Midlands State University (MSU) has strengthened its research and innovation agenda through a strategic partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), a move expected to enhance the institution’s contribution to Zimbabwe’s national development while expanding opportunities for international collaboration.
The partnership was reaffirmed during a high-level engagement between the university and the UNDP National Steering Committee held in Gweru last Tuesday, where both parties aligned expectations on grant implementation, research excellence and innovation as the collaboration enters its implementation phase.
Speaking during the engagement, MSU acting executive Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences, Thomas Marambanyika, said the university was ready to deliver on the grant’s objectives and viewed the initiative as the beginning of a long-term relationship anchored on quality research and innovation.
“MSU is prepared to deliver quality outputs across all the key deliverables of the grant. This marks the beginning of a long-term partnership, and we are grateful for the confidence placed in the university through this grant,” he said.
Marambanyika said the collaboration complements the university’s Heritage-Based Education 5.0 philosophy, which prioritises research, innovation and industrialisation in developing practical solutions to national and global challenges.
MSU executive director for the Research and Innovation Division, Gift Mehlana, reaffirmed the institution’s commitment to ensuring transparent and responsible management of the grant while delivering projects that advance Zimbabwe’s research and innovation agenda.
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He said the university remains committed to producing impactful research that responds to national priorities and contributes to sustainable socio-economic development.
National Steering Committee chairperson, Langton Mabhanga, underscored the importance of strengthening collaboration among institutions, saying partnerships are key to maximising research impact, fostering innovation and promoting knowledge sharing across Zimbabwe’s research ecosystem.
UNDP coordinator for the UNDP-Global Environment Facility Small Grants Programme in Zimbabwe Tsitsi Utaunashe expressed confidence in MSU’s capacity to successfully implement the funded projects, adding that the results would be showcased at the forthcoming GEF Regional Conference in September.
“We look forward to seeing the outputs from the funded projects being showcased at the GEF Regional Conference in September. We are confident this partnership will produce quality outputs that create value at the local level,” she said.
The partnership further cements Midlands State University’s reputation as a research-intensive institution that continues to build strategic alliances aimed at generating knowledge, driving innovation and producing practical solutions that contribute to Zimbabwe’s development aspirations.