Zimbabwean Scholar Earns Global Recognition with Dual Doctorates, Summa Cum Laude

Zimbabwean academic Dr Caroline Makoni earns global recognition after graduating with dual doctorates, both Summa Cum Laude (image source)

A Zimbabwean academic has earned rare global distinction after graduating with two doctoral degrees simultaneously, both awarded with the highest academic honour, Summa Cum Laude, placing Zimbabwe firmly on the international intellectual stage.

Dr Caroline Makoni completed a Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) in Strategic Leadership from the Chartered Institute of Management and Leadership (CIML) alongside a second doctorate from the University of California. In recognition of her academic excellence, she was also named CIML’s Overall Best Student of 2025, an honour reserved for candidates whose research demonstrates exceptional originality, rigour and practical relevance.

Makoni’s research tackles one of Zimbabwe’s most persistent structural challenges: the long-term loss of technical and specialist skills through outward migration. Rather than treating brain drain as an irreversible deficit, her work reframes it as a strategic opportunity, proposing structured mechanisms for transferring knowledge from expatriate professionals back into the domestic economy.

Focusing on Zimbabwe’s emerging oil and gas sector, the study presents evidence-based frameworks for leveraging diaspora expertise to strengthen local technical capacity. It outlines practical models through which firms can institutionalise skills transfer, reduce reliance on foreign contractors, improve productivity and build long-term competitiveness. Analysts say the findings are particularly timely as Zimbabwe seeks to attract investment in capital-intensive sectors such as energy, mining and infrastructure.

By integrating leadership strategy with human capital development, Makoni’s research bridges the gap between academic theory and applied economic policy. Her work demonstrates how organisational leadership can be aligned with national development goals to unlock latent skills and institutional knowledge.

Commenting on the broader implications, Makoni emphasised the need for coordinated national action. She called for closer collaboration between academia, industry and government, citing the importance of alignment among the Ministry of Skills Audit and Development, the Ministry of Energy and Power Development, and the Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education. She argued that sustainable skills development cannot be achieved in isolation but requires integrated planning, incentives and institutional accountability.

Policy analysts and researchers say Makoni’s achievement highlights the depth of Zimbabwe’s intellectual capital, much of which continues to excel internationally despite domestic constraints. Her success reinforces the case for advanced education and targeted skills development as central pillars of long-term socio-economic transformation. As Zimbabwe debates pathways to industrialisation, Makoni’s work offers a data-driven blueprint for turning global expertise into national advantage.