Ululations as President caps 2 890 ZOU graduates President Mugabe

PRESIDENT MUGABE .  .  . My Government is fully aware that the economy is operating under very challenging conditions

Samantha Chigogo Herald Correspondent

President Mugabe yesterday capped 2 890 graduates at the 14th Zimbabwe Open University (ZOU) graduation ceremony, which coincided with laying of the foundation stone for the construction of the university’s new campus in Hatcliffe, Harare.Among the graduates, 21 graduated with a Doctor of Philosophy (DPhil), with Industry and Commerce Minister Mike Bimha receiving a PhD degree, while one person graduated with a Master of Philosophy (MPhil).

Also capped were Manica Post editor Hatred Zenenga, who graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Media Studies, and Zimpapers Television Unit cameraperson Ruvimbo Chakanyuka, who graduated with a Bachelor of Science Honours degree in Development Studies.

Speaking at the graduation ceremony, ZOU Vice Chancellor Dr Primrose Kurasha said the institution was geared towards infrastructural development following the newly opened campus space.

“This is the first class of graduates to cross the River Jordan and get capped at the Zimbabwe Open University real home – the ZOU main campus here in Hatcliffe, Harare,” she said.

“I wish to thank Your Excellency and Chancellor for laying the foundation stone to this campus in the ceremony before these proceedings. Culturally, that ceremony has spiritual and social significance. You have now opened the home for us, and we feel authorised and authenticated inhabitants who are grateful.”

She added that the university’s regional campuses were now adequately equipped with key facilities, functional computer laboratories that are effectively networked for the students to work anywhere in the radius of the regional systems.

Dr Kurasha hailed that ZOU was making strides in becoming a brand name in the region and the world at large.

“ZOU boasts of its numerous international partners, the latest of which are the Jaypee Universities in India, Catholic University of Mozambique and the University of Zambia,” she said.

“The University of Zambia is jointly offering masters degrees to their postgraduate distance students with us, and the first cohort of 154 are graduating this month while in Botswana, BOCODOL graduation of our joint degree programmes is in the same month with a total of 138 graduands.”

She said with all the international partnerships, ZOU should be credited for unduly exporting education and the institution was liable for the 5 percent export incentive.

Dr Kurasha said the institution believed in quality education for all, with special emphasis on women.

“The total number of our graduands today is 2 890, with 1 422 males and 1 468 females, meaning our percentages lie at 51 percent females dominating over males with 49 percent,” she said.

“Educating the girl child is our mission, and we continue making history and breaking records.”

She said ZOU would also continue to support teacher capacity development programmes which have seen several teachers upgrading their knowledge and skills as an adaption to the new curriculum.

Amongst the graduands, 165 of the teachers were graduating with post-graduate dip- lomas.

“In 2003, at the first ZOU graduation ceremony, we had 12 PhD holders in the institution. After a determined staff development programme, your institution now boasts of 155 PhD holders internally and externally developed,” Dr Kurasha said.

“A lot of non-teaching staff have also registered for some degrees and we are even capping some of our clerks and security guards.”

Dr Kurasha paid tribute to several Government departments for their continued support in ensuring that the university finally secures a place of its own to construct its main campus.

Speaking at the same occasion, Minister Bimha said he felt indebted to the shareholders, boards, management and staff of the platinum mining companies where he conducted his studies including Zimplats, Mimosa Mining Company and Unki Mines hoping they would make use of the study for their own strategies going on- ward.

Since its inception in 2003, a total of 30 175 graduates including, PhD holders, have been capped.

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