R I O Q U A R T E R L Y N E W S L E T T E R

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1 R E S E A R C H A N D I N N O V A T I O N O F F I C E J U L Y S E P T E M B E R R I O Q U A R T E R L Y N E W S L E T T E R E D I T O R S N O T E I N S I D E T H I S I S S U E : E D I T O R S N O T E 1 R I O - S E T 2 F O B E P R O- F I L E C O M M E R C E P R O F I L E A N N U A L R E- S E A R C H DAY A P P L I E D S C I E N C E S P R O F I L E S C I E N C E A N D T E C H - N O L O G Y E D - U C A T I O N P R O F I L E CIS PROFILE 12 CONFERENCE ALERTS 14 Dear Readers W elcome to our July to September 2016 Issue. This issue features the Research and Intellectual Outputs, Science, Engineering and Technology (RIO-SET) Expo 2016 which ran from 31st August to the 3rd of September 2016 under the theme Growing the Zimbabwean Economy through Innovation. We also feature the 2016 NUST Annual Research Day which took place in July The Annual Research day was a one day event as this year fewer academics participated in the event. There is an increasing concern from RIO over the dwindling number of academics who participate at such events such as the NUST Research Day as compared to the increasing number of academics who apply for research grants and travel grants every year. RIO is introducing a new thumb rule which says that for every academic funded by the Research Board for any research project including conference attendance, they have to present the research in question at the NUST Research Day and even present such research board funded projects at their Faculty Research Seminars. Again, for all research projects funded by the Research Board, the researchers in question will get to participate in the RIO profiling exercise where their research is showcased and shared with other academics in the RIO Newsletter. This is for the purposes of making our research visible to the university community including other interested audiences. This newsletter also features research profiles from the Faculties of Applied Sciences, Commerce, Built Environment, Communication and Information Science, & Science and Technology Education. For more information on any issues pertaining to RIO and obtaining research grants you can contact the Director of RIO on extension 2572 or rio.director@nust.ac.zw.

2 Page 2 RESEARCH AND INTELLECTUAL OUTPUTS, SCIENCE, ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY RIO- SET EXPO 2016 T he Research and Intellectual Outputs, Science, Engineering and Technology (RIO-SET) Expo is an annual event initiated by the Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education, Science and Technology Development to showcase to the nation and the Southern African region, the research outputs and intellectual prowess by Zimbabweans. RIO-SET 2016 ran from 31st August to the 3rd of September 2016 under the theme Growing the Zimbabwean Economy through Innovation. The official opening, paper presentations, exhibitions, visual and expressive arts were done at the National University of Science and The Acting Vice-Chancellor, Professor S. Technology. Participants at RIO-SET included the Higher Sibanda at RIO-SET and Tertiary Education sector, universities, polytechnics, teachers colleges, research institutions and centres, industry, business, organisations and secondary schools. The Expo was run by the Zimbabwe Council of Higher Education (ZIMCHIE) under the auspices of the Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education, Science and Technology Development. The 2016 Expo was officially opened by the Honourable Vice President of Zimbabwe, Phelekezela Mphoko, on Friday the 3rd of September. In his address, Vice President Phelekezela Mphoko said that tertiary institutions have an important role to play in improving the welfare of communities, economic growth and social progress through creative thinking and technological innovations. He said solutions to societal challenges that the country is facing require the engagement of all stakeholders such as higher education institutions, ministries, companies, entrepreneurs and investors. He encouraged researchers to research on anything that can bring positive change to people s lives. He reminded academics that Zimbabwe needed alternatives for the problems that it has and the development of the alternatives was the task of academics. The Honourable Vice President of Zimbabwe, P. Mphoko viewing exhibitions R I O Q U A R T E R L Y N E W S L E T T E R

3 Page 3 RIO- S E T E X P O Conference The oral paper presentations took place over a period of one and half days. The papers that were presented were spread over the following sub-themes: Arts, Culture and Humanities; Social Sciences; Religion and Spirituality; Agriculture, Environment, Natural Resources and Tourism; Education and Pedagogy; Science Engineering and Technology; Health and Well-being; and Management, Leadership and Governance. However, the majority of papers presented showed lack of collaborations across institutions, maybe the expo can be used as a platform for knowledge sharing, networking and to brainstorm new research ideas across the disciplines and institutions. Exhibitions The researchers who participated at this year s expo showcased landmark research initiatives which ranged from harnessing of renewable energy, recycling of used materials, mitigating against climate change, IT technology, increasing agricultural output and natural resources conservation. About 75 institutions exhibited at the stands. Companies and schools were well represented in 2016 compared to 2015 where no company participated. The participation of industry and relevant stakeholders is expected to encourage the uptake and commercialization of the research and intellectual work exhibited by researchers. The commercialization will enhance national development and solve problems faced in the country. Though the expo is viewed as a competition among participating institutions, collaborations should be encouraged where necessary. Potential areas of collaborations can be identified by judges as they move from one stand to another. The judging process involved evidence of scientific thought, originality and creativity, visual display, oral presentation and appearance of the exhibits, attitude of personnel manning the stand and relevance to the Expo theme. More. RIO-SET EXHIBITS

