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George Maponga in Masvingo

Great Zimbabwe University (GZU) continues to broaden its horizons as it glides towards becoming one of the country’s eminent institutions of higher learning with the university now home to the first-ever Centre for Computational Intelligence and Actuarial Science.

Development of the multi disciplinary centre, that is expected to help proffer solutions and innovations which are unique to the insurance industry and will also extend to areas such as mathematics, artificial intelligence and computers and also social sciences, is being done in conjunction with Old Mutual Zimbabwe Limited and will also benefit other local universities and even those without the country’s borders as it angles to be the best in sub-Saharan Africa.

GZU Acting Pro Vice Chancellor for Industrialisation, Business Development and Strategic Partnerships, Professor Bernad Chazovachii said infrastructure for the new centre will cost nearly US$400 000 to build, hailing the initiative as a sign of university-industry collaboration and a strategic partnership aimed at innovative resource mobilisation for infrastructural development, ” through research, innovative thinking and industrialisation.”

He paid homage to Old Mutual and its partners, that donated US$20 000 seed money towards establishment of the centre.

Prof Chazovachii says GZU has the human resources personnel and students to make the centre a reality.

Old Mututal Zimbabwe chief executive Mr Sam Matsekete said collaboration between industry and institutions of higher learning is important as funding from the former to the latter is important to allow research that will take the country forward.

Mr Matsekete exhorted industry to chip in materially and financially for the new centre to become a reality.