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Freedom Mupanedemo Midlands Bureau

President Mnangagwa yesterday capped a record 6 594 graduates at Midlands State University (MSU)’s 22nd graduation ceremony in Gweru.

Only 200 graduates and a handful of parents and guardians attended the ceremony at the university’s main campus while the majority were capped virtually in line with the Covid-19 control regulations.

Among the graduates were  3 326 females and 3 268 males.

Also among the graduates was the first batch of 15 students to successfully complete their Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery degrees, but these will be conferred with their degrees at the University of Zimbabwe later this year.

Brigadier General Joel Muzvidziwa and disability rights activist, Tapera Nyoni graduated with doctorate degrees.

The university’s Vice Chancellor, Professor Victor Muzvidziwa said the institution had embraced the new normal and continued to churn out professionals despite the Covid-19 pandemic.

He said the university was implementing Education 5.0 to produce graduates who were oriented to industry’s needs.

“MSU has undertaken an ambitious programme review project. To that end, we have developed 273 education 5.0 compliant new degree programmes that are under review by the Zimbabwe Council for Higher Education. “The university has re-oriented itself  towards research, innovation and entrepreneurship,” he said.

Prof Muzvidziwa said the university was taking a leaf from the President’s teachings that a country can only move forward through concerted efforts from its citizens.

“Like you always say Your Excellency, “Nyika inovakwa nevaridzi vayo” (a country is developed by its natives) and brick by brick we shall be there,” said Prof Muzvidziwa.

He said the university had embarked on some major projects some of which had scored successes. “One of our academics came up with an innovation inspired by the inaccessibility of Great Zimbabwe to some social groups such as those with physical disabilities, the physically frail and elderly, and those constrained by finance, distance, travel restrictions.

“The inventor produced an innovation copyrighted by the Zimbabwe Intellectual  Property Organisation (ZIPO) which consists of four (360 degree) virtual tour interactive videos of key sites of the Great Zimbabwe National Monuments,” he said

Prof Muzvidziwa said three innovators had also come up with some inventions in line with the National Development Strategy.

“Three of our inventors have come up with an innovation that speaks to NDS1 National Priority 2 (Food and Nutrition Security) and more specifically, the value of indigenous trees, herbs and grasses for food processing.

“The innovation is premised on development of commercial juice, jam and dried fruit snacks from Zimbabwean indigenous fruits. These products contain phytochemicals that have medicinal properties,” he said