Universities must be centres of innovation and development

THE growth and development of almost every nation orbit around the ability of higher learning institutions to be innovative.

Across the global spectrum, particularly in developed nations, universities have been making ground-breaking researches and discoveries that have had positive impact on humanity.

To some, universities played a major role in the famous industrial revolution which brought about optimum efficiency of industries.

The discoveries by Harvard Medical Schools have also positively reduced mortality rate.

These discoveries include but not limited to 1799 Smallpox vaccine, 1843 Puerperal fever, 1846 Anaesthesia, 1886 Appendicitis, 1890s-1910 Insect-borne disease transmission; scurvy; heatkilled vaccines, 1914 electrocardiograph, 1922 insulin; founding of Joslin Diabetes Centre, 1923 heart valve surgery, 1925 Threeflanged nail, 1927 Iron lung syphilis test and 2020 contributed to the development of COVID-19 vaccines.

Ironically, in Zimbabwe, universities have successfully failed to come up with new innovative ways that foster national development and growth.

There have not been groundbreaking discoveries with respect to national challenges.

The introduction of the Education 5.0 syllabus has not brought any positive impact except wholesome populistic policies and glorified propaganda.

It is a clear indication of government's failure to carry out feasibility study prior the introduction of the policy.

The announcement by government that the University of Zimbabwe will now produce number plates is rather worrying and disheartening, more so from the supposed leading higher learning institution in the country.

At a time when other universities are contributing to their countries' bid and race for fourth industrial revolution, universities in Zimbabwe are being relegated to the production of sanitisers, face masks and number plates.

At this rate, an upper-middle class economy remains a utopian idea.

It is also a testament to government's failure to fulfil the objectives set in the National Development Strategy 1 priority 7, which focuses on human capital development and innovation. Zimbabwe Coalition on Debt

and Development