HAPPENING NOW: “Zambia Needs a National Human Resource Plan to Make Science Lead Development,” Says HEA Director-General
The Director-General of the Higher Education Authority (HEA), Professor Kazhila C. Chinsembu, has called for the urgent formulation of a National Human Resource Plan to strategically align Zambia’s workforce development with its aspirations for scientific, technological, and industrial transformation.
Delivering a presentation at the 2025 General Assembly and Science Conference of the Zambia Academy of Sciences, currently underway at the Intercontinental Hotel in Lusaka, Professor Chinsembu stressed that Zambia’s long-term economic resilience and digital innovation depend on a robust, science-led national development agenda.
Presenting on the “Status and Adequacy of STEM Educators Training in Zambia”, Professor Chinsembu underscored the need to dramatically increase the number of students enrolling in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) disciplines if Zambia is to meet the demands of a modern knowledge economy.
“To grow our STEM capacity, we must first ask: Does Zambia have a National Human Resource Plan? Such a plan should define the number of scientists, engineers, and technologists we need as a nation to drive sustainable development,” he said.
Professor Chinsembu further emphasised the importance of conducting a national skills audit in STEM fields, noting that Zambia must first know its current human capital before planning to grow it.
In response to this pressing national need, HEA, under Professor Chinsembu’s leadership, is developing a National Student Database. This pioneering initiative will provide accurate, real-time data on the number of students being trained across Zambia’s Higher Education Institutions (HEIs), as well as the disciplines in which they are enrolled. The database is expected to become a critical planning tool for both Government and stakeholders seeking to align educational outputs with national development priorities.
The Zambia Academy of Sciences, which convened the conference, is an independent body of the country’s leading scientists, engineers, and social scientists. The Academy champions scientific excellence, technological innovation, and evidence-based policy-making, with a vision to harness the power of science for sustainable national development.
Through HEA, Professor Chinsembu is advancing a bold, data-driven, and science-centred vision of a transformative higher education that places STEM at the heart of Zambia’s development agenda.
Images courtesy of Mr. Julius Phiri, Driver, Higher Education Authority (HEA)
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