President Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa officially opening the 12th Zimbabwe International Research Symposium 2019 Theme :The Nexus between Research Industry:Key to Innovation and Sustainable Development Research Council of Zimbabwe

President Emmerson Mnangagwa says his administration will continue prioritising research and innovation through allocation of one percent GDP towards research.

The President said the current 0.3 percent in the 2019 budget is a first step which will improve incrementally in future.

He was addressing researchers, heads of universities school children and heads of research institutions as well as diplomats and chief executive officers of businesses at the 12th Zimbabwe International Symposium in Harare this Friday.

” Research effort across all sectors of our economy must make a substantial and vital contribution to the development of our country.

“To be meaningful, research findings must never merely be for academic endeavour. The body of knowledge therefore must be disseminated for utilisation by the end users such as policy makers, industry, entrepreneurs and investors among others,” said President Mnangagwa.

With Zimbabwe working towards a middle income economy by 2030 in the Second Republic, through industrialisation, modernisation and economic revival the role of research and innovation is crucial.

Addressing guests and researchers at the 12th Zimbabwe International Symposium President Mnangagwa said research is at the heart of decision-making and is an important component to the socio-economic development of the Second Republic.

“It also important for increased production, efficiencies and effectiveness,” said President Mnangagwa.

President Mnangagwa expressed his government’s commitment to support and facilitate platforms that enhance the nexus between Zimbabwe’s growth trajectory and research across all sectors of the economy and urged the Research Council of Zimbabwe to strengthen coordination, promotion and supervision of research throughout the country.

Research effort across all sectors of the economy should make a substantial and vital contribution to national development and produce world class goods and services within their specific fields said the president, adding education should be complemented by research to contribute to economic growth and prosperity said the president.

The government is determined to accelerate the modernisation and industrialisation agenda within Zimbabwe’s economy with focus on market driven policies, with President Mnangagwa stressed and challenged researchers to increase research into seed varieties, crop and animal disease management and climate mitigation strategies.

Before the deliberations inside the conference hall, President Mnangagwa took time to chat and mix with school children who had their research products in display.

At the end of the proceedings there was the awarding of prizes for those who excelled in the different categories.

The young scientist award of US$500 went to Rimbi Primary School, and the second one for secondary schools valued at US$1000 was scooped by Murambinda Secondary School.

The project entailed a cooking stove that converts extra heat to electricity.

Under the student research category Joseph Manzvera of the University of Zimbabwe scooped the US$2000 award.

In the social sciences and humanities award, Dominic Tapfuma won the US$3 000 prize.

The highest prize of US$15 000 went to the crop breeding institute for coming up with a drought resistant seed variety which is also bio-fortified.

The key note speaker was the Chief Executive Officer of Lancor Scientific Limited of the United Kingdom Mr Aamir Butt who came up with an early cancer detection machine.

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