News
ZOU Hold Strategic Planning Workshop
The Zimbabwe Open University (ZOU) held a strategic planning workshop from 3-7 May 2010 at St Lucia Park to determine the strategies to attain the world class status and scope the way forward for the university.
The official opening of the workshop was guided by the theme, "Unlocking Human Capital Development Through Open and Distance Learning" and was attended by several captains of industry and commerce.
The workshop was attended by 70 participants.
The strategic thrust of the institution is guided by the spirit of continuity, novelty and transition as we enter a new dispensation after the strategic plan of 2005 to 2009.
ZOU Celebrates 11 Years Of Existence
THE Zimbabwe Open University, (ZOU) on 15 April, celebrated 11 years of human capital development on the 15th of April, 2010 and also launched e-learning laboratories countrywide that are expected to revolutionize the way students learn. The e-learning platform provides interactive learning materials to the learner.
The ZOU day was celebrated under the theme, "Celebrating 11 Years of Human Capital Development Through World Class Open and Distance Learning." In Harare, the day started off with a march from the Main Post Office to the Harare City Library, where the main celebrations were held. The day was also commemorated in the other nine ZOU Regional Centres countrywide. Speaking at the celebrations, the Vice Chancellor of ZOU, Dr Primrose Kurasha, said the university had grown in leaps and bounds since its establishment in 1999 as reflected by the growth in the numbers of students, academic and administrative staff.
The university has graduated 21 000 people in the last seven years. She also said ODL was the best solution for ensuring access to higher education in the country. "Open and distance learning, ladies and gentlemen, constitutes the best approach to tackling the challenge of equitable access to higher levels of education that Zimbabwe faces as the learner has a high level of control over the location, timing, content and or method of study," she said.
Dr Kurasha also said ODL was the only mode of education that could adequately address national economic integration, increase in productivity and support of small to medium scale enterprises.
The Guest of Honour at the occasion was the Minister for Higher and Tertiary Education, the Honourable Dr Stan I G Mudenge. He said one of the ways that Government could use to develop its people was ensuring that educational opportunities were increased. Dr Mudenge praised ZOU for the achievements it has made so far in its 11 years of existence and said the university was contributing immensely towards expanding learning opportunities to the majority of Zimbabweans."Education based on inclusion is the hallmark of the Zimbabwe Open University. You have the capacity to reach out to the majority of people out there in the rural areas. You have a clear understanding of the characteristics of our varied learners in this country and what they expect from an institution of higher learning," he said. He said he was aware of the challenges that ZOU was facing and said Government was doing everything it could to ensure that conditions of service were improved. Dr Mudenge challenged other institutions of higher learning to emulate the example set by ZOU of running their institutions along business lines.
Other dignitaries present on the day were the Governor for Harare metropolitan province Cde David Karimanzira, the Deputy Minister for Higher and Tertiary Education, Senator Lutho Tapela, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education, Dr Washington Mbizvo, ZOU Council Members Dr Tafataona Mahoso and Mr Callisto Jokonya.
Dr Mudenge also officially launched the ZOU Online Laboratory at the Harare City Library. These laboratories will enable students to access study and teaching services through the internet to enhance the learning experience of the student and provide digital access points for the learners. The laboratories are also part of the university's public private partnership initiatives. The ZOU Online learning platform thereby reduces the amount of time that a person has to spend going to a physical library.
The day was commemorated simultaneously in the ZOU's 10 Regional Centres countrywide and proceedings went extremely well with most of the invited dignitaries turning up for the celebrations.