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Tanyaradzwa Rusike Herald Correspondent

AFRICAN students should leverage on technologies in order to make products suitable for the local economy.

This was said by Africa University Vice Chancellor Reverend Professor Peter Mageto ahead of the university’s 30th anniversary scheduled for tomorrow.

Prof Mageto said the just-ended International Conference on Academic Excellence for Leadership was a platform to encourage students to maximise on technology.

“We are aware that innovation has become an essential part of the university learning, teaching and research ecosystem, also permeating many areas of today’s industrial sector.

“For example, Zimbabwe and Africa as a continent have come to the realisation that economic growth, human development and achievement of sustainable development goals cannot be achieved if we do not embrace smart technologies,” he said.

Added Prof Mageto: “It is in this context that Zimbabwe for example, needs to be applauded for instituting the National Development Strategy 1 as a policy framework for the realisation of Vision 2030.

“With the advent of the fourth industrial revolution accompanied by the proliferation of smart technologies and digitalisation which is already having a great impact in societies, this conference is timely because it comes at a time when today’s universities are being challenged to carry out introspective self-assesment of their activities with the view of incorporating smart technologies without forsaking their foundational values.”

Participants to the International Conference on Academic Excellence for Leadership Transformation & Innovation in Africa pose for a group photo.

Africa University, he said, is committed to contribute to the attainment of Vision 2030 of an upper-middle-income economy.

“We are ready for our 30th anniversary, and as an institution we commend the support we are getting from our Government and the United Methodist Church.

“The university is committed to contribute to food supply and the health sector. We are involved in research programmes and we believe we can grow our economy.”

He added that the 30th anniversary speaks to the growth of the Pan-African university.

“During our 30 years of existence, we have achieved a lot as an institution. The university started with 40 students but because of the support we are getting from different stakeholders we now have more than 3 000 students,” said Prof Mageto.

President of the Association of African Universities, Professor Bakri Saeed, said technology was vital in growing the economy.

“Technology innovation is vital for economic growth and it is a mechanism through which higher education affects productivity growth and thus, the economy. The primary and secondary educated workforce is considered to only facilitate the imitation of existing technology, whereas college-educated labour could promote the adoption of new technology that lead to more sustainable economic growth,” he said.

The Pan-African University was officially opened in 1991 and Vice-Chancellor Reverend Peter Mageto will be inaugurated tomorrow as the first non-Zimbabwean vice-chancellor..