Associate Professor, Dr. Elizabeth Chikwiri : Pro Vice Chancellor

In 2020, Dr Elizabeth Chikwiri attained an Associate Professorship from the Women’s University in Africa. Associate Professor Elizabeth Chikwiri is the University’s Pro Vice Chancellor responsible for Academic Affairs.  She joined WUA as a part time lecturer in 2006. Her career started as a primary school teacher in 1983 and she rose up the ladder to become Head Teacher in 1993, Lecturer and subsequently Lecturer – in – Charge at Seke Teacher’s College.  She then joined WUA as a part time lecturer in 2006 and was confirmed full time lecturer in 2007.  In 2008 she was promoted to the post of Faculty Coordinator in the Faculty of Social Sciences.  She became the Acting Dean of the same Faculty in 2010 and later she was appointed Dean of Studies of the University in 2011.  This was a position to oversee three Faculties of the University namely:

  • Agriculture;
  • Management & Entrepreneurship and Information Technology; and
  • Social Sciences.

She rose up the ladder to become Pro Vice Chancellor Academic, a position she currently holds.  She has not only led by example but has become a role model in the lecture room.  She joined WUA when it had only done one graduation ceremony of 137 graduates.  Since that year the University has held 15 graduation ceremonies and has produced 9,128 graduates of whom 7,001 are females.  Student enrolment was at 1,160 in 2006 and now stands at 5,600.  Professor Chikwiri’s former Faculty of Social and Gender Transformative Sciences is the biggest Faculty of the University.  She joined WUA when the Faculty had two programmes, namely Sociology and Psychology.  The Faculty has grown to 15 programmes under three departments as follows:

  • Continuing Education
  • Gender & Transformative Sciences
  • Social Sciences
  • Health Sciences ( which is being surrogated by the Social Sciences Department)

She managed to grow the Faculty both in terms of programmes, departments and partners.  One key partner to note is UNICEF, which is providing technical support and scholarships under the Child Sensitive Social Polices programme.  The programme has empowered legislators and organisations dealing with child rights and children’s issues as well as law enforcement agencies.  Over and above the PhD programmes being offered, the Faculty of Social and Gender Transformative Sciences now offers six Masters Programmes, namely:

  • MSc in Development Studies
  • MSc in Child Sensitive Social Policies;
  • MA in Strategic Communication;
  • MSc in Sociology and Gender Studies;
  • MSc in Disaster and Livelihood Studies; and
  • MEd in Early Childhood Development

Associate Professor Elizabeth Chikwiri was appointed Pro Vice Chancellor Academic effective 1 October 2016.  She has provided support to the Vice Chancellor Professor Hope Cynthia Sadza in leading, guiding and growing the main campus in Harare as well as satellite campuses in Bulawayo, Kadoma, Marondera and Mutare.  The University has also penetrated Malawi and Zambia largely on Open and Distance Learning format.  Associate Professor Chikwiri holds a PhD in Education from the University of South Africa, Master of Education Degree and a Bachelor of Education Degree from the University of Zimbabwe. 

Associate Professor Chikwiri is a well published scholar in refereed journals and has contributed book chapters.  She is an external examiner of PhD theses for regional universities.  She also has done commissioned researches, independent researches, collaborative researches largely on areas of gender based violence, child development, child marriages, open and distance learning, violence in primary schools and gender interactions in the classroom among other areas to do with women and children.

 

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