Mr Mapuranga
By TechnoMag Staff
Students studying science, technology, engineering and commerce at colleges, polytechnics and universities in Harare recently gathered at Harare Institute of Technology (HIT) to witness the official opening of the National Tech Career Guidance and Exhibition dubbed Tech@School
The event, which was facilitated by TechnoMag in conjunction with the Ministries of Higher and Tertiary Education, Science and Technology Development, ICT, Postal and Courier Services and Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare was held under the theme “Connecting Business to Higher and Tertiary Institutions.”
In a speech read on his behalf by the permanent secretary for Higher and Tertiary Education, Science and Technology Development Mr Machivenyika Mapuranga, the Minister Professor Jonathan Moyo said that Tech@School is an initiative, which is in line with the ministry’s mandate to expose the students to the business and industrial world for them to be relevant in their line of work after they graduate.
“This event seeks to connect Higher and Tertiary Institutions to businesses, a theme which blends perfectly well with the Ministry’s mandate as we seek to showcase our technological prowess to be exhibited today by our various students to the business and industrial bodies here present,” Prof Moyo said.
He also said that it is within the ministry’s jurisdiction to expose the various research and intellectual properties to industry so that the nation begins to create its own technologies, which will sustain the economy, as part of the economic blueprint, Zim-Asset.
The minister called on industry and commerce to fully support inventive ideas by affording students places for industrial attachment for them to commercialise their projects.
“It is our plea that industry and commerce continue to support these students so that they can easily enhance their creativity and motivate them on their ongoing research by affording them industrial space to commercialise their projects through adoption of these prototypes,” he said.
The permanent secretary of Higher and Tertiary Education, Science and Technology Development who was also the guest of honour said that the ministry is happy with the progress in the science and technology sector.
With reference to the RIO SET Week that was held a couple of months ago in Bulawayo at the National University of Science and Technology (NUST), he applauded students for exhibiting technologies that are set to solve the country’s problems.
Speaking during the same occasion, the ICT Postal and Courier Services Policy Director, Georgina Chin`gonzo said that it is within the same spirit (Tech@School Initiative) that the Government has embarked on various national technological programs under the Office of the President and Cabinet to digitalise critical arms of Government under the e-government program that include e-health, e-procurement, e-learning among other tech initiatives.
Chin`gonzo also said that the Government has also established nine community centres in a bid to connect the nation and ensure access to technology.
“We have established nine centres so far and we are looking forward to rolling out more in future as we have continuously identified our post offices as strategic premises that can be converted into such centres,” she said.
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