The University of Venda (UNIVEN) and Bulawayo Polytechnic (BYOPOLY) co-hosted their inaugural Joint International Research Conference, officially opened by Prof Norman Takaidza on behalf of Prof Fanuel Tagwira, the Permanent Secretary in Zimbabwe’s Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education, Innovation, Science and Technology Development. The landmark event took place on 6-7 March 2025, at the prestigious iconic Victoria Falls Safari Lodge in Zimbabwe. Themed “The Role of Higher Education in Promoting Innovation and Entrepreneurship for Industrialisation,” the conference attracted diverse stakeholders, including academia, industry professionals, policymakers, entrepreneurs, students, and innovators. Together, they explored the transformative potential of higher education in fostering innovation, entrepreneurship, and industrialisation at both local and global levels.
The conference covered an array of sub-themes that reflected the crucial intersections between higher education, innovation, and economic development: Innovation and Technology Transfer in Higher Education; The Role of Higher Education in Industrialisation; Entrepreneurship, Innovation, and Economic Development; Quintuple Public-Private Partnerships for Economic Growth; and Higher Education for Sustainable Development.
In his keynote address as he officially opened the conference, Prof Takaidza highlighted the sig-nificance of the conference and the fruitful collaboration between the University of Venda and Bulawayo Polytechnic. He noted the importance of the partnership, especially the Trans-Lim-popo Initiative and the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the two institutions.
He emphasised the conference theme’s alignment with Zimbabwe’s national vi-sion for accelerated industrialisation, pointing out that innovation and entrepreneur-ship are fundamental drivers of industrial growth and economic development. In ref-erencing Zimbabwe’s President, Dr Emmerson Mnangagwa, Prof Takaidza stressed the need to adapt educational systems to close technological gaps and ensure glob-al competitiveness. He also highlighted the country’s Heritage-Based Education 5.0 Pol-icy, which promotes science, technology, and innovation to support industrialisation.
The policy advocates the creation of innovation hubs and agro-industrial parks within high-er education institutions, reinforcing the Ministry’s focus on Education 5.0. This policy inte-grates teaching, research, community engagement, innovation, and industrialisation to drive economic transformation. Prof Takaidza encouraged institutions to adopt cutting-edge innova-tions such as artificial intelligence, robotics, biotechnology, and renewable energy while explor-ing innovative financing models to support regional industrialisation using domestic resources.
Closing his address, Prof Takaidza emphasised the importance of collaboration between uni-versities and polytechnics, with universities focusing on knowledge generation and poly-technics applying that knowledge in industries. He concluded by urging participants to pri-oritise practical solutions to industrialisation, focusing on adding value to local resources.
Eng. Chiedza Masanganise, Principal of Bulawayo Polytechnic, welcomed the dele-gates to the inaugural conference. She highlighted the theme’s focus on higher educa-tion as a catalyst for economic growth through innovation. Eng. Masanganise acknowl-edged the successful partnership between Bulawayo Polytechnic and the University of Venda and the importance of regional collaboration through the Trans-Limpopo Initiative.
She encouraged participants to engage in meaningful discussions, build networks, and es-tablish collaborations that would drive industrialisation and economic prosperity in the region.
This was followed by Prof Bernard Nthambeleni, Vice-Chancellor and Principal of the University of Venda, who also addressed the attendees. He underscored the importance of the ongoing collaboration between the two institutions and the conference’s objective to explore how high-er education can accelerate economic transformation through innovation and entrepreneurship.
Prof Nthambeleni highlighted key topics such as technology transfer, curricu-lum redesign, and policies for innovation-driven economies. He stressed the signif-icance of Africa’s youthful population and the pivotal role of education in address-ing the continent’s development challenges. He reaffirmed the University of Venda’s commitment to offering programmes that meet regional needs and promote sustainable growth.
