‘Colleges risk irrelevance without innovation’

HARARE, Oct 16 (NewsDay Live) — Government has warned tertiary institutions that failure to produce innovative graduates who can turn research into products, businesses and jobs risks rendering them irrelevant under its Vision 2030.

Higher and Tertiary Education, Innovation, Science and Technology Development deputy minister Simelisizwe Sibanda issued the warning on Friday at St Peter’s Kubatana Industrial Training College’s 37th graduation ceremony.

“If your college continues to produce graduates with no innovation, you will be irrelevant under Vision 2030,” said Sibanda, who was representing Higher and Tertiary education minister, Fredrick Shava.

He urged institutions to prioritise product development, intellectual property protection and industry partnerships to commercialise research and drive industrialisation.

The warning comes as Government plans to establish a National Research, Development and Innovation Fund under the second National Development Strategy (NDS2), targeting research funding of at least 1% of gross domestic product.

The fund is expected to support science and technology research in line with Southern African Development Community and African Union protocols.

Sibanda urged institutions to take advantage of Government research and development support to turn innovations into commercially viable enterprises.

A total of 556 students graduated from the Jesuit-owned college, comprising 353 males (63%) and 203 females (37%). All trained in science, technology, engineering and mathematics disciplines considered critical to the country’s industrialisation drive.

Another 96 community members graduated under the Integrated Skills Expansion Outreach Programme, which takes vocational training into communities.

Of these, 66 were women and 30 men, trained in baking, welding, cosmetology and detergent making in Murewa Ward 6, Dzivarasekwa and Wedza Ward 43.

The ceremony ran under the theme “Empowering Communities through Heritage-Based Education 5.0: Driving Rural Industrialization”, in line with Government’s Heritage-Based Education 5.0 model and NDS2’s ambition to achieve upper-middle-income economy status by 2030.

On inclusivity, the college enrolled eight students under its Work for Fees programme this year, alongside five students with disabilities.

Sibanda also called on tertiary institutions to make artificial intelligence (AI) a core part of their curricula.

He said St Peter’s Kubatana was already training lecturers and students in AI, urging other institutions to align their use of the technology with the Zimbabwe National AI Strategy 2026-2030, particularly its governance, ethics and regulatory framework pillar.

He urged lecturers and students to familiarise themselves with the Cyber and Data Protection Act and the Postal and Telecommunications Act.

“AI without ethics is a weapon,” he said.

Sibanda challenged graduands to become job creators rather than job seekers by registering businesses and forming partnerships. He also warned them against drug and substance abuse.

“Industrialisation cannot be achieved by Government alone, but it requires industry, communities, institutions and skilled people,” he said.