University of Zimbabwe facts for kids
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Other name
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UZ |
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Former names
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University College of Rhodesia and Nyasaland University College of Rhodesia University of Rhodesia University of Zimbabwe Rhodesia (1979) |
| Motto | Educating to Change Lives |
| Type | Public |
| Established | 1952 |
| Chancellor | Emmerson Mnagagwa (ex officio as President of Zimbabwe) |
| Vice-Chancellor | Paul Mapfumo |
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Academic staff
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140 professors, 545 lecturers, 155 teaching and research assistants (2018) |
| Undergraduates | 17,718 |
| Postgraduates | 2,681 |
| Location | , |
| Campus | Suburban |
The University of Zimbabwe (UZ) is a big public university in Harare, Zimbabwe. It first opened in 1952. Back then, it was called the University College of Rhodesia and Nyasaland. It was connected to the University of London at that time.
Later, its name changed to the University of Rhodesia. When Zimbabwe became independent in 1980, it got its current name. UZ is the oldest university in Zimbabwe.
The university has eleven main departments, called faculties. These faculties offer many different study programs. They also have special research centers. The university is officially recognized by the National Council for Higher Education, Zimbabwe. English is the main language used for teaching.
Contents
A Look at the University's History
How the University Started
In 1945, a person named Manfred Hodson started the Rhodesia University Association. He was inspired by a promise of money from Robert Jeffrey Freeman to build a university. The next year, the government of Southern Rhodesia agreed to create a university college. This college would help students in Southern Rhodesia and nearby areas.
In 1947, a special fund was set up for the university. In 1948, the city of Salisbury (now Harare) offered land in Mount Pleasant for the campus. Four years later, a law was passed to officially create the university. The first classes began in 1952 with about 68 students. They studied at a temporary place on Baker Avenue.
Around the same time, another group suggested building a university college. This group was led by Sir Alexander Carr-Saunders. They thought it would be good to join forces with the Southern Rhodesian plan.
Building the University
Building work started at the Mount Pleasant site. Money came from the British Government and the Government of the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland. Other groups like Anglo American Corporation and the Ford Foundation also helped. In July 1953, Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother laid the first stone.
In 1955, the British Government officially recognized the school. It became the University College of Rhodesia and Nyasaland (UCRN). The college then joined with the University of London in 1956. By 1957, all teaching moved to the Mount Pleasant campus.
In 1958, the college received more land. This land was used for the college farm and the Lake Kariba Research Station. In 1963, the Medical School opened. It was connected to the University of Birmingham. The college welcomed students of all races. In 1970, its connections with the Universities of London and Birmingham slowly ended.
After Independence
After Zimbabwe became independent in 1980, the university was renamed the University of Zimbabwe. In 1981, Walter Kamba became the first black head of the university. In 1982, a new law from Parliament replaced the old royal charter. The number of students grew from 1,000 in 1980 to 2,000 by 1985.
In December 1998, the university hosted a big meeting for the World Council of Churches. Thousands of students gathered in October 1989 to protest. Police arrived, and some students were hurt or arrested. All 8,000 students were told to leave the campus that day.
In the 1990s, the university grew a lot. Student numbers reached 8,000 by 1995 and over 10,000 by 2001. However, the university faced challenges in the 2000s. It was hard to pay teachers enough, which led to strikes. Some groups that used to give money stopped their help. It became difficult to find enough teachers. By 2007, some courses could not be taught. Problems with water, electricity, and building upkeep also became serious. The university even had to close for a while in 2008 and 2009.
Exploring the Campus
The main campus of the University of Zimbabwe is in Mount Pleasant. This is a nice area in northern Harare. The campus covers about 299 hectares (739 acres). It is part of a special area set aside for schools.
There are 171 buildings on the main campus. These include classrooms, student dorms, and staff homes. The campus also has sports fields. The College Green is a large grassy area. It is a popular spot for social events. About a third of the campus is a natural wetland. This area is not built on.
