A delegation from CBZ Bank led by the Managing Director, Mr. Lawrence Nyazema, visited the Bindura University of Science Education and commended the institution for its various innovations that promise significant transformation of the economic fortunes of Mashonaland Central Province and the nation at large.
Speaking after touring BUSE innovation centres, Mr. Nyazema said the University was doing well in terms of research and innovation, and challenged industry to collaborate with higher education institutions in commercialising diverse discoveries being spearheaded by the sector. He was impressed by the enthusiasm and innovativeness of the students and researchers who were working on various projects, proving that Education 5.0 is bearing fruit, as some prototypes are available for all to see.
“Bindura University of Science Education is doing very well and in fact, I was saying the Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education, Innovation Science and Technology Development has done very well in terms of the implementation of Education 5.0. So alongside other universities, we are starting to see the fruits of the investment that have been made over the past few years.
“It’s not just jingles that are being played around Education 5.0. It is to say some proven prototypes are now available. My call and challenge to industry and commerce is to say industrialise all these discoveries and fruits of the research,” said Mr. Nyazema.
“I was challenging universities to research on better wheat cultivars to be grown in Zimbabwe because when we talk to millers. They tell us that the quality of our wheat is inferior to imported wheat. We are done with the first hurdle which was to produce wheat and now it’s a question of making a better quality and that’s where research comes in. I was saying if we use the same enthusiasm that we used on the maize varieties where our varieties are the best on the continent, I don’t see how we can fail.”
He said requests coming from Universities were for industry and commerce to assist in funding especially in research as the current reality is that most of the funding is being done by the Government.
Mr Nyazema called upon industry and commerce to support research and innovation initiatives in higher education institutions.
