JUST IN: Centre for Innovation Bill gazetted

Farirai Machivenyika Senior Reporter

The Centre for Education, Innovation Research and Development that is expected to transform the country’s education so that it leads growth of industry and job creation, will be established once a Bill gazetted last Friday for its creation is passed into law.

The Centre for Education, Innovation Research and Development Bill will provide administrative framework for the promotion of innovation and industrialisation.

According to the Bill, the functions of the Centre include providing support to the development and demonstration of technology-based products, processes and services and create techno-jobs across the economy for graduates from all institutions of higher learning.

It will also provide engineering and technological solutions to industry and the community and generate income, promote partnerships between institutions of higher learning, industry and the community in the fields of engineering, technology and innovation and creation of enabling environment that supports innovation and technology business enterprises.

The Centre will also be expected to increase productivity through science, technology, engineering and mathematics across Zimbabwe’s productive and social sectors, establish satellite centres in all provinces and coordinate house programme-based among tertiary institutions, vocational training institutions and research and innovation institutions.

The Bill creates the Centre for Education, Innovation Research and Development Council that will be made of not less than nine but not more than 15 members.

The President will appoint the members upon recommendations from the Minister of Higher and Tertiary Education, Innovation, Science and Technology Development.

It shall consist of the chief scientist and chief director who will both be ex-officio members, a registered chartered accountant, a legal practitioner, one person with techno-entrepreneurial background and not more than six eminent scientists.

In making the appointments to the Council, the President will also designate two members as chairperson and vice chairperson of the Council.

All the appointments to the Council would be based on merit with the chief scientist holding office for five years and only eligible for re-appointment for a further five-year term.

The Bill is now expected to be tabled before Parliament for debate.

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