Herald Correspondent
HARARE Polytechnic has signed a five-year deal with a Chinese engineering college and company, which will see 60 Zimbabwean students in Metallurgy and Mechanical Engineering receiving scholarships to study in the Asian country for 18 months, starting next year.
The programme will expand in 2026 to include electrical engineering, with other polytechnics joining the initiative, providing a pipeline of skilled professionals in engineering fields.
This development follows a tripartite agreement signed on Monday by Harare Polytechnic, China's Shanxi Engineering Vocational College (SEVC) and XinGanglian Group, a top ferrochrome producer.
In a speech read on his behalf during the official launch of the metallurgical centre of excellence, to be known as Zimbabwe-China Harare Poly-Huaye Institute, at Harare Polytechnic yesterday, Higher and Tertiary Education, Innovation Science and Development Minister Professor Amon Murwira said the deal would foster technology skills.
"The agreement seeks to promote the internationalisation of vocational education, to foster technology and skills transfer, ensure joint development of curriculum as well as provide opportunities for employment creation for Harare Polytechnic students in the field of metallurgy, coal coking, electricity and safety.
"The agreement, which will last for an initial period of five years, is a testament of the internationalisation of the education systems and the fulfilment of national aspirations in education outlined in the National Development Strategy 1," Minister Murwira said in a speech read on his behalf by Permanent Secretary Prof Fanuel Tagwira.
Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters
Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox
Harare Polytechnic principal Engineer Tafadzwa Madondo was pleased to join forces with the Chinese for the betterment of the two countries.
The agreement would promote collaboration, research, training, technology transfer, capacity building and exchange programmes and would be fully implemented.
"I am excited that 60 Harare Polytechnic students in Metallurgy and Mechanical Engineering shall form the initial cohort and receive full scholarships to study in China in 2025 for 18 months. Electrical Engineering will join later in 2026.
"This will see other Polytechnics being brought on board. Different groups of students will continue being part of scholarship until the expiry of five years. "
The Secretary of Shanxi Province, Tang Dengjie, who led the Chinese delegation, expressed optimism that the co-operation would enhance Zimbabwean students' skills and contribute significantly to the country's development.
Xingalian Group representative, Zhou Xudong, said: "To achieve our goals of integrity, production, and education, we have partnered with Shanxi Engineering Vocational and Harare Polytechnic to create a skills training and transfer programme.
"This initiative aims to nurture high-quality, practical, and technical talents for Sino-Zimbabwe economic development."