Eng. Dingani Mhlanga, Vice-Principal of Training and Coordination at Bulawayo Polytech-nic and Chair of the Joint International Research Conference Committee, emphasised the historic nature of the collaboration between Bulawayo Polytechnic and the Universi-ty of Venda. He stressed the need to break down traditional institutional barriers to ben-efit communities and nations, especially within the Southern African Development Com-munity (SADC) context. In his opening remarks, Eng. Mhlanga reaffirmed the theme of the conference and the crucial role of higher education in driving innovation and entrepre-neurship to support industrialisation. He also highlighted the significance of cross-bor-der partnerships in fostering regional self-reliance and creating job opportunities.
Prof Marius Hedimbi, Vice-Chancellor of Welwitchia University, Namib-ia, expressed a message of support, emphasising the urgent need for prac-tical solutions and collective action to unlock Africa’s economic potential.
Additionally, Mr Kholisani Moyo, City Economic Development Officer for the City of Bu-lawayo, and Ms. Dorah Maraba, Chief Director of International Relations and Afri-can Peer Review Mechanism in the Limpopo Provincial Government, respectively spoke about the Trans-Limpopo Spatial Development Initiative, furthering regional cooperation.
The Director of the Entrepreneurship Development in Higher Education at Uni-versities South Africa (USAf), Dr Edwell Gumbo, presented on the topic Reimagin-ing Higher Education as a Catalyst for Innovation, Entrepreneurship, and Industri-alisation in Africa. Dr Edwell Gumbo’s presentation focused on the evolving role of higher education as a catalyst for innovation, entrepreneurship, and industrialisation in Africa.
It emphasised the importance of entrepreneurial universities, student entrepreneurship, and embedding innovation in academia to drive economic growth and job creation. The pre-sentation highlighted the role of research in fostering technological advancements, pol-icy development, and societal progress while addressing challenges like infrastructure deficiencies, energy constraints, and economic instability. Key opportunities include lever-aging renewable energy, regional trade, tech advancements, and human capital develop-ment. It advocates for university-industry collaboration, policy support, and funding mech-anisms to transform institutions into innovation hubs and drive Africa’s industrialisation.
The conference spanned two days and featured two plenary sessions and three break-out sessions, with a total of 102 delegates in attendance. Among the presenta-tions, 46 were delivered, with 13 coming from UNIVEN. Of the five poster presenta-tions, four were also from UNIVEN. Presenters shared valuable insights into the role of higher education in fostering innovation and entrepreneurship to drive industrialisation.
Two awards were presented to UNIVEN: the Best Emerging Researcher Award, which was given to Ms. Rannzida Hasandi, a Master’s student in Social Work in the Facul-ty of Humanities, Social Sciences and Education and the Best Poster Award, which was presented to Mr. Rendani Nematswerani from the Directorate of Communi-ty Engagement, Entrepreneurship, Inclusive Innovation, and Commercialisation.
Other awards included the Best Overall Presenter Award, which was giv-en to Nokukhanya Moyo, a staff member at Bulawayo Polytechnic, and the Best Ab-stract Award, which was awarded to Martha Masunda from Mutare Polytechnic.
The scientific team will work closely with the presenters to support the publication of selected pa-pers in accredited journals. Furthermore, established Communities of Practice (COP) will continue collaborating, sharing best practices, and exploring opportunities for collaborative funding streams.
The inaugural Joint International Research Conference hosted by Bulawayo Polytech-nic and the University of Venda successfully brought together key stakeholders to ex-plore the pivotal role of higher education in driving innovation and entrepreneur-ship for industrialisation. The event was a significant milestone in regional academic collaboration and a step forward in shaping the future of industrialisation in Southern Africa.
In his concluding remarks and way forward, Prof Bernard Nthambeleni announced that the University of Venda will host the 2nd Joint International Research Conference in March 2026.
On photo: Prof Bernard Nthambeleni and Eng. Chiedza Masanganise
On photo: In the middle, is the recipient of Best Upcoming Researcher
On photo: In the middle is the recipient of the Best Poster award, Mr Rendani Nematswerani
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