The ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education Innovation Science and Technology Development hosted the Presidential Students Awards Ceremony on April 13 at the Harare International Conference Centre (HICC) under the theme Promoting and rewarding excellence in higher and tertiary education institutes.
Delivering the presidential address on behalf of President Emmerson Mnangagwa, Higher and Tertiary Education minister Amon Murwira said the country was proud of the outstanding students and they deserve to be celebrated.
“These students have made our country proud and deserve to be celebrated,” Mnangagwa said.
“I requested that the ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education organise this presidential students awards ceremony to make a statement that as the second republic we support the work and efforts of our students.
In his speech Murwira said capability and excellence are the products of a correct education which causes development.
“Real education by nature must dominate the technology trajectory and lead to industrialisation and modernisation through the production of goods and services,” Murwira said.
“Correct education must be linked to the provision of solutions to human needs.”
The minister said curricula must respond to the human needs and produce an industry that satisfies the human needs and in that regard the higher and tertiary education institutions are following Mnangagwa’s directive to implement the Heritage Based Education 5.0.
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“Our grand plan for industrialising and modernising Zimbabwe through Heritage Based Education 5.0 is supported by a well-thought framework or ecosystems with inputs, process and outputs,” he said.
“Our input shall be our heritage that includes our people and natural resources.
“The process shall include the configuration of our education, science and technology systems to provide the necessary capabilities to produce the desired output in the form of industrialisation and modernisation of Zimbabwe.”
Murwira explained how universities were on the forefront in fulfilling the national vision through Heritage Based Education 5.0, with an emphasis and re-orientation of research programmes towards production of goods and services.
He said the government has built and completed Innovation Hubs and Industrial Parks at state universities such the University of Zimbabwe, National University of Science and Technology, Midlands State University, Harare Institute of Technology, Zimbabwe Defence University and Chinhoyi University of Technology.
“We are also implementing agro-Industrial parks at HTEIs. Products of HTEIs are no longer paper certificates only, but start-ups that your government is fully supporting,” he said.
Murwira explained how higher and tertiary education institutions’ students have participated and fared at major local and international competitions.
He thanked Mnangagwa for introducing the annual Presidential Awards Ceremony which started this year.
“Through this event students from higher and tertiary education students who excel in sports and other academic programs are recognised yearly by your office,” Murwira said.
“We are convinced that this event shall motivate other students to participate in various academic and recreational programmes at their colleges and universities.”
At the inaugural awards ceremony, 105 tertiary students from across the country’s institutions were honoured with certificates and prize money.
