The NUST Cyclone Idai Response team returned home from their assessment visit, but will be going back as their services are still required. For the first visit, the team specifically went to Ngangu, Silverstream, Skyline and surrounding areas where they did their assessment of residential structures and social amenities of those areas, after which the team made recommendations to the Rural District Council, Town planning section

ZIMCHE EMBARKS ON DRIVE TO HARMONISE HIGHER EDUCATION QUALIFICATIONS

NUST played host to the inaugural seminar on the Zimbabwe National Qualifications Framework (ZNQF), which is part of a series of seminars to be run by the Zimbabwe Council for Higher Education (ZIMCHE) across various clusters around the country. This is being done in an effort to harmonise higher education qualifications across the country’s tertiary education institutions.

Running under the theme, “Harmonising higher education” the seminar deliberated on issues of quality and standards in the realm of higher education as well as helping universities, polytechnics and teachers’ colleges understand the ZNQF and its role in their operations.

Speaking at the seminar, the Director for Registration and Accreditation, Dr. A. Tirivangana also highlighted on how the ZNQF policy will be implemented while citing its strategic players and monitoring mechanisms.

The ZNQF is a policy which seeks to align national qualifications with regional and international standards. The policy, which was launched in July 2018, facilitates the transfer of credits and free movement of students between Zimbabwean institutions and institutions outside the country. The goal of the seminar was to initiate the process of implementing the policy towards the transformation of Zimbabwe’s educational system.

Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education, Head of Curriculum Development and Research, Mr.Simon Mtisi stated that the ZNQF policy added Innovation and Industry to initial educational pillars which were teaching, research and community service. The new pillars were added to integrate education and training into a unified structure of recognised qualifications

He added that every qualification in Zimbabwe will go through this framework in order to be accredited as a certificate which adheres to the pillars of education.

ZIMCHE expects to put this framework in place and standardise all programs by August 2019 to ensure transparency and predictability in Zimbabwe’s educational system.

The National University of Science and Technology (NUST) joins the nation in mourning the loss of lives after Cyclone Idai hit the Eastern region of Zimbabwe last week.

NUST extends heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families and wishes a swift recovery to those affected in many ways.

NUST is overwhelmed with the rapid response that local stakeholders have shown towards assisting the communities as all have stood as one, in supporting these families.  

NUST, both staff and students, has mobilised support to these communities in the form of clothing, blankets, toiletries and dried foods.

NUST has also dispatched a team to Chimanimani and Chipinge to assess the situation on the ground, gather facts and proffer immediate and long-term solutions to assist the affected communities. The team consists of experts from Civil and Water Engineering, Town Planning, Landscape, Architecture and Urban Design, and Disaster Risk Management.

NUST has also engaged stakeholders to partner the University to help re-build the communities and their environment once the team validates the extent of the effects of Cyclone Idai. 

#NUSTInTheCommunity

Congratulations, to National University of Science and Technology (NUST), Zimbabwe for being awarded The Best Research Institution for 2018 at the Public sector Management Awards held on the 15th of March at Meikles Hotel in Harare.

The PSMA (Public Sector Management Awards) are a national Awards program run annually by Stallone Consultancy. The Awards aim to encourage and recognise better practice and innovation across all levels of Government in Zimbabwe.

Source: dailynews

A National University of Science and Technology graduate is turning Harare’s plastic waste into diesel in a pioneering project that could go a long way in addressing Zimbabwe’s chronic fuel shortages.
Farai Masendo’s invention won him the Total Zimbabwe’s 2018/19 Start Upper Challenge and he is not looking back. Masendo (FM) told our business reporter Fidelity Mhlanga (FMM) that with enough financial support he could produce one million litres of diesel a day from plastic waste.

Below are excerpts from the interview.

FMM: How did this idea come about?

FM: I started this project in 2016. This was my final year project at the National University of Science and Technology (NUST) where I was studying chemical engineering. So I decided to take it further. We are a team of six and I have students on attachment from Nust. We also work with street kids, who supply us with empty plastic bottles and we pay them. Our vision is to have them on board when we become a bigger company. Those are the workers that we will give first preference because they know where we are coming from. They are helping us build this vision. It’s just a matter of training them.

FMM: Where did you get funding to start this project?

FM: I have been using money from my personal savings to build the company to where it is now. I have used close to $15 000. This funding of $10 500 I won from Total Zimbabwe will enable me to scale up and produce at least 200 litres of diesel per day. I will also use the funds to scale up my equipment and create another process line with bigger equipment for producing the diesel because the current processing line is very small.

FMM: Can you take us through the diesel processing?

FM: We collect waste plastics and clean them and shred them into small particles to increase the surface area available for the reaction process to take place. After that, they go to our reactor where they undergo catalytic cracking — depolymerisation and reorientation. Gas is produced and gas passes through heat exchangers whereby it cools off to produce diesel. This is now chemistry. The important parameter on our catalyst, which we design on our own, is the one that gives us better yields and the desired product, which is diesel at a better purity level.

FMM: How many plastic collection centres do you have?

