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Networks and CD-ROMs Aid Research, Development and Education in Zimbabwe
Local Archives: Important development work is done in
Zimbabwe. The Blair Toilet, an ingenious unit that almost totally
eliminates fly-borne diseases where it is in widespread use, was
invented in Zimbabwe. It is important that knowledge workers
in Zim-babwe have easy access to searchable archives of
current work in their fields done in country, whether Harare,
Mutare or Bulawayo.3
Campus Informa-tion Systems: Students and staff want current
information about sporting, cultural and educational events, etc.
The university newsletter is always in short supply as paper and
printing are expensive. On the campus network, it would be
available to all and could be much more comprehensive. Some
departmental online newsletters would likely follow. An online
University Catalogue, with detailed and regularly updated
departmental information on staff, class requirements and syllabi
would likewise be very useful.
Similarly, a database of people working on campus with
addresses, phones, e-mail addresses, positions and interests
would be extremely helpful and quite inexpensive. This would
serve both researchers coming in from outside Zimbabwe and
local residents. One could quickly locate people who have
certain interests, be it for collaboration or for skills one lacks,
like statistics, Shona or Portuguese. Software developed to
create this could be used by other universities in the region.
What Benefits Might the Future
Bring?
I think there is definitely a need in Zimbabwe for schools to
begin to go beyond teaching to the 'O'- and 'A-level certificate
examinations and let students start to explore the world for
themselves. Putting computers in their hands will let them learn
what amazing things they can do with these powerful tools, not
by rote learning but by exploration and creative thought.
Increasing numbers of urban students have computers at home.
But what about the over 80% of Zimbabwean children in rural
areas, where schools do not have phones, or often even power
for computers and communications, even if they could afford
them? Must they migrate to already overcrowded cities to have
any hope of a more modern education?
Nisbet argues that the developing countries that have succeeded
economically provided well for their rural areas.1 He notes that
land-poor countries like Hong Kong, Singapore and Japan
realized that "skill, not land, is the route to wealth.
Paradox-ically, one of the best routes to a skill-based society is
to put skills and infrastructure into the rural areas, to give them
more sophisticated means to production."1
