PSC Commissioner and NUST Alumnus Calls for Stronger University–Government Partnerships in Digital Governance Era
National University of Science and Technology (NUST) alumnus and Public Service Commissioner (PSC) Professor Carrol Themba Khombe has urged universities to redesign curricula to meet the competency demands of a digitising public service, warning that artificial intelligence (AI) and global competition are reshaping employer expectations.
Speaking under the banner of the PSC on Monday, Professor Khombe presented a lecture titled “Integrating Digital Governance and AI in Co-creating a Smart Public Service” at the NUST Ceremonial Hall.
Addressing students, faculties and university administrators, he emphasised the growing need for competency-driven graduates capable of navigating global competition, emerging technologies, and evolving public sector demands.
Professor Khombe noted that during his own university years in the 1980s and 1990s, higher education was geared primarily toward employability, with graduates often securing jobs before completing their degrees.
“Today the environment has changed dramatically, universities still focus on employability, but there is now more emphasis on competency. Global competition and cross-border employment require graduates who can solve problems, work in diverse environments, and adapt quickly.
“The future is just going to employ you on your ability to solve problems, not about what you are carrying or where you have been,” he told students.
Highlighting the PSC’s role as Zimbabwe’s largest employer, with over 173,000 employees, Professor Khombe urged students to understand the expectations of the institution where many of them may work.
He underscored NUST’s longstanding collaboration with the PSC through initiatives such as the Public Service Academy and the Master of Business and Public Administration (PUMBA) programme, run jointly with Zimbabwe Institute of Public Management (ZIPAM).
“This is the type of partnership we’re looking at,” he said, calling for expanded capacity and more targeted collaborations that link knowledge production with national development needs.
Central to his lecture was the PSC’s rapid adoption of digital tools such as e-recruitment, the e-passport system, and the national Government Pay System.
These platforms, he said, require a new generation of workers who are proficient in digital governance and capable of managing complex data systems.
“We are in a world of artificial intelligence, but we are not ready for it,” he said, urging students to prepare to fill these gaps.
He emphasised the need to digitise legacy files, create credible local datasets, and build Zimbabwean big data capable of supporting AI-powered public service solutions.
“In Zimbabwe and most institutions in Africa, we don’t have big data that informs AI to work,” he said, noting that reliance on foreign datasets may result in policies or systems that are not suited to local needs.
Professor Khombe encouraged NUST to deepen its collaboration with the PSC by expanding targeted internships, sharing intelligence on employer needs, and aligning curricula with public service competencies.
He also reminded students of the importance of national values, ethics, and conduct, qualities he said are essential in public service.
“When you go to a conference, the minute you climb that plane, you are already an ambassador of Zimbabwe,” he said.
As a proud NUST alumnus, Professor Khombe urged the university community to take an active role in building a smart, modern public service.
