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Walter Nyamukondiwa
Mashonaland West Bureau Chief
Zimbabwe should leverage on the existing solid China-Africa relations to promote innovation and industrialisation through harnessing and nurturing the entrepreneurial spirit among its youths in universities, University of Zimbabwe vice-chancellor Professor Paul Mapfumo has said.
Speaking at the launch of the China-Africa Joint Research Centre for Exchanges and Mutual Learning between Civilisations at the University of Zimbabwe, Professor Mapfumo said the research centre will facilitate research that will promote innovation, entrepreneurship and start-up ventures.
It is a collaboration between the University of Zimbabwe and the Renmin University of China, mooted in 2023.
“The research centre will catalyse this entrepreneurial spirit, nurturing student-led initiatives and supporting innovative solutions to societal challenges,” he said.
“The centre will emphasise the importance of responsible innovation, ensuring that our endeavours align with the principles of environmental stewardship and social responsibility.”
Prof Mapfumo said the Sino-Zim relations had bolstered the Government’s heritage-based Education 5.0 where graduates are creators and producers rather than being mere consumers of knowledge generated in environments different from their own.
The research centre will be housed under the Confucius Institute where scholars from the two institutions are expected to collaborate on projects around Chinese and African cultures, languages, and technology.
Renmin University of China Council chairman Professor Zhang Donggang said the centre is important for people-to-people exchanges and sharing energy in the modernisation of both countries.
“The dream of pursuing modernisation together has become the common aspiration of Chinese and African people,” said Prof Donggang.
“Building a community with a shared future carries the important dream of the Chinese people and in the process of modernisation, we should advocate mutual respect, tolerance and co-existence of different civilisations.”
He said the research centre will promote cooperation between the two universities.
Chinese Ambassador to Zimbabwe Ambassador Zhou Ding said the two countries could draw inspiration from their cultures and traditions to address today’s challenges.
“I believe that the Centre will provide a broad platform for high-quality academic exchanges and mutual learning among China, Zimbabwe and other African countries.”
He said the centre will help Zimbabwe attain the ideals of Education 5.0, which integrate teaching, research, community service, innovation and industrialisation, helping to turn Zimbabwe’s demographic advantage into a capacitated human resource.
Online Reporter