As the United States and the UK tighten student visa policies, Zimbabwean students, facing fierce competition for limited spots at domestic universities, are increasingly forced to settle for local alternatives instead of seeking overseas education with more career opportunities, leaving their academic aspirations in limbo.
Every year, thousands of Zimbabwean students graduate from secondary school with dreams of pursuing a university education. But with only 16 universities in the country, demand far exceeds available spaces. As a result, many who can afford it turn to foreign institutions for higher studies.
"External universities have got lower grades that they accept, and they can take even lower grades than what we do here and that may attract some of our learners. That's one area of universities. The second one is obviously an issue of a mindset from the learners themselves. Learners would believe that the best education is always abroad. And therefore, if I come back home with a certificate in engineering from so and so university abroad, then I look more educated than the person who has acquired an engineering degree locally," said Sifiso Ndlovu, CEO of the Zimbabwe Teachers' Association.
For many African students, including those from Zimbabwe, studying abroad represents a pathway to a brighter future, offering access to higher-quality education and more job opportunities. This experience equips them with valuable skills, enabling them to return home and contribute to their countries.
However, stringent visa policies in the U.S. and UK threaten to hinder these aspirations. With limited options for those unable to study overseas, authorities in African countries face growing pressure to strengthen local opportunities amid a challenging economic landscape.
"It's very painful to have gone through all the five years of education and you find yourself either jobless or you find yourself unable to create a job because you don't have capital. So, the challenge that we have now is for the state to provide foundational capital for those who remain, that they can even open their own survival businesses or startups that can help them do their own job and start employment," Ndlovu said.
Furthermore, many African universities lack programs in emerging fields, leaving students at a disadvantage in fast-evolving global industries. Recognizing this gap, African governments are now reforming higher education curricula to align with modern trends, prioritizing practical, skills-based learning that better prepares graduates for the workforce.
Strict US, UK visas block Zimbabwean students' foreign education dreams
Strict US, UK visas block Zimbabwean students' foreign education dreams
Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel on Sunday said Cuba is a free, independent and sovereign nation, rejecting U.S. President Donald Trump's accusations that the island country provided "security services" to Venezuela in exchange for oil.
Earlier on Sunday, Trump suggested Cuba should make a deal with Washington.
"There will be no more oil or money going to Cuba -- Zero! I strongly suggest they make a deal, before it is too late," Trump wrote on his social media platform Truth Social.
"Cuba lived, for many years, on large amounts of oil and money from Venezuela," Trump said.
However, Trump did not specify the terms of a deal or the consequences Cuba could face.
Diaz-Canel said on X that the United States has "no moral authority to point the finger at Cuba in anything", adding that the U.S. side turns everything, even human lives, into a business.
Diaz-Canel said that the United States is "hysterical" against the Caribbean nation because of the sovereign decision of the Cuban people to choose their political model.
"Those who blame the Revolution for the severe economic hardships we suffer should be ashamed and keep quiet," he said. "Because they know and recognize that they are the result of the draconian measures of extreme asphyxiation that the United States has imposed on us for six decades."
Cuba does not attack or threaten other countries, said Diaz-Canel, adding that the country is ready to defend itself "to the last drop of blood".
Also on Sunday, Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez said the United States behaves like a criminal and unchecked hegemon that threatens peace and security, not only in Cuba and this hemisphere, but throughout the entire world.
In an X post, Rodriguez said Cuba has the absolute right to import fuel from markets willing to export it and develop trade relations without interference or subordination to unilateral coercive measures imposed by the United States.
Venezuela on Sunday reiterated its "historic stance" toward Cuba, reaffirming its unwavering commitment to the principles of "fraternity, solidarity, cooperation and complementarity", despite mounting pressure from Washington to isolate the Caribbean nation.
The Venezuelan government released a statement underscoring its support for the free exercise of self-determination and sovereignty of peoples, which it considers fundamental pillars of international relations.
It emphasized its adherence to the principles enshrined in the United Nations Charter and international law, highlighting the longstanding and evolving ties between Venezuela and Cuba.
The Venezuelan government stressed that relations between states should be governed by the principles of non-intervention, sovereign equality and self-determination, and that "political and diplomatic dialogue" is the only viable path to "peacefully resolve disputes of any kind".
Cuban president says ready to defend Cuba, refutes Trump's accusations