4 Page 4 FACULTY OF BUILT ENVIRONMENT RESEARCHER S PROFILE D epartment of Quantity Surveying Mrs. R. A.Mawondo Dhliwayo Mrs.Mawondo Dhliwayo is a lecturer and a researcher in the Department of Quantity Surveying. She attained a B (Hons) Degree in Quantity Surveying and an MSc in Construction Project Management from NUST. She is currently pursuing a PhD in Construction Management with the University of Free State in South Africa. In an interview with RIO; she highlighted that she is interested in researching on public sector procurement and construction waste management. She cited that public sector procurement on construction projects should mainly address the management of the attainment of value on construction projects including the possibility of delivering construction projects via the Public Private Partnerships (PPPs). She commenced the PhD studies in the year Her PhD Thesis is titled: Integrated Public Sector Procurement Management Model for Building Projects. Public Sector Procurement also known as Public Procurement involves the act of obtaining, acquiring or purchasing any goods or services by the government. A number of regulations are supposed to be complied with in public procurement and at times these rules oppose the concept of efficiency and effectiveness which are connected to the concept of value for money. This has forced public sector procurement to be undertaken via the open tendering route which is inherently associated with various problems. Open tendering with the appointment of the lowest contractor on public sector procurement results in favouritism, delays, corruption and award of tenders to undeserving contractors. Moreover the system that is adopted by the public sector in Zimbabwe does not properly address the management of building projects once a tender is awarded i.e. procurement ends with the procurement contract award. However the end result in procurement is a completed building facility which is different from off the shelf items. The problem to be investigated in the study is the inefficiencies in the public sector procurement of building works as characterised by the problems noted above. Mrs. Mawondo Dhliwayo mentioned that NUST is the main sponsor for her PhD studies. She added that NUST sponsored money for tuition fees, and transport fares for travelling to the University of Free State for registration, and supervision (which should be limited to two visits per year).

5 Page 5 D E P A R T M E N T O F Q U A N T I T Y S U R V E Y I N G At the end of the research study, she expects to come up with a Public Sector Procurement Management Model that may be applied for Public Sector Procurement of building works in the construction industry. The model is expected to aid construction consultants on how best value can be achieved on projects. In addition she also stated that the model will assist policy makers on considerations they have to observe in the pursuit of effective procurement. Moreover, she also stated that the results of her research findings will add on to the body of knowledge on Public Sector Procurement. As part of her dissemination plan for her research findings, she mentioned that she will publish her work in reputable international Journals. In addition she also stated that she will make conferences presentations. Furthermore, she also said that she will submit a copy of her work to the institution where data is going to be collected. All this will help her to reach out to the relevant stakeholders affected by the study. Currently, she has four publications. She cited funding shortages as a major challenge which constraints the level of research output. She recommended NUST to increase research allowances and incentives including the review of the time that a staff member can access research money. In ten years to come, Mrs. Ringisai sees herself as a Professor. She hopes to publish quite a number of papers. In addition, she also stated that she wants to establish a vibrant research unit for the Quantity Surveying Department. She encouraged other researchers to view negative criticism (especially if there are starters) positively as it leads to the road of success in research. I will encourage other researchers to take negative criticism as a stem to excel in research. In addition, she advised other researchers to uphold highly the ethics of research, and scientific rigour as they are very significant in research. Mrs. Ringisai has collaborated with other researchers locally (at NUST), regionally and internationally. In an interview with RIO she noted that academic collaborations are very useful. Academic collaborations are the right way to collect phenomena which will both cover a large geographical space and easily be generalised.

6 Page 6 FACULTY OF COMMERCE RESEARCHER S D epartment of Finance- Mr. I. Bayai PROFILE achieved when Microfinance institutions (MFIs) are financially sustainable hence are able to finance their operational and financing costs. However, for MFIs to be financially sustainable they have to be adequately financed. Noting earlier recommendations of injecting capital to ailing MFIs to proffer financial sustainability of SADC MFIs, identifying financing options that promote financial sustainability is an obligation. Mr Innocent Bayai is a Researcher and a Lecturer in the Department of Finance in the Faculty of Commerce at the National University of Science and Technology (NUST). He holds a B. Com. Finance Honors degree from Great Zimbabwe University. In addition, he has an MSc in Finance and Investment from NUST and he is finalizing a PhD in Development Finance with Stellenbosch University Business School in South Africa. He is interested in researching about investment, financial markets, microfinance, financial inclusion, development finance and corporate finance. His PhD research which commenced in 2014 is titled: Financing structure and financial sustainability of selected SADC Microfinance institutions. The study notes that poverty alleviation is only Among major expected outcomes of the study, the study aims to shed more light on the fact that donations do not ascertain financial sustainability of MFIs as they are prop up inefficiency. Given under -developed debt markets in SADC, the high cost of debt capital limits financial sustainability. In addition, the study seeks to expose that the Life Cycle Theory is not supported in SADC. The study seeks to inform the strategic financing of MFIs if financial sustainability is to be attained. Moreover, the study will also play an important role in informing policy with respect to improving access to scarce MFI financing sources. Mr. I. Bayai has published in excess of 5 papers. Three papers have been published in the current study. One paper was published in collaboration with the NUST Department of Banking. His publications are in the Journal of Developing Areas, Journal of Corporate Ownership and control, Banks and Banks Systems and the Annals of Public and Cooperative Economics amongst other journals. Mr. I. Bayai has also done joint work with Professor Ikhide from the University of Stellenbosch Business School in Cape Town, S. Africa.

7 Page 7 NUST ANNUAL RESEARCH DAY DEPARTMENT OF FINANCE - MR. I. BAYAI CONT... Personally, he values academic collaboration as he believes that research requires diverse minds and experiences that advances exploration of new areas of research. In order to improve and enhance research at NUST the researcher has suggested that NUST should introduce a qouta system, i.e. an amount has to be allocated to each researcher yearly to allow for the presentation and sharing of research output. Research conferences give researchers a chance to present their papers and get comments from other scholars in the same discipline. In conclusion, the researcher advises the research community to remain up to date with current trends in their disciplines. He also encouraged researchers to engage with the corperate sector such as banks, companies and other institutions that are set to benefit from research output. R I O Q U A R T E R L Y N E W S L E T T E R N UST ANNUAL RE- SEARCH DAY Academics presenting at the 2016 Annual Research Day Every year since 2013, the Research and Innovation Office has been organising and running the Annual Research Day on behalf of the NUST Research Board. Each year a number of abstracts are brought forward for consideration in the event. Unlike in 2015 where more abstracts were received leading to the event running for two days, the 2016 event received fewer abstracts and it was done and completed in one day. Four Faculties which are Faculty of Applied Sciences, Faculty of Communication and Information Science, Faculty of Commerce and Faculty of Industrial Technology brought in abstracts with the largest number recorded from the Faculty of Applied Science and Faculty of Commerce. The total number of papers submitted was fifteen; however fourteen were delivered in the event.

8 Page 8 NUST ANNUAL RESEARCH DAY Papers presented in the 2016 ANNUAL RESEARCH DAY by Faculty. REMARKS BY JUDGES All in all the judges felt that the papers presented showed high level of research given that the research time is limited in most of the researchers who are the academic staff. They encouraged that more papers be presented in the next years to come because instead of the number of papers increasing they are decreasing. They also encouraged the researchers to produce high quality research outputs that will put NUST in the map. They however highlighted that there is need to improve writing skills for papers to be presented. Authors were encouraged to prepare clear and understandable slides which will not disrupt the audience s attention by making them read through lengthy slides. R I O Q U A R T E R L Y N E W S L E T T E R

9 Page 9 D epartment of Statistics and Operations Research Mrs. I.L. Moyo FACULTY OF APPLIED SCIENCES RESEARCHER S PROFILE Mrs I. L. Moyo is a lecturer and a researcher in the department of Statistics and Operations Research. In terms of academic qualifications, she holds a Bsc in Mathematics and Statistics and the degree was attained at Midlands State University (MSU). Moreover, she has an MSc in Operations Research from NUST. She is currently doing a PhD in Operations Research and Statistics with NUST and the study commenced in In an interview with RIO she highlighted that she is interested in researching on Financial Modelling. She explained that in her financial modelling she mainly focuses on implementing Operations Research techniques, borrowing some principles found in Industrial Engineering in order to project the financial situations that we have in Zimbabwe. Mrs. I. L. Moyo is currently researching on Valuation and optimal hedging of defaultable securities based on credit ratings using reliability. The study was influenced mainly by the financial situation in Zimbabwe and the global crunch that happened during year 2009 to 2010, so she said. In addition, she also stated that the study was influenced by the need to come up with models that could help position Zimbabwe in a better place in case a similar occurrence was to happen. She also added that her study focuses on different sectors that we have in Zimbabwe. When asked about the main purpose of the study, she stated that the study seek to build models that could be used by different sectors that contribute to the Zimbabwean economy.

