Engineering Education in Zimbabwe from Antiquity to the Present

Abstract

This article traces the origins of architectural and engineering roots in Zimbabwe from antiquity through the Kingdoms of Zimbabwe (1220-1450 CE), Mutapa (1430-1760 CE) and Rozvi (1684-1834 CE), as well as the colonial period (1888-1953),  Federal Government era (1953-1963) and the war of liberation (1965-1979) to the present. The review will cover in detail the founding of the Faculty of Engineering in 1974 and the subsequent growth of the Faculty to the present day when the University of Zimbabwe is celebrating 60 years of human capital development for in Zimbabwe. This paper is also an attempt to bring into focus the post-colonial stagnation in academic and research acumen across engineering disciplines that would ultimately have a negative effect on the ability of the Faculty of Engineering to attract and retain both local and expatriate staff. In a nutshell, the article discusses aspects of pre-colonial, colonial and post-colonial socio-economic and industrial developments that influenced the introduction and growth of structured technical and engineering education and profession in modern day Zimbabwe.