Zimbabwe, as incoming Chair of the Southern African Development Community, today hosts the bloc's Public Lecture at the University of Zimbabwe where President Mnangagwa will deliver the keynote address.
The Public Lecture will run under the theme, "Building Research Capacity and Innovation Ecosystems for a Sustainable Industrialised SADC Economy".
The theme for the Public Lecture was derived from the theme of the 44th SADC Heads of State and Government Summit: "Promoting Innovation to Unlock Opportunities for Sustained Economic Growth and Development Towards an Industrialised SADC."
The Public Lecture will also serve as a precursor to the arrival of the regional bloc's Heads of State tomorrow.
In a statement, the SADC Secretariat said the Public Lecture would establish the foundation for the development of the regional bloc's framework that focuses on building research capacity and innovation ecosystems across all educational levels.
"The Southern African Development Community (SADC) will host a Public Lecture at the Diamond Lecture Theatre of the University of Zimbabwe on 15th August 2024. The event is organised by the University of Zimbabwe in collaboration with the Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education, Innovation Science and Technology Development of the Republic of Zimbabwe.
"His Excellency, Dr Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa, the President of the Republic of Zimbabwe, Chancellor of State Universities, and the incoming Chairperson of SADC, will deliver the keynote address at the Public Lecture.
"The President will be accompanied by General (Rtd) Dr Constantino D. G. N. Chiwenga, the Vice President of the Republic of Zimbabwe, and Ministers from SADC Member States. His Excellency Mr. Elias M. Magosi, the Executive Secretary of SADC, will also grace the occasion," reads the statement.
The Public Lecture will also feature a high-level panel discussion by policymakers and leaders in academia across the SADC member states, as well as tours of exhibitions, the University of Zimbabwe Innovation Hub, and the University's National Transtech Solutions Centre.
"The objective of the Public Lecture is to establish a foundation for the development of a SADC framework that focuses on building research capacity and innovation ecosystems across all levels of education, from primary to secondary, tertiary, and higher education, to achieve an industrialised and sustainable SADC economy.
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"This framework is based on the power of knowledge, science, technology, and innovation, in response to the demands of the global market and livelihoods.
"The objectives of the 2024 SADC Summit Public Lecture are as follows: To demonstrate the significance of research and innovation in our education systems in transforming SADC into an industrialised region; To identify strategies to enhance research and innovation capacity in SADC schools, colleges, vocational training centres and universities and their roles in driving industrialisation; To unpack research and innovation ecosystems that drive industrialisation for sustained economic and social development," said the SADC Secretariat.
Heads of State from the regional bloc are expected to arrive in the country tomorrow ahead of the 44th Summit of Heads of State on Saturday.
Saturday will see the commencement of the Summit where Angolan President and outgoing SADC Chair João Manuel Gonçalves Lourenço will ceremonially hand over the SADC Chairperson's Badge to President Mnangagwa as the incoming SADC Chairperson.
On Sunday, the Heads of State will visit the Geo Pomona Waste Management Facility and the Museum of African Liberation.
