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Online writer

THE 7th SADC Summit Public Lecture, being held today at the University of Zimbabwe’s Diamond Conference Centre, has brought together senior government officials, academics, and representatives from the region to discuss strategies for leveraging research and innovation to transform the region into a sustainable industrialised economy.

The key objectives of the 2024 SADC Summit Public Lecture are:

1. To demonstrate the significance of research and innovation in education systems in transforming SADC into an industrialised region.
2. To identify strategies to enhance research and innovation capacity in SADC schools, colleges, vocational training centers, and universities, and their roles in driving industrialisation.
3. To unpack research and innovation ecosystems that drive industrialisation for sustained economic and social development.
4. 

The event will feature a keynote address by President Emmerson Mnangagwa of Zimbabwe, who always highlights the importance of fostering collaborative partnerships between the public and private sectors, as well as educational institutions, to harness the region’s intellectual capital and drive innovation-led industrialisation.

Attendees will engage in discussions on a range of topics, including the need to strengthen research infrastructure, promote interdisciplinary collaboration, and align education curricula with the skills required by the region’s emerging industries.

The 7th SADC Summit, scheduled to take place in Zimbabwe on 17 August, will provide a platform for regional leaders to further deliberate on economic integration and development priorities, with a focus on harnessing the power of research and innovation to achieve sustainable industrial transformation across southern Africa.