Divisions Rusangu University, formerly known as Zambia Adventist University, is a private coeducational Christian university based in Rusangu Mission near Monze in Zambia. It is owned and operated by the Seventh-day Adventist Church. This is considered one of the best universities in Zambia and in Africa region. This is known for its academic standards and research contributions.It is a part of the Seventh-day Adventist education system, the world's second largest Christian school system.
Background: People living with HIV (PLWH) are at increased risk of severe COVID-19 outcomes, yet limited evidence exists on their vaccine-related knowledge, attitudes, and uptake in Zambia. This study assessed COVID-19 vaccination prevalence and examined the factors shaping vaccine behaviors among PLWH attending ART services in Livingstone District, Zambia. Methods: We employed a cross-sectional mixed-methods design at Mahatma Gandhi Clinic from April to June 2022. Systematic random sampling (every third patient) was used to select 384 PLWH aged ≥18 years from a clinic population of 2,197. Quantitative data on vaccine uptake, knowledge, and perceptions were collected via structured interviews. Purposive sampling selected 20 participants for in-depth qualitative interviews exploring attitudes and explanatory narratives. Descriptive statistics and multivariable logistic regression identified predictors of vaccination; qualitative data were analyzed using Braun and Clarke's thematic analysis framework. Results: Vaccination prevalence was 78.9% (303/384; 95% CI: 74.5%-82.8%). Knowledge and positive perceptions were widespread: 97.1% knew COVID-19 had no cure, 98.2% recognized vaccines as preventive, and 99.5% were aware of vaccine availability. Most perceived vaccines as safe (97.1%), effective (96.4%), beneficial to all (97.9%), and trusted manufacturers (96.6%). Multivariable logistic regression identified significant negative predictors of uptake: perceiving vaccines as not beneficial to all (AOR = 5.41, 95% CI: 1.20-24.32, p=0.028), distrust of manufacturers (AOR = 3.48, 95% CI: 1.43-8.48, p=0.006), belief that vaccination controls human activities (AOR = 2.31, 95% CI: 1.10-4.85, p=0.027), and belief that suppliers act in bad faith (AOR = 2.39, 95% CI: 1.13-5.05, p=0.022). Qualitative analysis revealed three themes: 1) Trust in biomedical authority ("it has been approved medically"); 2) Genocidal conspiracy beliefs ("they have intentions of wiping out the entire Africa"); and 3) Vaccination as social control ("to stop us from going to church"). Conclusions: While COVID-19 vaccine uptake among PLWH in Livingstone is high and grounded in trust in medical approval, a significant minority remain hesitant due to deep-seated conspiracy beliefs framing vaccination as a tool for population control and harm. This dual reality must inform targeted interventions leveraging trusted healthcare relationships within ART programs.
Vocational education in faith-based secondary schools is marked by a paradox of conviction without sufficient institutional translation. Practical learning is affirmed by national curriculum reform, by labour-market realities, by student entrepreneurial aspiration, and by the Adventist philosophy of holistic education; yet its implementation is frequently weakened when supportive beliefs are not converted into school-level capacity, governance routines, protected time, teacher competence, certification pathways, and community-linked practice. A sequential mixed-methods inquiry was therefore conducted in Seventh-day Adventist secondary schools under the Zimbabwe East Union Conference in order to determine how stakeholder beliefs, institutional capacities, and contextual factors shape vocational education programmes, and to prioritise feasible, high-impact strategies through expert consensus. Qualitative interviews and focus group discussions were integrated with survey responses from students, teachers, and administrators, after which a four-round Delphi process involving vocational education, school leadership, policy, and Adventist education experts was undertaken. Four enabling conditions were identified: alignment between government curriculum reform and Adventist educational philosophy, the underutilised head-heart-hand logic of Adventist education, strong student motivation and entrepreneurial aspiration, and growing receptivity among industry and community actors. However, these enabling conditions were shown to be latent rather than self-activating. They required deliberate institutional mediation through leadership, teacher development, stakeholder re-narration, resource mobilisation, timetabling reform, partnership formation, certification, and monitoring. The Delphi process distilled twenty-two proposed strategies into eight validated framework components and achieved 91 percent final agreement. It is recommended that vocational education be implemented through a belief-capacity-consensus model in which philosophical legitimacy, stakeholder conviction, and contextual opportunity are translated into routinised school practice through the eight-component implementation framework. The article contributes a professionally validated model for moving faith-based schooling from rhetorical affirmation of practical education toward structured, equitable, and sustainable vocational embodiment.
