50 lecturers leave GZU for greener pastures

…as university introduces new degree programmes…
By Sharon Chimenya
AT least 50 lecturers have resigned from the Great Zimbabwe University (GZU) in pursuit of greener pastures, negatively affecting its pursuits towards Education 5.0, Vice Chancellor Professor Rungano Zvobgo, has said.
The university has introduced 20 new degree programmes, which are set to address the skills gap in the different sectors of the economy, but the brain drain is crippling specialised human resources.
Speaking during the university’s16th graduation ceremony recently, Professor Zvobgo said efforts that the university was putting up in steering Education 5.0, were being hindered by the staff resignations.
“Your Excellency and Chancellor, despite our best efforts, we face a number of challenges in our pursuit of Education 5.0. Chief among these is the monster called the brain drain, which has raised its ugly head over/across the university, once again.
This year alone we lost 50 members of staff through resignations, five of them were PhD holders. This has negatively impacted our critical mass of specialised human resources.”
He appealed that funds earmarked for innovation projects be disbursed timeously to avoid loss of value due to inflation.
“Your Excellency and Chancellor, in terms of our teaching and learning, I am pleased to advise that the institution has introduced 20 new, ZIMCHE-approved, Education 5.0 compliant degree programmes to address critical skills gaps in key sectors of the economy.
“Some of the new programmes include, Bachelor of Science Honours Degree in Renewable Energy, Bachelor of Science Honours Degree in Applied Biosciences and Biotechnology, Bachelor of Science Honours Degree in Irrigation and Water Engineering, Bachelor of Science in Bio-Medical Sciences,” he explained.
Meanwhile, the institution through its Herbert Chitepo Law School, with support from the Raoul Wallenberg Institute in Sweden, is running a legal aid clinic to assist indigent members of society and at least 2 231 individuals have benefitted from the different outreach activities this year.
The Law Clinic made visits to the correctional services facilities in the province, was able to provide legal assistance to 75 inmates, and successfully applied for bail for three female inmates.
GZU has received about $588 million under the Public Sector Investment Programme (PSIP) and been funded by Treasury for the projects that they have been undertaken such as the Chivi Dry Land Centre for Agriculture, the Simon Mazorodze Medical and Health Sciences construction.