Harare, (New Ziana) – Zimbabwe’s drive to align higher education with the demands of industry and accelerate innovation will gather fresh momentum this week as vice chancellors from universities across the country meet senior Government officials, private sector leaders and development partners for the inaugural Vice Chancellors’ Roundtable.
The high-level engagement, organized by the Public Service Commission (PSC) in collaboration with the Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education, Innovation, Science and Technology Development, will be held in Harare on Friday under the theme, “Industry-Embedded Human Capital Development and Innovation: Co-creating Solutions in University Innovation Hubs.”
The landmark forum is expected to strengthen collaboration between academia, Government and industry to ensure the country’s institutions of higher learning produce graduates equipped with the practical skills and innovative capacity required to drive the country’s socio-economic transformation.
According to the PSC, the round-table builds on recommendations emerging from the Chairman’s Public Lectures conducted by the Commission’s Content Development and Management Department across universities nationwide.
“Those engagements identified persistent skills gaps and underscored the need for stronger partnerships among universities, Government and industry in developing human capital that responds to national development priorities.
“The meeting will bring together vice chancellors from all Zimbabwean universities alongside senior officials from key Government ministries, including the Ministry of Finance, Economic Development and Investment Promotion, the Ministry of Industry and Commerce, and the Ministry of Skills Audit and Development,” The PSC said in a statement.
Representatives from the Office of the President and Cabinet, the private sector and development partners are also expected to participate, creating a broad platform for dialogue on innovation, skills development and industrialization.
A key highlight of the event will be an Exhibition Park, where universities will showcase Government-oriented innovations developed through their innovation hubs.
The exhibition is expected to demonstrate how research and technological innovation can be translated into practical solutions that support national development and improve service delivery.
The round-table comes at a time when Zimbabwe is intensifying efforts to modernize its higher education sector by fostering stronger university-industry linkages, promoting research commercialization and ensuring graduates possess the competencies needed in an increasingly knowledge-driven economy.
New Ziana
