The University of Zimbabwe (UZ), the country's oldest institution of higher education, announced here on Monday that it is planning to change its corporate structure through collaborating with other universities and colleges to form a collegiate system.

Under the system, all colleges and universities that are physically remote from Harare and from each other will be affiliated to the UZ, which becomes the parent university.

A senior official at the university said the new order, in line with the institution's restructuring exercise, "would see the beginning and the rise of future universities."

The UZ, originally a college affiliated to the University of London and Birmingham Medical School, has launched a five-year strategic plan aimed at maintaining its relevance to society and to provide academic assistance to new universities.

Levi Nyagura, UZ vice chancellor, said his institution had helped in the formation of four new state universities -- Chinhoyi University of Technology, Masvingo State University, Zimbabwe Open University and Bindura University of Science Education.

He said teachers' colleges, technical colleges, agricultural colleges, nursing schools and seminaries were also some of the UZ's associate institutions.

"Our role in these institutions is to offer quality control and provide opportunities for further training," he said.