As part of its efforts to drive innovation and industrialisation, Midlands State University’s Faculty of Law conducted a two-day capacity building workshop from the 26th to the 27th of September 2024 at Antelope Park in Gweru.
Held under the theme, “Innovation, Industrialisation and Strategic Planning,” the workshop was aimed at training Law Faculty members on legal innovations, curriculum development on artificial intelligence (AI) and strategic planning focusing on positioning MSU Faculty of Law as the leading Law School in Zimbabwe.
In her welcome remarks, Acting Executive Dean – Faculty of Law, Dr. A. T. Mugadza, highlighted the workshop’s focus on capacity building as well as the integration of AI in learning & teaching.
“In line with the clarion call for innovation and industrialisation from the University and our line ministry, this workshop seeks to capacitate staff members on the integration of emerging technologies, particularly AI in our learning & teaching and also coming up with strategic plans for our respective departments so that we continue to position our Faculty as a leading Law School in Zimbabwe and beyond,” indicated Dr. Mugadza.
With the traditional approach to legal education and the legal profession that has been relatively conservative in adopting new technologies, Dr. Mugadza underscored the importance of the workshop in providing staff members with the requisite knowledge and skills necessary to drive innovation and industrialisation in the legal profession.
The workshop featured a diverse array of speakers, including MSU law alumnus, Mr. C. Mukoyi, CEO of Topsure Incorporation and Justice Foundation, who delivered an online presentation focused on innovating legal services and products by integrating new technologies.
During the workshop, Faculty members were split into groups to engage and discuss ways of developing comprehensive five-year strategic plans that address strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats facing each department in its endeavour to drive innovation and industrialisation.
Participants had the opportunity of drinking from the spring of knowledge and tapping into the expertise of the guest speaker and senior lecturer at the University of Namibia’s Faculty of Legal Studies, Professor D.P. Zongwe, who conducted a hands-on learning exercise on integrating AI into the learning & teaching, research, and curriculum development of legal education.
Professor Zongwe also delivered a presentation on decoloniality in legal education, sparking important discussions on contextualising legal studies within Africa’s unique socio-economic landscape.
In a gesture of Ubuntu, Dr. Mugadza presented the guest speaker with a gift.
The workshop concluded with closing remarks delivered by Dr. Mugadza, who applauded participants for their active engagement and eagerness to embrace emerging technologies as tools for driving innovation and industrialisation.
As the nation gravitates towards a knowledge-based economy, capacity building workshops are vital in equipping staff members with the requisite knowledge and skills to drive innovation.