THE National University of Science and Technology (NUST) has embarked on a bold digital transformation, upgrading its network backbone infrastructure to ensure robustness, scalability and resilience, while deploying a suite of ICT innovations that enhance student experience from enrolment to graduation, human resource management, finance and library systems. Through seamless integration and interoperability, these platforms unify processes, delivering efficiency, transparency and convenience while driving institutional excellence and advancing digital maturity.
Speaking in an interview with NUST News Hub, the University’s Director for Information Communication and Technology Services (ICTS), Prof Vusumuzi Maphosa, highlighted the institution’s biggest achievements, the development of an in-house Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system, the upgrade of the core network backbone and equipping student computer laboratories.
The ERP suite replaces the previously outsourced system, streamlining enrolment, registration, examination management, fee payment and human resources. “The admissions module has been designed to autonomously offer placement to applicants who meet the predefined entry requirements, eliminating the need for manual intervention and ensuring a faster, more efficient admissions process,” explained Prof Maphosa.
“The ERP efficiently manages the entire examination process from coursework administration to transcript production and graduation, while delivering analytics through interactive dashboards that reveal trends, strengths, and areas requiring support, thereby reinforcing and streamlining the academic function,” said Prof Maphosa.
NUST has integrated its ERP with the ZimSwitch payment platform, enabling students to pay fees online using any local bank card from anywhere. Payments are credited instantly, eliminating the need for physical bank visits, manual receipting, or long queues, and enhancing convenience and efficiency. The department has also built its HR system, which automates recruitment and manages employee tasks such as leave applications and promotions, while further streamlining payroll, performance appraisal, training and development, and employee records management.
By integrating intuitive dashboards, the system enhances decision‑making, improves access to information, and enables the production of automated reports, bringing greater convenience, efficiency and transparency to staff. “All our systems are seamlessly integrated through APIs, enhancing interoperability and enabling data-driven decision-making across the University’s functional units,” noted Prof Maphosa.
The University has invested in over 700 high‑specification computers for student laboratories and more than 500 laptops for teaching staff, complemented by interactive boards installed in Harare campus classrooms, significantly strengthening institutional capacity for advanced learning, cutting-edge research and innovation.
The University’s data centre has been strengthened with an upgraded solar backup power and a new generator, enhancing service availability and ensuring that critical systems remain online during power outages, while Wi-Fi connectivity is guaranteed. The University’s core backbone network has been upgraded to support gigabit applications, delivering high speed, robust, secure, and resilient connectivity that empowers advanced learning, research collaboration, and seamless access to digital services.
NUST has established a disaster recovery site to safeguard business continuity during system downtime, ensuring resilience, secure data protection and uninterrupted access to critical services. The University has increased its bandwidth from 1.5 Gbps to 2.7 Gbps, supplied by three ISPs for redundancy and resilience, reinforced by a new firewall and virtualisation software.
This strategic upgrade delivers faster, more secure, reliable, and robust internet connectivity, strengthening system availability, resilience and efficiency. Students report smoother online lectures, faster downloads and uninterrupted streaming of educational content. Data governance has been strengthened through the comprehensive update of core policies, spanning information security to data privacy, thereby reinforcing institutional compliance, resilience, and trust in digital systems.
NUST has fortified its data protection framework by increasing user awareness, introducing privacy statements, and breach response plans in line with the Cyber and Data Protection Act [Chapter 12:07]. An AI policy has also been developed to guide ethical use of artificial intelligence tools, alongside software to detect AI-generated content.
Looking ahead, NUST plans to launch a student AI chatbot to handle general queries and improve service efficiency. The University will also roll out a cashless canteen system to enable students to pay for meals by simple tapping their student cards.
Prof Maphosa emphasized that these initiatives are part of a broader digitalisation drive. “The University’s digitalisation process marks a significant step forward in simplifying access to services for students, staff, and stakeholders, enhancing efficiency, transparency, and user experience across the institution,” he said. – NUST News Hub.