The Anglican Diocese of the Central Province of Central Africa has revealed plans to build a $120 million university in Chitungwiza offering biomedical sciences studies near Zimbabwe's capital Harare.

Anglican Diocese of Harare Bishop Chad Gandiya said the church was looking beyond secondary education, Zimbabwe's Herald newspaper reported on April 4.

"The Anglican Diocese of Harare has its intention to build an integral university in Chitungwiza," said Bishop Gandiya.

"It makes sense for the university to be placed in Chitungwiza, a city that is growing and a home to many institutions providing secondary school education."

Bishop Gandiya said announcing the project, "Currently residents of this city have no choice to seek university education from other towns and cities."

Chitungwiza is about 35 kilometers (20 miles) south-east of Harare, where the State's University of Zimbabwe is situated.

The bishop said the university would accommodate 8,000 students and would be built in phases over a 25-year period and will focus mainly on biomedical sciences.

He noted in his statement: "Among the several disciplines will be biomedical sciences and obviously this noble mission is a mammoth task but it is part of our mission to serve all members of our nation regardless of religious or political alignment or affiliation and regardless of gender or age."

He also said the church was processing the necessary paperwork and was seeking partners for construction of the university.

The Anglican Diocese of the Central Province of Central Africa includes Botswana, Malawi, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.

Zimbabwe has nine state universities and six private ones, some of which are church-backed institutions.

Africa University is a, "private, Pan-African and United Methodist-Related institution." It has more than 1,200 students from 22 African countries and is located 17 km (10 miles) northwest of Mutare, Zimbabwe's fourth largest city. Although the university is United Methodist related, students are members of various denominations or practice traditional African religions.

The Reformed Church University is being established from a rich historical background of the Reformed Church in Zimbabwe and will focus on theological education. It is located on Morgenster Mission, Morgenster near Masvingo south of the site of the Great Zimbabwe Monuments.

Solusi University is a coeducational private university 35 miles (50 kilometers) southwest of Bulawayo, Zimbabwe's second biggest city. The university follows American grading and business, research and liberal arts curricular patterns and is owned and run by the Seventh-day Adventist Church.

Zimbabwe Catholic University is a small Catholic Church affiliated university in Harare established in 1999. It offers two first degree programs; Bachelor of Business Management and Information Technology (Honors) and Bachelor of Arts.