By Sharon Chimenya
Zimbabwe’s innovative Heritage-Based Education 5.0 model is poised for continent-wide adoption, as the country prepares to send a professor to the African Union, according to a senior government official.
Heritage-Based Education 5.0 introduces tailored programmes designed to produce graduates capable of solving societal challenges and entrepreneurs who can help improve production and create employment.
Zimbabwe reconfigured its Higher and Tertiary Education System from the tripartite model of teaching, research, and community service (Education 3.0)—which produced only literate, job-seeking graduates—to Education 5.0, which incorporates Innovation and Industrialisation and produces entrepreneurs.
Speaking during the Tourism Investment Forum on Thursday at the Sanganai/Hlanganani/Dzimbahwe Tourism Expo in Masvingo, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, Professor Amon Murwira, said Africa is set to adopt the Heritage-Based Model.
Professor Murwira said that, in line with the theme “Digital Agenda and Artificial Intelligence to Redesign Tourism,” the goal is to foster international cooperation in science, technology, and culture.
He said the country is leveraging technology to revolutionise the tourism sector, guided by its Heritage-Based Education 5.0 framework.
“We are driven by our doctrine, called Liberation of the Mind. A liberated mind is able to relate well with others. Zimbabwe is at peace with itself, and with a liberated mind, we can relate well with others. We are fostering a culture of self-reliance and innovation, thereby instilling self-respect and commanding respect from others,” he said.
“As we harness technology to transform tourism and secure digital frameworks, we are equally mindful that our greatest strength lies in our people. That is why we are embarking on His Excellency’s Zimbabwe Heritage-Based Education 5.0. What are the benefits? The whole of Africa is now set to adopt Heritage-Based Education 5.0, and Zimbabwe will assign a professor to the African Union to ensure this happens by January 2027.”
Meanwhile, in June, the African Union Commissioner for Education, Science, Technology and Innovation, Professor Gaspard Banyankimbona, visited the country on a mission to assess the impact of Zimbabwe’s Heritage-Based Education 5.0 model.
This development underscores the country’s commitment not only to transforming its own educational landscape but also to transforming the entire continent.
