Kabwila during her visit to UNIMA—Pictures courtesy of UNIMA Media
* Asks universities in the country to strive in producing well-baked students that should work anywhere in the world
* We want our degrees to be equal to that of China, USA and other countries
* Pledges her Ministry will soon be tabling Education Bill in Parliament to sanitise education systems in the country
* On top of checking on the mushrooming of fake universities, buying of degrees and shortcuts in acquiring tertiary education
By Solister Mogha, MANA & Duncan Mlanjira, Maravi Express
During her official visit of University of Malawi (UNIMA) offices in Zomba, as part of her tour to institutions of higher learning, Minister of Higher Education, Dr. Jessie Kabwila challenged UNIMA to strive for quality tertiary education and ensure that the university is competitive at international level.
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Kabwila added that it was a concern to see university graduates failing to articulate issues and deliver as expected after going through corridors of an institution of higher learning.
She said UNIMA and other colleges in the country should strive to produce well-baked students that should work everywhere in the world, saying: “We want our degrees to be equal to that of China, USA and other countries.
“Our graduates should be able to find jobs on the international space with degrees they get from a Malawian college,” said Kabwila, while disclosing that Ministry of Higher Education will soon be tabling an Education Bill in Parliament, which will among others sanitise education systems in the country.
And that is on top of she said is checking on the mushrooming of “fake universities, buying of degrees and shortcuts in acquiring tertiary education”.
“We have over 56 universities in the country and some are not up to standard. We want this to stop so that people should enroll with well-established colleges where lecturers are well qualified,” Kabwila said.
Apart from improving quality of education, the Minister also appealed to UNIMA to consider providing accommodation for students, observing that poor accommodation outside the campus compromises quality education.
“Something has to be done on accommodation — there is no way that only 1,200 students should be accommodated in the campus out of the total 16,000 students,” she said.
On his part, UNIMA Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Samson promised to uphold standards of education and keep the university competitive, saying they are proud to have produced quality graduates who are contributing to national development and beyond.
Prof. Sajidu (right) and his deputy Dr. Sunduzwayo Madise
“As a university, we have developed a number of policies aimed at improving education,” the Vice-Chancellor said. “We will strive to uphold standards of education by all means.”
On accommodation, Sajidu said UNIMA was looking for partners willing to support construction of student hostels.
Meanwhile, Kabwila — who observed ongoing projects such as construction of the new administration block when she toured the university campus — applauded the Vice-Chancellor and his management team for effectively addressing some of the university’s recent pressing issues and assured that she would prioritise addressing the challenges the university is facing.
These include accommodation, financing activities for students with special needs, such as transportation between home and campus, and other critical issues.
UNIMA’s Facebook media platform, reported that Kabwila expressed satisfaction with the transformation taking place at the university and looked forward to the completion of its projects, emphasising her commitment to ensuring the university receives the necessary support to achieve its goals and operate smoothly.
On December 5, 2024, UNIMA launched the Richard Tambulasi Memorial Scholarship to honor the late Professor Richard Tambulasi, former Principal of Chancellor College, who passed away in 2021.
A report on the UNIMA media platform indicates that the scholarship — which has been funded by the Department of Politics & Government and the Department of Management & Leadership Studies — will support four Master’s Degree students annually, with tuition waivers and K400,000 research grants, among other benefits.
The students will have to be enrolled in these departments and at the launch, UNIMA Vice-Chancellor Prof. Sajidu praised the late Professor Tambulasi’s dedication and commitment to the success of the then Chancellor College and excellence of its students.
The Tambulasi family, which was present during the launch, expressed gratitude to the University for honoring the late Professor, saying their their request to have one of the University buildings named after him was warmly received by the Vice-Chancellor, who promised to grant such an honor with one of the buildings that the University plans to construct.
The UNIMA was delinked from Malawi Polytechnic, Kamuzu College of Nursing (KCN) and the College of Medicine in 2021 and under Prof. Sanudi’s watch, UNIMA’s faculties were reconstituted into five schools — School of Arts, Communication & Design; School of Education; School of Law, Economics & Government; School of Humanities & Social Sciences; and School of Natural & Applied Sciences.
Meanwhile, UNIMA is hosting the 2025 Applied Mathematics Research School, which runs up to January 31, 2025 — the second time the event is taking place in Malawi after the Malawi University of Business and Applied Sciences (MUBAS — formerly Malawi Polytechnic) hosted it last year.
UNIMA reports that the event, which brings mathematicians together, aims to explore ways of using mathematics to solve real-life problems and this year’s event has attracted participants and facilitators from across the southern African region, including countries such as Zimbabwe, Namibia, Tanzania, and South Africa.
At the launch on Monday, January 20, UNIMA’s Executive Dean of the School of Natural & Applied Sciences, Prof. Cosmo Ngongondo, indicated that the participants, who also include academics from local universities such as MUBAS, will be trained on using various softwares and tools in mathematics — to analyse data and address real-world challenges in areas such as health, the environment, and more.
He is quoted as highlighting that such events help to strengthen relationships between UNIMA and other African universities, fostering regional integration in higher education.
Present was Prof. Farai Nyabadza, head of the Department of Mathematics and Applied Mathematics at the University of Johannesburg, who provided an overview of the Applied Mathematics Research School.
He emphasized the importance of the program and expressed hope that, by the end of the school, participants would emerge as well-rounded researchers capable of writing quality publications and conducting research ethically, especially in this era of AI advancements.
He further highlighted the aim of the school which is to develop a pool of mathematical modellers within Malawi and the SADC region who can advance mathematical modelling as a research field.
UNIMA indicates that this event is one of the key initiatives in which the university participates, fostering collaboration among individuals, departments, and institutions across the southern African region.
“It promotes knowledge-sharing, strengthens networks among universities, and contributes to the advancement of research and innovation in applied mathematics.
“By bringing together experts and aspiring researchers, the event also serves as a platform for addressing regional challenges through mathematical solutions and interdisciplinary cooperation,” says the UNIMA media platform.
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