Dr. Tinashe Chamunorwa (IAOE Executive Committee member) has recently joined the Department of Electronics and Telecommunications at the University of Zimbabwe, where he continues the research initiated during his PhD on remote laboratories for engineering education. Expanding on this foundation, he is now engaging BSc and MSc students in projects focused on online experimentation and remote lab development, with the goal of establishing a remote laboratory facility consistent with IAOE’s mission of promoting accessible, technology-enhanced engineering education worldwide.
To support this effort, Dr. Chamunorwa has acquired an Analog Discovery Studio, which is being used to explore experimental setups suitable for remote access and online deployment. This initiative represents a significant step toward a sustainable, locally driven model for remote engineering education in Zimbabwe and the wider Southern African region.
In parallel, Dr. Chamunorwa has launched outreach activities for primary and secondary school students, introducing them to electronics and robotics through face-to-face workshops. Inspired by the work of his PhD supervisor, Prof. Doru Ursutiu (professor at “Transilvania” University of Brașov, Romania), this initiative aims to spark early interest in STEM and will ultimately evolve into an online robotics learning platform for children in Zimbabwe and beyond.
These efforts reflect a growing ecosystem of educational innovation in Southern Africa—one that connects universities, schools, and communities under a shared vision of open and inclusive engineering education. The IAOE community looks forward to seeing the outcomes of these projects presented at future IAOE-organized events.
Call to Action
Researchers and educators interested in collaborating on remote experimentation or educational outreach in Africa are warmly invited to contact Dr. Tinashe Chamunorwa and explore joint initiatives within the IAOE network.
See below impressions from Dr. Tinashe's outreach activities:
