Press Release – Zambia Chamber of Commerce & Industry Signs Memorandum of Understanding with Copperbelt University to Foster Collaboration and Drive Economic Development
14th April – Zambia Chamber of Commerce & Industry (ZACCI) and Copperbelt University (CBU) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to further their cooperation in various areas. The MoU is valid for five years and aims to achieve multiple objectives through joint initiatives. CBU will implement the activities under the Africa Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Mining (CBU-ACESM), which is part of the Eastern and Southern Africa Higher Education Centres of Excellence Project (ACE II), an initiative of the World Bank in collaboration with the Government of the Republic of Zambia.
The MoU is centered around collaboration in research, innovation, commercialization, training, consultancy, networking and any related commercial, activities for sustainable socio-economic development of the mining region and will enable collaboration between ZACCI and CBU-ACESM in developing and implementing exchanges and internship schemes for academia, students, entrepreneurs, and other stakeholders.
Additionally, the organizations will work together to create entrepreneurship and business support projects for disadvantaged groups such as retrenched miners and youths, to enhance sustainable livelihoods.
Furthermore, the MoU will facilitate the exchange of knowledge and expertise between the two organizations through staff training, consultancies, and best practice workshops. This will lead to the development of stronger networks, links, and partnerships between CBU, partner institutions, communities, and the business and industry sector, which will result in high-impact quality research and innovation.
The MoU will also help to explore and mobilize public-private partnerships for infrastructure development, which will be implemented jointly by the CBU ACESM and ZACCI teams. The agreement will thus help to create sustainable socio-economic development in Zambia.
ZACCI is excited about the MoU signing and looks forward to achieving the objectives outlined in the agreement especially the re-orientation of some existing teaching and research programmes to address sustainable mining as a crosscutting issue, developing appropriate MSc, PhD and post-doctoral research programmes to tackle the sustainable development challenges and upgrading the qualifications and competences of teaching, research and support staff to strengthen institutional capacity in sustainable mining and related activities.
The signing of this MoU marks an important milestone for ZACCI and CBU-ACESM, and it is hoped that the partnership will bring about a meaningful and lasting positive impact industry and academia in Zambia.
ZACCI SECRETARIAT