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Abstract
Surveying and Geomatics Education at Midlands State University (Zimbabwe), Six Years Down The Road
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Charles Paradzayi
Lecturer
Midlands State University,
Zimbabwe
Email: cparadzayi@yahoo.com
David Njike
Lecturer
Midlands State University
Email: njiked@msu.ac.zw
The Department of Surveying and Geomatics at Midlands State University in Zimbabwe was established in 2000 becoming the second surveying degree-awarding department in the country. The human resources requirements of the then eminent land redistribution program and the general shortage of graduate surveyors in the county in particular and the SADC region in general, provided the impetus for establishing the department. The department is augmenting the University of Zimbabwe’s production of graduate surveyors. This paper seeks to examine the development of the department six years down the road. Although the department has scored a number of successes, various challenges have bedevilled it since its inception. The harsh socio-economic climate prevailing in the country coupled with the poor remuneration for university staff has negatively impacted on the development of the department.
Budgetary constraints have resulted in the shortage of qualified staff, lack of technical infrastructure and limited funds for research and student excursions, among others. The paper will explore possible ways in which the department can overcome these challenges and keep abreast with the ever-changing Surveying and Geomatics technology. On the other hand, some surveying professionals have adopted a black-box approach to the new technology. The paper will examine how the department can position itself strategically by creating synergies with professional bodies such as the Survey Institute of Zimbabwe in the formulation of continuous professional development (CPD) programs so that surveying practitioners can acquire new skills. Areas such as GPS, GIS and Remote Sensing, among others, are very dynamic due to technological advancements in these fields and the practising surveyor needs to keep abreast with these emerging trends.