On behalf of the Institute Board, and indeed on my own behalf, I would like to wish you all a Happy New Year and the encompassing spirit of hope and vitality, which each New Year brings. Firstly, I would like to acknowledge the staff and students of the Harare Institute of Technology for their individual and collective efforts in contributing to the realisation of the Institute mandate. 2015 was a year filled with various landmarks and achievements and this would not have been possible without your dedication and commitment to this great Institute.
Looking ahead, 2016 should reflect a radical change in focus and attitude reflected through a marked commitment to the HIT Core Values. These HIT Values:- Innovation, Leadership, Integrity, Commitment and Professionalism encapsulate and should be the common strand that informs the execution of our duties as we strive to deliver on our mandate. In the Institute's Ten Point Plan, we made an undertaking to "Commit to the National Development Agenda- ZIMASSET." The full import of this is that the developmental Agenda ZIMASSET, demands that as a public funded institution, we contribute meaningfully and in tangible ways to the growth of this nation's economy. Consequently, this has set the tone for the government's expectation for the higher and tertiary education sector.
As we execute our duties, let us remind ourselves of the ever present need for resource mobilization. It remains incumbent upon us to continue to contribute towards income generation in the various portfolios that we hold. It is now up to us to achieve what we made an undertaking to execute, in order to prove our mettle. The HIT Mandate provides numerous opportunities for growth and development. It is up to us to interpret the mandate to our varied stakeholders as we persuade partners to join HIT in this noble venture towards Zimbabwe's industrial revolution. Our efforts in technology development, incubation, transfer and commercialisation will become the bedrock of our very existence and the reason for our success. I urge each and every one of us this year to make that tangible contribution as we continue with our efforts at HIT.
We wish to acknowledge and thank God for the wisdom that enabled us to stay committed to the mandate in our academic programmes and research, development and innovation outputs during the course of 2015. We trust He will continue to do the same in 2016.
May God bless and guide you all as we strive to execute more effectively the Mandate bestowed upon us.
I thank you.