Bunjiwe Mkwananzi
Theseus Mauruki Shambare
ZIMBABWE has launched what is being described as the world’s first Global University of Inclusivity (GUI), an institution founded on the principle of inclusivity as its core mission, in a development expected to strengthen the country’s Education 5.0 agenda while expanding access to higher education for marginalised communities.
Unlike conventional universities, where inclusion is implemented through policies or programmes, GUI has been designed from the ground up, with inclusivity forming the foundation of its academic, research and community engagement model.
The institution is built around the Ubuntu Inclusive Ecology (UIE) framework, which integrates disability rights, intersectionality and ecological responsibility to address educational inequality, the historical marginalisation of persons with disabilities and environmental sustainability.
GUI Chancellor Dr Christine Peta said the institution was challenging traditional approaches to higher education by placing equity and belonging at the centre of learning.
“The emerging Global University of Inclusivity is calling on all of us to re-imagine education as a driver of equity and belonging across generations, taking cognisance of the fact that true justice embraces both people and the environment,” she said.
The university is rooted in the African philosophy of Ubuntu — “I am because we are” — which recognises shared humanity, mutual care and community as the basis for achieving dignity and social justice.
According to the university, the institution aligns directly with Zimbabwe’s Education 5.0 policy by promoting teaching, research, community service, innovation and industrialisation through an equity-centred approach that also prioritises ecological responsibility.
National Disability Board Chairperson Mrs Loveness Sibanda welcomed the establishment of the institution, saying it represented an important milestone in broadening access to higher education.
“The establishment of the rising Global University of Inclusivity in Zimbabwe is a welcome development and a positive step towards ensuring that higher education is accessible to all people, including marginalised groups such as persons with disabilities,” she said.
She said the university should ensure the communities it seeks to serve are actively involved in its governance and decision-making processes.
Director of the Albino Trust of Zimbabwe Mr Bruce Nyoni also commended the initiative, saying it was consistent with Zimbabwe’s commitment to inclusion.
“It is important at global level to have that kind of a university which champions inclusion. The university is actually hitting the right cause as far as global standards are concerned, especially the Sustainable Development Goals and the Government of Zimbabwe’s commitment to championing inclusion as evidenced by the recently held National Disability Expo organised by the Office of the President and Cabinet,” he said.
The university says it also recognises the role of guide dogs, therapy animals and livestock in supporting persons with disabilities and sustainable livelihoods, reflecting its broader commitment to ecological justice.
GUI says its model positions Zimbabwe as a pioneer in equity-centred higher education and provides a framework that can be adopted by universities around the world, reinforcing the country’s drive to ensure that no one and no place is left behind.
