This week, the Forum for African Women Educationalists Zimbabwe (FAWEZI), led by its Executive Director Ms. Lydia Madyirapanze and Monitoring and Evaluation Head Mr. Edmond Shoniwa, is in Kampala, Uganda, as part of a high-level Zimbabwean delegation undertaking a strategic benchmarking visit on STEM bridging programmes.

The delegation is led by Professor Fanuel Tagwira, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education, Innovation, Science and Technology Development. The visit is hosted by FAWE Uganda and is further strengthened by the presence and leadership of Dr. Martha Muhwezi, Executive Director of FAWE Africa, and Ms. Teresa Omondi-Adeitan, Deputy Executive Director of FAWE Africa underscoring a strong continental commitment to advancing equitable access to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education.

A United Front for STEM Transformation

The high-level delegation brings together key stakeholders from across Zimbabwe’s higher education ecosystem, reflecting a coordinated national effort toward developing a Science Foundation Programme (SFP) to expand access to STEM education.

The delegation comprises:

• Professor Fanuel Tagwira – Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education, Innovation, Science and Technology Development (Delegation Lead)
• Professor Kuzvinetsa P. Dzvimbo – Chief Executive Officer, Zimbabwe Council for Higher Education (ZIMCHE)
• Professor Regis Chireshe – Chief Director, Quality Assurance, ZIMCHE
• Dr. Christopher Mandizvidza – Director, Registration and Accreditation, ZIMCHE
• Dr. Tavagwisa Muziri – Dean, Women’s University in Africa
• Dr. Chipo Shonhiwa – Dean, Faculty of Science, Bindura University of Science Education
• Dr. Joyce Ndlovu – Dean, Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, Chinhoyi University of Technology
• Dr. Action Nechibvute – Dean, Midlands State University
• Dr. Bhunu – Deputy Dean, Chinhoyi University of Technology
• Professor Lwazi Sibanda – Executive Dean, National University of Science and Technology
• Dr. Tinashe Zishiri – University Registrar, Midlands State University
• Ms. Lydia Madyirapanze – Executive Director, FAWEZI
• Mr. Edmond Shoniwa – Monitoring and Evaluation Head, FAWEZI

This multi-stakeholder composition highlights Zimbabwe’s whole-of-sector approach—bringing together policymakers, regulators, and academic leaders—to design inclusive and sustainable pathways into higher education.

Learning from Uganda’s Higher Education Access Certificate (HEAC)

At the core of the visit is a structured learning and exchange engagement with FAWE Uganda at their Head Office in Kampala, focusing on Uganda’s Higher Education Access Certificate (HEAC) programme.

Piloted in 2017 and accredited in 2019, the HEAC programme is now recognized as a fourth pathway into university education. It is specifically designed to support students from vocational backgrounds, foreign education systems, and those who narrowly miss conventional university entry requirements.

Speaking during the visit, Professor Fanuel Tagwira emphasized the importance of learning from Uganda’s experience:

“The purpose of our visit is to come and do benchmarking, learning from the Ugandan experience in terms of how they have been able to support students from disadvantaged communities to access higher education through the Higher Education Access Programme.
It is a very good programme for my country and it’s a very good programme for our people… to make sure that those who didn’t get a good pass at first attempt to enter into university at A-level can get another chance.”

FAWE Uganda shared that the programme began with three partner universities supporting 60 pioneer students through scholarships, mentorship, and academic preparation. All 60 students have since graduated and are now gainfully employed.

With support from the Mastercard Foundation, the programme has since scaled significantly to 12 universities, benefiting over 700 young people who have successfully transitioned into degree programmes.

A “Revolutionary” Model Expanding Access

Zimbabwe Council for Higher Education (ZIMCHE) Chief Executive Officer, Professor Kuzvinetsa P. Dzvimbo, described the HEAC programme as transformative:

“Uganda is actually doing much more than we are doing as far as providing access to students from poor backgrounds, especially female students.
This Higher Education Access Programme, for me, it is not fantastic, it is actually revolutionary, because it is bringing into higher education students who under normal circumstances will not be able to access higher education and training.”

Evidence presented during the exchange highlights strong academic outcomes among HEAC graduates. Students have achieved competitive cumulative grade point averages (CGPAs) in demanding STEM disciplines such as Pharmacy, Nursing, Biomedical Laboratory Sciences, and Engineering—sometimes outperforming direct-entry students.

Professor Mary Okwakol, Executive Director of the National Council for Higher Education (NCHE) Uganda, noted:

“Students who went through the HEAC programme, when they joined other programmes, performed as good as the other students, but sometimes they even performed better.
We have had students with CGPAs of 4 and above, which is exceptional performance.”

She further highlighted the programme’s evolution:

“Initially, it was felt that emphasis would be put on students from disadvantaged backgrounds… but because the programme has now become popular, whoever qualifies is enrolled by the institutions.”

Adding to this, Mr. Cyrus SSegubenyi, Head of Monitoring and Compliance at NCHE Uganda, emphasized:

“Students who have gone through the HEAC programme are performing well… sometimes better than those who had stronger grades earlier on.”

Strengthening Regulatory and Quality Assurance Systems

As part of the benchmarking process, the delegation also visited the National Council for Higher Education (NCHE) in Kampala. These engagements focused on critical elements necessary for the successful implementation of bridging programmes, including:

• Regulatory and quality assurance frameworks
• Accreditation processes
• Curriculum design and standardization
• Institutional integration mechanisms
• Systems enabling seamless student progression into degree programmes

The discussions provided practical insights into how inclusive access pathways can be embedded within national higher education systems while maintaining academic quality and integrity.

Paving the Way for Zimbabwe’s Science Foundation Programme

This benchmarking visit marks a critical milestone toward the establishment of a contextually relevant and sustainable STEM Bridging Programme in Zimbabwe.

Insights from Uganda particularly its strong academic outcomes, structured support systems, and gender-responsive approach will directly inform the finalisation, accreditation, and pilot implementation of Zimbabwe’s Science Foundation Programme (SFP).

As Zimbabwe moves closer to operationalizing its own bridging framework, this collaboration stands as a powerful example of African-led solutions, peer learning, and strategic partnerships driving inclusive and transformative education systems across the continent.