University of Zimbabwe graduated 4th cohort of MSc Sanitation and Wastewater Management students
On 14 August 2026, the University of Zimbabwe (UZ) celebrated another important milestone in strengthening Zimbabwe’s water, sanitation and environmental management capacity with the graduation of the 4th cohort of the MSc in Sanitation and Wastewater Management (MSSWM).
This year, 7 students, 3 women and 4 men, graduated, joining a growing community of sanitation professionals being equipped to tackle some of Zimbabwe and Africa’s most pressing WASH challenges.
Launched in 2022 in the UZ’s Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment, the programme has now produced more than 30 MSc graduates, building a critical mass of professionals with expertise spanning sanitation systems, wastewater treatment and reuse, public health, environmental management, water quality, sanitation governance, financing and emerging digital technologies.
The University of Zimbabwe is part of the Global Sanitation Graduate School (GSGS) community and contributes to its East and Southern Africa Regional Hub. GSGS connects universities, students, professionals and sanitation practitioners globally to strengthen postgraduate sanitation education, applied research and innovation.
The importance of this network is substantial: GSGS reports more than 4,000 students across its programmes, including over 1,150 MSc students, involving dozens of academic institutions internationally.
A defining strength of the UZ programme is that students are not simply completing degrees – they are investigating real problems affecting Zimbabwean cities, communities, water resources and sanitation systems. Research undertaken by the graduating students demonstrates the breadth of this work.
For Eastern and Southern Africa hub, this provides a model for universities to become not only centres of teaching, but also innovation hubs supporting utilities, municipalities, regulators, communities and governments in accelerating progress towards SDG 6.
