Midlands State University (MSU) Level 2.2 Bachelor of Science Honours Degree in Actuarial Sciences student, Mr. N. T. Kamurai, secured third place and a US$ 1,500 prize at the inaugural Insurance and Pensions Commission (IPEC) Research Symposium, held on 28 October 2026 at Cresta Lodge in Harare, by delivering a bold agricultural risk management framework to advance national economic policy.
The high-stakes national policy competition operated under the theme, โAdvancing NDS2 Through Insurance and Pension Sector Reforms.โ
The tournament began with a highly competitive initial pool of 96 proposed research papers.
Ten exceptionally driven MSU students navigated this rigorous first selection stage to join the 45 researchers advancing to the second phase.
These students included Noel Tatenda Kamurai, Divine Muteyaunga, Enos Rusike, Madimutsa Panashe, Daryl Chipanga, Diligence Zhou, Edward Kashiri, Naboth Zimbili, Thomas Dhangwa, and Praise Marufu.
From that elite group of 45, only five exceptional papers were selected for the ultimate final presentation round.
Within this fiercely contested top five, Mr Kamurai captured the third-place overall position by outperforming PhD scholars, MSc graduates, and seasoned industry veterans.
He secured this remarkable victory by presenting a pioneering research paper titled โStructural Agricultural Risk Integration Framework (SARIF): Addressing Risk Management Accountability in Agriculture under NDS2.โ
This groundbreaking research delivers a structured, actionable response to shield farmersโ livelihoods, fortify food security, and ensure economic stability against severe climate variability and unpredictable weather shocks.
The MSU Department of Applied Mathematics engineered this triumph through a highly structured seminar series designed to rigorously refine the studentsโ research concepts for the national arena.
Dedicated MSU lecturers in the Department of Applied Mathematics, Mr. P. K. Ziwakaya and Mr. S. Jaji, accompanied the delegation to the symposium to provide critical strategic guidance and unwavering encouragement throughout the intense event.
Actuarial science arms graduates with elite quantitative tools to evaluate severe risks, analyse market uncertainty, and drive crucial financial decision-making across agricultural risk financing and public policy.
This resounding victory powerfully affirms that MSU produces holistic graduates who actively contribute to the industrialisation and modernisation of the economy through a relentless research and innovation culture.
