CommuTalk Reporter
GWERU: The Chancellor of the Midlands State University (MSU) President Emerson Mnangagwa capped 6594 at the institution’s graduation ceremony held this Friday.
The MSU’s 22nd graduation ceremony witnessed only 200 graduates with first-class degrees and those with special awards being physically capped while the rest were capped virtually in line with COVID-19 protocols.
Of the total capped this Friday 3326 were female while 3268 were male.
In a historical moment at the institution, 15 pioneer students of the institution’s medical school will graduate later at the University of Zimbabwe.
MSU Vice-Chancellor Professor Victor Muzvidziwa says the institution is in the process of intensifying the implementation of education 5.0 as a way to come up with graduates who are oriented toward industry needs.
“MSU has undertaken an ambitious program review project. To that end, we have developed 273 education 5.0 compliant new degree programs that are under review by the Zimbabwe Council for Higher Education.
“The University has reoriented itself towards research, innovation, and entrepreneurship. Our research efforts are poised to become more development-oriented. Like you always say your excellence, Nyika inovakwa nevene vayo brick by brick we shall be there,” Prof Muzvidziwa said.
Professor Muzvidziwa went on to highlight some of the success stories that have been realized and patented by scholars at the institution through innovation and research.
“One of our academics came up with an innovation inspired by the inaccessibility of the Great Zimbabwe Monuments due to their grand nature to some social groups such as those with physical disabilities, the physically frail and elderly, and those constrained by finance, distance, travel restrictions occasioned by Covid-19, and time.
“Your Excellency and Chancellor, three of our inventors have come up with an innovation that speaks to NDS1 National Priority 2 (Food and Nutrition Security) and more specifically, the value of indigenous trees, herbs, and grasses for food processing. The innovation is premised on the development of commercial juice, jam, and dried fruit snacks from Zimbabwean indigenous fruits. These food products contain phytochemicals that have medicinal properties,” Prof Muzvidziwa added.
The institution also saw the official opening of the National Language Institute, Pathology Center, and Industrial Park.
