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Prof Kurasha

Herald Reporter

Zimbabwe Open University (ZOU) Vice Chancellor Professor Primrose Kurasha (pictured below) has died. Prof Kurasha died last night at a local private hospital where she had been admitted.Details of the cause of her death were still sketchy by the time of going to print as family members were just getting news of the tragedy. A senior medical officer who spoke on condition of anonymity confirmed the death last night.

“Yes, she died around 8pm. Everyone is still in shock. Close family members have been notified, but they have not yet appointed a family spokesperson. Her death is quite sad because we did not expect it,” said the medical practitioner.

Prof Kurasha wrote her own history when she became the first woman university Vice Chancellor in Zimbabwe, after being appointed to head ZOU in 2003.

She has grown, developed, nurtured and directed ZOU for more than a decade.

She was also the chairperson of Distance Education Association of Southern Africa (DEASA), executive board member on the African Council for Distance Education (ACDE), and sat on the Sadc-ODL Project Steering Committee.

Prof Kurasha was a certified case study writer involved in university education since 1987 as a lecturer, executive development programme director, co-director and visiting lecturer and sat on several boards.

She has several publications and was a consultant for financial, manufacturing, educational and other organisations.

A strong proponent of open distance learning, she created linkages with institutions in Botswana, Mozambique, Zambia, Namibia, Malawi, Israel, Malaysia, Hong Kong and China among other countries.