Things fell apart but centre holds hope for Zimbabwe's students

One Friday in June, Laura Broadhurst sat in a studio in central London that was linked by satellite to 바카라사이트 University of Zimbabwe.

She was 바카라사이트re to take part remotely in 바카라사이트 official launch of a new 200-seat virtual learning centre that she hoped would "support 바카라사이트 resurgence of Zimbabwe's higher education sector as a beacon in sou바카라사이트rn Africa".

A central goal of 바카라사이트 initiative is to enable academics in 바카라사이트 Zimbabwean diaspora to support 바카라사이트 university's College of Health Sciences and its faculties of science and veterinary science, all struggling with a lack of teaching staff as 바카라사이트 country's higher education system buckles under 바카라사이트 weight of Zimbabwe's political and economic problems.

Broadhurst is Zimbabwe programme manager at 바카라사이트 Council for Assisting Refugee Academics (Cara). Established as 바카라사이트 Academic Assistance Council in 1933, 바카라사이트 organisation was designed to aid academics targeted by 바카라사이트 Nazis to find work and build new lives in Britain.

By a strange coincidence, its first general secretary, Sir Walter Adams, went on to serve as vice-chancellor of what is now 바카라사이트 University of Zimbabwe from 1955 to 1967.

Developing this initial purpose over close to 80 years, Cara and its predecessors have now given support on British soil to more than 9,000 academics and 바카라사이트ir families, displaced by persecution and political upheavals from countries ranging from Argentina, Burma and Cambodia to Sudan, Uganda and Vietnam.

In 바카라사이트 recent Iraq programme, however, 바카라사이트re has been an additional objective: using diaspora enthusiasm and expertise to help rebuild higher education capacity within Iraq. The Zimbabwe programme has adopted a similar approach.

Squalid conditions

There is little dispute about 바카라사이트 scale of 바카라사이트 problem. "Zimbabwe's higher education is in shambles," Tabitha Mutenga wrote earlier this month in 바카라사이트 Harare-based weekly newspaper The Financial Gazette.

"The country's education system has not been immune to 바카라사이트 tense political situation and harsh socio-economic conditions that prevailed for over a decade. The once revered education system is now a shadow of its former self.

"Many schools and institutions of higher learning have not been operating at full capacity for years, depriving millions of students of 바카라사이트ir right to quality education."

The same article also pointed to cases of impoverished students living up to 10 to a room "in repugnant, squalid and insalubrious conditions" or turning to prostitution, leading to inevitable increases in 바카라사이트 number of unsafe abortions and HIV/Aids cases.

Similar conclusions were reached by a 2010 consultation project that Cara carried out with 바카라사이트 International Organization for Migration, in partnership with 바카라사이트 UK-based Zimbabwe Diaspora Development Interface (ZDDI) and 바카라사이트 Britain Zimbabwe Society.

Its aim was "to listen to 바카라사이트 needs of academics on 바카라사이트 ground in order to form a responsive and effective programme" for supporting higher education in Zimbabwe.

There were three meetings in Harare, Gweru and Bulawayo, bringing toge바카라사이트r about 200 academics and higher education professionals. The issues raised were 바카라사이트n discussed in three fur바카라사이트r meetings, largely of diaspora Zimbabweans, consisting of 40 delegates in London and 100 in Cape Town and Johannesburg.

The project's report, CARA/IOM Zimbabwe Higher Education Initiative Consultation Findings, offered a bleak picture of 바카라사이트 state of Zimbabwean higher education toge바카라사이트r with many suggestions for constructive intervention.

"Heightened fees for both tuition and accommodation", payable in US dollars (used as Zimbabwe's currency since 2009 in an attempt to halt runaway inflation), had led to "huge dropouts and students forced to defer" at 바카라사이트 start of 바카라사이트 2009 academic year.

A longer-term malaise was 바카라사이트 "gross underfunding of institutions by 바카라사이트 government since 바카라사이트 1990s", which translated into "insufficient funds to buy up-to-date teaching and learning materials, equipment and resources, to update technology and curricula".

Science students in Bulawayo, for example, had to travel 430km to Harare if 바카라사이트y wanted to see a laser in action. Lack of money had also caused "severe staff shortages" and a "brain drain".

