Online Reporter
Diana Nherera
Herald Reporter
HARARE Mayor Councillor Jacob Mafume has said the city’s progress and ability to develop innovative solutions depend heavily on strong partnerships with local universities.
Speaking at the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the City of Harare, the University of Zimbabwe, the Women’s University in Africa, and Arrupe Jesuit University, Cllr Mafume said universities were central to the capital’s economy and to advancing education tourism.
“We have close to nine universities operating in Harare,” he said.
“We need close collaboration with those universities to deal with the challenges the city is facing and to be innovative. That is what we are trying to do, looking at how they can assist us in dealing with pollution, technology, and many other issues affecting residents.”
He said the partnerships would also help upgrade the city’s workforce through training and skills development.
The city, Cllr Mafume said, recently trained more than 35 frontline staff members in sign language to help ensure inclusivity in service delivery.
He stated that the city would soon intensify collaboration in more technical areas, including pollution control, lighting technology, road maintenance innovations, housing solutions, enterprise resource planning systems, home-grown artificial intelligence tools, and smart city applications.
Arrupe Jesuit University’s acting Vice Chancellor, Dr Steven Butland, said the institution stands ready to support the city in areas such as leadership, transformational education, child protection, social justice, and economics.
“We are also interested in business management, financial skills, and IT.
“We have a degree in cybersecurity, which is another area where we can contribute. We may also explore research opportunities for our students,” he said.
Women’s University in Africa Health Sciences lecturer Dr Tonderai Kasu said the MoU would enhance student training through field attachments and practical experience.
“We already have students pursuing degrees in emergency medical care and midwifery who would benefit from fieldwork in the city’s health facilities,” he said.
