The ManicaPost
Rumbidzayi Zinyuke Senior Reporter
A TOTAL of 523 Africa University students from across the African continent graduated last week in a virtual ceremony as the world continues to adjust to the new normal in light of Covid-19.
The United Methodist Church-run institution’s 26th graduation ceremony came as most universities in the country have been holding virtual graduation ceremonies over the past few weeks to minimise the risk of Covid-19 infection.
With an enrolment of over 3 000 students, AU has students in about 23 African countries.
Most of these completed their programmes online following the introduction of lockdown measures in their respective countries in March.
Speaking at the graduation ceremony last Friday, AU Vice-Chancellor, Professor Munashe Furusa said the institution has adapted to the changes brought about by the pandemic.
“In all these decisions and actions, we were driven by the strong desire to ensure that our students’ education would not be disrupted. We know that your academic journey was not easy, it involved negotiating many challenges and trials, especially when we consider the changes that had to be made in your mode of learning and now in the mode of your graduation as we respond to the impact of Covid-19. Your graduation is particularly special and memorable as it is the first virtual graduation in the history of our university,” he said.
He urged graduates to embrace the new world thrust upon them by the pandemic and use the knowledge they gained to tackle new challenges.
Prof Furusa said AU is harnessing data to improve overall operations and performance of the university to make a meaningful contribution to the industrialisation and modernisation of Africa through innovative research, technological solutions and enterprise development in all areas of specialisation. Africa University this year launched its U Safe hand sanitiser in response to Government’s call for tertiary institutions to play a role in manufacturing personal protective equipment.
Prof Furusa said this and other innovations undertaken by students and staff at AU is part of the Education 5.0 model.
“Going forward, we will continue to bring on board programmes that will drive the region and the continent’s industrialisation and modernisation initiative and prepare our graduates for the future with the demands of innovation and entrepreneurship,” he said.
Minister of Higher and Tertiary Education, Science Innovation and Technology Development, Professor Amon Murwira said Government is designing the future by providing an education system that is fit to develop the world through modernisation and development.
“We are cultivating a spirit of possibility, a spirit of positive action for progress using appropriate higher and tertiary design and configuration. This is why have re-designed our higher education from Education 3.0 to Education 5.0 to add innovation and industrialisation to its components. We are designing a future,” he said.
He encouraged graduates to embrace the design language.
“The future we want is designed in our colleges and universities. We have designed an education system so that it produces knowledge and skills, which must in turn do two things — support existing industries and create new industries.
“We are determined to make sure there is never a mismatch between the education we offer and the skills required in life. Knowledge and skills bring understanding. However, any fool can know; the issue is to understand the issues,” said Prof Murwira.
He added that the heritage based education philosophy is driven by the concept that education cannot be removed from the environment it is trying to change.
“As we move with Education 5.0, my main message is that teaching will change with more emphasis on balanced rations of research, community service, innovation and industrialisation.
“The major implication of Education 5.0 is to balance skills and knowledge. Let us turn our colleges and universities into innovation hubs in order to attain the status of upper middle income in the whole of Africa,” said Prof Murwira.
