Bulawayo, (New Ziana)- President Emmerson Mnangagwa on Friday capped 2 504 graduates at the 39th National University of Science and Technology (NUST) graduation ceremony, with the institution hailed for its pivotal role in advancing the agenda of the country to attain upper middle income status by 2030.
The event was held under the theme, “Think Beyond Limits: Ignite Innovation, Power Industrialisation,” which aligns with the country’s Education 5.0 initiative, emphasizing the crucial role of high-level skills, innovation, and industrialization for national development.
Among the graduands were renowned business people James Ross Goddard, who received a Doctor of Philosophy Degree in Civil Engineering Honoris Causa, and the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair chairman and industrialist Busisa Moyo, who was awarded an Honorary Doctorate in Business Leadership.
Zimbabwean envoy to India, Stella Nkomo,was also among those conferred with degrees, graduating with a Master of Business Administration.
Among the graduates, five were Doctor of Philosophy graduates, 241 first-class and distinction students, and 28 foreign students from Botswana, Namibia, Zambia, Eswatini, and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
In his keynote address, NUST Vice Chancellor Professor Mqhele Dlodlo called on Zimbabwe’s graduates to embrace bold thinking, discard outdated norms, as well as drive industrial and economic transformation through innovation.
He said this year the theme was not merely inspirational but a call to action, challenging graduates to transcend self-imposed and societal limitations to pursuing possibilities beyond current realities.
“NUST is proud to be a STEM-focused institution at the heart of the country`s economic transformation. We are not just producing graduates, we are producing solutions, startups, and sustainable futures,” he said.
Prof Dlodlo commended the successful running of the Professor Phineas Makhurane Technovation Centre, a flagship innovation hub which President Mnangagwa commissioned during last year’s graduation.
“The centre is currently incubating five major startup projects spanning agriculture, energy, transportation, manufacturing, and rural industrialization. One of the standout innovations is a tomato powder start-up developed by a NUST student to combat post-harvest losses in the tomato value chain, which sees over 50 percent of produce lost before reaching market. This venture transforms surplus tomatoes into shelf-stable powder. It reduces waste, creates jobs, and provides a practical solution for households, hotels, and export markets. We envision production centres in all ten provinces, putting money directly into rural communities,” he explained
He also highlighted efforts to bridge the rural-urban divide through inclusive industrialization, citing villagers in Plumtree and Tsholotsho who are now partnering with the university to produce livestock feed from indigenous fruits, a move that reduces dependence on expensive commercial feeds while creating local income streams.
“We are taking science from the lab and putting it in the hands of farmers. This is the future innovation that empowers and uplifts entire communities,” he said.
Dlodlo pointed at NUST’s collaboration with Better Engine Performance (Pvt) Ltd, which is trialing a fuel additive designed to improve combustion efficiency and reduce emissions from internal combustion engines.
“NUST is also participating in a $15 million climate resilience project with the Canadian Mennonite University and Bindura University of Science Education, focusing on nature-based solutions for vulnerable communities in Mwenezi, Binga, and Chirumanzu. Innovation must be green. Our digital transformation goes hand-in-hand with environmental stewardship,” he said, referring to the university`s role in crafting the Green Internet Ecosystems Framework, developed alongside the Environmental Management Agency and the Ministry of Information, Communication and Technology(ICT).
Dlodlo said the university was also making strides in health care delivery, with the Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo Teaching and Research Hospital set to receive state-of-the-art medical equipment from China as part of its transformation into a specialist medical facility.
“We are grateful to the Ministry of Higher Education for availing $500 000 for paediatric, gynaecological and theatre equipment. This is a game-changer for our health sciences faculty and the country at large,” he said.
NUST’s enrollment has reached 11 432 students, making it the third largest university in the country after the Midlands State University (MSU) and the University of Zimbabwe (UZ).
The university now boasts 169 PhD holders, including 44 full and associate professors, and has launched 6 new academic programs this year including degrees in Agricultural Engineering, Agribusiness Economics, and a Mandarin language course in support of Zimbabwe-China cooperation.
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