The Harare Institute of Technology won the first prize as the Best Exhibitor 2014 amongst all local universities at the recently held Research and Intellectual Expo-Science, Engineering and Technology (RIE –SET WEEK 2014) Exhibition held at the University of Zimbabwe Grounds from the 3rd – 6th September 2014.
The second prize was awarded to Africa University while the National University of Science and Technology (NUST) was given the third prize.
HIT was exhibiting a variety of innovative technologies ranging from a Solar Drier, Eggs Incubator/Hatchery, Food and beverage products, Herbal medicines, perfumes, oils, Bottle Moulds, a Heavy Weight Lifting Robot, some electricity smart meters and a number of projects from the Electronic Engineering department.
This year’s edition of RIE-SET running under the theme: "Engagement, Innovation and Diversity for National Transformation and Development", was the first joint edition of the Research and Intellectual Expo-Science, Engineering and Technology (RIE-SET) Week, a four-day fair to showcase creative activity and scholarship in institutions of higher learning in Zimbabwe.
The overall RIE –SET WEEK 2014 Best Exhibitor was awarded to Belvedere Teachers Training College.
In a message read on her behalf by the Minister of Higher and Tertiary Education, Science and Technology Development, Dr Olivia Muchena on the occasion of the official opening ceremony, Vice President Joice Mujuru challenged researchers in higher and tertiary institutions to come up with research outputs which are relevant to national development.
Vice President Mujuru said researchers must undertake studies that aim to solve problems facing the country.
"Modern higher and tertiary education institutions can no longer afford to be ivory towers. They have to be seen to be relevant in the national development discourse and agenda. At the end of the day, we are concerned with practical purpose of their research".
"Quality higher education must have a purpose, to the researcher and to society. Quality innovative research must solve problems faced by society," she said.
She requested the Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education, Science and Technology Development to come up with a national research agenda, which addresses some of the urgent needs of the country. VP Mujuru also said research applications in the national development agenda should be guided by the Zim-Asset national economic blueprint.
In her speech after touring the RIE-SET WEEK 2014 Exhibitions, Dr Muchena said the expo provided a platform for sharing knowledge, networking and collaborating by stakeholders in higher and tertiary education in Zimbabwe, Government and state agencies, industry and commerce, strategic regional and global bodies, local civil society networks, public schools and all higher and tertiary institutions in Zimbabwe.
"Our researchers in various institutions of higher and tertiary education need to be relevant and facilitate the realisation of the goals set for science and technology under the Zimbabwe Agenda for Sustainable Socio-Economic Transformation Programme (Zim-Asset).
"It is my hope and expectation that this expo will not be another talk show and we must emerge with a concrete roadmap of research and science and technology that proffers solutions guided by the Zim-Asset economic blue print, reflecting the strong need to fully exploit the internal relationship and linkages that exist between various facets of our economy," she said.
She said higher and tertiary education institutions have a big role to play in coming up with innovations that can help the industry retool, enhance the country’s competitiveness and stimulate various forms of productivity.
Dr Muchena said she was pleased to observe that since the first expo, which was launched by President Mugabe in 2011, the first two volumes of a scholarly journal have been published containing a selection of research papers.
She launched the Journal of Zimbabwe Studies: Science, Technology and Health and The Journal of Zimbabwe Studies: Arts, Humanities and Education.
The four-day exhibition covers science, engineering, technology, arts and humanities, visual and expressive arts is organised by the Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education, Science and Technology Development.
Other foreign Exhibitors who took part were from Iran and South Africa.
Professor Christopher Chetsanga, the chairman of the RIE-SET Week Organising Committee said that school children, college students, the public and the private sector should take advantage of interacting with scientists at the expo to understand the latest technologies and systems being developed in universities, colleges and independent research institutions.
"I’m very impressed by the number of exhibitions being showcased by our researchers and the public and the private sector should come and see technological innovations on display, and we want private sector players to come and explore areas of possible collaboration with a view to develop and commercialise some of the products." he said.
He hoped that the exhibition, which has attracted participants from all universities, polytechnics, technical colleges, vocational training centres, independent research institutions, individual researchers and academics from the region and the Diaspora would motivate students to take up science and engineering as a career.
The RIE-SET Week seeks to harness research and intellectual work by Zimbabweans both at home and in the Diaspora for national development. It also provides a platform for sharing knowledge, networking and collaborating by stakeholders in higher and tertiary education in Zimbabwe – Government and State agencies, industry and commerce, strategic regional and global bodies, local civil society networks, the public and higher and tertiary education institutions.
The thrust is to provide a platform from which Zimbabweans would find out about the new research outputs being produced in higher and tertiary education institutions.
The inaugural RIE Expo was held in 2011 and subsequent editions have established a reputation as a focal point for new ideas and new practices in research, learning and technological and socio-economic development.
President Mugabe made his inaugural lecture for the expo in 2012.