MUST, MIM sign Academic Cooperation MoU to enhance delivery of quality education services

Sikelo Phiri and Prof Address Malata after signing the agreement 

* The two institutions will focus on sharing ideas on three crucial areas

* Such as teaching, research as well as advisory services and consultancies

* With the aim of enhancing their educational programs to be in line with the MW2063 agenda

By Victor Singano Jnr, Correspondent

Malawi University of Science and Technology (MUST) and Malawi Institute of Management (MIM) have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for Academic Cooperation for the two institutions to be sharing ideas on the need of implementing new reforms inorder to enhance delivery of quality education in the country.

Among other things, see the two institutions will focus on sharing ideas on three crucial areas, such as teaching, research as well as advisory services and consultancies — with the aim of enhancing their educational programs to be in line with the MW2063 agenda.

At the official signing ceremony at MUST campus at Goliati in Thyolo, Vice-Chancellor Prof. Address Malata said she believed the collaboration would help the two institutions to remain the most leading institutions that provide higher quality education.

She added that the agreement is very timely because the partnership is involving bigger and well organized institutions which offer marketable programs.

“Partnering with MIM is a very welcome development to us because it is one of the institutions that has been in existence for many years training leaders in this nation.

“MUST is also one of the higher learning institutions focusing on science, technology and innovation as well as entrepreneurship. So we are very sure that these institutions have so much to offer to each other and have a win-win situation,” Malata said.

MIM Executive Director, Samson Sikelo Phiri said the signing of MoU is a great opportunity because the two institutions will be expanding and making reforms that will help to bridge the gaps that are available in managing information systems, which MUST is currently ahead of MIM.

In March, MUST charted a new path in the history of the country’s tertiary education by launching the first of its kind academic journal, Advances in Science & Arts — set to provide high quality, reviewed, open access infrastructure for scholarly articles and other products of research and development.

The journal was established as a response to the MUST’s vision, mission and strategic objectives — to be a world class center of science and technology education, research and entrepreneurship.

The Advances in Science and Arts journal complements the vision of the Directorate of Research and Outreach, which is to become world class center of excellence in research and outreach.

The strategies to achieve this vision include conducting high quality research by both faculty and students; translating the research results into evidence based policy and translating the research results into evidence based curricula.

Thus Sikelo Phiri applauds MUST for its innovative programmes, which MIM aims at benefiting from, saying they “are very much excited for this because it is likely that we’ll be tapping knowledge and implement them in our programs that are going to be beneficial to the country”.