Vice Chancellor 

PROFESSOR PAUL MAPFUMO 

Professor dr. PaulMapfumo is a distinguished scientist, researcher, academic,and strategic policy advisor. He is the current Vice Chancellor of the University of Zimbabwe. The University of Zimbabwe is Zimbabwe’s founding and premier higher education institution, established in 1953. Professor Mapfumo holds a PhD in Soil Science, and he is a Full Professor in Agro-systems, Ecology and Climate Change. He has established himself as an internationally renowned researcher who authored over 200 refereed scientific articles and supervised many PhD students and Post-doctoral fellows. Professor Mapfumo has demonstrated exceptional strength in design and critical strategic thinking. He has provided evidence-based policy and technical advice to many governments and organisations across the globe on agriculture and food systems, environment and climate change,especially on the potential role of science, technology and innovation in leap frogging sustainable socio-economic development for Africa. In his role as Vice Chancellor, since 2018, Professor Mapfumo has fundamentally transformed the University of Zimbabwe to become a comprehensive research and innovation higher education institution,impactfully changing its curriculum to produce entrepreneurial graduates with an orientation towards problem solving and changing the lives ofthe communities they serve. He successfully led the University of Zimbabwe in the actualisation of the Government of Zimbabwe’s new Heritage-based Education 5.0 Philosophy, which focuses on production of goods and services through promotion of innovation and industrialisation among other academic pillars. 

Under his strategic leadership, the University successfully introduced a Programmatic leadership, the University successfully introduced a Programmatic Approach to Research and Innovation intertwined with a Programmatic Approach to Teaching and Learning, fostering new skill sets and competencies towards entrepreneurship and generation of goods and services that meet the needs and aspirations of industry, commerce and society. Inspired by the Heritage-based Education 5.0 Philosophy, he championed the development of the University of Zimbabwe’s Research-Innovation-Industrialisation Ecosystem, which in turn, is driven by a home-grown philosophy of Kuziva Kugona neKuita and anchored onscience, technology and innovation. Through his leadership, the University has over the past five years successfully registered several Startup Companies and Intellectual Properties, developed and operationalised an Innovation Hub, an Industrial Park and an Industrial Startup Incubation Centre. These developments have effectively strengthened the University’s connection with industry and commerce among other stakeholders.

Professor Mapfumo's leadership extends beyond the University.  He serves on several national, regional and international technical and advisory boards. He is currently Chairman of the National Manpower Advisory Council (NAMACO), Chairman of Zimbabwe Schools Examination Council (ZIMSEC), and Vice Chairman of the Zimbabwe Council for Higher Education (ZIMCHE). He previously served as a member of the UN High-Level Panel of Experts of the Committee on World Food Security and as a convener for the UN international report on agroecology. He also served as Chairman for African Centre for Fertilizer Development (ACFD). Professor Mapfumo’s transformative leadership acumen and professional excellence in research, innovation and higher education have seen him receiving several high profile Honours and Awards. These include the (i) Prestigious Presidentia lAward for the Best Performing Vice Chancellor in Zimbabwe for 2024; (ii) African Educational Leadership Award by the African Leadership Magazine 2024; (iii) Outstanding Leadership Award in Education by the Global Skills Hub at the 3rd African Education Summit. He has also seen the University of Zimbabwe improve in rankings, being most recently awarded the Tertiary Institution of the Year (2025) Award for outstanding Leadership in Education from Zimbabwe National Chamber of Commerce, and the Quality Choice Award 2025 by the European Society Quality Research (ESQR).

Under Professor dr. Paul Mapfumo’s leadership, the University of Zimbabwe is fast becoming Zimbabwe’s global centre of excellence inresearch, innovation and higher education training.