FM: We have four in Harare’s central business district. We have one along Rezende Street, then another one around Mbuya Nehanda Street. We collect some of the plastics during the national clean-up campaigns, which we also participate in. We are also in the process of adopting one of the streets in Harare, which we will be maintaining. The Environmental Management Agency (EMA) is facilitating that. We have also been participating in national clean-up campaigns even before the government put it on the calendar whereby we were mobilising people through WhatsApp once every month to collect waste.

FMM: How do you transport waste plastics to your plant?

FM: We have a small car that we are using, which is a general purpose vehicle. For every quantity of waste plastic, we recover 60% into diesel and 40% is wax used for making polish. So from waste plastic we are converting it into two usable resources, which are diesel and wax. The moment our plant becomes big you won’t see any litter in Harare, everyone will be picking it up and channelling it to us for processing. We have customers who want our product, but we cannot meet the demand. We can’t process more litter plastic because our capacity is very low.

FMM: Has the diesel been tested and certified by regulators?

FM: Yes, it has been tested and certified. I actually received an award from the Research Council of Zimbabwe in 2017. At the moment we are not using it for cars, but for industries that consume a lot of diesel to power generators and fire boilers. Our vision is to supply industries so that they leave imported fuel for vehicles and this will reduce our import bill and save foreign currency

FMM: How much are you selling the diesel for?

FM: We are selling it at $2 per litre and we produce close to 20 litres per day. We are anticipating producing close to 200 litres per day by end of March as we scale up. Apparently if we get $100 000 we will have a plant that can process six tonnes of waste plastics per day, which will in turn produce close to 4 000 litres of diesel per day. With that plant running at 24 hours, we will be able to create close to 40 direct jobs and plenty more indirect jobs. Currently we are processing 500kg of waste plastic per month and we are processing any type of plastic.

FMM: Have you pitched your project for government support?

FM: I have engaged a lot of people in government, even the president himself, but they said they would give us feedback later. So I think they are occupied. But sometimes people don’t understand what you want to do. Also the United Nations representatives have been to our plant. EMA has been to our plant as well. I submitted through the Research Council of Zimbabwe and even the Environment and Climate Change. But I have not received any financial support.

FMM: What is your five-year vision for the company?

FM: My vision is to have plants in all the country’s provinces. I have applied for a tender at Harare City Council for a partnership for a waste energy plant at the Pomona landfill. I submitted the applications and I will wait to hear from them. If they give us an opportunity we won’t hesitate, we will go there. If we establish 10 plants in provinces, we envisage to produce one million litres of diesel per day, getting 100 000 litres from each plant.

FMM: Is it also possible to produce petrol from waste plastic?

FM: At the moment the method that we are using is suitable for producing diesel and wax only. It’s a matter of playing with functional groups and the bonds for petrol are a big challenge. I have tried it. However, we will involve ourselves in research and development to come up with the necessary solutions.

FMM: So are you also selling wax that you derive from waste plastic?

FM: I sell it to guys who make floor polish at 60 cents per kg. But when we get there we will also package it and sell it commercially.

FMM: How are you coping with the overheads?

FM: These days it has been a challenge. Rentals have gone up. They have actually doubled and I have been running at a loss. So I thank Total Zimbabwe for this fund, which I hope will bail me out. Meanwhile, we need to increase our revenues to deal with operational costs. We should scale up our production and we will be able to break even. The process we are using is feasible and economic. With a plant that processes three tonnes of waste plastic, I can make a profit of close to 80 000 RTGS dollars and to have that plant we need about $100 000 capital.

FMM: Are you not scared that someone will steal your idea?

FM: If it was meant to be stolen, by now it could have been stolen. I have been pushing this agenda for quite a long time. If I was someone else, I could have given up because it is a big challenge to be an entrepreneur in Zimbabwe.

Source: The Standard

NOTICE TO ALL PROSPECTIVE STUDENTS FOR THE YEAR 2019 (EXCLUDING FACULTY OF MEDICINE AND FACULTY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY EDUCATION)

We would like to advise all our prospective First Year Students for the 2019 Intake that the First Semester will commence on Monday the 6^th of May 2019 and not in March 2019, as advertised. Registration and Orientation will begin on Monday 29 April 2019 to Friday 3 May 2019. Lectures will begin on Monday 6 May 2019. Selection of Applicants is still in progress and successful applicants will be informed.

F Mhlanga

Registrar

Applications for admission into the following programme in the Department of Insurance and Actuarial Science are invited from candidates who meet the specified entry qualifications. 

Master Of Science (MSc) In Risk Management And Insurance Block – Release, Part Time 

This is a two-year, part-time (block-release) Postgraduate degree programme.  Applicants can apply for either Bulawayo or Harare Cohort, and therefore should specify on the application forms. 

Entry Requirements 

• To be considered for admission a candidate must: Hold a good honours degree or equivalent, preferably Lower Second Class (2) or better from a recognised university in any business related field. In addition, the candidate must have thorough knowledge of insurance and/or risk management disciplines, or 

• Hold a general degree or equivalent, preferably Lower Second Class (2.2) or better, from a recognised university, coupled with a professional qualification in insurance and/or risk management from a recognised instituti Associates or holders of advanced diplomas from internationally recognised institutions such as The Insurance Institute of Zimbabwe (IIZ) and The Insurance Institute of South Africa (IISA) with at least three (3) years of working experience at supervisory or management level will also be considered. Applicants holding these professional qualifications must show proof of having the final level of the qualification's examination(s) to be admitted into the MSc Risk management and Insurance programme.

