Jakarta, Indonesia - World Engineering Day 2026

The National University of Science and Technology (NUST), through its Civil and Water Engineering Department, has placed Zimbabwe at the forefront of global engineering innovation after emerging winners of the national hackathon organised by the Zimbabwe Institution of Engineers (ZIE). Following this achievement, the student team was sponsored by ZIE to represent Zimbabwe at the World Engineering Day Celebrations 2026 held from 3 to 5 March at Balai Kartini in Jakarta, Indonesia. The international event brought together engineers, policymakers, and industry leaders to discuss innovative engineering solutions that support sustainable development.

The NUST team, comprising fifth-year student Michael P. Kumirai and fourth-year student Desire Chirichoga, presented their award-winning innovation titled Smart Constructed Wetland. The project was supervised by Eng. Felix Mudhindi from the Department of Civil and Water Engineering. The system is a circular economy wastewater treatment solution that repurposes industrial byproducts, including platinum granulated furnace slag and alum sludge, as reactive filtration substrates. These materials enable the adsorption of toxic heavy metals from industrial effluent while also removing excess nutrients responsible for eutrophication and oxygen depletion in receiving water bodies. By transforming industrial waste into functional treatment media, the innovation demonstrates how engineering solutions can convert environmental liabilities into tools for ecosystem restoration.

The students participated in High Level Panel 2 titled “Smart Engineering for a Sustainable Future,” where they presented alongside global leaders and policymakers, including Meutya Hafid, Minister of Communication and Information Technology of Indonesia, Agus Gumiwang Kartasasmita, Minister of Industry of Indonesia, and Anindya Bakrie, Chairman of the Indonesia Chamber of Commerce. The presentation formed part of a broader Zimbabwean delegation supported by Prof. Paul Mavima, Zimbabwe’s Minister of National Housing and Social Amenities. The delegation also included Dr Eng. Sanzaan Diarra, Chief Executive Officer of the Zimbabwe Institution of Engineers, Dr Eng. Ben Rafemoyo, Chief Executive Officer of the Engineering Council of Zimbabwe, Prof. Eng. Goriwondo, President of ZIE, and Dr Eng. Martin Manhuwa, Vice President of the World Federation of Engineering Organizations.

This achievement highlights NUST’s growing role in advancing engineering research and innovation that responds to real-world environmental challenges. Through solutions such as the Smart Constructed Wetland system, the university continues to demonstrate how engineering can contribute to sustainable development, support the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, and align with Zimbabwe’s national development priorities under NDS2.