SADC holds public lecture to promote exchange of ideas

The Southern African Development Community (SADC) hosted a public lecture on August 15, 2024 at the Diamond Lecture Hall, University of Zimbabwe.

The event was organised by the University of Zimbabwe in partnership with the Ministry of Higher Education, Innovation, Science and Technology Development of the Republic of Zimbabwe.

The President of Zimbabwe, Vice-Chancellor of the State University and incoming SADC Chairperson, Emmerson Dambuzo Mnangagwa, delivered the keynote address at the Public Lecture. The President was accompanied by the Vice-President of the Republic of Zimbabwe, General Constantino Chiwenga, and Ministers from SADC Member States. The Executive Secretary of SADC, Elias Magosi, also attended the lecture. The theme of the 2024 SADC Public Lecture is “Building Research Capacity and Innovation Ecosystems for a Sustainable Industrialized SADC Economy”, which is derived from the theme of the 44th SADC Heads of State and Government Summit: “Promoting Innovation to Unlock Opportunities for Sustainable Economic Growth and Development towards an Industrialized SADC.”

The objective of this public presentation is to lay the foundation for the development of a SADC framework that focuses on building research capacity and innovation ecosystems at all levels of education from primary to secondary, tertiary and higher education to achieve industrialization and a sustainable SADC economy. The framework builds on the power of knowledge, science, technology and innovation to respond to the needs of global markets and livelihoods. The objectives of the 2024 SADC Summit Public Presentation are as follows:

To showcase the importance of research and innovation in our education system in transforming the SADC into an industrialised region; To identify strategies to enhance the research and innovation capacity of SADC schools, colleges, vocational training centres and universities and their role in driving industrialisation; To reveal the research and innovation ecosystem that drives industrialisation for sustained economic and social development. The public lecture will also include a high-level panel discussion with policymakers and academic leaders from SADC member countries, as well as tours of the exhibition, the University of Zimbabwe Innovation Centre and the University’s National Technology Solutions Centre.