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Rejoy Masengedzero Herald Reporter
Construction of innovation hubs in six tertiary institutions throughout the country is nearing completion, Higher and Tertiary Education, Science and Technology Development Minister, Professor Amon Murwira said. In an interview in Harare yesterday, Professor Murwira said innovation hubs are meant to bridge the gap between theoretical knowledge and industrial skills.

“We are humbled to announce that Government has finished phase one of the physical construction of innovation hubs in six tertiary institutions in Zimbabwe which are meant to equip students with knowledge and industrial skill,” he said.

“We have an industrial skill deficit of 57 percent where our skills and literacy rate are 38 percent and 90 percent respectively,” he said.

Prof Murwira said the socio-economic problems in Zimbabwe can be solved through restructuring the educational system in tertiary institutions.

He said Zimbabwe’s education system was shaped under three terms of reference namely teaching, research and community engagement.

“We had universities whose purpose was to design not to produce goods and services,” he said.

“We are in a bid to re-orient our education system to be under five terms of reference which includes teaching, research, community engagement, innovation and industrialisation in order to fill the gap between skills available and skills in deficit.”

Midlands State University and Chinhoyi University of Technology have completed its hubs while those at the University of Zimbabwe, Harare Institute of Technology and National University of Science and Technology are 90 percent complete.

The hub at the Zimbabwe National Defence University is still under construction as it had to be redesigned.