Nyore Madzianike
PRESIDENT Mnangagwa has lauded the Midlands State University’s efforts towards harnessing its intellectual resources to promote socio-economic development and its transformative community engagement programmes.
He encouraged the university to continue furthering these initiatives across the country, as they are geared towards the realisation of national development priorities espoused through the National Development Strategy 1 (NDS1).
President Mnangagwa made the remarks in a speech read on his behalf by Defence Minister Oppah Muchinguri-Kashiri during the official launch of MSU’s Silver Jubilee celebrations in Harare on Thursday night.
“It is gratifying that MSU has harnessed its intellectual resources to promote socio-economic development in our country, most notably by engaging in transformative community engagement programmes.
“I encourage the institution to further these initiatives across our rural communities, complementing my Government’s programmes targeted at fostering rural development and industrialisation,” he said.
President Mnangagwa said MSU has developed into a highly competitive Education 5.0 education hub that is providing capital and start-ups to develop life-changing solutions that enable sustainable socio-economic development.
“Midlands State University is now a highly competitive Education 5.0 education hub for teaching, learning, research, innovation and industrialisation.
“All of its 10 faculties, which include Medicine and Health Sciences, Engineering and Geo-Sciences, Law and Built Environment, Art and Design, recalibrated their curriculum in 2021/2022 to make their programmes Education 5.0 compliant.
“In line with my Government’s policy, the institution also established innovation hubs and an industrial park to create clear pathways that link research, innovation and industrialisation within the university system.
“The MSU Innovation Hub provides seed capital and incubates promising start-ups to develop life-changing solutions that enable sustainable social and economic development,” he said.
President Mnangagwa said the university increased its visibility through establishment of various campuses around the country.
“To enhance access to education and facilitate continuous learning, the university now has a vivid national footprint as evidenced by the establishment of a network of campuses in Gweru, Harare, Bulawayo, Kwekwe and Zvishavane.
“These aforesaid faculties and campuses are buttressed by a complex ecosystem of research-intensive institutes and centres, such as the National Pathology Research and Diagnostic Centre, the Tugwi-Mukosi Multi-Disciplinary Research Centre, the National Language Institute and the Centre for Public Policy and Devolution.
“These centres and institutes’ research priorities and mandates are geared towards the realisation of our national development priorities espoused through the National Development Strategy 1 (NDS1),” he said.
President Mnangagwa said MSU was now a leading and distinguished example of an institution that is stimulating rural industrialisation, agro-innovations and value addition.
“It is commendable that Midlands State University is now a prime example of an entrepreneurial university that is leading the way in stimulating rural industrialisation, agro-innovations, and value addition.
“The university now operates a viable community engagement project at Holy Cross in Chirumanzu. The land under irrigation produces wheat and horticultural crops. The institution has also established state-of-the-art chalets. This represents a huge boost to rural tourism.
“The black granite beneficiation project in Mutoko District is a game changer. This initiative is in support of my Government’s efforts in reversing the current trend of exporting unprocessed stones and raw minerals to benefit extraterritorial industries,” he said.
President Mnangagwa said his Government was proud of the university’s achievements and pledged to support it in areas of research and innovation.
“The Second Republic is proud of MSU’s achievements and will continue to support the university in its research, innovation and capacity development endeavours. The envisioned university hospital will be linked to the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences and the National Pathology Research and Diagnostic Centre, which I officially opened in July 2022.
“The National Pathology Research and Diagnostic Centre is already providing first-rate diagnostic services to patients while also conducting cutting-edge research to enhance understanding of disease incidence and control measures,” he said.
President Mnangagwa wished the university’s Vice Chancellor Professor Victor Ngonidzashe Muzvidziwa and the whole Midlands State University community success in their future endeavours.
“Continue to be agile, imaginative and innovative.”
President Mnangagwa noted numerous milestones that have been achieved by MSU within its short span of existence.
He said the Times Higher Education Index ranked Midlands State University 18th out of 129 sub-Saharan universities with its alumni now playing critical roles as researchers, academics, innovators, entrepreneurs and leaders around the world.
The President said its academics continue to secure competitive grants, register patents and publish their work in highly ranked journals and MSU is now a veritable citadel of knowledge.
“We have much to be proud of at Midlands State University, and today is an opportunity for us to collectively reflect on the many milestones that have been achieved by the university in teaching, learning, research, community engagement, innovation and industrialisation.
“The institution has been unwavering in pursuit of its mandate to shape the destinies of our young people, as reflected in its motto, ‘Our Hands, Our Minds, Our Destiny’.
“This motto resonates with the Second Republic’s development philosophy, ‘Nyika inovakwa, inotongwa, inonamatigwa nevene vayo/Ilizwe lakhiwa, libuswe, likhulekelwe ngabanikazi balo’.”
President Mnangagwa said he was proud to be involved in the conceptualisation and gestation of the university together with the likes of late Vice President Simon Vengayi Muzenda, Cephas Msipa, Richard Chemist Hove, Ambassador Fredrick Shava and its founding Vice Chancellor, Professor Ngwabi Bhebe.
He said he became the co-patron of the MSU Fundraising Committee alongside Amai Sekai Holland.
“In this regard, we mobilised funds for the construction of the university’s library, the administration block and the establishment of the Law School.
“Following the promulgation of the Midlands State University Act in 1999, the university enrolled its pioneering cohort of 400 students in March 2000, under five faculties: Arts and Social Sciences, Education, Commerce, Science and Natural Resources Management and Agriculture.
“From these humble beginnings, Midlands State University’s growth was quite phenomenal.
“By 2018, the Midlands State University had over 26 000 students in honours, masters, and doctoral programmes.
“Some of these students came from different parts of the continent, including Mozambique, Angola, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Southern Sudan and Namibia, among others.
“This diverse student complement shows that MSU is attuned to the principle of internationalisation,” President Mnangagwa said.
He said he was delighted that Midlands State University adopted innovative teaching models, such as flexible packaging, which enabled students to curate their degrees by taking both core and elective modules from other programmes outside their majors.
This flexible packaging broadens students’ intellectual horizons and employment options when they step out into the job market. The university also adopted Work-Related Learning (WRL) and made it compulsory for all its students, regardless of areas of specialisation.
“Prior to this intervention, work-related learning was narrowly conceptualised as industrial attachment, and it was largely confined to students in the science and engineering domains.
“By pioneering Work Related Learning, MSU made sure that all its students would be ready for the world of work upon completion of their degrees. Over the years, MSU graduates have been quite popular with employers in diverse fields because of their adaptability,” said President Mnangagwa.
“Along the way, the MSU also pioneered the teaching of university-wide modules such as gender and entrepreneurship.
“This means that MSU students are not only innovative and adaptable, but they are also socially sensitive individuals who are aware of the need for gender equity and equality in all facets”.
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