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Leonard Ncube, Victoria Falls Reporter

TERTIARY institutions should strive to continually come up with scientific research that can capacitate society to be active participants in national development, a Cabinet Minister has said.

In a speech read on his behalf by the director of innovation in his ministry, Dr Willie Ganda, at the 7th Africa Regional Conference of Vice Chancellors and Deans of Science, Education, Engineering and Technology (COVIDSET) here yesterday, the Minister of Higher and Tertiary Education, Science and Technology Development Professor Amon Murwira said Zimbabwe, just like the whole continent, suffers from colonial education that doesn’t embrace innovation.

“To industrialise and modernise our continent, higher institutions of learning in Zimbabwe and Africa need transformation more than ever before. Tertiary institutions have to practically create ways for industrialisation and modernisation agenda. 

“The future of Africa innovation, industrialisation and technology requires us to move away from just being consumers to active participants in the production and issues related to technology transfer, innovation, industrialisation and advanced technology so as to drive Africa into the 21st century,” said Prof Murwira.

Bindura University of Science Education is hosting the conference which started on Wednesday and ended yesterday to provide a fora for exchange of ideas, share experiences and good practices, sensitise policymakers and university leaders on current and emerging trends in science and technology for Africa’s global competitiveness.

It also sought to develop strategies and actions for enhancing university education and training for realising the African Union Science, Technology and Innovation Strategy 2024 (STISA-2024).

Prof Murwira said Africa’s future is based on her design aspirations through use of science, technology and engineering education.

“No matter how many Stem subjects we teach, with a wrong education system design, industrialisation will not happen. Our target is a decent life for all Zimbabweans through industrialising the economy subsequently creating employment. We have redesigned our education system to 5.0 to cause industrial innovation.

“We have progressed well in putting up physical infrastructure of the innovation hubs and industrial parks. Innovation hubs enable active knowledge transfer between researchers and business experts on one hand and industry and government on the other hand,” said Prof Murwira.

“The Education 5.0 includes teaching research, community service, innovation and industrialisation. Innovation hubs are sources of technology that promote creativity, critical thinking and problem solving in the 21st century. This must be more focused on the societal needs and consequently institutions must shift from analysis to analysis and creation.”

Education 5.0 enables tertiary institutions to start innovation hubs and the Minister said three hubs at University of Zimbabwe (UZ), Midlands State University and the National University of Science and Technology were successfully opened and launched by President Mnangagwa recently.

Three others are under construction at Chinhoyi University of Technology (CUT), Harare Institute of Technology and Zimbabwe National Defence University.  Two industrial parks are being constructed at UZ and CUT and more shall be constructed countrywide and linked to State universities.  The Minister bemoaned the disconnect between industries and universities which he said is a result of a design problem where there is a mismatch between design and desired output.

The conference was attended by representatives of all state universities and polytechnical colleges in the country as well as their counterparts from Ethiopia, Ghana, Nigeria, South Africa and Zambia.  The theme was: “Promoting Innovation and the Industrialisation of Africa through Quality STEM education.” — @ncubeleon