By Solister Mogha
Zomba, December 10, Mana: President Dr Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera has advised University of Malawi (UNIMA) to restore the University’s known core value of producing quality graduates through quality and relevant education that should contribute to national development.
Dr. Chakwera made the remarks at the Chancellor College Great Hall in Zomba on Thursday when he presided over the graduation of 461 students from various colleges of the UNIMA.
The President said the University of Malawi was by its establishment intended to be centre of excellence thus producing graduates who were expected to drive the socio-economic development of the country to higher levels through their various acquire skills and knowledge.
He added that as the university continues to strive to its highest level, it was important to also consider the quality of education being offered.
“The University of Malawi was established to build capacity of our country through provision of quality education and I would, therefore, like to urge you to maintain the value of which this university was established,” he said, adding that there was need for the institution to produce quality graduates and not just the qualifications.
The president said Malawians have higher expectations from graduates from UNIMA as they are regarded as graduates of higher calibre.
“Malawians are waiting for people who are ready to develop this country and offer solutions to many challenges the country is facing and not graduates who are always analysing what has gone wrong and who has done the wrong,” said Dr Chakwera.
The newly installed Chancellor of UNIMA, therefore, urged graduates to be agents of change and be job creators than job seekers.
He said gone are days where people waited for someone to create jobs for them adding that the current world requires one to be innovative and creative to venture into various economic activities.
“You are the ones who must drive this nation to greatness, we need to start moving into product creation and produce home made products and as a new crop of graduates, regard yourself as job creators and not job seekers,” he added.
The President commended the University Council and all staff of the University for their dedication to work.
He expressed hope that with his administration’s support UNIMA would continue offering basic and quality education.
UNIMA Acting Vice Chancellor, Professor Alfred Mtenje, said the university is always dedicated to producing quality students who would actively play a crucial role of changing the Malawi nation.
Mtenje said under the current leadership, the University has no doubt that it would rise to higher levels and continue developing programmes that suits the current situation.
“As an institution of excellence, we wish to state that Covid-19 has affected immensely our academic life,” he said, adding that the pandemic disturbed the university’s academic calendar.
He said the University of Malawi is working hard to ensure the institution maintains its programmes.
Chairperson for the University of Malawi Council, Professor Jack Wirima, pleaded for more funding to enable the institution to potentially fulfil its mandate of offering quality education.
The graduation ceremony was the first of 2020 with 461 students (128 males and 333 females) graduating with certificates and degrees of which only fifteen students graduated with distinctions.
During the ceremony, President Dr Chakwera was installed as the Sixth Chancellor of the University of Malawi.
The first chancellor of the University of Malawi was Malawi’s first president, Dr. Hastings Kamuzu Banda followed by Bakili Muluzi, Joyce Banda and Professor Arthur Peter Mutharika,
University of Malawi will continue with graduation of other students in the afternoon and Professor Mtenje will preside over the graduation.