leeroy mupariri
Zvamaida Murwira in MARONDERA
PRESIDENT Mnangagwa yesterday capped 103 students at Marondera University of Agriculture Science and Technology (MUAST), an institution that has embarked on several research projects across the country.
The university’s third graduation ceremony saw students drawn from various disciplines, including Faculties of Agribusiness and Entrepreneurship, Applied Sciences and Technology, Plant and Animal Sciences and Technology, Earth and Environmental Sciences as well as Teaching and Learning Institute, being capped.
Addressing the graduation ceremony attended by captains of industry, diplomats accredited to Zimbabwe and senior Government officials, MUAST Vice Chancellor, Professor Justice Nyamangara, said the institution had increased its tillage hectarage through drawing water from the nearby Muchekeranwa Dam that was commissioned by President Mnangagwa in 2021.
“As part of community outreach, the Muchekeranwa Out-grower Irrigation Scheme has continued to thrive. The Community at Muchekeranwa grew 30 hectares of wheat and 30ha of maize last season, thus ensuring food security within this community. The University has mooted plans with the parent ministry to increase the size of the scheme to 90 ha. The university’s synergistic relationship with the Muchekeranwa community resonates with your conviction as espoused in your words: ‘The true strength of a nation lies in the empowerment of its people,” said Prof Nyamangara.
He said the institution had increased the number of crops grown at its industrial park to include tobacco and seed potatoes.
“This past winter season, the university established a 155-ha wheat crop up from 125 ha last season. For the 2024/2025 summer season, the University has established seed maize, flue-cured tobacco, seed potato and sugar bean,” Prof Nyamangara said.
He said the university secured seven research grants from partners aimed at fostering rural development, women empowerment and improving agriculture output.
“All these research projects, which are spread across the country, seek to address the challenges bedevilling our communities. At the SADC Public Lecture 2024 which you graced as Guest of Honour, Your Excellency and Chancellor, one of the key take-home points was that ‘If research is not answering to our poverty and our diseases and problems in general, then it is not relevant to us,” said Prof Nyamangara.
He said the projects that they embarked on sought to address societal challenges.
Some of the research projects were meant to foster resilient fruit value chains for rural prosperity in the Zambezi Valley funded by the government of Morocco, while another was on soil organic carbon stocks and greenhouse gas emissions, under low and high-density livestock management systems, in sub-humid Zimbabwe to the tune of US$70 000.
“This project seeks to quantify greenhouse gas emissions and explore mitigatory measures in mixed crop-livestock farming systems in both smallholder and large-scale commercial farming setups. This project is being implemented in Marondera and Goromonzi districts,” Prof Nyamangara said.
“The University subscribes to your motto of leaving no one and no place behind. The theme of this year’s graduation ceremony is: “Education 5.0: Harnessing Agricultural Innovation and Industrialisation for Economic Transformation”. As a university, we fully subscribe to your Government’s vision of transforming the country’s economy into an upper-middle-income economy by 2030. Marondera University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology has fully embraced the heritage-based Education 5.0 philosophy in its endeavours to proffer resilient and sustainable agricultural innovations that will transform the agro-based economy of our motherland”.
Turning to the academic report, Prof Nyamangara said in a bid to increase programme offerings and in line with its Strategic Plan, the University has established an additional faculty, the Faculty of Bio-Systems Engineering and Technology to effectively contribute to agricultural policy discourse.
He said yesterday’s graduation had its first four Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) graduates, a testimony of the growth trajectory of the institution.
“Two of these graduates studied the physiology and genetics of two African Indigenous Vegetables Cleome gynandra (nyevhe) and Amaranthus (mowa/bonongwe),” he said.
Prof Nyamangara said this year’s graduation ceremony had a total of 103 students, a 6 percent increase from 96 students in 2023.
“Of these graduates, 41 percent are females and 59 percent are males. The 103 graduates comprise 71 undergraduates, 27 MScs, 1 MPhil and 4 DPhils,” he said.
Prof Nyamangara commended President Mnangagwa for the Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa Chancellor’s Award which saw six students walking away with prizes.
“The University is immensely grateful to you Your Excellency for these awards which demonstrate your passion for education and for rewarding and recognising those students who excel in their academic studies,” he said.
Two students, Princess Nyasha Taruvinga and Proud Sigauke were awarded the best female and best male graduating students respectively and earned US$1000 each from the President.
Graduates could not hide their excitement after being capped.
“I am happy to be graduating today. I want to encourage other fellow students to work hard. It can be done. I am very excited to be graduating. This is as a result of hard work,” Ms Nyasha Taruvinga, who graduated with a Bachelor of Science Honours Degree in Supply Chain Management, said.
Another graduate Mr Allan Chikumbirike thanked President Mnangagwa for the awards and added that it shows his commitment to education.
“I am grateful to the President for his contribution to our education. It’s amazing that as a young University, we receive this kind of support. Our future is bright as young people. We will work hard for our nation to prosper using the skills that we obtained from this institution,” he said.
The event was attended by Higher and Tertiary Education, Innovation, Science and Technology Development Minister Frederick Shava, Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution responsible for Mashonaland East province, Dr Aplonia Munzverengi and senior Government officials.
