Online Reporter
Remember Deketeke
Herald Correspondent
GOVERNMENT on Wednesday inked a Knowledge Sharing Programme (KSP) with the Republic of Korea aimed at strengthening innovation, enterprise development and commercialisation within Zimbabwe’s higher and tertiary education institutions.
Speaking at the signing ceremony recently, acting Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education, Innovation, Science and Technology Development, Professor Norman Takaidza, said the initiative marked a significant step towards transforming the country’s education sector into a driver of industrialisation and economic growth.
“It is my singular honour and privilege to officially open the launching seminar for the Knowledge Sharing Programme Project on leveraging Korean expertise to establish sustainable enterprise-supporting initiatives by Zimbabwean higher and tertiary education institutions,” he said.
He said the project was aligned to the Government’s Heritage-Based Education 5.0 philosophy, which places emphasis on innovation and industrialisation.
“Education that does not produce goods and services is irrelevant. He added that institutions of higher learning must evolve into centres of wealth creation and innovation,” he said.
Prof Takaidza described the partnership with Korea as timely, noting that the Asian nation’s experience in entrepreneurship, industry-academia collaboration and start-up support systems would help Zimbabwe translate Education 5.0 into tangible outcomes.
He stressed the need for a whole-of-Government approach to ensure the programme’s success.
“We need to elevate the Government and demonstrate the practical aspect of ministries working together as we want Treasury to back future needs of institutions to get development financial grants from these multilateral financial providers,” he said.
Prof Takaidza said the KSP project would help craft a credible and evidence-based national strategy capable of unlocking development finance for innovation hubs, industrial parks and student start-ups.
Korea Eximbank Chief Representative for the Tanzanian Office, Mr Sungki Jo, said the programme marked the beginning of the 2025/26 Zimbabwe KSP project, a joint consulting initiative between Korea Eximbank and the African Development Bank.
“Today’s Launching Seminar marks the beginning of the Zimbabwe KSP project, a joint consulting initiative between Korea Eximbank and the African Development Bank,” he said.
Mr Jo said the KSP programme, initiated by the Korean Government in 2004, was designed to share Korea’s economic development experience and policy expertise with partner countries.
“The KSP programme aims to share Korea’s economic and social development experience and know-how with partner countries,” he said.
