MIDLANDS State University Vice-Chancellor Ngwabi Bhebhe says his institution has set aside 5% of its annual budget to research in a bid to proffer scientific solutions to the country’s socio-economic problems.
BY Stephen Chadenga/BLESSED MHLANGA “As part of our research strategies, we have allocated 5% of our annual budget to research, which translates to $350 000 for research and post-graduate studies by our academic staff,” he told Higher and Tertiary Education minister Jonathan Moyo last Thursday.
Bhebhe said the university held an international research business conference in July this year and will this week hold another on economic integration.
“These researches are packed with issues of the moment in our socio-economic development,” he said.
Bhebhe said as part of the institution’s strategies to ensure quality research, MSU has partnered with other universities in the region. He said with an academic staff complement of 464, MSU has made strides in increasing the number of PhD holders.
“To complement the research strategy, we have formed partnerships with universities in the region for example, Cape Town, which have more advanced research equipment and facilities and experienced post graduate supervisors.”
Bhebhe said the number of PhD holders had increased from 68 in 2013 to 104 in 2015.
Meanwhile, Moyo has scoffed at Kwekwe Polytechnic College’s bid to transform into a university or degree-awarding institution with only one of its 400 staffers having a degree qualification.
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The college led by Joice Mbuzi has 2009 been pushing to be transformed into a degree-awarding institution.
“If you say 57 have BA’s [Bachelor of Arts] and 33 have masters, you then have to say 57 have no degrees and underline have no degree, they need a degree isn’t it? But because we have also been briefed by the principal … That you have a plan to transform yourself into a degree awarding institution …” Moyo said.
“But you can’t do that if you have 57 who have bachelors’ degrees and 57 of you who have no degrees bringing the total to 114 with no degrees and wanting to issue a degree that is serious!”
