Minister berates ‘useless’ professors failing to write books; says US$ millions for literature development idle

By James Muonwa I Mashonaland West Correspondent

HIGHER Education Minister, Amon Murwira has laid into university professors for failing to write relevant books and literature in order to realign curricula to proffer solutions to national challenges.

Speaking during the official opening of Chinhoyi University of Technology (CUT) fifth international conference and 20th anniversary celebrations Monday, Murwira revealed an undisclosed amount of money running into millions of US dollars was lying idle at his office, yet the same academics complain of ill-equipped libraries.

“For the past three years l have had money for literature development by academics and l wrote to Vice Chancellors to say anybody who has a book, please we have money… nobody took it, nobody. I have evidence,” said Murwira.

He explained that students were also disinterested in penning literature and the only funds they applied for, were for international travel.

Murwira challenged doctorate degree holders and professors to promote a culture of authoring academic journals and textbooks.

“When you are at university you don’t want to be remembered using the plaque on your grave, no!

“You want to be known for what kind of lives you have changed, and how many lives you have changed,” he said.

“Therefore, as we are 20 years old, we must try to have Chinhoyi have their education dominate the technology trajectory.

“If a professor says the books are old, ask do you want a professor from British Columbia to write books for you? You actually complain and come to the ministry holding a plaque saying our books are old yet you are a professor, you must be ashamed of yourself because you must be writing the books.”

The minister highlighted doctrine Education 5.0 helps industrialise the nation and fulfil aspirations of being an upper middle income economy by 2030.

“For capabilities to work, you need to have a well-configured system. If you configure your nation for development, then it will develop. But if you configure it for jokes, then you will be joking for the rest of your lives,” Murwira added.