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Dr Tapera

Chipo Sabeta Chinhoyi Bureau
Chinhoyi University of Technology (CUT) has embarked on infrastructure development projects, including building of laboratories, offices and lecture rooms.

CUT has also bought Kariba Country Club as its School of Hospitality and Tourism spreads wings. The newly-acquired campus will be utilised by CUT students for aquatic fisheries and tourism practicals and research. Already, the school runs CUT Hotel and Orange Grove Motel, while other complexes have also been bought to increase learning space at the former teachers’ college.

This comes as the engineering block and the deans’ block at the campus is nearing completion. CUT director of marketing and public relations Dr Musekiwa Tapera said the developments would see the university fulfilling its mandate.

“We are excited that our school of engineering is nearing completion,” he said. “The contractors are working on the finishing touches. We are also excited about the near completion of the deans’ offices where deans from all faculties and their secretaries will be working from.

“Through the enhancement of entrepreneurship and provision of engineering solutions to community problems, we have resolved that the school get adequate infrastructure, resources, laboratories and lecture rooms. Everything will be housed under one roof.” CUT will have dedicated teaching and research laboratories for mechatronics, biotechnology, computer science, engineering and electronics, combustion and material processing technology.

The laboratories are expected to promote research, while efforts are underway to fully equip them. Dr Tapera said infrastructure development would make the university self sustaining through consultancy and training. Plans are underway to move the School of Agricultural Sciences and Technology department to Hunyani Farm.

Lectures, research and practical work is expected to be conducted at the 1 918-hectare farm. CUT was allocated the farm to develop the Schools of Agricultural Science and Technology, Wildlife Management and Fisheries.

“A lot has to be considered, but these are plans for the school of agriculture which will be moved to the farm,” said Dr Tapera. “We are planning ahead as we seek to move the teaching unit, its laboratories and research department to the farm.” Dr Tapera revealed plans to construct the Institute of Materials department.

Completion of the engineering block will come as a relief to students and lecturers who were using makeshift offices and laboratories. Shortage of funds meant the block went for several years under construction. CUT evolved from Chinhoyi Teachers College, which was opened in 1992.