ZIMBABWEAN and Belarusian universities yesterday signed a Memorandum of Understanding to share experiences in education, and facilitate student exchanges at postgraduate levels, Masters and PhD programmes.
The latest development will also result in the exchange of academic staff with a view to promoting academic excellence and fostering close friendship between the two countries for mutual benefit.
This comes as Zimbabwe and Belarus continue to enjoy close bilateral relations across numerous fields.
The agreement was signed between Zimbabwean universities and Belarusian universities through the Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education, Innovation, Science and Technology Development and the Belarusian Ministry of Education.
The MoU encompasses six Zimbabwe State universities – University of Zimbabwe, Chinhoyi University of Technology, Zimbabwe Open University, Lupane State University, Harare Institute of Technology and National University of Science and Technology.
“On the Belarus side are four top Belarusian universities; Belarusian State University, Belarusian National Technical University, Belarusian State Technological University and Minsk State University.
Under the agreement, the 10 participating universities will undertake conventional research as tools for analysing impacts and supporting innovations.
The MoU places no financial obligations or supplementary funding commitments on either side while potential future commitments and activities will be established and defined through separate written subsequent agreements specifying the details, terms, conditions and commitment of resources (if applicable), financial or otherwise, required.
Speaking at the MoU signing ceremony, the Deputy Minister of Higher and Tertiary Education, Innovation, Science and Technology Development, Raymore Machingura, welcomed the new development saying it would strengthen the nation’s education system.
“We welcome the coming in of Belarus as it will reinforce what we are already doing,” the Deputy Minister said.
“They started a little bit earlier than us and their products from their education are there for everyone to see. For those who were at the launch of the agricultural equipment, you could see tractors and other equipment that are products of Belarus which have come to boost our agriculture and ensure food security in the country.
“It means we have a lot to learn from them, there will be exchange programmes for our students. There will be staff development programmes for our lecturers, there will be co-operation in science and innovation”.
Belarusian Minister of Education Mr Andrei Ivanets said: “When our Presidents met, they both said that there are a lot of steps that have been made to secure our co-operation and it started with the shipment of machinery and equipment, it started with co-operation in the agricultural sector. But that was just the first step.
“The next step is to prepare the professionals, the workers and the specialists who will work in all sectors of the economy. That is why I thank the distinguished deputy Minister of Higher Education for the opportunity to sign several memorandum of understanding with our leading universities that will help our brotherly nation to level up the education system to prepare the professionals they need for future development”.
Yesterday, the Belarusian delegation visited several ministries to explore new opportunities.
Earlier in the day, the Belarusian delegation from the Ministry responsible for light industry paid a courtesy call on the Minister of Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage, Kazembe Kazembe.
‘’I met with the Minister responsible for light Industry in Belarus and we spoke about opportunities that we could explore as the Ministry of Home Affairs, in particular their textile products,’’ Minister Kazembe said.
“They came with a team of experts in that industry who are currently very big in Belarus and supplying products to Europe.
“We spoke about possibilities of resuscitating our factories. We do have a textile factory as the police so we spoke about those issues, how they can assist us to ensure that we resuscitate our factories. We can do the manufacture of our own uniforms.
“They have different types of fabric; they have water proof fabric, mosquito proof fabric and I had never heard that you can have a two in one uniform which has a raincoat, so it’s quite interesting.
“As a Ministry we are excited and we are simply trying to follow what our President has been alluding to for the past two days that the co-operation between Zimbabwe and Belarus is now going to the next level.”
Minister Kazembe said they also spoke about other areas of interest like smart policing.
“We have agreed that we are going to share technologies in those areas as well and various other areas so we have had a very good mutually beneficial meeting.”
In response, Belarusian Minister of Light Industry, Tatiana Lugina, invited Minister Kazembe to visit Belarus and explore opportunities.
“We invite you to our country and as alluded to by our President yesterday, we should go to the next level of co-operation between our countries so that we can share our technology.
“We have very big investments and what is interesting is that all textile factories are controlled by Government. Our aim is to improve our nation.
“We have vast experience in the textile industry, modern technology and some of our raw materials we produce in Belarus,” she said. – The Herald
