DISTINGUISHED academic, professional engineer and strategic leader, Dr William Msekiwa Goriwondo, has been appointed NUST Pro-Vice Chancellor for Innovation and Business Development (IBD) with effect from May 2021.
Announcing the appointment, the NUST Council Chairman, Eng Alvord Mabena, said it marks the end of a recruitment exercise for senior managers and completes the Principal Officers team.
Before this appointment, Dr Goriwondo was the Executive Dean for the Faculty of Engineering. He fills the post left vacant by Dr Gatsha Mazithulela who was early last year appointed Deputy Director-General in the President’s Office.
Eng Mabena said Dr Goriwondo was appointed for the capabilities that he has shown and the deliveries that he has done.
“This is the time for you to deliver on all our expectations. You are not coming here as an individual but as a team member so that together you tackle the business of NUST. Alone, you cannot achieve anything unless you work in harmony with others,” said the NUST Council Chairman.
He highlighted that the office of PVC for IBD is loaded and Dr Goriwondo is expected to live up to the expectations.
“You will be expected to transform the University and we are looking forward to seeing the innovations you will deliver. We need to generate revenue and you must lead that process.
“We are convinced that innovation and industrialisation are possible here at NUST. Each year that comes we want to see how many start-ups and how many patents have been registered. You must be clear on the strategic intent. We cannot continue to do things like yesterday; we must make sure that we are current with developments out there,” said Eng Mabena.
He challenged senior managers to support Dr Goriwondo and adopt a mature approach to business as well as a good team spirit.
The Vice-Chancellor, Prof Mqhele E. Dlodlo said he was elated and relieved with the appointment of Dr Goriwondo as the University now has a full complement of Principal Officers.
Last year, two other new Principal Officers, the Registrar, Mr Biggy Ngwenya and the Bursar, Mr Stanford Ndlovu, were appointed.
Their appointments followed the retirement of Mr Fidelis Mhlanga and Dr Fortune Nkomo, as registrar and bursar respectively.
The Pro-Vice Chancellor for Research and Academic Affairs, Prof Yogi Naik and the Librarian, Ms Kathy Matsika, are the other members of Principal Officers.
Prof Dlodlo challenged Dr Goriwondo to offer support and strategic guidance to the employees.
“If the people doing the work are unhappy, then you will not achieve anything. We are here to deliver a service to the University and we must agree to follow the same common saying that ‘the customer is always right’. The public understand the NUST mandate and we must deliver on that,” said Prof Dlodlo.
He noted that the pace of economic development is picking up and the industry and private sector are noticing.
“Universities have been instructed to accelerate the pace of economic development. We rely on PVC for IBD to lead us in accelerating the pace. We must initiate the process of transforming ideas into products and services that bring money into the University. You are occupying a key portfolio for meeting the requirements of Education 5.0. We need to be a shining example of what Education 5.0 can do,” said the Vice-Chancellor.
Education 5.0 stands on five pillars of teaching, research, community service, innovation and industrialisation.
According to the Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education, Innovation, Science and Technology Development, Education 5.0 is a bold statement to the effect that Zimbabwe’s modernisation and industrialisation champions must be state universities.
In accepting the appointment, Dr Goriwondo said he was very humbled and challenged to be given the responsibility of leading NUST in its innovation and industrialisation drive.
“I promise to fulfil my responsibilities to the best of my capabilities. We want to see NUST achieving another level. This requires all of us to work smarter. I will rely on the team presented here and those that are not present to transform NUST. As a team, we will work together. I promise to play my part and request that you too play your parts.
“The era of 4th Industrial Revolution requires a lot of technologies that the University can leverage on to transform itself. I take this responsibility knowing fully well the expectations of my position,” said Dr Goriwondo.
He is a registered Professional Engineer with a Master of Science degree in Manufacturing Systems and Operations Management (UZ) and a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Business Administration (NUST).
He is an accomplished researcher with over 25 peer-reviewed publications.
Dr Goriwondo brings 24 years of experience in technical, engineering, operational and strategic leadership in industry and academia.
His career journey started at BP and Shell Marketing Services as a Graduate Engineer in 1997 and rose through the ranks to positions of Plant Engineer, Continuous Improvement Manager, and Health, Safety and Environmental Manager.
In 2002 he was appointed Engineering Services Manager for BP & Shell Marketing Services and Castrol Zimbabwe.
Two years later, he joined Turnall Fibre Cement as Production Manager before leaving the industry in 2006 to join NUST as a lecturer in the Department of Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering.
Before this appointment, he was the Executive Dean of the Faculty of Engineering.
He is a Member of the Institute of Directors Zimbabwe (IoDZ), Fellow and Board member of the Zimbabwe Institution of Engineers (ZIE). He is also a member of the Zisco Steel Advisory Committee on technical issues.
Dr Goriwondo has won prestigious national and international awards such as the K.G Stevens Awards and the Global Engineering Education Award for his work on Project Management and Engineering Education respectively.