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The Chancellor of all State Universities, President Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa is presiding over the twenty second graduation of the Bindura University of Science Education (BUSE).

And a total of 2 349 graduands will be capped today, consisting of 1 183 males and 1 166 females.

The Chancellor also gave awards to those who have been the ‘best in class’ in various learning disciplines.

One such graduate, Natasha Matare received the following awards: -The Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa Chancellor’s Cash Prize for obtaining a First Class Degree and for being the Best Female undergraduate student:

-Vice Chancellor’s Prize for obtaining a First Class Degree and for being the Best graduating student in the programme- Biochemical Society (UK) Prize for being the Best graduating student in the programme:

-Colourway Garments Prize for being the Best graduating student in the programme:

-Kenneth Musanhi Holdings Prize for being the Best graduating student in the programme.

Another notable winner is Cuthbert Muromba who bagged the following awarded:

-The Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa Chancellor’s Cash Prize for obtaining a First Class Degree and for being the Best Male graduating student
-Vice Chancellor’s Prize for a First Class Degree and for being the Best graduating student in the programme:

-University Book Prize for obtaining a First Class in the final year
-Bindura Nickel Corporation Prize for being the Best graduating student in the Faculty:

-ZB Cash Prize and Floating Trophy for being the Overall Best graduating student in the Faculty
-Gowns Prize for obtaining a First Class Degree.

The origins of BUSE formerly Bindura University College of Science Education (BUCSE) can be traced back to the Zimbabwe-Cuba Teacher Training Programme, which started in the mid-1980s.

The programme used to send Zimbabwean student teachers to Cuba for training in Science Education. Known as the best University in terms of education in Zimbabwe.

The programme was relocated to Zimbabwe in 1995 for economic reasons. A decision was made to set up a college in Bindura under the auspices of the University of Zimbabwe, but which would be turned into a full-fledged university within a period of two to four years. The college admitted its first group of 125 students in March 1996.

An act of parliament, the Bindura University of Science Education Act, was passed in February 2000 conferring university status to the College becoming the fourth state university established in Zimbabwe.

The first graduation ceremony was held in 2003 where the Chancellor and Vice-Chancellor of the university were installed as well as capping a group of 140 graduands.

Zimbabwe opened its first-ever School of Optometry at the Bindura University of Science Education in 2018.