10 Page 10 FACULTY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY EDUCATION RESEARCHER S PROFILE DEPARTMENT OF STATISTICS AND OPER- ATIONS RESEARCH MRS. I.L. MOYO CONT. Moreover, she said that the study that is in progress will also enlighten investors who want to invest in Zimbabwe on which sector to invest in and this should be in line with the ZimAsset. The expected outcome of her study is to come up with models that will help project financial trends in different sectors of industry in Zimbabwe. The research study will improve credit management offered by banks to different sectors of the economy and it will also give insight and lure investors to invest in Zimbabwe, so she said. In order for her research findings to reach out to the target audience, she stated that she will publish her papers in peer reviewed journals. In addition, she also stated that she will present her work in conferences and to the relevant stakeholders. She has collaborated with other researchers from NUST. When asked about how she views academic collaborations at NUST, she said that academic collaborations are very useful. Academic collaborations are very important and useful especial in statistics because they allow for different academic ideas and skills, she said. She then cited internet challenges as one the major challenges that affect research at NUST. In ten years to come, Mrs Moyo expects to become a Professor with many publications that have an impact on the society. As words of encouragement, she encouraged all researchers to continue uncovering hidden things that will benefit societies. Dr Mabhena Mpofu Faculty of Science and Dr. Mabhena Technology Education Mpofu is a Lecturer from the Faculty of Science and Technology Education (STE). He is the Acting Chairperson in the Department of Science, Mathematics and Technology Education. In terms of academic qualifications, he holds a PhD in Education and the Degree was attained from the University of Fort Hare. He also holds a Master s Degree in Educational administration, planning and policy studies and a Bachelor s degree in the same field of study from Zimbabwe Open University. R I O Q U A R T E R L Y N E W S L E T T E R

11 Page 11 FACULTY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY EDUCATION RESEARCHER S PROFILE Dr. Mpofu also holds three certificates that he attained from different institutions. He holds a Certificate in Education from Gwanda ZINTEC College, a Certificate in Facilitation and Certificate Assessment of Examinations in Higher Education from University Fort Hare. In an interview with RIO, Dr. Mpofu mentioned that he is interested in researching on technical vocational education and he also brought to our attention that he is interested in researching on educational management. Currently, he is supervising a PhD student. The research study began in the year The research study is titled: Towards an understanding of the vision and mission statement of higher education institutions in Zimbabwe. The research study was conducted after realisation that there was a gap between the presence of vision and mission statements and how they are actually put into practice. Dr. Mpofu added that vision and mission statements of universities are there, but in reality the measurement of quality in line of their vision and mission statements are not fully exploited by universities and colleges. technology development. In addition, the research study will also seek to explore how universities can inspire their capacities towards achieving innovation and research. Moreover, Dr. Mpofu also mentioned that the research findings will also foster quality improvement through proper use of vision and mission statements in institutions of higher learning. As a means of disseminating their findings to relevant stakeholders, Dr. Mpofu suggested that the student will make use of conference presentations. Copies of the research findings will also be sent to relevant institutions that have been directly affected by the research study. Dr. Mpofu has published one paper in the Zimbabwe Journal of Science and Technology (ZJST). In terms of collaboration, he has collaborated with other researchers at NUST. He views academic collaborations as crucial. Collaborations are more important because researchers can share a lot of information and ideas and also learn from each other, he said. However, he highlighted that the research environment at NUST is not conducive enough for research because of too much workload on the part of academics. At the end of the day, the research study will seek to come up with recommendations on how to assist universities in societal and

