Phineas Makhurane

Phineas Makhurane (13 January 1939 – 1 December 2018) was a Zimbabwean academic, physicist, and university administrator. He was the founding Vice-Chancellor of the National University of Science and Technology, Zimbabwe (1991–2004), a former Pro-Vice-Chancellor of the University of Zimbabwe, and later chairman and founding chief executive of the National Council for Higher Education.

Early life and education Makhurane was among the first Black Zimbabweans to study physics and mathematics at the University of Rhodesia and Nyasaland and later obtained a doctorate in solid-state physics from the University of Sheffield.

Academic and regional career He began his career at the University of Zimbabwe, where he rose to Pro-Vice-Chancellor.

He also received the Presidential Certificate of Distinction and was elected a fellow of both the Zimbabwe Academy of Sciences and the Zimbabwe Institution of Engineers. He was awarded several honorary doctorates, including Doctor of Laws (University of Zimbabwe), Doctor of Education (Midlands State University), and Doctor of Science (NUST).

He is regarded as a key figure in the development of science and higher education in Zimbabwe, particularly for founding NUST and advancing industrial attachment programmes.