This past Tuesday, the Forum for African Women Educationalists Zimbabwe (FAWEZI), led by its Executive Director Lydia Madyirapanze and Monitoring and Evaluation Head Edmond Shoniwa, is in Kampala, hosted by FAWE Uganda, as part of a high-level delegation from Zimbabwe.

The delegation is led by Professor Fanuel Tagwira, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education, Innovation, Science and Technology Development, for a STEM Bridging Programme benchmarking visit.

The visit is further strengthened by the presence and leadership of FAWE Africa Executive Director, Dr. Martha Muhwezi, and Deputy Executive Director Teresa Omondi-Adeitan, underscoring the continental commitment to advancing equitable access to STEM education.

The high-level delegation brings together key stakeholders from across Zimbabwe’s higher education ecosystem, reflecting a coordinated national effort towards developing a Science Foundation Programme (SFP). The delegation includes Professor Fanuel Tagwira as Delegation Lead, Professor Kuzvinetsa P. Dzvimbo, Chief Executive Officer of the Zimbabwe Council for Higher Education (ZIMCHE); Professor Regis Chireshe, Chief Director of Quality Assurance at ZIMCHE; Dr. Christopher Mandizvidza, Director of Registration and Accreditation at ZIMCHE; Dr. Tavagwisa Muziri, Dean of the Women’s University in Africa; Dr. Chipo Shonhiwa, Dean of the Faculty of Science at Bindura University of Science Education; Dr. Joyce Ndlovu, Dean of the Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics at Chinhoyi University of Technology; Dr. Action Nechibvute, Dean at Midlands State University; Dr. Bhunu, Deputy Dean at Chinhoyi University of Technology; Professor Lwazi Sibanda, Executive Dean at the National University of Science and Technology; Dr. Tinashe Zishiri, University Registrar at Midlands State University; Ms. Lydia Madyirapanze, Executive Director of FAWEZI; and Mr. Edmond Shoniwa, Monitoring and Evaluation Head of FAWEZI.

During the visit, the delegation engaged with FAWE Uganda at their Head Office in Kampala, where they were hosted as part of a structured learning and exchange process focused on Uganda’s Higher Education Access Certificate (HEAC).

This programme, piloted in 2017 and accredited in 2019, is recognised as a fourth pathway into university education, specifically designed to support students from vocational backgrounds, foreign education systems, and those who narrowly miss conventional entry requirements.

FAWE Uganda shared key milestones and impact from the HEAC programme, which was initially piloted with three partner universities supporting 60 pioneer students through scholarships, mentorship, and academic preparation. All 60 students have since graduated and are now gainfully employed.

With support from the Mastercard Foundation, the programme has scaled to 12 universities, benefiting over 700 young people who have successfully transitioned into degree programmes. Evidence from the programme highlights strong academic performance among HEAC graduates, with students achieving competitive cumulative grade point averages in demanding STEM disciplines such as Pharmacy, Nursing, Biomedical Laboratory Sciences, and Engineering—sometimes outperforming direct-entry students. These outcomes demonstrate the viability of structured bridging programmes in expanding access while maintaining academic excellence.

As part of the benchmarking process, the delegation also visited the National Council for Higher Education (NCHE) in Kampala.

Here, engagements focused on regulatory and quality assurance frameworks, accreditation processes, and mechanisms that enable smooth student progression into degree programmes. Insights were shared on institutional integration, curriculum design, and the operationalization of inclusive access pathways within higher education systems.

This benchmarking visit is a critical step towards the establishment of a contextually relevant and sustainable STEM Bridging Programme in Zimbabwe. The visit is guided by a clear objective to draw practical lessons from Uganda’s experience in implementing gender-responsive STEM access programmes, which will inform the finalisation, accreditation, and pilot implementation of Zimbabwe’s Science Foundation Programme (SFP).