knowledge and expertise with the United States meeting logistical costs.
“Our mandate is to provide career programming and promoting international educational exchange programmes that are meant to build mutual understanding and directly engage with foreign audiences to explain and advance university education,” said Mr Hishmer.
The Technovation Expo will run under the theme; “Creating Synergies with Industry through Innovation, Technology and Research”.
It is characterised by a public lecture, hackathon, research symposium with exhibitions, and a biomedical Symposium.
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