Zimpapers Logo

Professor Amon Murwira

Freeman Razemba/ Samantha Chipoyera, Harare Bureau
Government has engaged investors to develop state-of-the-art infrastructure for higher and tertiary education institutions countrywide in order to create an inspiring environment for nurturing students, a Cabinet minister has said.

Speaking at an all stakeholder workshop on developing an institutional framework for internationalisation of higher and tertiary education in Zimbabwe in Harare on Tuesday, Higher and Tertiary Education, Science and Technology Development, Professor Amon Murwira, said Government had a vision for learning institutions.

He said Government needed to construct modern infrastructure to create a conducive environment for students.

“My Ministry has engaged investors to develop state-of-the-art infrastructure for higher and tertiary education institutions,” said Prof Murwira.

“We need to construct modern infrastructure to create an aspiring environment for nurturing our students.”

Prof Murwira said the ministry was also spearheading the establishment of innovation hubs and industrial parks at universities, which will raise the profile of innovation, entrepreneurship, as well as research development in Zimbabwe.

He said the industrial parks and innovation hubs will help to create fertile ground for collaboration between students, academics and industry.

“This trajectory to foster industrialisation and modernisation through innovation and research will also address challenges faced by communities in order to improve livelihoods,” said Prof Murwira.

“I need to also emphasise the importance of platforms such as this one for sharing knowledge and experiences to improve the quality of our service delivery for the betterment of Zimbabwe.”

Prof Murwira urged Zimbabweans to take advantage of their high literacy rate to bring in Foreign Direct Investment.

‘‘We must use our advantage of high literacy to bring in Foreign Direct Investment through offering high quality education that has a product and service orientation,” he said.

“Higher learning and tertiary institutions should be revenue centres and not cost centres for the Government as is obtaining now,” he said.