By Br. Alfonce Kugwa
503 students graduated from the Catholic University on Friday, 03 May 2019 as the college continues to expand in almost all dioceses within Zimbabwe. The graduands were from the faculties of humanities and social sciences, commerce and theology with 29 across all faculties graduating with a first class.
The university’s 16th graduation was attended by The Zimbabwe Catholic Bishops’ Conference President and Chancellor of the Catholic University, Archbishop Robert Ndlovu, Archbishop Alex Thomas, Bishops Paul Horan, Rudolf Nyandoro, Michael Bhasera, Albert Serrano, ZCBC Secretary General, Fr. Fradereck Chiromba, ZCBC Education Secretary, Sr. Theresa Nyadombo, representatives from the Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education, Science and Technology Development and other dignitaries.
The Vice Chancellor of the Catholic University of Zimbabwe told the graduands that coming from the Catholic University meant that they were well groomed to take up responsibilities in all spheres of life.
“The freedom and opportunity they get by becoming university graduates is that they now carry at the top of their shoulders heads that have been schooled, heads that have been tried and tested, heads that should from hereon adapt comfortably and competently to all that life may throw on their way,” said Professor Zinyemba.
The institution’s motto is, “Grow with the Catholic University of Zimbabwe.” Indeed, the university has continued to grow with centres in Mutare, Bulawayo, Chinhoyi, Harare and the newest campus opened in Gokwe Diocese.
Professor Zinyemba said the Catholic University adds two new dimensions to its name which are innovation and industrialisation. He said this was after the call by the Minister of Higher and Tertiary Education, Science and Technology Development to move the university from the traditional and historical University 3.0 whose mission is to teach, research and carry out services to the new University 5.0 whose goal is innovation and industrialisation necessary to transform societies.
Professor Zinyemba stated: “Universities are called upon to help resolve societal challenges in all their dimensions. They are called upon to create knowledge that is translatable into action, into developmental projects that help society.”
Moving in line with the 5.0 path, the university has this year launched an Entrepreneurship for Impact Global Masters in Business Administration degree programme, also referred to as the E4Impact MBA in association with the Catholic University of Milan. The programme that started with 52 students focusses on driving entrepreneurs to make a positive impact in their environment and community both locally and at a global scale.
“The Impact MBA grooms entrepreneurs to develop their businesses and to scale them in different dimensions. Students are required to have a business idea or to have an existing business and throughout their two years of encounter on the program the focus is on the individual business, launching it if it is a new business, and growing and scaling it up if it’s an existing business. It is a requirement that all graduates on the programme have an operational business when they graduate,” stressed Professor Zinyemba.
The E4Impact MBA is operational in eight countries in Africa including Kenya, Uganda, Senegal, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Sierra Leone, Ethiopia, Sudan and Zimbabwe becomes the ninth in offering the programme.
New degree programmes introduced at the university this year include the Bachelor of Education Early Child Development and Bachelor of Education Primary Education. According to Professor Zinyemba, the university shall soon be submitting to the Zimbabwe Council for Higher Education (ZIMCHE) other Bachelor of Education degree options.