This study introduces and proposes the Edupreneurship Research Ecosystem Model (EREM), an innovation that advocates for an interdisciplinary framework for embedding moral leadership, social justice, and sustainable innovation into higher education systems, industry practice, as a mechanism to actualize the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and realize the aspirations of Society 5.0. The model is developed through a design-science approach and is structured around four synergistic pillars: adaptive education and lifelong learning, innovation and entrepreneurship hubs, a sustainability and circular-economy lens, and agile multi-stakeholder governance. These pillars are connected by a cross-cutting moral-leadership spine and supported by analytics, financing, monitoring, evaluation, and learning systems. By aligning curricula with rapidly evolving labour-market and community needs, operationalizing the SDGs through course outcomes and innovation pipelines, and institutionalizing ethical and inclusive governance, EREM addresses persistent gaps between universities, industry, government, civil society, and ecological well-being. The paper argues that the world should adopt EREM as a practical global implementation architecture for accelerating the SDGs and actualizing the aspirations of Society 5.0 because it converts sustainability, human dignity, social justice, and ethical technology governance from aspirational ideals into measurable institutional practices. Its key recommendation is that governments, universities, industry actors, development agencies, and civil-society organizations should mainstream EREM as a policy and operational model for education-led sustainable transformation, using it to connect learning, research, entrepreneurship, digital innovation, public accountability, and inclusive development. A comprehensive literature review situates the model in current research and practice, drawing on recent studies in educational innovation, multi-stakeholder collaboration, sustainable development, and ethical technology governance. The paper outlines the theoretical foundations and philosophical underpinnings that inform EREM’s design, including systems theory, helix innovation models, human capital theory, diffusion of innovation, pragmatism, humanism, Ubuntu, constructivism, and stewardship ethics. The methodology follows iterative design-science cycles to construct and refine the model, with expert critique guiding improvements. The conclusions and policy brief call for institutional leaders and policymakers to adopt EREM as an ethics-by-design, SDG-driven, and Society 5.0-aligned ecosystem for transforming higher education into a platform for inclusive prosperity, technological responsibility, and social justice.
Cultural identity transformation has become a pressing analytical concern in contemporary African societies, particularly in Zambia, where globalization, urbanization, Western-oriented education, and the expansion of digital media continue to reshape social norms and value systems. This study examines cultural identity change through an interdisciplinary analytical framework that integrates anthropology, sociology, philosophy, and theology. It adopts a structured qualitative literature review with thematic synthesis, drawing on peer-reviewed articles, books, and institutional reports to systematically synthesize evidence on cultural transmission, intergenerational value shifts, and communal identity. The analysis demonstrates that while global and structural forces alter cultural practices, they generate hybrid identities and tensions between communal and individualistic orientations, especially among youth, rather than uniform cultural loss. By specifying search and synthesis procedures, the study strengthens methodological transparency and demonstrates how structural, ethical, and symbolic dimensions intersect. The interdisciplinary framework, supported by analytical tables and a conceptual diagram, offers a nuanced understanding of cultural continuity and adaptation. The study clarifies conceptual assumptions, identifies gaps in existing research, and outlines directions for future empirical inquiry in Zambia and comparable African contexts.
Predicting water availability in Southern Africa requires a multifaceted and integrated approach due to the region’s hydrological complexity and climatic variability. This study critically reviews key data sources such as satellite remote sensing, ground-based observations, and institutional databases, and evaluates their strengths, limitations, and integration potential for predictive modelling. Particular attention is given to the challenges of data heterogeneity, scarcity, and quality. To address these, a combination of data fusion, imputation, quality control, and open data frameworks is proposed. The review further explores ethical and security considerations associated with large-scale environmental datasets. Machine learning techniques such as support vector machines, random forests, and neural networks are examined alongside hydrological and statistical models to determine their suitability for forecasting water availability under various climate scenarios. The importance of incorporating validated climate change projections is underscored for long-term scenario planning. Ultimately, the study presents a methodological foundation for developing reliable, dynamic, and policy-relevant water availability forecasts. The insights generated are expected to support sustainable water resource management and climate resilience in Southern Africa.
