The Africa University/ NCUK Business Management Degree Pathway – Forging a visionary partnership that offers African students access to international education.
Africa University and NCUK launched the Business Management Undergraduate Degree Pathway to prospective students, high schools, parents, counsellors and partners across Africa, Europe and the USA on the 5th of August 2020. Vice Chancellor Professor Munashe Furusa delivered the opening remarks during the landmark ceremony and celebrated the unity of purpose and common vision between the partners of increasing access to quality education especially during the COVID- 19 Pandemic. He said, “This programme unlocks for our prospective students pathways to universities in the UK and Australia. Africa University shall host students for their first year imparting multi- lingual and disciplinary competencies. We have found in the NCUK a worthy partner that stands with us in our vision to build a world- class university. We are driven in everything we do by a spirit of innovation, entrepreneurship and excellence in our drive to develop our continent. Our partnership forms an enabling infrastructure in which different universities with different backgrounds will interact to develop an ecosystem of knowledge generation and sharing. “
Africa University has embraced online learning to successfully complete the teaching of its academic year and securely host online examinations. As a dynamic university, the institution has built centres of excellence in Human Rights, Intellectual Property and Innovation. NCUK Professor John Brewer, the Chief Executive Officer of the NCUK highlighted the necessity of resilience and determination in the pursuit of education extolling the inherent benefits and value that education has to break poverty cycles and empower generations.
He said, ” Our partnership and this pathway will provide a way for many young people to enter university. I was the first in my family to enter university 40 years ago now. University genuinely does change lives and we are making access affordable. We are very excited of the future and we see Zimbabwe and Africa University as a hub of education through which so many students from around Africa can come through. COVID- 19 has been life changing and may deter some from continuing with schooling but what this pandemic has shown is that education is more relevant and necessary than ever. “
Her Majesty’s Ambassador to Zimbabwe Melanie Robinson in her remarks stated, ” This is a fantastic example of UK- Zimbabwe relations and we are very proud of the students from Zimbabwe that we have studying with us in the UK. Zimbabwean Students form a very important part of our international student community with 1100 currently enrolled in UK universities and a growth of 8% since 2016. 4 NCUK universities feature in the top 10 of UK universities, and the top 18 of the top 100 global universities. The UK is the 2nd preferred education destination among international students globally reiterating the quality of UK education that has produced highly successful alumni in high flying careers”.
With university campuses closed and learning shifting to online platforms, access to international qualifications has also changed radically especially for students who were looking to begin their higher education journey abroad and may not have the opportunity to do so for the foreseeable future due to closed boarders. The Business Management Degree Pathway will allow candidates to overcome this challenge as they begin the first year of the programme in Zimbabwe studying with Africa University through its online platform. Upon completion of the first year, students are then able to transition to one of 14 universities in the United Kingdom or Australia among them the University of Bristol, the University of Sheffield, the University of Leeds and the University of Western Australia.