Besides the main campus, UZ has other places around Zimbabwe. In Harare, there are 46 university buildings outside Mount Pleasant. The university's main medical campus is at the Parirenyatwa Hospital. This is where the College of Health Sciences is located.
Other university properties in Harare include apartments for staff and students. These are in areas like The Avenues and Avondale. Outside Harare, UZ has places in Bulawayo, Kariba, and Teviotdale.
The university runs the University of Zimbabwe Lake Kariba Research Station. This is in Kariba. It also has the University of Zimbabwe Farm, called Thornpark Estate. This farm is about 8 kilometers from the main campus. The farm is 1636 hectares (4043 acres) big. The Faculty of Agriculture uses it for teaching and research.
Some of Zimbabwe's newer universities started as parts of UZ. Examples include Bindura University of Science Education and Chinhoyi University of Technology.
What Students Learn
Undergraduate Studies
At UZ, undergraduate students learn through lectures. These are given by professors or lecturers. They also have tutorials led by teachers or assistants. Many courses include practical work in a laboratory. Some also have field schools.
Students get grades for tests and assignments. Practical work is also graded. At the end of a course, there are usually examinations.
The study programs use a "Course Unit" system. This means students can often choose some of their courses. For honors degrees, students must complete a special project on their own.
The university offers different types of bachelor's degrees. These include Bachelor, Bachelor (Honours), and Intercalated bachelor's degrees. You can study subjects like arts, business studies, computer science, education, science, law, medicine, and veterinary science.
Postgraduate Studies
The University of Zimbabwe also offers higher-level degrees. These are postgraduate honors degrees, master's degrees, and doctoral degrees. Postgraduate honors programs last one year. They include classes, exams, and a required project.
Master's degrees can take one to two years. They involve coursework and projects. Some master's degrees are only by research and writing a thesis. These are called M.Phil. degrees and take at least two years.
The highest degree is the D.Phil. (Doctor of Philosophy). This degree is only by research and writing a thesis. Students doing an M.Phil. can sometimes switch to the D.Phil. program.
University Rankings
The University of Zimbabwe has been recognized in some global rankings. In 2007, the World Universities Ranking placed it 14th in Africa. It was also ranked 3,549th out of 9,760 universities worldwide. By 2008, it was 17th in Africa and 4,001st globally. In 2010, another ranking (URAP) said UZ was the best university in Zimbabwe. It was ranked 1340th in the world that year.
How the University is Run
Leadership and Management
The main leader of the university is the Chancellor. This role is held by the President of Zimbabwe. A group called the University Council helps run the university. It includes leaders, teachers, students, and other important people.
The chief executive of the university is the Vice-Chancellor. This person is chosen by the Chancellor. The Vice-Chancellor gets help from one or more Pro–Vice-Chancellors.
The academic side of the university is managed by the Senate. This group includes university leaders, deans of faculties, professors, and student representatives. The university is divided into different faculties. Each faculty has a dean and a board of teachers.
