Four new State universities to open

By Martha Leboho

Government has approved the opening of four new State universities countrywide in a move expected to consolidate Zimbabwe’s position as one of the countries with the highest number of institutions of higher learning in the region and beyond.

Higher and Tertiary Education, Science and Technology Development Minister Professor Amon Murwira said some of the universities have already started enrolling students.

Professor Murwira was speaking at the Reformed Church University graduation ceremony last Friday where he capped 151 graduates.

The four universities were Marondera University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology, Gwanda State University, Manicaland University of Applied Sciences and the Pan-African Minerals University of Science and Technology.

“The four universities we are yet to establish have been approved by the Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education, Science and Technology Development.

“Marondera University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology has already started enrolling students and the other three are yet to be established,” said Professor Mu- rwira.

The Higher and Tertiary Education Minister said his ministry’s policy priority was to strengthen the learning and application of science in the country.

He said his ministry was going to extend additional support to science teachers and facilities used in science teaching together with increased access to apprenticeships and industrial training colleges.

Professor Murwira urged graduates to be innovative and help with solutions to some of the problems afflicting the country today.

“We want graduates who are innovative. You should create names for jobs that do not have names today. We grew up knowing that there is a teacher because someone named the job before us, let’s also be innovative and create job with new names,” he said.

He cited an example of a new job name that came as a result of the advent of mobile phones.

“We now have a juice card vendor, those people who sell airtime. This name came as a result of the innovation of a phone, and with technology we are going to create more names for jobs that do not have names today.”

Professor Murwira said education can only be useful if graduates come up with innovations that help to construct a nation’s future in fulfilment of the wishes of its people.The Herald