The NUST Graduate School of Business has developed a reputation for leading-edge teaching and delivery of graduate management programmes for transformation in the private and public sectors.  We are committed to meeting challenges of today’s and tomorrow’s Zimbabwe by making real the idea of excellence through high quality and practically oriented graduate management education. Applications are invited for the following MBA programmes commencing in July 2019. 

MASTER OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION (GENERAL MBA)      (EVENING FULL TIME – 12 MONTHS)  AVAILABLE BOTH IN BULAWAYO  AND HARARE. 

The major focus of the Master of Business Administration degree is on integrating theory and practice aimed at producing men and women who aspire towards senior management.  The full-time MBA programme, which is offered during the evening and weekends, provides students with a comprehensive grounding in all the main functional areas of business administration and develops students’ analytical and interpersonal skills in the exercise of strategic leadership and in the solution of business problems. 

Classes are scheduled in the evenings from 5pm – 8pm daily, including weekends (8am – 5pm). 

Entry Requirements

To be considered for admission, a candidate should normally:

1. Be at least 25 years of age.
2. Hold a relevant Bachelor’s degree with a pass level of 2.2 or better of this University or any other approved university, or its equivalent.
3. Have had at least ONE (1) year practical work experience gained at supervisory/managerial

Short-listed candidates will be interviewed as part of the selection process

 Scholarship for GMBA Programme

40 full scholarships are being offered for 30 female and 10 male applicants for the GMBA programme.  To qualify for the Scholarship, applicants must demonstrate strong leadership qualities in the communities they reside in. 

 The scholarships are being offered by SHECAN (an NGO) who will be responsible for selecting successful applicants. NUST is not involved in the selection of the applicants.  Those who do not qualify for the scholarship but meet NUST entry requirements will still be admitted on full fees payment.  Those who have already been offered an MBA place at NUST will not be considered for the scholarship.  For further details on the scholarship, please visit www.shecan.co.zw

MASTER OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION (EXECUTIVE MBA) (EVENING FULL TIME – 18 MONTHS) AVAILABLE BOTH IN BULAWAYO AND HARARE. 

The full-time MBA programme, popularly known as the Executive MBA,  is a cutting-edge, multi-disciplinary degree programme targeted at Senior Executives/Managers in industry, commerce and the public sector.  Emphasis is placed on producing strategic business leaders who can operate at local, regional and international levels, steering their organizations through stormy and volatile environments, successfully. 

The programme takes a minimum of 18 months and a maximum of 36 months to complete and is offered in four stages – a taught component of three semesters and a dissertation in the last semester.

Entry Requirements

To be considered for admission, a candidate should normally:

1. Be at least 25 years of age.
2. Hold a relevant Bachelor’s degree of this University, or its equivalent.
3. Have had at least TWO years’ practical work experience in a managerial

Short-listed candidates will be interviewed as part of the selection process

MASTER OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION (STRATEGIC  MANAGEMENT) (EVENING FULL TIME - 18 MONTHS) AVAILABLE BOTH IN BULAWAYO AND HARARE.

The evening  MBA (Strategic Management) is a unique programme that is practically oriented in both its delivery and examination, that is targeted at Senior Executives in both the private and public sectors. The emphasis of this programme is on understanding the intricacies and dynamics of managing strategically in today’s fast-changing and demanding business environment. A multi-pronged and interactive presentation approach is used as students interact with various experts and business leaders from a broad spectrum of industry, commerce, the public and the NGO sector.

This programme takes a minimum of 18 months and a maximum of 36 months to complete and is offered in four stages. 

Entry Requirements

To be considered for admission, a candidate should normally:

1. Be at least 30 years of age.
2. Hold a relevant Bachelor’s degree of this University, or its equivalent.
3. Have had at least THREE years’ practical work experience in a managerial capacity.

Shortlisted candidates will be interviewed as part of the selection process. Applications should be directed to: 

The Senior Assistant Registrar

Admissions and Student Records

NUST

Gwanda Road/Cecil Avenue

P O Box AC 939, Ascot

Bulawayo 

Telephone: 09-282842/39/58; 289557; 284231; 280371 Fax:09-286803 

Application forms may also be collected from the NUST Office in HARARE, at ZIMDEF House, near Rotten Row Magistrates Court, Phone 04-794848/251534 or may be downloaded from our website www.nust.ac.zw.

The completed application form should be accompanied by a non-refundable application fee of US$20 in cash and CERTIFIED copies of the following: 

1. Birth Certificate
2. National identification card or relevant pages of a candidate’s passport with the candidate’s personal details.
3. Certified copies of relevant academic and/or professional certificates and ranscripts.
4. A detailed CV which should include names and addresses of two referees.
5. Full contact details: home and work landline telephone numbers, cell numbers and e-mails address(es). 

The closing date for applications is 4 March 2019.