Education Minister Hon. Douglas Syakalima has reiterated that African challenges will only be resolved by Africans themselves.
The Minister has therefore challenged Zambian intellectuals to aggressively brainstorm and provide answers to many challenges facing Zambia.
The Minister was speaking in Lusaka when he commissioned the newly constructed Zambia Research and Education Network (ZAMREN) offices.
The new ZAMREN Offices have been constructed at the University of Zambia Great East road campus.
The Minister called on ZAMREN to lead the way in research and help Zambia come up with lasting solutions to challenges facing the country such as climate change.
The Education Minister said ZAMREN is a valuable partner and champion in promoting digital learning; provision of robust internet capacities and seamless access to digital resources for researchers and learners in the country.
“The utilization of high-speed internet connectivity and big internet capacities in education institutions promotes quality of learning in numerous ways such as providing students with access to a vast array of information and collaboration with other institutions in exchange of educational resources.” Hon. Syakalima said.
And ZAMREN Board Chairperson Prof. Mundia Muya assured the Minister that the new offices, which have been constructed at a cost of K29 Million, will be put to good use in as far as research and learning is concerned.
Meanwhile ZAMREN Chief Executive Officer Stein Mkandawire said ZAMREN is ready to deliver digital education in the country.
ZAMREN is a specialised internet service provider dedicated to supporting the needs of the research and education communities in Zambia.
The purpose of ZAMREN is to provide the inter-institutional connectivity in terms of a National Research and Education Network (NREN), and to connect it to the Regional Research and Education Network (RREN) in Eastern and Southern Africa.