CHIMOIO, MOZAMBIQUE — Zimbabwe’s Foreign Affairs and International Trade Minister, Professor Amon Murwira, has called on African universities to critically assess the relevance of their curricula to the continent’s development needs.
Prof Murwira delivered the message during a public lecture at Universidade Púnguè on Wednesday, highlighting the transformative potential of education, science, and innovation in driving societal progress through heritage-based learning.
“It is not possible to say, ‘I am educated, but I am poor,’” Prof Murwira said. “If education and poverty co-exist, what is being taught is not education, it is poison.” He emphasised that education should result in tangible outcomes, including food security, health, innovation, dignity, and prosperity.
Drawing a distinction between training and education, Prof Murwira argued that while training imparts functionality, education liberates the mind and empowers creativity. “You can train a dog to jump, but you cannot educate it. Education is the ability to think, act, and create solutions,” he said.
The minister also addressed misconceptions surrounding science and local knowledge, stressing that scientific reasoning is universal and has long been reflected in indigenous African technologies, systems, and practices. He added that digital tools enhance the generation and dissemination of knowledge but cannot replace organised, locally relevant learning.
Prof Murwira outlined the Heritage-Based Education 5.0 model introduced under President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s Second Republic, which focuses on five core missions for tertiary institutions: teaching knowledge rooted in local realities, research addressing local needs, community service, innovation, and industrialisation. “If a university cannot cause industry, we must close it down,” he said, urging higher education institutions to produce outcomes beyond academic certificates.
Citing Zimbabwe’s successes under Education 5.0, including innovation hubs, agro-industrial parks, and the ZimSat-1 and ZimSat-2 satellites, Prof Murwira stressed the importance of locally relevant curricula. “You cannot study polar bears when you have lions,” he said, calling for education that reflects the climate, culture, and challenges of African communities.
He concluded by advocating for stronger collaboration between Zimbabwe and Mozambique through joint innovation, industrialisation, and cultural exchange. “Let us digitise our wisdom, industrialise our knowledge, and dignify our people through organised learning,” Prof Murwira said.
