Midlands State University Vice-Chancellor, Professor Victor Ngonidzashe Muzvidziwa applauded the cordial relations between the University and the Zimbabwe National Army during a tour of the institution by the 34th class of the Joint Command and Staff Course on the 16th of March 2021.
Professor Muzvidziwa said that the military had an integral role to play in the new education paradigm that focuses on research, innovation, and industrialisation.
“With this visit, you are fostering and increasing our knowledge of the military, you are connecting with citizens in the academia, so even in the concept of Education 5.0, the army has a role to play in terms of research and many other areas.
“As we move towards realising our national aspirations, we all have a role to play in the march towards the attainment of an upper-middle-income economy by 2030 and beyond,” said Professor Muzvidziwa while addressing delegates.
Globally, civil-military relations are seen as a requirement for growing public confidence in military activities which is needed in creating a thriving environment for innovation and business growth.
The Zimbabwe Staff College delegation led by Commandant, Brigadier General Joe Muzvidziwa, received both physical and virtual presentations from various University faculties and institutes before touring the University’s Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, and the MSU Industrial Park.
Professor Muzvidziwa further highlighted the need for local universities to take a leading role in leveraging indigenous knowledge systems to solve challenges bedevilling the nation.
“We envision the role of universities as that of proffering solutions to challenges. So every challenge we face becomes an opportunity.
“We have plenty of flora and fauna in the country that has been used for thousands and thousands of years by our people to treat ailments … what we need now is to test them in our laboratories so that we can validate, standardise and package them in a more palatable way. Otherwise, we have the solutions in our midst,” he said.
The educational tour was part of the military’s familiarisation with the university thereby helping army students appreciate the role of the university in national development and identify opportunities for cooperation.
Some of the dignitaries that graced the occasion included Zimbabwe Staff College(ZSC) Director Research & Development Colonel Onward Tokoda, 34th Joint Command and Staff Course Team Leader Lt Colonel Moses Dzimbano and members of the ZSC Directing Staff among them Lt Colonel Tambudzai Muti, Lt Colonel Fortune Ncube, Lt Colonel Mabhigi Allen Moyo, Chief Superintendent Nicholas Dzingirai and Squadron Leader James Chingono.