By Noah Marima
President Emmerson Mnangagwa has honoured at least 105 students from institutions of higher and tertiary education, who excelled in the 2022 regional and international competitions.
The inaugural awards are expected to motivate and inspire students to focus more on innovative solutions to community challenges and to be brand ambassadors of Zimbabwe.
In a speech read on his behalf by the Minister of higher and tertiary education, Professor Amon Murwira, President Mnangagwa said the awards seek to foster a culture of recognizing students who excel in different competitions.
The president said the awards seek to inculcate a “culture of innovation and team work” with a view to showcase Zimbabwean talent locally, regionally and internationally.
Zimbabwe has embraced education 5. 0 philosophy underpinned by emphasis on teaching, learning, community service, innovation and industrialization.
The philosophy challenges institutions of higher and tertiary education to do more to become engines of the country’s innovation and industrialization drive. The philology is beginning to bear fruits. “The awards are a clear testimony that our education 5.0 is now a movement of doers, problem solvers and the I-can- do-it-people,” Mnangagwa said.
In a speech read by his deputy Mr. Raymore Machingura, Minister of higher and tertiary education, Prof Murwira spoke about the new thrust of Zimbabwe’s education system.
“Capability and excellence are the product of a correct education and correct education causes development. Correct education must be linked to provisions of solutions to human needs. The curriculum must respond to the need of our people and produce an industry that satisfies those needs,” he said.
The awards were graced by Universities, Polytechnics and Industrial Training Colleges. The Midlands State University collected the highest number of awards winning 22 of the 105 awards. Among universities it was followed by Bindura University of Science and Technology (BUSE) and University of Zimbabwe (UZ).
For Polytechnics, Harare Polytechnic received the highest number of awards while Westgate Industrial College led the pack.
