Grace Mugabe PhD Professor retires

The Chairman of the University of Zimbabwe Council, Dr Anxious J Masuka wishes to inform the University community, stakeholders and the public that Professor L.M. Nyagura retired as Vice Chancellor of the University of Zimbabwe with effect from 31 March 2019.

Professor Nyagura joined the University of Zimbabwe on 2 April 1979 as a lecturer in the Department of Curriculum and Arts Education, Faculty of Education. He rose through the ranks to become, among others, Deputy Dean of the Faculty of Education (1982-1983), Chairman of the Department of Curriculum Studies (1986-1989), Chairman, Department of Technical Education (1989), Director, Human Resources Research Centre (1990-1995), Pro Vice Chancellor (1995-2002) and eventually Vice Chancellor, a post he held for a record 16 years. Professor Nyagura ably led and supervised some of the most challenging phases of UZ's development, especially during the period 2006 to about 2012. His visionary leadership saw very rapid expansion of the University infrastructure, student enrolment, and the University's contribution to generating solutions to challenges facing the nation, region and beyond.

Elsewhere, Professor Nyagura served the University and the nation in various capacities including, Chairman, Regional Universities Forum for Capacity Building in Agriculture (RUFORUM) from 2011 to 2018, Chairman of the Zimbabwe Council for Higher Education Committee on Accreditation and Quality Assurance (2010-2018) and Vice Chairman, and later Chairman of the Zimbabwe Schools Examination Council (ZIMSEC). He also guided the transition of the following higher education institutions to university status: Bindura University College of Science Education to becoming Bindura University of Science Education; Chinhoyi University College to Chinhoyi University of Technology; Masvingo University College to Great Zimbabwe University; and University of Zimbabwe Marondera College of Agricultural Science and Technology to becoming Marondera University of Agricultural Science and Technology.

We wish Professor Nyagura well in his deserved retirement. Meanwhile, Professor Paul Mapfumo, who was appointed Acting Vice Chancellor on 16 August 2018, will continue in that capacity until a substantive Vice Chancellor is appointed.