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Patrick Chitumba
Midlands Bureau Chief

PRESIDENT Mnangagwa today capped 3149 graduands at the 20th congregation of the Midlands State University (MSU) graduation ceremony in Senga, Gweru.Of the 3149 graduands, 771 were post-graduate students.

The gender composition of the graduands was almost at par with 1568 being female and remainder being male.

There were a total of 100 international students drawn from Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Sudan and eSwatini.

Addressing graduands, MSU teaching staff and parents, MSU Vice Chancellor Professor Victor Muzvidziwa said the pioneering classes in Mining Engineering and Metallurgical Engineering also graduated.

He said last year, a national critical skills audit conducted showed a critical skills deficit in Engineering and Technology, Natural and Applied Sciences, Agriculture, Medical and Health Sciences.

“We are immensely proud of the university’s response to the skills audit through curriculum renewal. The university has since rebranded and expanded the mandate of its mining and mineral processing engineering faculty to become the Faculty of Engineering and Geo Sciences, now offering a wide range of disciplines in engineering including energy and fuel sciences. These academic disciplines your Excellency and Chancellor resonate very well with vision 2030 agenda. This give us prospects of achieving an upper middle income economy by 2030,” he said.

Prof Muzvidziwa said two of the greatest threats to humanity are climate change and global energy deficit.
“Our approach is therefore futuristic and that is why we are firmly committed to Education 5.0 underpinned by a new design ably articulated by our Honourable Professor Amos Murwira,” he said