Story by Yolanda Moyo
ZIMBABWE’S Heritage-Based Education 5.0 Model is bearing fruit, with students from the National University of Science and Technology (NUST) having secured top honours at the prestigious Global Digital Forum held in Nizhny Novgorod, Russia.
The international forum, which attracted over 2 800 participants from 165 countries, provided a platform for showcasing cutting-edge digital innovations and technological solutions.
The NUST contingent impressed judges with practical, locally inspired innovations aligned with global digital transformation trends, demonstrating the effectiveness of the Education 5.0 framework in cultivating real-world skills.
Among the winners was Tinodaishe Chipikiri, who was awarded in the Society Track for her groundbreaking iTravel chatbot, an innovation designed to counter travel misinformation.
Bridget Sibanda was acknowledged as a top contributor in the same track for her impactful work in laboratory-based digital projects, while Kudzai Zhuwaki received honours in the International Cooperation Track for proposing a framework to enhance ICT-driven international collaboration.
“Winning this award is not just a personal achievement. It is a reflection of the transformative power of Heritage-Based Education 5.0. This model pushes us beyond theoretical knowledge into practical innovation. It enables us to develop context-based solutions that are globally relevant,” Zhuwaki said.
NUST’s Director of Communications, Mr Thabani Mpofu, praised the students for translating academic knowledge into tangible, solution-oriented outputs, and underscored the importance of funding to support the commercialisation of such innovations.
“Our students have shown what applied education can achieve. These are not mere academic exercises; they are innovations with market potential. To ensure these prototypes contribute meaningfully to Zimbabwe’s industrialisation and technological development, adequate funding must be secured to commercialise them.”
Following their success, the NUST team has been invited to participate in an advanced Internet Security School in Russia between July and August this year.
Zimbabwe continues to accelerate human capital development and foster a generation of innovators, who can leverage on technology for sustainable development and global collaboration.
