Online Reporter
Trust Freddy
Herald Correspondent
ZIMBABWE and China have launched the Belt and Road Joint Laboratory on Agricultural Ecology and Cash Crops at the University of Zimbabwe, marking a new phase in bilateral science and technology cooperation.
The facility was commissioned today at the UZ Innovation Hub during the Inaugural Conference and Academic Symposium of the laboratory’s Academic Committee.
Officiating, Minister of Higher and Tertiary Education, Innovation, Science and Technology Development Dr Frederick Shava said the lab reflects Government’s push to turn universities into drivers of industrialisation under the Education 5.0 model.
“The establishment of the Joint Laboratory on Agricultural Ecology and Cash Crops Research is a testament to that leadership,” he said in a speech read on his behalf by Chief Director of Human Capital Planning and Skills Development, Professor Norman Takaidza.
He said the partnership, under the UZ-Sino-Africa Joint Research Centre (SAJOREC) framework, will focus on transforming research into technologies, products and enterprises that improve quality of life.
The laboratory is equipped for molecular biology, environmental monitoring, water quality analysis, GIS and remote sensing, analytical sciences, and agricultural biotechnology.
Dr Shava said the infrastructure will strengthen national scientific capacity and support postgraduate training, staff and student exchanges.
UZ Vice-Chancellor Prof Paul Mapfumo said the partnership already had tangible results and positioned UZ as a leader in agricultural research.
“Your presence reflects the strength of the friendship and scientific partnership between China and Zimbabwe,” Prof Mapfumo said.
“As pronounced by our Chancellor, the President of the Republic of Zimbabwe, Dr Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa, science, technology, and innovation are key to leapfrogging Zimbabwe’s development as we journey toward an upper-middle-income society by 2030.
“We are proud that this partnership has already produced tangible outcomes. Together, we have established a state-of-the-art agroecology research facility equipped with advanced laboratories for molecular biology, environmental monitoring, water quality analysis, GIS and remote sensing, and analytical sciences.”
Chinese Ambassador to Zimbabwe Zhou Ding said the lab is one of 70 joint laboratories China has established with 50 countries under the Belt and Road Science, Technology and Innovation Action Plan.
He said the facility directly supports Zimbabwe’s NDS2 and Vision 2030 goals on ecological restoration, cash crop value addition, food security and rural revitalisation.
“By capitalising on China’s comprehensive industrial chains and vast market potential, both sides will accelerate the commercial and industrial application of research outputs,” Ambassador Zhou said.
He added that the lab will help Zimbabwe leverage China’s zero-tariff policy to boost trade.
Also present were directors from the Ministry of Agriculture, Mechanisation and Water Resources Development and senior academicians from the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Chinese Academy of Engineering, including Prof Wang Qingfeng, Director-General of Wuhan Botanical Garden.
