President Mnangagwa caps 5000 graduates
Mnangagwa confers honorary doctorate on his wife Auxilia Mnangagwa
President Mnangagwa yesterday capped 5 063 University of Zimbabwe graduates, with the bulk of that number constituted by female students, as women continue to show determination to make their mark and take up Government’s empowerment initiatives that leave no one and no place behind.
The number of undergraduates was 3 652 with 51,8 percent of that figure constituted by females, while 1 394 graduated with Masters degrees.
Those that graduated with a Doctor of Philosophy degree were 20, with women accounting for 12 of them.
In his keynote address, UZ Vice Chancellor Professor Paul Mapfumo said women continue to break the traditionally held mentality of male dominance in the education sector, owing to the empowerment policies of the Second Republic led by President Mnangagwa.
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“Your Excellency, your policies to get our women educated is bearing fruit. For the PhD degrees, we had some male candidates coming up late to beat the deadline and we had to include them to boost their number but still, we have 12 females and eight males,” said Prof Mapfumo.
He said among the graduates were 235 students from the institution’s new Bachelor of Science Degree in Biomedical Sciences programme from the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, whom he said could now proceed in other medical disciplines as the new programme had revolutionised the training of health practitioners.
Of those that graduated yesterday were 200 medical doctors, 382 engineers, 655 natural scientists, 237 agricultural and environmental scientists, 32 pharmacists, 40 veterinary doctors, 24 real estate managers, and 199 lawyers, among other disciplines.
President Mnangagwa also capped eight medical students from the Midlands State University who had completed their programmes.
Notable among those that graduated were First Lady Dr Auxillia Mnangagwa who was conferred with a Doctor of Philosophy in Law Honorary degree in recognition of her philanthropic work.
Renowned clergy, Reverend Lazarus Muyambi, was also conferred with a Doctor of Philosophy Law Honorary degree for his spiritual work.
The President yesterday conferred on renowned clergy, Reverend Lazarus Muyambi, a Doctor of Philosophy Law Honorary Degree for his spiritual work at the University of Zimbabwe’s 42nd graduation ceremony at the institution in Harare yesterday.
Prof Mapfumo said the UZ was making huge strides in consolidating its transformation with a focus on deepening its scholarship as a premier higher education training institution in the country.
“The University of Zimbabwe has now become an outcome-based institution relevant for the advancement of the national vision in the global scheme of things,” he said.
Prof Mapfumo said the heritage based Education 5.0 model was testimony for President Mnangagwa’s visionary leadership in transforming higher education in the country.
“Our education now has taken a different meaning, a new trajectory, and definitive pathways towards the modernisation and industrialisation for the benefit of our people. We have since concluded that this type of education that you have introduced for Zimbabwe can benefit Africa and the world.
“Your Excellency and Chancellor,allow me to say you have successfully developed an axis of mental sovereignty for Zimbabweans through your Heritage-based Education 5.0 philosophy; it is an education that liberates and restores the dignity of our people,” said Prof Mapfumo.
He outlined several milestone achievements and outcomes the University has had during the 2022/2023 academic year.
They include the Industrial Production and Processing Plants, Puff Production Industrial Plant of the Future Foods (Pvt) Ltd Start-up Company, which manufactures healthy snacks from traditional grains.
He said the success of the country’s education transformation under the leadership of President Mnangagwa was evidenced by the recognition of the University of Zimbabwe as a powerhouse of Higher Education in Africa and globally.
“The University of Zimbabwe was ranked 18th by the Times Higher Education, which is one of the most prestigious ranking institutions for universities globally. The Times Higher Education judges research-intensive universities across all their core missions of teaching, research, research influence, international outlook and knowledge transfer,” Prof Mapfumo said.
“Internationally, the University of Zimbabwe is rolling out the implementation of joint partnership projects with several universities from the Republic of Belarus, the Russian Federation, the People’s Republic of China and the United Kingdom, among others.”
Of the international collaborations, the UZ is working with three Chinese universities, five Russian universities, and nine Belarusian universities, to mention a few.
Among the students that received honours and awards were the Best Female and the Best Male students in the undergraduate category, who received the Dr Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa Chancellor’s Award, with a prize money of US$1 000 each.
The awards were won by Bianca Paidashe Rusawo from the Faculty of Agriculture, Environment and Food Systems who attained a First Class Honours Degree in Animal Science, with 70 percent of the modules being distinctions.
Others were Ivan Tadiwanashe Chuma from the Faculty of Science, who attained a First Class Honours Degree in Actuarial Science, with 83 percent of the modules being distinctions.
Other students received the Dr Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa Chancellor’s Award, with a prize money of US$500 each, and these were the Best Graduating Law Student, Tauya Pesanai, Best Graduating Clinician in Medicine and Surgery Gabriel Mupepereki, Best Graduating Student in Engineering (in Aeronautical Engineering) Jeremiah Tererai Chakamba and Best Graduating Student in the Natural Sciences (in Chemistry), Rutendo Nyamukomba.
–Herald
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