CONFESSIONS OF AN UNZA EXTREMIST CRITIQUE
THE University of Zambia has been criticised as a university that is not involved in research, creativity and innovation, but teaching-and-learning only. This is actually not the case.
From an ignorant point of view, I used to critique UNZA, an institution that has had minimal to zero impact on producing the people who can solve the developmental problems plaguing the country, and our continent.
In fact, I strongly contributed to the negative narrative that the graduates turned out by UNZA tends to perpetuate the status quo rather than transform the state organisations that employ them.
They are imbued with a colonial sense of entitlement, lack problem-solving skills and demonstrate low levels of work productivity.
I should confess, that I was unreservedly wrong and I whole-heartedly regret after learning how the current UNZA senior management under the captainship and transformative leadership of Prof Mumba working closely with Deans, Directors, Heads of Departments, Professors, Senior Lecturers and all academic staff have tirelessly converted the institution from being a classical university into a developmental university as it has becomes a primary tool for generating timely, relevant, and appropriate knowledge, innovations and research outputs for addressing national challenges in sectors of the country’s economy.
DEVELOPMENTAL UNIVERSITY
UNZA as a developmental university is not internally focused or stagnant but views itself as a developmental agent or mode for development. Accordingly, it maintains partnerships with government, industry and community organisations.
I learnt that UNZA is actually very actively involved in research and publication. UNZA has been contributing to national development not only through the training and education of students, but also through applied research and development that is solving some of Zambia’s socio-economic hurdles.
Not to speak from an ignorant position, I attempted to evaluate UNZA’s performance on the second Strategic Direction – Enhancing Research and Publications.
I note that it has continued to excel in working with both local and international partners in research projects to solve societal problems. The various research projects are anchored in the 13 Academic Units.
Under the leadership and office of the Vice-Chancellor – Professor Mumba, and senior management, deans, directors and academic staff, a significant number of research grants have been mobilised resulting in various research outputs such as publications, books, products and prototypes.
The research grants and partnerships have enhanced UNZA’s research capacity, outputs and overall impact.
UNZA continues to lead in the higher education sector in the country with an average of 250 scholarly publications recorded annually in 2020 and over 290 research projects.
RESEARCH OUTPUTS
UNZA’s research outputs have seen it progressively rising in international rankings of universities from number 55 in Africa in 2016 to 45 in 2018 and to number 18 in 2021.
UNZA is an engine for research and development that has directly and indirectly influenced government economic and social policy. Presently, UNZA senior management, senate academic and non-academic staff are focusing on ensuring that it continues to be an important player in economic development.
UNZA MANAGEMENT
Indeed, the current UNZA management and all academic staff have put the words of former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan into reality: “The universitymust become a primary tool for Africa’s development in the new century.”
Prof Mumba is making every effort in ensuing that UNZA contributes more to providing indigenous Zambian expertise; enhance the analysis of African and Zambia problems; strengthen domestic institutions; serve as a model environment for the practice of good governance, conflict resolution and respect for human rights; and enable African and Zambian academics to play an active part in the global community of scholars.
OUTPUTS AND INITIATIVES
At this point, I wish to highlight just a few of UNZA’s extraordinary outputs and initiatives in the area of research, and these include the following:
First, in order to catalyse research and development (R&D), the University of Zambia has established three World Class Centres of Excellence (CoE).
The university has two Centres of Excellence in Agriculture namely, the Agricultural Technologies Demonstration Centre (ATDC) at Liempe farm where it is pioneering research on various drought resistant varieties of crops and has established the Maize Milling and Processing Plant.
This centre is an initiative between UNZA and Jilin Agriculture University in China. The ATDC is also promoting research in new agricultural technologies aimed at increasing demand for agriculture products through the provision of new and improved technologies in agriculture.
NEW WHEAT AND MAIZE VARIETIES,
Research at this CoE is ongoing on new wheat and maize varieties, village chicken and mushroom production. Over US$300, 000 has been invested into the Village Chicken Project alone by Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation;
Second, establishment of an International Centre of Excellence (ICoE) for application of Earth Observation Data, EOD (big data) on agriculture and food security.
The University of Zambia partnered with the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Remote Sensing and Digital Earth Institute (RADI) and Digital Belt and Road Programme (DBAR) to establish an International Centre of Excellency for the Application of Earth Observation Data in Agriculture and Food Security.
This centre was established in the School of Agricultural Sciences in 2018 to address the real-time information gap in food production, food and nutrition security in Zambia and the SADC region;
Third, researchers at the Africa Centre of Excellence for Infectious Diseases in Humans and Animals (ACEIDHA) in the School of Veterinary Medicine are in the frontline in supporting government’s efforts in fighting Covid-19 through testing, vaccine research and sensitising communities on the spread or epidemiology of the virus.
Over 120, 000 tests have been conducted at the School of Vet Medicine alone through ACEIFDHA labs;
Fourth, research on Ebola at ACEIDHA is continuing in the Biosafety Level 3 Laboratory. One of the outputs of this research has been the invention of a Rapid Ebola Testing Kit by our own Dr. Changula Chitanga Katendi. This testing kit gives results within minutes;
TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT AND ADVISORY UNIT
Fifth, the Technology Development and Advisory Unit ( TDAU) working with the School of Engineering have contributed to research and innovation on Covid–19 preventive measures by developing a prototype full body sanitiser.
The price is estimated at K45, 000 per unit and commercialisation of the same awaits expression of interest from potential partners;
Sixth, in March 2021, the University of Zambia launched the first ever ventilator manufactured locally by scientists in the School of Engineering and TDAU to help in the fight against Covid-19.
Commercialisation of this prototype is underway with the funders of the project (Zambian Breweries, Lafarge and the National Technology Business Centre (NTBC).
In the next article, I shall continue to showcase UNZA’s extraordinary achievements in research and publications as there a number of high value research outputs that are adding value to Zambia’s economic development.
It is no easy task to record all these achievements looking at the challenges that most African universities face such as lack of deliberately allocated funds for research, innovation and development.
Therefore, Prof Mumba, and his entire senior management, deans, directors, professors, senior lecturers and the entire academic staff need to be supported so that our university can even contribute even more, not only to the realisation Zambia’s Vision 2030, but to Africa’s development and contribute to the realisation of the Agenda 2063 and the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals by 2030.