Nanotechnology is set to become one of the flagship programmes at the University of Zimbabwe (UZ), Vice Chancellor Professor Levi Nyagura revealed on Wednesday.
Advanced degrees in nanotechnology will soon be offered by the UZ School of Pharmacy with the import of securing high social and health impact.
“At the University of Zimbabwe our emphasis on post graduate education should soon see us introduce advanced degrees in nanotechnology.
“In this regard, plans are underway to introduce a Master of Science degree in Applied Pharmaceutical Sciences majoring in nano-medicine,” Professor Nyagura said.
He was speaking at the awarding of US$40 000 to the UZ School of Pharmacy under the Ministry of Science and Technology’s annual Innovation and Commercialisation Fund (ICF) on Wednesday.
Nanotechnology is the manipulation of matter at the atomic level to create materials with varied and new properties for more effective innovations in healthcare, electronics and construction projects.
It deals with the design and manufacture of extremely small electronic circuits and mechanical devices and its uses range from surface science, organic chemistry to molecular biology.
In March this year, the Minister of Science and Technology, Professor Heneri Dzinotyiwei and Professor Levi Nyagura launched the Zimbabwe Nanotechnology Centre (ZINC), a project jointly operated by the government, academic and research institutions and the private sector.
The advancement of nanotechnology research and development is in line with the second goal of the 2nd Science and Technology Innovation (STI) Policy issued by Professor Dzinotyiwei in 2012 that is, embracing new and emergent technologies as they evolve.
“As pioneers in the exploitation of emerging technology, particularly in nanotechnology, the interventions in the health sector that your University has embarked on has a huge market among people living with albinism and other skin disorders in the sub-region, Africa and at global level,” Professor Dzinotyiwei said..
The UZ School of Pharmacy is partnering with affiliates of the Pharmaceutical Society of Zimbabwe and science-oriented local and international universities in operationalising nanotechnology research and development.
