Paul Nyathi|President Emmerson Mnangagwa yesterday capped 2 243 graduates at Chinhoyi University of Technology (CUT) where he was also conferred with an honorary Doctorate Degree in Engineering, Sciences and Technology.

At the rate Mnangagwa is getting honorary degrees he appears to be in a quick race to try and attain the number of degrees that his predecessor late Robert Mugabe had. At his death last month, Mugabe was arguably the most capped former Head of State in Africa with 18 degrees: 7 academic, 11 honorary with 3 revoked.

In his acceptance speech, Mnangagwa who had so far received honorary degrees at almost all of the country’s State Universities he has been to and another from Zambia, said science and technology fields had the potential to create jobs and improve people’s livelihoods.

“As I receive this prestigious award, allow me to acknowledge that engineering, sciences and technology are key in the developmental trajectory, modernisation and industrialisation of our great country.

“The transformation of these fields and associated milestones will undoubtedly have a profound effect on the achievement of sustainable economic development. Altering the types of jobs, the way people live, connect, communicate and transact,” President Mnangagwa said.

He urged institutions of higher learning to enhance capacities and competences in engineering, science, technology and innovation in line with the country’s development thrust.

“The CUT is one of those institutions in our country with the mandate to advance the development, design and utilisation of technologies.

“I recognise the strides that the institution continues to make in this regard. I am aware that some alumni of this university have gone on to develop ICT and engineering solutions which are now being used by various public entities,” he said.

The President said the Government will continue supporting the education model that emphasises innovation.

“My Government continues to support the new aggressive, Education 5.0 model, which seeks to expand the core business of universities to include innovation and industrialisation.

“To date I have commissioned innovation hubs at the Midlands State University (MSU) and the University of Zimbabwe (UZ). I am also informed that the CUT innovation hub is also ready for commissioning. Hubs must not be an end in itself.

“It is our expectation that remarkable and paradigm shifting breakthroughs will be developed at these hubs. The development of prototypes, registration of patents and commercialisation of finished, usable and transformative products must be the ultimate objective.”

He added that research and innovations must be a catalyst for economic growth. He bemoaned the country’s continued dependence on imports for its equipment and medical needs.

“Institutions of higher learning must also harness contemporary engineering practices to accelerate the creation of rural industry systems and the modernisation of infrastructure in both urban and rural areas.

“Similarly the negative impact of climate change and the opportunities in the energy sector must inspire the relevant schools of engineering, towards innovative research and product development in fuels and renewable energy,” President Mnangagwa said.

The President later on capped 2 243 students who graduated at the varsity.

The ceremony was the 15th since the establishment of the institution.

In his address, CUT Vice Chancellor Professor David Simbi said the institution was playing its part in helping the country achieve its development goals.

“CUT is continuing in its search for relevance to the nation in the current academic discourse as it seeks to better define a doctrine that so elegantly articulates our subscription to the nation’s vision for the establishment of innovation and industrialisation in the education system and a culture and heritage education architecture that should direct us towards the exploitation of our country’s natural resources,” Professor Simbi said.

He added that they were now focused on producing graduates that contributed to job creation.

The student enrolment has been growing steadily and now stands at 10 800, of whom 9 500 are undergraduates and 1 300 post-graduates.

Prof Simbi, however, bemoaned the low enrolment in science and technology programmes.

“The reason for the low Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) enrolment is associated with insufficient number of high school leavers who successfully complete their Advanced Level in sciences,” he said.

“This has a negative impact in the enrolment for innovation, technology and engineering programmes that rely on science and technology subject sects required to progress the industrialisation and modernisation agenda.

Source: State Media