Gweru, 10 July 2024 – Midlands State University Research and Innovation Division held an Indigenous Fruits and Herbs (IFH) PhD and MPhil end-of-semester oral progress presentation seminar at the Innovation Hub.
In his opening remarks, Pro-Vice Chancellor – Academic Affairs and Administration, Professor Mcebisi Maphosa indicated that the IFH programme is running at an opportune time when the country is ceased with increasing its niche in research and innovation guided by the heritage-based Education 5.0.
Professor Maphosa noted that the number of active researchers in a country wishing to achieve the upper-middle-income status, required 368 average threshold of researchers per million people and to date, Africa only has 125 researchers per million people whilst Zimbabwe has 98 researchers per million people against the required 1380 researchers.
In this regard, Professor Maphosa alluded that Zimbabwe has a huge gap and the IFH-programme is part of the University’s efforts to address such as it pursues the dream of becoming an intensive research-oriented institution which supports research.
IFH-Lead, Pro-Vice Chancellor – Research, Innovation and Industrialisation, Professor Grace Mugumbate further indicated that the primary objective of the IFH program is to generate impactful research outputs that should benefit the nation.
Professor Mugumbate urged IFH – PhD and MPhil students and their supervisors to focus on the main goals of the IFH program to ensure that their findings to current research contribute to value-addition of indigenous fruits and herbs through coming up with products and services that benefit the nation, and beyond.
Two MPhil and five DPhil students from the faculties of Agriculture, Environment & Natural Resources Management, Science & Technology, and Medicine and Health Sciences made their presentations notably, Elliot Nyagumbo (MPhil), Hebert Nedi (MPhil), Trust Nyirenda (DPhil) Pimpernell Garanganga (DPhil), Bridgett Shopo (DPhil), Patience Nemapare (DPhil), and Moses Mtetwa (DPhil).
In her closing remarks, Research and Innovation – Executive Director, Professor Laurine Chikoko expressed gratitude to Senior Management, Executive Deans, Directors, Chairpersons, and Supervisors for their support to the IFH program indicating that the University, through the Research and Innovation Division, was committed to providing the necessary support to ensure the success of its researchers.
Through the seminar, the University graced by PVC Academic Affairs and Administration, and the IFH-Lead, Professor G. Mugumbate, PVC Research, Innovation and Industrialisation, Executive Deans, Chairpersons, Supervisors and Senior Academics; the university took stock of the programme and the in-roads the PhD and Masters students have so far made.
The flagship IFH program provides an avenue, resources and technical expertise to incorporate indigenous knowledge systems into the broader learning and teaching ecosystem in line with the heritage-based Education 5.0 philosophy.