Online Reporter
Oliver Kazunga
Senior Business Reporter
PREPARATIONS for the Industry-University Innovate Together Summit slated for Tuesday next week in Harare are at an advanced stage, with at least 150 delegates expected to attend the event.
The summit, which is being organised by Zimpapers, seeks to bring together key stakeholders including policymakers, research and development experts, universities and colleges to discuss how tertiary institutions and industry can collaborate to produce graduates that meet industry expectations.
In this context, the upcoming event aims to showcase successful examples of industry-university partnerships in Zimbabwe and their impact on innovation and economic growth and identify opportunities for strengthening existing partnerships and fostering new collaborations.
The summit also seeks to explore challenges and barriers to effective industry-university partnerships and develop strategies to address them — discuss the role of Government policies and regulations in supporting research and development, and innovation in Zimbabwe as well as promoting a culture of collaboration and knowledge sharing between industry and academia.
In an interview Zimpapers deputy editor business products and events Mr Kudzanai Sharara said: “We are excited to be hosting the Industry-University Innovate Together Summit to be held at Golden Conifer on Tuesday March 25, where we are expecting 150 delegates that include human resources executives because there are the ones that deal with placements and hiring of students or graduates from tertiary institutions.
“We are also expecting engineers from different fields because they are involved in research and development, college and university lecturers and deans as well as non-teaching staff and students themselves.”
Mr Sharara said the event would be packed with exciting presentations, panel discussions and workshops from different speakers and panellists, including officials from the Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education, Ministry of Skills Audit and Development, Zimbabwe Council for Higher Education, colleges and universities.
“We have assembled a line-up of esteemed speakers from academia, industry and the Government, who will share their insights and expertise.
“We’re expecting the summit to generate meaningful discussions, new partnerships and innovative solutions that will drive industry-university collaboration in Zimbabwe.
“We’re also confident that the summit will provide a platform for stakeholders to share best practices, challenges and successes in promoting innovation and entrepreneurship,” he said.
Skills Audit and Development Minister Professor Paul Mavima is on record saying Zimbabwe needs to adopt decisive policies that promote skills revolution to keep abreast with the fast-paced technical world.
Zimpapers public relations and events manager Mrs Pauline Matanda said: “We are grateful for the support from our Platinum sponsors — the National Biotechnology Authority as well as other partners and sponsors who have come on board to support this initiative.
“We are optimistic that more sponsors will come on board to support the conference and their contributions are invaluable in helping us bring this event to life.
“We’re looking forward to hosting a successful and impactful summit that will contribute to the growth and development of Zimbabwe’s innovation ecosystem.
“We’re confident that our preparations will ensure a seamless and enjoyable experience for all delegates and attendees,” Mrs Matanda said.
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