12 Page 12 FACULTY OF STE RESEARCHER S PRO- FILE CONT... He elaborated that the environment itself does not give researchers enough time to research. He therefore suggested that NUST should hire more personnel where there is critical shortage and also engage the government for assistance. The interview ended with words of encouragement to other researchers and Dr. Mpofu strongly encouraged all researchers especially the younger researchers to scale up their heights in terms of research. He added that young people should do more research so that they can improve themselves, their universities and the country at large. FACULTY of Communication and Information Science- Research Fellow: Ms. S. Ngwenya (FCIS) Ms S. Ngwenya is a Research Fellow in the Department of Library and Information science. She holds an MSc in Library and Information science and the Degree was attained at NUST. In addition, she is pursuing a Master of Philosophy in Science and Technology Studies from Stellenbosch University. FACULTY OF COMMUNICATION AND INFORMATION SCIENCE RESEARCHER S In an interview with RIO she stated that she is interested in researching in the field of Library Science; Science communication and she added that she is also keen on researching about research uptake as well as Gender studies. PROFILE R esearch Fellow: Ms. S. Ngwenya (FCIS) Currently, she is doing a project that commenced in The project is titled: Establishment of a Model Secondary School Library Media Centre. Ms S. Ngwenya stated that the project was carried out mainly due to the need to establish a model school library media centre at Sobukazi Secondary school. In addition she also stated that the project was carried out in order to revive the relevance of library media centers in secondary schools. school libraries in most secondary schools are almost nonexistent, where they do exist; they usually consist of out of date and irrelevant sources of material. R I O Q U A R T E R L Y N E W S L E T T E R

13 Page 13 FACULTY OF CIS RESEARCHER S PROFILE It has been noted that the concept of school library media centres has not yet been appreciated in most secondary schools in Zimbabwe. Books found in secondary schools are stored in store rooms without proper organisation and classification to facilitate easy access, and computers are mostly placed outside school libraries and are underutilised, so she added. In an interview with RIO she stated that the main purpose of the project is to establish a model school library media centre. In addition she also mentioned that the project will also advocate for institutional support for library and media centres in schools through meetings with education authorities, schools and community leaders in Zimbabwe. Moreover, she said that the project will train and impart IT and Library skills to school library staff. Furthermore, she also stated that the project will facilitate the impartation of information literacy skills to teachers and students at Secondary schools. Ms S. Ngwenya stated that establishing a functional school library media centre at the school would help provide students with a wide range of sources. The school library media centre would facilitate improvement in students abilities and achievements, so she added. She also further stated that the presence of the school library media centre will also inculcate a habit of reading amongst students. The model school library shall also ensure that all members of the school community in an urban setting have equitable access to books and reading materials, and to information technology. The project is mainly funded by the Department of Library and Information Science at NUST and Zimbabwe Library Development Trust. According to Ms. S. Ngwenya, the Trust has sourced books that are meant to assist in her project. However, in terms of funding, she told RIO in an interview that she is currently looking for more funding for the project. The project will be rolled out to cover the whole of Zimbabwe as a means of disseminating the project to all stakeholders that are directly affected by the study. In addition, Miss. Ngwenya also stated that she will invite media to be part of the study for publicity purposes. In terms of Publications, she has published four papers. She has collaborated with other researchers from within NUST and Regionally. In an interview with RIO she stated that academic collaborations are very beneficial in the sense that they improve visibility and recognition of researchers. Research collaboration is an important component of science and technology and innovation policy. It improves visibility and recognition of academics so she said.

14 Page 14 CONFERENCE ALERTS FACULTY OF CIS RESEARCHER S PROFILE CONT... Among the major challenges that come along with the research environment at NUST, Ms. S. Ngwenya mentioned that many academics engage in research studies that do not address the societal challenges. She then suggested that there is a need for NUST to create more networking platforms like seminars and conferences that can bring people with different expertise together. In the next coming ten years, Ms. Ngwenya has a vision of becoming a Professor. She strongly advised all academics to engage in research studies that address societal challenges. Academics should try and engage in research that directly addresses societal challenges. This marked the end of the Interview International Conference on Mechanical, System and Control Engineering (ICMSC 2017) - Ei, Scopus. : International Conference on Engineering and Natural Science Summer Session (ICENS - Summer 2017).: rd International Conference on Advances in Environment Research (ICAER 2017). : International Conference on Information Technology, Control and Computer Engineering (ITCCE-17) LONDON - UK March 22-23, 201. : PENANG - MALAYSIA 2nd International Conference on Advances in Engineering and Technology (RTET-2017) Feb. 9-10, : fenp.org/conference/175 International Conference on Civil, Architectural and Transportation Engineering (CATE- 2017) Feb. 9-10, 2017 Penang (Malaysia). : UPCOMING CONFERENCES Are you interested in any conference relating to your field of study, do you need to be alerted monthly, then subscribe to the following links: 6th International Conference on Developments in Engineering and Technology (ICDET-2017) Feb. 6-7, 2017 Bangkok (Thailand). : etrg.org/conference/177