Harare Polytechnic Breaks Record as Graduation Showcases Education 5.0 in Action

By Elishamai A. Ziumbwa

Harare Polytechnic has reaffirmed its place as a national leader in innovation and inclusive education as a record-breaking 4,588 students graduated under Zimbabwe’s transformative Education 5.0 policy.

The milestone was celebrated during the institution’s graduation ceremony held at the institution where government officials, foreign diplomats and education stakeholders hailed the Polytechnic’s alignment with the country’s industrialisation agenda.

In a speech read on his behalf by his deputy Simelisizwe Sibanda, the Higher and Tertiary Education Minister Frederick Shava praised Harare Polytechnic for embracing the shift from traditional academia to innovation-driven learning.

“Our higher education institutions are no longer just centres of academic theory, but they are becoming engines of production,” he said

The Minister added that the 2025 declaration as the year of commercialising innovation outputs placed institutions like Harare Poly at the centre of economic transformation.

This year, 3,953 of the graduating cohort were in STEM fields — a key national priority with 901 of them being women showing steady steps toward gender equity in science and technology.

Harare Polytechnic Acting Principal, Deborah Ruziwa announced a 78.4% pass rate, four registered patents including one for fuel derived from coal and over 2,400 students placed in industry.

“We are no longer just teaching, but building industries. Our labs are producing fuel, our workshops are making tiles, and our students are launching companies,” she said.

The institution also recorded growth in infrastructure with new CNC machines, ICT labs and upgraded hospitality facilities.

Ruzivo highlighted improved support for students with disabilities and a “work for fees” programme enhancing access to education.

Chinese Ambassador Zhou Ding also addressed the gathering, celebrating the deepening China-Zimbabwe partnership.

He hailed the graduation of the first 30 students from a dual certification programme with Ningbo Polytechnic part of a five-year joint teaching agreement.

“These graduates are not just skilled workers, they are ambassadors of a deep, enduring partnership,” he said.