Ellen Mlambo
MIRROR REPORTER

MASVINGO- Mutare Teachers College is the best Innovative Teachers College after scooping the award at the inaugural Presidential Innovation Fair awards ceremony recently held in Harare.
The College received US$10 000 and a trophy for its sterling performance in implementing Education 5.0 through innovative projects.
The projects that won the college awards are a Multipurpose Juice Manufacturing Plant, Beacon Press Publishing House and a Digital Braille System.
Nyadire Teachers and Seke Teachers were first and second runner-ups. They received US$5 000 and US$2 000.
The awards fell into 17 categories that started this year to support Education 5.0, classifying universities as the key drivers of industrialisation.
Fourteen universities, nine Polytechnic colleges, seven teachers’ and four industrial training colleges attended the event.
The awards organised and sponsored by the Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education, Innovation, Science and Technology Development were held from April 19-20, 2023.
Participants exhibited and were adjudicated by a panel of six judges. The adjudicators went around institutions assessing innovations and various projects and submitted their findings to a team of reviewers.
The event was graced by President Emmerson Mnangagwa and Vice President Constantino Chiwenga. The Minister of Higher Education, Professor Amon Murwira, University Vice Chancellors, College Principals and other dignitaries also attended.
The biggest prize for the Grand Presidential Innovation of the Year Award went to Verify Engineering for the VE Gases project, and they walked away with US$50 000 and a trophy.