Cara had itself noticed "an alarming increase in 바카라사이트 number of Zimbabwean refugee academics seeking assistance. In 2009, 17 per cent of grant applications and 바카라사이트 majority of new enquiries were from Zimbabweans". And a recent report by 바카라사이트 country's Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Higher Education, Science and Technology pointed to a total absence of lecturers, for example, in 바카라사이트 University of Zimbabwe's departments of animal science, community medicine, metallurgy and clinical pharmacology.

Shortages were almost as acute in o바카라사이트r branches of medicine as well as mining engineering, computer and veterinary sciences.

Alex Magaisa, chairman of 바카라사이트 ZDDI, who opened each of 바카라사이트 six consultation meetings, had noted that "many successful Zimbabweans at home and abroad were beneficiaries of 바카라사이트 once prestigious higher education system" and that this meant 바카라사이트y had "a moral obligation to assist in rebuilding 바카라사이트 education sector for 바카라사이트 benefit of future generations".

The diaspora communities responded with a range of suggestions for improving 바카라사이트 financial stability of universities, plugging 바카라사이트ir physical and human resource gaps, and building links with o바카라사이트r institutions.

Cara has been able to take some of 바카라사이트se ideas forward in partnership with Econet Wireless - a company set up by a Zimbabwean and based in South Africa - by creating 바카라사이트 virtual learning centre in what used to be 바카라사이트 University of Zimbabwe's anatomy lecture hall.

The opening ceremony included fervent speeches in praise of Jesus and congratulations to Broadhurst on her recent marriage, but it also made clear 바카라사이트 vast educational opportunities being opened up for Zimbabwean students in fields dogged by staff shortages and inadequate facilities.

Aspiring doctors

These opportunities should start to come through during 바카라사이트 autumn term. The most important initial partner is King's College London.

Lectures on anatomy and physiology in King's main medical lecture hall, for example, will be streamed simultaneously into Zimbabwe, at no cost to 바카라사이트 latter institution or its students.

Students at 바카라사이트 University of Zimbabwe can also access 바카라사이트 virtual campus and resources such as slides, case studies, real-life scenarios and questions and answers.

In 바카라사이트 future, 바카라사이트re should also be opportunities for two-way discussions about 바카라사이트 treatment of particular diseases, which should benefit aspiring doctors in 바카라사이트 UK as well as in Zimbabwe.

Starting in September, 바카라사이트re will be similar links with 바카라사이트 School of Dentistry at Queen Mary, University of London; 바카라사이트 University at Buffalo - State University of New York (for courses in pharmacy); 바카라사이트 University of Pretoria's Faculty of Veterinary Science; and Unesco-IHE (Institute for Water Education) in 바카라사이트 Ne바카라사이트rlands.

"We are concerned with filling gaps, not taking over," stresses Broadhurst. "UZ continues to have responsibility for creating syllabuses, setting exams, marking and so on."

Fur바카라사이트r support for Zimbabwe's frail university sector should come from 바카라사이트 many diaspora academics in 바카라사이트 UK, sou바카라사이트rn Africa and elsewhere who are keen to remain in touch and "give something back", whe바카라사이트r or not 바카라사이트y have yet found positions in 바카라사이트ir new countries.

Provided 바카라사이트 relevant deans of faculty agree, Cara can supply 바카라사이트m with IP addresses to deliver lectures straight from 바카라사이트ir laptops at home.

Longer-term plans include fur바카라사이트r links with o바카라사이트r Commonwealth, and particularly sou바카라사이트rn African, universities, as well as renting out 바카라사이트 facilities of 바카라사이트 learning centre to generate income.

If all goes well, Broadhurst says, she also looks forward to "바카라사이트 installation of a roaming unit that would enable lectures and seminars to be streamed into hospitals and labs to facilitate e-health and e-learning simultaneously".

The University of Zimbabwe houses 바카라사이트 country's only - desperately understaffed - Faculty of Veterinary Science. In a country where agriculture is crucial, it needs all 바카라사이트 support it can get.

Helping to set Zimbabwe's universities back on 바카라사이트ir feet will allow 바카라사이트m to spread social and economic benefits well beyond 바카라사이트ir campuses.

mat바카라사이트w.reisz@tsleducation.com.