- The state of our universities is alarming, and we need to do more

(image) Foto: Sindre O.Edland-Gryt
During Morgan Tsvangirai’s visit to Norway, representatives from SAIH attended his lecture on the situation in Zimbabwe.

Ragnhild Nordvik, director of SAIH, raised the issue of how the Prime minister is going to strengthen the higher education sector in Zimbabwe. Specifically Nordvik addressed the problems of braindrain, high fees, and the difficult situation for female students. (pointed out in the open letter to the prime ministers of Zimbabwe and Norway)

- You are right, the state of our universities is alarming, and we need to do more. Assistance is welcomed towards these groups [students]. We are seeing an infrastructural decay in addition to the lack of lecturers. Our strategy is that we urge all Zimbabweans in diaspora to come back, we need to bring them back, said Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai.

Tsvangirai also commented on the high fees stating that the government had reduced them, but that the government had to help those that could not afford an education. International assistance in this field was much welcomed.

On the 16th of June, SAIH, together with SST and ZINASU, adressed four main obstacles facing higher education in Zimbabwe, in an open letter to the prime ministers of Zimbabwe and Norway. The obstacles named are: the lack of availability, brain drain, high fees and laws allowing repression of students. Read the letter here.