Story by Kenias Chivuzhe
INCREASED support towards innovation hubs and Industrial parks at Institutions of higher learning have been cited as a vital springboard that will catapult the country to achieve its vision of industrialisation.
A visit by the Higher and Tertiary Education, Innovation, Science and Technology Parliamentary Portfolio Committee, saw Manicaland State University of Applied Sciences Vice-Chancellor, Professor Albert Chahwanda outlining the projects and productivity being realised at the University’s Agro-Industrial Park at the Headlands campus.
“At the Agro-industrial park, we are focusing on crop production. We are mainly into tobacco, maize, wheat and sunflower production. The value addition of the products shall be done at a later stage as we are capacitating the facilities.
“We are in the process of setting up a stock feed plant. The money we generate from sales is ploughed back into infrastructure development with the assistance of the government. We are also setting up a game park and we have acquired a licence for the game park. We are now waiting for the arrival of the animals,” he said.
Higher and Tertiary Education, Innovation, Science and Technology Portfolio Committee Chairperson, Dr Thokozani Khupe who is leading an enquiry into the functionality, viability and efficacy of innovation hubs and industrial parks in universities and polytechnic colleges, highlighted the need to increase support towards institutions of higher learning to make them more productive.
“We must always link education to develop particularly the heritage-based curriculum which integrates research, innovation and industrialization into our learning and teaching ecosystems. We have over 60 minerals in the country and we are also blessed with flora and fauna.
“It is important that institutions of higher education promote research and local production. We want to make sure that our institutions promote job creation as opposed to job seekers. If the government adequately funds these institutions they can be able to export and fund their operations,” she said.
The committee was impressed by the quality bucket seats being produced by Mutare Polytechnic College and recommended that the government engage the institution to upgrade the country’s sporting facilities.
“We visited Mutare Polytechnic and we are impressed with the developments there. They are producing good bucket seats. We are hoping that the contract for Victoria Falls Cricket Stadium is going to be given to Mutare Polytechnic and other institutions of higher learning. Mutare State University is doing well in terms of productivity but we need to move forward into value addition. We must stop to be supermarkets in other countries. We are going to lobby the government to increase support towards research and development,” he added.
Meanwhile, Manicaland State University of Applied Sciences is targeting to complete the construction of student accommodation blocks accommodating 200 students as part of its infrastructural development initiatives.
