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Herald Reporter

A delegation of Zimbabwean librarians and innovation hub directors has returned home after completing a two-week tour of the United States, marking a significant milestone in international collaboration and knowledge-sharing. 

The delegation met with Zimbabwean Ambassador to the US Mr Tedious Chifamba to discuss potential partnerships aligned with the Government’s heritage-based philosophy. The philosophy aims to leverage Zimbabwe’s cultural and historical heritage to drive innovation and development, focusing on preserving and promoting the country’s unique heritage while fostering economic growth and innovation.

The tour’s success is expected to have a lasting impact on Zimbabwe’s research and innovation ecosystem, with potential collaborations and joint projects in the pipeline.

Zimbabwe Library Association (ZimLA) president Mr Macdonald Nhakura led the Zimbabwean delegation drawing participants from Lupane State University, Harare Institute of Technology (HIT), Chinhoyi University of Technology and the Research Council of Zimbabwe (RCZ).

They visited several states in America from July 12 to 27, 2024 under the auspices of the International Visitors Leadership Program (IVLP). 

The IVLP is a professional exchange program sponsored by the US Department of State, aimed at fostering global understanding and partnership.

During their visit, the delegation engaged in various activities, including visits to leading innovation hubs and meetings with research governance agencies.

Mr Nhakura said: “This program has been a truly transformative experience for us. We have gained invaluable insights into the latest trends and best practices in library science, technology transfer and innovation. Our goal is to leverage these learnings to enhance our services and better serve the people of Zimbabwe.”

HIT Technology Transfer and Innovation Hub director Ms Lodrina Masiyazi, said the visit to leading innovation hubs in the US was eye-opening. 

“We have identified numerous opportunities for knowledge-sharing and joint projects that could greatly benefit our local innovation ecosystem here,” said Ms Masiyazi.

 Mr Josphat Katiyo, Head of External Relations at the RCZ noted that the exchange visit has been a great benchmarking exercise. 

“We learned a lot about the systems used by the US in managing their national research ecosystems,” he said.