University Departments (Faculties)
The university has twelve main academic faculties:
| Faculty | Departments | Institutes | Centres |
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| Agriculture Environment And Food Systems | Agricultural Economics and Extension Animal Science Crop Science Soil Science and Agricultural Engineering |
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| Arts And Humanities | African languages and Literature English Economic History History Linguistics Modern Languages Religious Studies, Classics and Philosophy Theatre arts |
African languages research institute Confucius Institute |
Communication Skills Centre Centre for Defence Studies |
| Medicine and Health Sciences | Medical Laboratory Sciences
Surgery |
Institute of Continuing Health Education | |
| Business Management Sciences and Economics | Accountancy Business Studies Tourism, Leisure and Hospitality Studies |
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| Computer Engineering Informatics and Communications | Analytics and Informatics
Computer Engineering Electronics and telecommunications Computer Technology Training Development |
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| Education | Adult Education Curriculum and Arts Education Educational Administration |
Human Resources Research Centre | |
| Engineering and Built Environment | Civil Engineering Electrical Engineering Geoinformatics and Surveying Mechanical Engineering Metallurgy Mining Engineering |
Centre for Continuing Engineering Education | |
| Law | Constitutional law Private law Procedural law Public law |
Commercial law Institute Women's Law Institute of Southern Africa |
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| Science | Biological Sciences Biochemistry Chemistry Computer Science Food, Nutrition and Family Sciences Geology Mathematics Physics Electronics and Telecommunication Technology |
Institute of Mining Research | Mineral Resources Centre |
| Social and Behavioural Sciences | Economics Political and Administrative Studies Psychology Rural and Urban Planning Sociology |
Centre for Applied Social Studies Centre for Population Studies |
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| Veterinary Science | Preclinical Veterinary Science Clinical Veterinary Science Paraclinical Veterinary Science |
Former Colleges of UZ
The university used to have one college, the College of Health Sciences. It is now called the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences. Many of Zimbabwe's public universities actually started as colleges of the University of Zimbabwe:
| Former college of the University of Zimbabwe | Current University |
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| Bindura University College for Science Education | Bindura University of Science Education |
| Chinhoyi University College | Chinhoyi University of Technology |
| University College of Distance Education | Zimbabwe Open University |
Research Institutes
The university has two research institutes that study many different subjects. These are the Institute of Development Studies (IDS) and the Institute of Environmental Studies (IES).
School Year
The school year at UZ usually runs from August to June. Graduation ceremonies are often in September. Since February 2016, the university also has a second start time for students. This school year runs from February to December.
Student Life at UZ
Where Students Live
On the main campus, there are several places for students to live. There are five dorms for women: Swinton Hall, Complexes 1, 4 and 5, and Carr-Saunders. There are four dorms for men: Manfred Hodson Hall, Complex 2, Complex 3, and Manfred Hodson Annex.
There is also a Medical Residence at the Medical School campus. Another residence, Mount Royal, is in the Avenues area of central Harare. The dorms were closed for a while in 2007 for repairs but reopened in 2014.
Sports, Clubs, and Fun
The university wants at least one student or former student to represent Zimbabwe in sports each year. Sports at UZ happen around the Sports Pavilion. This building was given by National Breweries.
Students can play many sports, including athletics, basketball, cricket, football, field hockey, rugby, and tennis. UZ often wins the Zimbabwe Universities Sports Association Games.
The University of Zimbabwe Football Club plays in Zimbabwe's Division two. Famous football player Benjani Mwaruwari used to play for this club. Former President Canaan Banana even coached the club for a time. When Zimbabwe hosted the All-Africa Games in 1995, UZ was the main village for the athletes.
Other popular sports at UZ include Basketball, Volleyball, Rugby, and Handball. These teams play in Harare's professional leagues. In October 2015, the Sports Department started a Handball festival. This event celebrates the university's 60th anniversary and happens every year.
Most departments have clubs related to their subjects. For example, there's the Kirk Biological Society. There are also non-academic clubs like Rotaract. In 2005, UZ won the Students in Free Enterprise World Cup in Canada.
Gender Balance
The university has worked to have more female students. In 1995, a program was started to help more women enroll.
Important People from UZ
Leaders of the University
The first head of the university was William Rollo. He was the temporary leader from 1953 to 1955. The first official leader was Walter Adams, from 1955 to 1966.
Later leaders included Terence Miller and Scottish theologian Robert Craig. Leonard J. Lewis led the university during Zimbabwe's independence. In 1981, law professor Walter Kamba became the Vice-Chancellor. He was followed by Gordon Chavunduka and then Graham Hill.
Levi Nyagura was the Vice-Chancellor from 2003 to 2018. In August 2018, professor Paul Mapfumo became the acting Vice-Chancellor. He was officially appointed in June 2019.
See also
In Spanish: Universidad de Zimbabue para niños
