Chronicle Editor
Nqobile Tshili in SOCHI, Russia
ZIMBABWE will leverage cordial bilateral relations with Russia to tap into advanced skills and expand the growth of its science and higher education fields, which are critical in advancing the country’s developmental agenda.
Higher and Tertiary Education, Innovation, Science and Technology Development Minister, Professor Amon Murwira, said this in Sochi, Russia on the sidelines of the World Youth Festival (WYF).
Zimbabwe is participating in the WYF, running under the theme: “Let’s Start a Better Future Together.” The global summit kicked off last Friday and is ending on Thursday.
It has attracted approximately 20 000 young people from across the world, among them Zimbabweans.
Prof Murwira made several presentations during the summit in which he reiterated the importance of strengthening relations in the education sector for development.
He said education should be at the centre of the country’s development as enunciated by President Mnangagwa.
“Zimbabwe’s literacy rate is over 97 percent but one of the most important things that have been brought by the Second Republic under the leadership of President Dr ED Mnangagwa, is to make education work for the country, to make education practical, to make education respond to our national needs, to make education be the industry that produces goods and services that we need,” said Prof Murwira.
“That is why we have transformed it to Heritage-Based Education 5.0 and in this, we have taken international cooperation seriously, especially with friendly countries.
“We have a very comprehensive relationship with the Russian Federation in the area of science and higher education.”
Zimbabwe and Russia enjoy excellent bilateral relations dating back from pre-independence times, when Russia offered military training and weapons to liberation struggle fighters.
Prof Murwira said Zimbabwe is cooperating with Russia in sciences to modernise and industrialise the country.
“We have had a lot of cooperation in the area of space technology and all other technologies that are meant to enhance Zimbabwe’s competitiveness in the industrial age,” he said.
“So, based on all these philosophies we are able as Zimbabwe to meet our national strategic intentions of being an upper middle-income economy and we can only be able to become an upper middle-income economy when we have knowledge, skill, attitudes, and values that are driving towards that kind of vision.”
Prof Murwira said it was important that Zimbabwean youth are participating at WYF, as this would enable them to forge global alliances necessary for future development.
“So, we are pleased to be at this WYF, which is being held in Sochi, in the Russian Federation, and as Zimbabwe, we are fully participating and contributing to this noble cause of modelling a youth that is responsible,” said the minister.
“In other words, if we train our youths properly, we are likely to have a sustainable future. Our message to the world is that Zimbabwe has transformed its education system from Education 3.0 to Heritage Based 5.0 that is meant strictly for development and achievement of dignity for our people through adequate production of goods and services, and modernisation and industrialisation,” said Prof Murwira.
Russian African Network University director Dr Maxim Zalyvsky said a partnership between Zimbabwe and Russian universities can be instrumental for the country in expanding its skills base.
“Russia has a lot of technologies in terms of exploring soils, in extracting minerals we have good expertise. We can come to Zimbabwe and we can teach people how to extract minerals,” he said.
“We can bring our technology; the Russian African Network University offers possibilities for Zimbabweans in terms of access to higher education.
“It can be engineering, it can be information communication technologies, it can be medicine, etc,” said Dr Zalyvasky.
University of Zimbabwe lecturer, Mr Ephraim Nyaganga, who studied in Russia before returning home to lecture in forensic sciences, said the country is already reaping the benefits of the good ties with Russia.
“Russia is a technologically advanced country, with systems in every economic sector that are well developed. Their willingness to cooperate from business to education will greatly benefit Zimbabwe,” he said. “They are not looking for manpower but to develop specialists and advance development. By end of last year more than nine University of Zimbabwe lecturers were invited to Russia for training in modern teaching and research methods, including cultural exchange.
“They have been inviting doctors, physicists etc within the same period,” said Nyaganga. —@nqotshili
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