Zimbabwe Minister leads high powered delegation to SRM University

The Minister of Higher and Tertiary Education, Science and Technology Development of Zimbabwe, Honourable Professor Jonathan Moyo led a delegation of 10 Vice Chancellors and 9 officials to SRM University, to explore the possibilities for mutual collaboration.

The Vice Chancellors from top ranking universities included: University of Zimbabwe, National University of Science and Technology, Great Zimbabwe University, Harare Institute of Technology, Africa University, Midlands State University, Chinhoyi University of Technology, Lupine State University, Bindura University of Science Education, and Zimbabwe Open University.

In one of the largest delegations of Vice Chancellors to leave the shores of the country, the visit to SRM was to fact find on opportunities and come up with models for innovative partnerships. “We had heard of SRM University, its focus on quality education and research, and felt it pressing to visit the University to see for ourselves the work going on and to forge partnerships”, Prof Mayo said.

The Zimbabwe – India relationship goes back to 1890 with Indian plantation workers helping the country to reap the benefits of agriculture and horticulture. The relationship has got stronger with time and transcends cultural and social links to embrace strong business and trade partnerships.

In his welcome address to the Minister and the delegation, SRM University Vice Chancellor Professor Prabir Bagchi, spoke warmly of the India- Zimbabwean relationship, overcoming barriers of culture and identity, into one of mutual respect and benefit. Today the two nations are close business and trade partners. “SRM University has a proactive internationalisation strategy, and we would be happy to be your partner of choice in using education as an enabler of socio economic development in Zimbabwe’, said Professor Bagchi.

With the highest adult literacy rate in Africa(92% in 2010) , Zimbabwe is on its way to reaching one of its Sustainable Development Goals of providing universal and free education to all students by 2030. And SRM University is slated to play a small but significant role in helping the country in its higher education agenda, particularly in the areas of medicine, health care and technology.