…education must lead to production
Upenyu
Chaota
Chaota
The Reformed Church University (RCU) under the
leadership of Vice Chancellor Professor Obert Maravanyika is making notable
strides towards the implementation of Education Design 5.0 which aims at
problem-solving and value-creation.
leadership of Vice Chancellor Professor Obert Maravanyika is making notable
strides towards the implementation of Education Design 5.0 which aims at
problem-solving and value-creation.
Under Education 5.0, Zimbabwe’s state
universities’ traditional tripartite mission of teaching, research and
community service has been revised to align it to the urgent national ambition
to attain middle-income status by year 2030.
universities’ traditional tripartite mission of teaching, research and
community service has been revised to align it to the urgent national ambition
to attain middle-income status by year 2030.
It
is now demanded of the nation’s higher and tertiary education sector to not
only teach, research and serve the community, but innovate and industrialise
Zimbabwe.
is now demanded of the nation’s higher and tertiary education sector to not
only teach, research and serve the community, but innovate and industrialise
Zimbabwe.
In
making sure that the university is in line with Education 5.0, Prof Maravanyika
said RCU is going to come up with an Institute of Research and Rehabilitation
which will focus on teaching, research, innovation and industrialisation.
making sure that the university is in line with Education 5.0, Prof Maravanyika
said RCU is going to come up with an Institute of Research and Rehabilitation
which will focus on teaching, research, innovation and industrialisation.
“In
teaching, we are going to look at departments that examine, research and teach
programmes on various disabilities. In research, we are going to work around
data collection, cultural challenges and assistive devices. We are going to
have an innovation hub on assistive devices. The innovative hub will look at
how we can look at the issue of spectacles and hearing aids among others.
teaching, we are going to look at departments that examine, research and teach
programmes on various disabilities. In research, we are going to work around
data collection, cultural challenges and assistive devices. We are going to
have an innovation hub on assistive devices. The innovative hub will look at
how we can look at the issue of spectacles and hearing aids among others.
“We had a workshop with people with disabilities and
they told us some of the things that we do for them believing we are helping
them actually do not work. Our research and innovation hub for assistive
devices will be concentrating not only on adaptive but on manufacturing and
warehousing.
they told us some of the things that we do for them believing we are helping
them actually do not work. Our research and innovation hub for assistive
devices will be concentrating not only on adaptive but on manufacturing and
warehousing.
“We have discussed this project with Minister Murwira
and he is very happy with the initiative. We want to make a centre of
excellence and we want it to be a referral centre,” said Maravanyika.
and he is very happy with the initiative. We want to make a centre of
excellence and we want it to be a referral centre,” said Maravanyika.
He said they were looking forward to introducing an
agriculture programme which goes beyond the sense of the word and looks deeper
into land studies.
agriculture programme which goes beyond the sense of the word and looks deeper
into land studies.
“We are going to introduce a programme in agriculture
but it will not just be agriculture because we have had that for years now. We
want to look at ours as agriculture and land studies for sustainable
livelihoods and food security.
but it will not just be agriculture because we have had that for years now. We
want to look at ours as agriculture and land studies for sustainable
livelihoods and food security.
“Land studies is very much related to agriculture and
we want to find out why most communal land is in non-productive areas and low
rainfall areas.
we want to find out why most communal land is in non-productive areas and low
rainfall areas.
“The approach now is to look at more integrated
programmes that look at challenges and proffering solutions. If you don’t
appreciate why people are where they are, it obviously means you have to look
back on your history, the various land commissions from colonisation which had
the relevant acts— the Animal Husbandry Act and the Land Tenure Act.
programmes that look at challenges and proffering solutions. If you don’t
appreciate why people are where they are, it obviously means you have to look
back on your history, the various land commissions from colonisation which had
the relevant acts— the Animal Husbandry Act and the Land Tenure Act.
“All these had a bearing on where people ended up
living and have a bearing on livelihoods,” said Maravanyika.
living and have a bearing on livelihoods,” said Maravanyika.
He said RCU was working to improve agriculture and
other socio-economic and cultural issues so that people do not just get the
technical side of agriculture but also look at other social factors that affect
productivity.
other socio-economic and cultural issues so that people do not just get the
technical side of agriculture but also look at other social factors that affect
productivity.
“We want people to understand what we mean by
agriculture and rural livelihoods. Can we definitely believe that a young man
in Chivi can start a family on eight acres of land and we sink him a borehole
and be able to send his child to university? It is highly unlikely.
agriculture and rural livelihoods. Can we definitely believe that a young man
in Chivi can start a family on eight acres of land and we sink him a borehole
and be able to send his child to university? It is highly unlikely.
“If we say we want to be a middle income economy what
does it mean in terms of earnings? And with where people live, can they indeed
make a living and generate the kind of income we want them to earn?
does it mean in terms of earnings? And with where people live, can they indeed
make a living and generate the kind of income we want them to earn?
“You go to communal areas around this time of the year
and you will see that all the young people are at townships and when you look
at the fields they are unattended and not ready for the rainy season,” said Maravanyika.
and you will see that all the young people are at townships and when you look
at the fields they are unattended and not ready for the rainy season,” said Maravanyika.
Higher
and Tertiary Education minister Professor Amon Murwira launched Education 5.0
to try and move tertiary institutions away from theoretical approaches to more
practical dimensions.
and Tertiary Education minister Professor Amon Murwira launched Education 5.0
to try and move tertiary institutions away from theoretical approaches to more
practical dimensions.
“Our
vision for Zimbabwe is to become a developed upper middle-income economy by
2030. This is only possible if we develop an industry that produces quality
goods and services, if we develop an education system which leads to the
production of quality goods and services.
vision for Zimbabwe is to become a developed upper middle-income economy by
2030. This is only possible if we develop an industry that produces quality
goods and services, if we develop an education system which leads to the
production of quality goods and services.
“It
is, therefore, important to understand that science is the power that drives
industry. Energy from science has to be captured using a particular design,
just as fuel needs a strong tank for it to be useful, otherwise it just
evaporates.
is, therefore, important to understand that science is the power that drives
industry. Energy from science has to be captured using a particular design,
just as fuel needs a strong tank for it to be useful, otherwise it just
evaporates.
“Likewise,
an education system which does not produce goods and services is not relevant
at all. In order for STEM to be useful in Zimbabwe, it needs an appropriate
design for its implementation. We are guided by the philosophy that we do not
buy development but we have to create it through science, technology,
engineering and mathematics (STEM).
an education system which does not produce goods and services is not relevant
at all. In order for STEM to be useful in Zimbabwe, it needs an appropriate
design for its implementation. We are guided by the philosophy that we do not
buy development but we have to create it through science, technology,
engineering and mathematics (STEM).
“No
matter how many STEM subjects we teach, with a wrong system and design,
industrialisation will not happen,” said Murwira.
matter how many STEM subjects we teach, with a wrong system and design,
industrialisation will not happen,” said Murwira.
