Chronicle Editor
Thandeka Moyo-Ndlovu, Chronicle Reporter
PRESIDENT Mnangagwa yesterday capped 2 528 graduands at the National University of Science and Technology (Nust) and launched the US$2 000 Chancellor’s Prize to be given to outstanding science, technology, engineering and mathematics graduands.
The institution’s 26th graduation ceremony was blended. Only those graduating with first class degrees attended the physical event at the university’s Ceremonial Hall while the rest of the graduands participated virtually through social media platforms and followed proceedings on ZBCtv.
Nust like most academic institutions conducted the blended ceremony in line with World Health Organisation guidelines and Government regulations to fight Covid-19.
Of the total capped, 1 139 or 45 percent were females and 1 389 were male.
The President who is also the Chancellor of all State universities also conferred degrees and awards to 194 graduands from Nust affiliate institutions which include Gwanda State University and Isago University in Botswana. In his address, Nust Vice Chancellor Professor Mqhele Dlodlo said the Class of 2020 had done well in completing studies despite challenges brought by Covid-19.
The pandemic, he said, had given Nust a chance to showcase its innovation which resulted in the creation of an online teaching course to empower lecturers and teachers in Zimbabwe and beyond.
The course, iStudyXR Online teaching was made for educators and it incorporates both technical and tutorial aspects of online teaching.
So far it has attracted participants from universities, teachers’ colleges, agricultural colleges, polytechnics from within the country, South Africa, Botswana, Zambia and Malawi.
“The year 2020 shifted the digital revolution of every industry, the education sector included, from important to essential within a few months as the coronavirus pandemic snaked its way across the world. The group of 2020 graduands grabbed the bull by the horns and continued with their studies through virtual learning in the emerging new normal,” said Prof Dlodlo.
“Today they are graduating like no other class in the history of Nust — virtually as well as face to face. This year we are graduating a total of 2 528 graduands including two PhDs and four MPhils.” Prof Dlodlo added:
“His Excellency and Chancellor who is also a Nust Alumnus has lived up to his pledge to the Alumni Association by donating US$2 000 to the best male and female student in equitable measure in a faculty at this year’s and future graduations. The Chancellor’s Prize motivates the Nust community to continue leading in human capital development for industrial and socio-economic transformation with a bias towards science, technology engineering and mathematics.”
He said the transformation of the curriculum at Nust was already bearing fruits as students also designed a platform for small scale farmers to trade virtually as a Covid-19 response.
“In order to support steps towards Vision 2030, Nust has started with in-house developments of certified hand sanitisers, highly effective disinfectants, soaps and detergents. We have managed to supply the whole south-west of the country with anti-Covid-19 products,” he said.
“With such gains we are eagerly moving to complete the long-standing contracts that left buildings unfinished for nearly 20 years in some cases. As we end each unproductive contract, we will implement our own in-house plan to complete the buildings much more affordably.”
Prof Dlodlo handed over 1 000 litres of hand sanitisers, masks and other personal protective equipment which are produced at Nust, to be given to any public institution chosen by President Mnangagwa.
The President said the package will be handed over to Khami Prison and Bulawayo Prisons where he was imprisoned during the liberation struggle.
The two prisons recently made headlines for being Covid-19 hot-spots in Bulawayo where more than 25 prison guards and 76 inmates tested positive. — @thamamoe
Online Reporter