Zimbabwe: 19 Participate in Aripo Workshop
28/05/2008

Published by the government of Zimbabwe

Comment on this article The Herald (Harare) 22 May 2008
Posted to the web 22 May 2008Harare

HARARE Institute of Technology has positioned itself as a state-of-the-art institute and tries to be in the forefront of making available new technology responsive to national needs so that it can contribute to the rapid industrialisation of Zimbabwe. Board chairman of the Harare Institute of Technology, Dr Gibson Mandishona, laid out the aims at the presentation of certificates to 19 participants of the African Regional Intellectual Property Organisation (Aripo) Training Workshop on Intellectual Property and Patent Acquisition last week. GA_googleFillSlot("AllAfrica_Story_Inset");

He said that with the current challenges in the economy HIT will be capable of producing innovative technologists with the requisite technopreneurial skills to set out their own business and contribute towards the rapid industrialisation of the economy. "It is my hope that new programmes and those already running will continuously be reviewed to ensure they are developed and delivered to the highest professional standards and maintain their relevance to national and international settings. "As the institute continues to integrate more practical and entrepreneurial content in the degree programmes, it is my hope that HIT can move away from the traditional university of being just a degree awarding institute, but to an institute at the centre of innovation and industrialisation," said Dr Mandishona. He pointed out that HIT is about innovation and must value its independence and yet recognise its interdependence and therefore need to strengthen various collaborative arrangements at the national, regional and international level in all spheres as well as solicit for project and research grants.

On presenting the certificates to the students the director general of Aripo Mr Gift Sibanda remarked that it is always with pride that he presents certificates to participants from institutions of higher learning for any courses relating to intellectual property. "This gives me a reassurance that the noble objectives that led to the creation of the African Regional Intellectual Property Organisation 30 years ago will continue to be fulfiled," said Mr Sibanda. He added that the issue of human resources developments stands prominently in the newly adopted strategic plan of the organisation for 2006-2010 strategic plan.