The President of the Republic of Zimbabwe and HIT Chancellor Dr E.D. Mnangagwa capped 641 Harare Institute of Technology (HIT) graduates on Friday, the 12th of September 2025, at the university’s Sixteenth (16th) Graduation Ceremony, held at the Institute’s campus in Belvedere, Harare.
Among the graduates, 519 earned their undergraduate degrees, while 122 completed postgraduate studies. Notably, 106 of those who graduated yesterday were from new programs specifically designed to support Zimbabwe’s ongoing modernisation and industrialisation efforts.
The inaugural programmes, introduced to foster national development, included Master of Technology degrees in Telecommunications and Wireless Networks, Electronic Commerce, Data Science and Analytics, Medical Ultrasound, Industrial Biotechnology, and Food Processing.
The ceremony drew distinguished guests from government, academia, industry, and the diplomatic community. Among those present were the Minister of Higher and Tertiary Education, Hon. Dr. Fredrick Shava, and several other ministers, diplomats, Vice Chancellors from local universities, and industry leaders.
President Mnangagwa also visited HIT’s innovative projects, including the lithium battery production plant, the Zimbabwe Republic Police Case Management System, and the Future Mobility Urban Mass Transportation System, a modern tram initiative aimed at providing efficient urban transit solutions.
In his address, HIT Vice Chancellor Prof. Quinton Chamunorwa Kanhukamwe highlighted HIT’s strategic vision and remarkable achievements over the years. He expressed pride in the university’s role as a catalyst for Zimbabwe’s industrialisation and modernisation agenda, emphasising the importance of science and technology as key drivers of socio-economic progress.
Prof. Kanhukamwe reflected on the university’s pioneering integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Data Analytics into its curricula seven years ago, positioning HIT at the forefront of the global AI revolution. He underscored that AI’s impact is pervasive across all sectors and emphasised the need for substantial investments in AI infrastructure to harness its full potential for Zimbabwe’s benefit. “Joining the AI race is no longer optional; it is a national imperative,” he stated.
“Your Excellency and Chancellor, this year your university continued with its annual tradition of holding its Technovation Expo under the theme, Designing the Future, celebrating 20 years of commercialisation of research, development and innovation outputs for Zimbabwe’s modernisation and industrialisation. The Expo demonstrated your university’s dedication to technological innovation, development and commercialisation and had numerous displays showing cutting-edge research, development and innovation outputs that demonstrate the prowess of how Education 5.0 has been assimilated across our curriculum,” Prof Kanhukamwe said.
The Vice Chancellor reaffirmed HIT’s dedication to aligning its strategic plans with the upcoming National Development Strategy 2 (NDS2) and is committed to achieving Vision 2030 ahead of schedule. He outlined the university’s core mission to be a “stimulant of scholarship in innovation,” with a focus on cultivating technopreneurial leadership and commercialising technology rooted in integrity.
Throughout his speech, Prof. Kanhukamwe celebrated HIT’s research and development outputs, noting that, to date, the university has filed over 670 intellectual property rights, including utility models, trademarks, and software copyrights. He highlighted the university’s innovative projects, such as the development of green energy batteries, AI models for medical diagnostics, telepresence healthcare robots, and AI-driven agricultural solutions.
The university’s work in creating lithium battery technology to support renewable energy and manufacturing tram carriages locally for urban transportation showcases its strong commitment to promoting sustainable development. “We have ventured courageously into renewable energy, unveiling lithium battery technologies that will contribute to Zimbabwe’s household storage demand, a giant step toward clean energy independence.”
“HIT also received certificates of excellence from peer-reviewed international journals, publishers and commendations for its unique proficiency and competency-driven curriculum,” the Vice Chancellor added.
Prof Kanhukamwe further highlighted HIT’s significant contributions to the national industry and infrastructure. Notable projects include the locally developed ERP system, now used by 88% of Zimbabwe’s local authorities; Musiyamwa, a new micro, small, and medium enterprise (MSME) management platform operational across Zimbabwe, Zambia, and Malawi; and the deployment of a PET plastic bottle manufacturing plant in Mutare.
The Vice Chancellor also highlighted the university’s international collaborations, which include partnerships with universities in Zambia, Mozambique, the USA, South Korea, Malaysia, and India, fostering joint research, exchanges, and academic mobility. “Recognition for excellence has come in the form of awards such as the Gold at the POTRAZ Innovation Expo for Afrainity Technologies and the best website at Expo 2025 Osaka Zimbabwe Pavilion Launch, reinforcing HIT’s global reputation,” Prof Kanhukamwe said.
As the university celebrated its 20th anniversary, Prof. Kanhukamwe emphasised the importance of the ongoing shift towards Education 5.0, which emphasises hands-on learning, innovation, and entrepreneurship. “Our graduates are equipped to be global leaders, problem solvers, and technopreneurs,” he affirmed.
Addressing the graduating students, Prof. Kanhukamwe urged them to serve with integrity and innovation, emphasising that their true greatness lies in their contributions to humanity and national progress. He congratulated the 641 graduates, including the inaugural cohorts from new programmes in Bio-Medical Engineering, Data Science, and Financial Engineering, among others.
The ceremony also recognised outstanding students, with the Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa Chancellor’s Awards for the overall best graduating female and male students, each receiving US$1,000. Additionally, four top first-class students were awarded US$500 each. Among the 641 graduates were 167 with first-class honours, including students from new programmes such as Medical Ultrasound, Data Science, and Bio-Medical Engineering.
In closing, Prof. Kanhukamwe expressed gratitude to the government, industry partners, staff, and students for their collective efforts, reaffirming HIT’s role as a beacon of innovation and progress. He called on graduates to be ambassadors of Zimbabwe’s technological revolution, using their skills to create solutions that benefit the nation.
