President Lazarus Chakwera has reaffirmed the government’s commitment towards improving university education by among others putting up new and modern teaching learning structures for the advancement of tertiary education.
Speaking Wednesday in Zomba during the graduation of 360 students at the Great Hall, University of Malawi (Unima) campus, Chakwera said when he ascended to power, he made a commitment to support Unima by ensuring that better educational facilities are put in place.
” When we took office, I and the Vice President, Dr. Saulos Chilima made a commitment that we must change the face of the university by among others improving the infrastructure. We will continue to do this until a greater change is achieved, ” the president who is also a Unima alumni said.
He therefore commended Unima leadership for taking a greater interest in ensuring that all infrastructural developments are on course to meet current tertiary education requirements.
Focusing on the day’s graduation, Chakwera said Malawi was not supposed to experience leadership gaps while universities are well equipped to produce good leaders in both public and private sector.
“I don’t expect any department, agency or any organisation to suffer from leadership gaps because Unima is here,” the president said and advised graduating students to become agents of change and instrumental in various fields.
He further advised newly graduated students to desist for immoral behaviours at any cost, so that they should be relevant and meaningful in the society, adding that their tertiary education and lifestyle should make them models to aspire and inspire those around them.
The president said he is saddened by the conduct of some graduates who engage in corruption and other unethical undertakings.
“I expect that you will maintain standards and ethics and you will avoid shortcuts and corrupt practices. Stop milking the poor and stop being greedy. Avoid being takers but rather be givers. Be producers and entrepreneurs,” the president who is also Chancellor of the Unima added.
Vice Chancellor of the University of Malawi, Professor Samson Sajidu said the university has within years established good partnership with other universities both within and outside Malawi as one way of improving education standards.
Prof. Sajidu added that Unima has embarked on various resource mobilisation strategies to ensure that the university continue to offer improved and quality education.
On challenges facing Unima, the Vice Chancellor said accommodation is the main challenge citing that only 1,000 out of 11,000 are accommodated on campus.
“Teaching space is another big challenge facing the university. Currently we have a teaching space of 2,700 students against 11, 700 such that our teaching staff of 313 translate to 33 teacher- student ratio.
Unima Chairperson, Dr. George Patridge said apart from infrastructural development, plans are under way to internationalise the university to allow the university to compete with other universities in the region and beyond Africa.
” We are also intending to improve access to tertiary education by increasing enrollment from the current 11,000 to about 15,000 by 2025,” he said while commending government for continued financial support which has seen Unima implementing various development activities both academic and non-academic.
The Unima Chairperson therefore urged government to continue with the loan grants to needy students which he said will allow more needy students to access and attain university education.
The graduation has seen 360 students, 183 males and 177female graduating with diplomas, bachelors, masters and doctorate degrees.
Before the graduation, the president toured some infrastructural development being undertaken by the Unima such as construction of modern office complex and newly constructed school of economic within the Unima campus.
By Solister Mogha
