Zimbabwe keen to collaborate with Russian universities

ZIMBABWE is eager to enter into areas of cooperation with two Russian State universities on several faculties which are mutually beneficial to both countries, Deputy Minister of Higher and Tertiary Education, Innovation, Science and Technology Development, Simelisizwe Sibanda has said.

Dep Min Sibanda, who was in Kazan, Russia recently to attend the second edition of the International Forum of Education Ministers, met officials from Ulyanovsk State Pedagogical University and Perm State Humanitarian and Pedagogical University on the sidelines of the meeting which brought together representatives from various countries’ educational systems.

Addressing Ulyanovsk State Pedagogical University officials, Deputy Minister Sibanda said Government is alive to the fact that the institution is highly ranked both in Russia and globally with its rich tradition of quality education from the nine faculties, which include natural science and geography, history and linguistics, foreign languages, educational technologies and continuing education, pedagogy and psychology, law, economics and management, physics, mathematics and technologies.

“In our country, we also have universities with similar faculties which your university should be able to collaborate with. We hope that once you can collaborate with our universities, you will also be able to appreciate the new thrust in our education system,” said Dep Min Sibanda.

Zimbabwe’s education system has transformed from the traditional tripartite system which was anchored on teaching, research, and community service to heritage-based learning which adopted industrialisation and innovation.

Dep Min Sibanda urged the Ulyanovsk State Pedagogical University to consider collaborating in staff and student exchange programmes, joint teaching of specific programmes (physically and online), programmes development, research, joint PhD project supervision, technology transfer, science and innovation, training and skills development, quality assurance and sabbatical leave.

“Our visit to your institution comes against the background of strengthening cooperation between the Government of the Russian Federation and the Government of the Republic of Zimbabwe across many fields. The strides that our friendship and cooperation has made over the last few years is encouraging,” he said.

In his engagement with Perm State Humanitarian and Pedagogical University, Dep Min Sibanda said Government is looking forward to forging partnerships across several fields, including coming up with joint projects, staff and student exchange programmes, institutional capacity building through training and other mutually beneficial aspects with the University of Zimbabwe (UZ) Faculty of Education.

He said his ministry pledges its maximum support to any collaboration that Russian institutions may wish to pursue in Zimbabwe in areas of higher education and science and technology.

“We are aware that last year during the same forum our Minister Professor Amon Murwira held a meeting with representatives of Perm State Humanitarian and Pedagogical University where a discussion was held concerning the setting up of a Russian Language Centre at the University of Zimbabwe and we are happy that this resulted in the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding with the University of Zimbabwe,” said Dep Min Sibanda.

The engagements come on the background of four Memoranda of Understanding signed between Zimbabwe and Russia to cooperate in higher education and science, scientific, technical and innovation activity, training and skills development in nuclear energy and an agreement on mutual recognition of higher education qualifications.

Last year, Russia signed a cooperative agreement with nearly 30 African universities, including from Zimbabwe, to enhance the training of mining engineers on the continent.

Zimbabwean universities benefit as they are part of the Subsoil Africa Consortium Universities under which the agreement was signed.

The signing of the agreements of commitment for the relevant support and implementation of this initiative follows up on the Second Russia-Africa Summit.

At the summit, African and Russian leaders agreed to explore a number of mutually beneficial opportunities in various areas that cover energy generation, agriculture, engineering and education.

President Mnangagwa last year in July attended the Second Russia- Africa Summit where he urged Russian companies to take advantage of the numerous opportunities that exist in the agro-industrial sector, lithium mining, energy and infrastructure development.

More than 1 200 Zimbabwean students are studying in Russian universities. Russia has over the past six decades trained more than 310 000 African students in many fields.