Unicaf urges universities to embrace online teaching and learning

By Ireen Kayira

Unicaf University-Malawi has urged other universities in the country and across Africa to adopt online learning and teaching.

The university’s Vice Chancellor, Professor Joseph Kuthemba Mwale said this during a virtual graduation that the university held on Friday at at its Lilongwe Campus.

Mwale said the current COVID-19 pandemic has clearly illustrated the need for online learning and teaching modes, saying this system allows students to concentrate to concentrate on studies whilst attending to other economic duties.

He further said as a university that provides online learning, Unicaf will remain open to collaborate with and support other universities to help expand their operations into online teaching and learning.

He added that the university is currently working with other private and public universities in Malawi to promote higher education in the country.

“Very few institutions in the country were familiar with online teaching and learning when we started our operations here in 2015,” he said.

“The situation is currently changing, both at academic and government level as well as by regulatory authorities.

“Online learning has been further validated by our accreditation, which has exposed many academics from private and public universities who come to assess, evaluate and validate our programs through National Council for Higher Education’s rigorous peer review structure,” he said.

Guest of honour, Minister of Education Science and Technology, William Susuwele Banda said government is encouraging higher learning institutions to adopt Open Distance and e-Learning (ODeL).

He said government encourages this to allow more students to access higher learning from their respective homes. 

“Special mention should be made that at this point in time when educational institutions have been closed because of COVID-19, online mode of delivery is very viable so that learning continues at home,” he said.

Unicaf University awarded Masters Degrees in various disciplines to 352 students of its first cohort of online of learning and Susuwele urged other universities to borrow the same leaf.

The minister stressed the need for all universities, both private and public, to ensure they have effective and efficient administrative structures, financing systems and a professional machinery.

He said if this is done, the country will be able to attract a lot of international students.

“To fast-track this, government is in the process of developing a comprehensive Higher Educational Act which will guide the operations of all higher learning institutions both private and public.”