Manicaland State University of Applied Sciences (MSUAS) has officially opened the 2026 Higher and Tertiary Institutions Counsellors Conference (HTICC) at its Fernhill Main Campus, running from 9 to 10 September 2026.

The high-profile gathering brings together university counsellors, public health experts, key government ministries, and strategic stakeholders to tackle the evolving mental health and substance abuse crisis affecting Zimbabwean youth. 

The conference coincides with a landmark milestone for MSUAS 10 Years of Academic Excellence. 

Running under the theme “Beyond the Clinic: Operationalising Community-Engaged and Action-Oriented Interventions in Student and Public Mental Health,” the event signals a decisive, intentional pivot away from reactive, office-bound counselling toward proactive, field-tested interventions. 

In his official opening address, MSUAS Vice Chancellor Professor Albert Chawanda emphasised the urgency of shifting toward proactive, community-rooted models.

“The psychosocial strain felt within our lecture halls is inseparable from the realities of the surrounding communities, yet for far too long, tertiary institutions have treated mental health as a reactive, office-bound exercise. 

“While we rightly direct focus toward the urgent scourge of drug and substance abuse, we must not allow the gravity of substance abuse to overshadow the broader spectrum of mental health conditions affecting our students, including depression, anxiety, relational trauma, and suicide ideation,” said Professor Chawanda.

The opening remarks officially launched two days of intensive deliberations, technical workshops, and cross-sectoral collaboration aimed at redefining student mental health support across Zimbabwe’s higher education landscape.

Hosting the Higher and Tertiary Institutions Counsellors Conference underscores MSUAS’s commitment as an applied sciences institution to driving community-centred solutions that serve national development and public wellbeing.