Midlands State University is participating at the CEO Africa Roundtable Conference that is currently underway at Elephant Hills Hotel in Victoria Falls. The three-day conference which kicked off on 27 October 2021, is running under the theme, “Charting the Recovery Curve, Building Momentum- Crashing Barriers, Creating impact”. Conference participants have been drawn from various economic sectors such as banking, mining, retail, information communication technologies, education, agriculture and transport.
The 7th edition of the Roundtable is being held at a time when the global business environment is rapidly transforming due to technological changes amid the COVID-19 pandemic that have resulted in increased competition and shifting customers’ needs. The conference is, therefore, aimed at assisting CEOs and senior executives in different sectors to harness converging technologies to create leaders who are prepared for the future.
Speaking during the conference, the Minister of Higher and Tertiary Education, Innovation, Science and Technology Development, Professor Amon Murwira made a clarion call to captains of industry and commerce to collaborate with higher education institutions in various disciplines through mutually beneficial research and development activities. He informed delegates that universities have well-established innovation hubs that are ready for use in developing prototypes, patents and licences for sustainable business development that seeks to promote industrialisation.
“We have adopted Education 5.0 which seeks to transform knowledge into goods and services. It is high time industries should establish strategic linkages with universities in research and development if we are to transform our economy and realise our vision 2030 ”, said the Minister.
The conference could not have come at a better time as the Africa Continental Free Trade Agreement (ACFTA) has just entered into force, and MSU is also currently hosting an international conference on ACFTA.
ACFTA aims to create continental markets for goods and services, and free movement of business persons and investment.
Among the delegates attending the workshop are the Minister of Lands, Agriculture, Water and Rural Resettlement, Dr Anxious Masuka, the Minister of Industry and Commerce, Dr Sekai Nzenza, MSU Pro – Vice-Chancellor, Business, Innovation and Enterprise Development, Professor Grace Mugumbate who also chaired a session on The 4th Industrial Revolution where our line minister gave an insightful presentation on Education 5.0- A drive towards innovation and industrialisation, MSU Executive Dean of Research and Postgraduate Studies, Professor Lorraine Chikoko and Assistant to the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Hazel Ngoshi.