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Peter Matika, [email protected]

PRESIDENT Mnangagwa yesterday capped 3 201 students with various degrees at the National University of Science and Technology (Nust), marking the first cohort of graduates under the transformative Heritage-Based Education 5.0 programme. 

This innovative educational framework is a significant policy shift for the Second Republic as it incorporates cultural heritage while integrating modern educational practices. 

The result is a well-rounded learning experience for students, which will have a higher impact on the country’s development trajectory and beyond.

The graduation ceremony was held at the Zimbabwe International Exhibition Centre and witnessed by hundreds of people, including the graduates’ family members and friends. President Mnangagwa halted proceedings and “gifted” an outstanding graduate, Passmore Jeke, with the Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa Chancellor’s award of US$1 000 for the best graduating male student.

The graduates included Zimpapers staffers, Saturday Chronicle news editor Stanford Chiwanga, who graduated with a Masters Degree in Strategic Communication, and Chronicle sports writer Brandon Moyo, who graduated with a Bachelor of Science Honours Degree in Journalism and Media Studies. 

Chiwanga also received the Nust book prize and SkillUp24 for the second-best graduating student in project planning, management, and evaluation, while Moyo received the Alpha Media Holdings floating trophy for best graduating news writer.

Other Zimpapers staffers who graduated were Sunday News news editor Vincent Gono, who received a Master’s Degree in Journalism and Media Studies, B-Metro reporter Mashudu Mambo, who received a Masters in Strategic Communication, and Chronicle correspondent Flora Sibanda, who was awarded a Journalism and Media Studies Degree.

Nust Chancellor President Mnangagwa caps Chronicle sports writer Brandon Moyo who graduated with a Bachelor of Science Honours degree in Journalism and Media Studies. He received the Alpha Media Holdings floating trophy for best graduating news writer. Pictures: Eliah Saushoma

Cde Archibald Chiponda, Zanu-PF Bulawayo spokesperson, also graduated with a Master of Business Administration Degree and was awarded the Bulawayo City Centre Archivers Association prize for outstanding research in informal trade.

This year’s graduation ceremony saw a seven percent increase in the number of graduates, compared to the previous year. 

Nust has also experienced an increase in the number of STEM graduates, rising from 58 percent last year to 59 percent this year. Furthermore, the number of female graduates increased from 46 percent last year to 48 percent this year.

This year’s graduation ran under the theme “Celebrating Innovative, Future Ready 1st Graduates of Heritage-Based Education 5.0”.

In his report, NUST Vice-Chancellor, Professor Mqhele Dlodlo, said the theme is appropriate as it describes a new type of human capital critical to the fulfilment of Zimbabwe’s Vision 2030 of an upper-middle income economy.

“The theme also demonstrates that NUST has fully embraced Heritage-Based Education 5.0. The graduates have been trained to provide the essential knowledge and skills needed for the production of quality goods and services for the modernisation and industrialisation of the nation,” he said.

Nust Chancellor President Mnangagwa caps Nobuhle Ncube who graduated with a Master of Science Education Degree in Mathematics and was awarded the Zimdef prize for student with disability at the university graduation ceremony in Bulawayo yesterday

Prof Dlodlo said as a STEM-oriented institution, the high percentage of female STEM graduates is encouraging as it means more female engineers, scientists, IT experts, and architecture and construction experts, among other male-dominated fields.

He said this buttresses the National Development Strategy 1 (NDS 1), which recognises the role of research and innovation in driving industrialisation through the creation of new industries, technologies, services and products.

“As part of our vision of leading in human capital development for industrial and socio-economic transformation with a bias towards science, technology, engineering and mathematics-based solutions, NUST has undertaken research and produced innovations to drive socio-economic development,” said Prof Dlodlo.

“During the year, our students produced innovations that received recognition at national, regional and global levels. NUST received a total of 14 major national, regional and global awards. 

“Only last month, our students shone in Kazakhstan where they won the 2024 Enactus World Cup Championship with their innovation that turns plastic waste into fuel.

“For the first time in the history of Zimbabwe and Africa, the students brought home the Enactus World Cup floating shield, outcompeting students from the United Kingdom and Brazil in the finals,” said Prof Dlodlo.

Graduands follow proceedings at the Nust graduation ceremony in Bulawayo yesterday

He also said the institution had responded to President Mnangagwa’s call for universities to drive social and economic development through life-changing innovations.

“Through our Applied Genetic Testing Centre (AGTC), which is the country’s centre of excellence in DNA testing, NUST was the second runner-up in the Grand Presidential Innovation Award of the Year 2024. We were also judged as the second runner-up in the Best Innovating University category,” he said.

“Our AGTC has expanded its services from human DNA profiling and paternity testing to animal DNA testing, GMO identification, solving cases of stock theft, murder and sexual assault, and HIV viral load testing.”

Prof Dlodlo said the development of infrastructure is key to national development and applauded the Government for the various infrastructural projects undertaken across the country.

He said other projects include the construction of factory shells by Masvingo Polytechnic. Once completed, the factory shells will anchor the university’s industrialisation thrust.

“We are already involved in plastic container production, fruit jam and honey processing and training of small-to-medium enterprises (SMEs), among other services. These products and services will be fully commercialised and housed at the factory shells under the Bulawayo Technology Centre. Indeed, the Heritage-Based Education 5.0 is creating industries,” said Prof Dlodlo.