derick.khumalo
Raymond Jaravaza [email protected]
PRESIDENT Mnangagwa yesterday capped 2 570 graduates at the National University of Science and Technology (NUST)’s 32nd graduation ceremony, as the institution continues to strengthen Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education as a driver of innovation, industrialisation, and inclusive development.
Student enrolment at NUST has grown from 11 432 to 13 352, while female participation increased from 46 percent to 47 percent, reaching 52 percent in the August 2026 intake.
Supported by Government funding for female STEM students, NUST has adopted policies and strategies to achieve gender parity and expand opportunities for girls and youth, ensuring that no one is left behind in the journey towards national development.
This year’s graduation was held under the theme: “Innovative Graduates, Industrial Futures”
President Mnangagwa, who is Chancellor of all State universities, conferred Doctor of Philosophy, master’s, undergraduate and diploma qualifications across various faculties.
Of the 2 570 graduates, 1 362 (53 percent) were males, 1 208 (47 percent) were females while 68 percent graduated with STEM degrees. Five Doctor of Philosophy degrees were conferred while 293 graduated with first class and distinctions. A total of 212 graduates were from NUST affiliate institutions and 19 graduates were international students from Botswana, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Eswatini, Mauritius and Zambia.
Three graduated posthumously after they passed away before graduation day.
Speaking at the ceremony, NUST Vice Chancellor Professor Mqhele Dlodlo said in line with Government policy that the future lies in innovation, value-addition and beneficiation of local resources, the university has embarked on high impact projects.
“Government has granted us a medicinal cannabis licence, which gives us an opportunity to enter the multi-billion-dollar industry and I am happy to report that the inspection process of our facilities is ongoing.
“We are determined to go beyond producing raw cannabis flowers to establishing a centre of excellence and specialised research in medicinal cannabis,” said Prof Dlodlo.
He said in response to President Mnangagwa’s call for universities to be engines of innovation, skills development and research to strengthen the mining sector, NUST intends to develop mineral beneficiation technologies and also train future generations of mining professionals.
“We want to incubate new mining technologies from eco-friendly extraction methods to digital mining cadasters after Government granted us an experimental mining licence.
“We have resumed construction of the Central Library whose construction stopped in 2013. Brick-by-brick we will finish it with our own hands,” said Prof Dlodlo.
He said the NUST Agro-Industrial Park, located in Bulilima District, is now at 95 percent completion.
“We have completed the 7km water pipeline from Mananda Dam and are now constructing two-over-night water storage dams at the farm, with a capacity of 15 million litres.
“These will be populated with over 200 000 Nile tilapia fish, contributing to National Development Strategy 2 (NDS 2) target of a US$1 billion fish and aquaculture sector by 2030.Livestock production has begun with the procurement of 258 herd of cattle, which is already at the farm. An additional 15 000-layer chicken run is 60 percent complete,” said Prof Dlodlo.
“A complementary greenhouse high-tech new growing hydroponic system will enable us to cultivate 500 000 high-yielding ever-bearing strawberry varieties for the export market,” he added.
In 2026 NUST students produced innovations that received recognition on the national, regional and global stages.
“Some highlights include Bridget Sibanda who was selected to present her startup innovation – Beelifeline Private Limited, an emergency response system – at Europe’s largest startup and tech event, VivaTech 2026 expo in Paris, France.
“Our student engineers dominated the national Zimbabwe Institution of Engineers (ZIE) Awards in July this year by emerging as the overall champions, showcasing unparalleled innovation in line with the Heritage-based Education 5.0,” said Prof Dlodlo.
“The students, Michael Kumirai and Desire Chirichoga were sponsored by ZIE to represent the country with their ‘Smart Constructed Wetland’ system at the Balai Kartini Exhibition Centre in Jakarta, Indonesia.”
A NUST graduate Courage Nyoni developed a lobola calculator mobile application that has attracted thousands of users worldwide and gained global recognition after featuring on the Japanese broadcaster, Nippon TV.
“This is a clear demonstration of NUST innovative graduates who are making an impact globally,” he said.
In the energy sector, NUST has entered into a partnership with the Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Authority (Zesa) in pioneering geothermal energy exploration across more than 30 natural hot springs nationwide, notably in Binga and Lubimbi near the Gwayi River in Matabeleland North Province and Rupisi in Manicaland Province.
“This initiative seeks to diversify Zimbabwe’s energy portfolio by supplementing hydro-power, thermal generation and solar energy. Already, a benchmarking exercise has been successfully undertaken in Kenya, laying the groundwork for innovation and progress in our national energy landscape,” added Prof Dlodlo.
Five graduates were awarded the Dr Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa Chancellor’s Award.
The ceremony was attended by Higher and Tertiary Education, Innovation, Science and Technology Development Minister Dr Frederick Shava, Cabinet Ministers, vice chancellors from other universities, captains of industry and senior Government officials.
