NEARLY 96 000 students have graduated from Midlands State University (MSU) since its first graduation ceremony in 2004, with the institution currently accommodating more than 23 000 students pursuing undergraduate honours, master’s and doctoral degrees, a Cabinet minister has said.
The figures were revealed during the university’s alumni reunion held at the institution’s campus in Gweru last week.
Speaking at the reunion, the Higher and Tertiary Education, Innovation, Science and Technology Development minister Frederick Shava, highlighted the university’s rapid growth and its alignment with international standards.
“From its first graduation ceremony in 2004 to its most recent graduation ceremony, which was held at the newly established Kwekwe campus in September 2025, almost 96 000 students have since attained undergraduate and postgraduate degrees and diplomas from this hallowed institution.
“Today, it accommodates more than 23 000 students pursuing undergraduate honours, master's and doctoral degrees, some of the students are from different parts of our continent, including Mozambique, Angola, the Democratic Republic of Congo, South Sudan and Namibia.
“This rich diversity reflects the university's strong commitment to internationalisation — a hallmark of any credible and respected higher education institution,” said Shava.
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He said education remained central to the country’s development trajectory, noting that the government had moved away from the traditional academic model to a more innovation-driven framework.
“We moved away from the traditional model, what we call Education 3.0 — a consumptive system where knowledge was an end in itself,” Shava said.
“We have transitioned to a new, dynamic philosophy: Heritage-Based Education 5.0, a productive model which insists that knowledge without its application towards resolving socio-economic challenges is meaningless.
“In line with His Excellency, the President, Dr ED Mnangagwa’s Education 5.0 philosophy, the university’s faculties are supported by a rich ecosystem of innovation and research-intensive institutes and centres, such as the Zvishavane Coal-tar project, the National Pathology Research and Diagnostic Centre, the Tugwi-Mukosi Multi-Disciplinary Research Centre, the National Language Institute and the Centre for Public Policy and Devolution, and the Chirumhanzu agro-tourism centre.
“These centres are not just academic spaces — they are innovation hubs driving industrial growth, national development and the attainment of Vision 2030 and NDS 2 goals.”
Shava added that the philosophy resonated with MSU’s institutional ethos.
“This philosophy, I must say, dovetails perfectly with this great university's own mantra: 'Our hands, our minds and our destiny.
“Education 5.0 calls upon our minds for innovation, our hands for creation and together, we shape our collective destiny.
“We are redesigning our education to make use of our own rich heritage — our unique flora, our fauna and most importantly, our people — to create the goods and services that our nation needs.”
Shava said the transformation of higher education institutions to innovation hubs was already producing results.
“Also to note is that your university is no longer just a place of learning; it is a crucible for national development, a powerhouse of innovation propelling us towards the attainment of Vision 2030,” said Shava.
He commended the MSU community for its continued innovation and forward-thinking approach.
“Never lose sight of the fact that higher education is the vital foundation upon which our nation's social and economic progress is built. Universities are engines for national development and their innovations are the pathways to Vision 2030 and NDS 2,” said Shava.