UZ comes in from the academic cold after 15 years

The Herald, November 15, 1980

THE University of Zimbabwe is re-establishing its links with universities elsewhere after 15 years of isolation, the Vice Principal, Professor Walter Kamba, said yesterday.

“We are telling them that we are now back in the international community of learning,” said Professor Kamba.

He was speaking after a recent 10-day visit to British universities sponsored by the Central Office of Information for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

During his trip, Professor Kamba had discussions with university education authorities, most of whom showed tremendous interest in forging links with the local university, he said.

He also met members of the Zimbabwe section at the Foreign Office, British Council officials and addressed the annual meeting of the Association of Commonwealth Universities at the Africa Centre.

The guests at the meeting included Zimbabwe’s High Commissioner to Britain, Mr Robert Zvinoira.

“The reception I received was tremendous. There was much goodwill and enthusiasm about Zimbabwe by all those I met,” he said.

LESSONS FOR TODAY

The world is now a global village, which means that individuals, businesses and other institutions can no longer afford to operate in silos. There is need to plug into the global village through creating linkages with similar institutions across the world.

Linkages be it at a personnel, business, academia or any other sphere are important because they aid growth, innovation, diversity, through sharing of ideas and resources.

The University of Zimbabwe the oldest and leading university in the country. It has stayed ahead of the pack because it has managed to maintain its links with some of the leading universities in the world.

Some of the links that are there now were cultivated in 1980 when the university emerged from isolation and decided to re-establish links with other universities beyond the country’s borders.

The best way to be establish links is through engagement. The then University of Zimbabwe vice chancellor Professor Walter Kamba (now late) was able to put the UZ back on the world map when he went out to engage other tertiary institutions.