Mzuzu university18th Congregation

Service | Self-reliance | Perfection WedneSday 29 March 2017

special

report

Ready to seRve the NatioN

rising from the ashesembracing the futureHonouring outstanding AchieversMzuni trailblazing AlumniMbata: A summon for action

the university registrarMzuzu universityprivate Bag 201, Luwinga, Mzuzutel: +265 (0) 1 320 575email: ur@mzuni.ac.mw

ContaCt us

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We greet and congratulate you for persevering to gain the quality higher education you desired, and for which you worked and studied so hard.

We have no doubt that 24th March 2017 will be a day you will remember for a long time to come. It is the day when you stepped up to the podium and received your well-deserved and earned awards.

Some of you paused as you receivedyour award to reflect on the journey you had taken, the long hours of studying, the anxiety before exams, the joy of seeing your name on the pass list and the future that lies ahead of you. You possibly remem-bered the many friends you made at MZUNI, the lecturers and professors who men-tored you.

The world will be expecting a lot from you. Your parents, guardians and loved ones, who cheered you as you received your award, will all be looking up to you. Do not let them down.

We urge you to tackle the world and the future with the same zeal and attention that you gave to your academic studies. It is our prayer that the University’s motto will motivate you to reach summits of the highest mountains, and complete arduous marathons that may lie ahead of you.

We hope the wait was worth it and look forward to your future success.We salute you all and welcome you to the Mzuni Alumni.

Dr Rex Harawa Dr Robert RidleyChair: Mzuzu University Council Vice Chancellor

MZUNI witnessed its biggest ever disaster in December 2015 when the University Library burnt down. The University was forced to convert its hall, which also served as a student recreation space, into an interim library to ensure that students were not too greatly inconvenienced and could use it for study purposes. Many supporters from inside and outside Malawi have since assisted with the re-establishment of a functional library at MZUNI.

University of Strathclyde in Scotland were first to step in and lend a helping hand by donating shelves, desks, chairs and books for the interim library. University of Strathclyde students and staff literally rallied together to compile the donated items – a living example of the value and importance of forging international academic partnerships and collaborations.

Virginia Tech in the USA, another long-standing partner of MZUNI, have also stepped in to assist with the library project and recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding with MZUNI. Virginia Tech have donated thousands of books and e-readers and will also, through their School of Architecture, help design MZUNI’s new state of the art library.

The Chancellor, His Excellency Professor Arthur Peter Mutharika also personally donated resources for the renovation of the library and Government has additionally provided MK200 million in 2016/17 to assist library reconstruction.

The Management, staff and students of MZUNI extend their deepest gratitude to all the organisations, individuals, local and international educational institutions, and strategic partners for the support they have given the University as it rebuilds its new library collection. Some of those who reached out to us and donated numerous library resources when we most needed them include World Vision, UNESCO Malawi, Standard Bank Malawi, Anglia Book Distributors, Book Aid International, Lamp & Light, US Embassy (Book Africa), Irish Aid, Chancellor College,

College of Medicine, Kamuzu College of Nursing, The Polytechnic, Kamuzu Academy, various international colleges and universities, MZUNI Alumni and MZUNI Staff.

Having lost over 50,000 books in the December 2015 fire, MZUNI has acquired over 30,000 books from the above-mentioned and other donations. The University still has a long way to go to match the original collection and is appealing to well-wishers to continue donating books and monetary donations for library reconstruction .

Rising from the ashesMzuzu university 18th Congregation speCial report WEDNESDAY 29 MARCH 2017 2

To Mzuzu University’s 18th University Congregation Awardees

Students help to offload atruck load of books and equipment donated by Virginia Tech

One of the major roles of Higher Education is to produce human resources for national development, to drive economic development. Mzuzu University (MZUNI) is playing its role in this by graduating significant numbers of employment-ready students in a wide variety of disciplines that address the vocational and development needs of the country.

One of the ways in which the University ensures relevance as well as the quality of its programmes is by regularly reviewing its curricula. In the last two years the University has engaged in an extensive curriculum review exercise of all its programmes, in part through funding from the African Development Bank.

This has involved stakeholders, such as the private sector, government and alumni, who have enhanced the University’s curricula by sharing their practical experience of industry and business. This engagement will help MZUNI produce highly competent individuals that are ready to serve, innovate and meet the development goals of Malawi.

This shared intellectual activity also helps encourage scholarly collaborations with local and

international partners through research projects, joint funding and maintaining quality assurance. Some of MZUNI’s major funders, often channelled through the Government of Malawi, are the African Development Bank,

European Union, USAID, DFID and a number of Diplomatic Missions and NGOs. They do this through the funding of research and consultancies, staff and student scholarships, grants and infrastructure development.

One of the major multi-country research projects in which MZUNI is currently involved is the Urban Africa Risk Knowledge (Urban Ark) project which is funded by DFID, UK Aid and other donors, and involves five African countries and the UK, 12 institutional partners and six cities in Africa. This global network is researching the core urbanisation, and risk relationships and challenges that hinder informed and effective responses to disaster risks and building capacity for resilience in cities and rural areas.

The EU-funded regional forum for institutional development (RUFORUM) and capacity building has helped train 43 Masters and 20 PhD students for 12 collaborating African partner institutions to enhance agricultural productivity and assure food security for Sub-Saharan Africa. Some of the other focus areas include climate change mitigation, global sanitation and low cost energy technologies.

MZUNI’s Biomedical Sciences Department was recently selected as a partner research institute with a Chinese research institute to carry out a project on control and elimination of Schistosomiasis under the China-Africa Institutional

Mzuni and Old Mutual Management Teams after a successful Mathematics Olympiad

Embracing the futureCooperation for Schistosomiasis Elimination Research. In addition, the Department signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Luke International Norway (LIN) who are supporting level four students with funds for their dissertations.

Most of the infrastructure in Malawi’s Higher Education institutions is up to 5 decades old,thus the recent injection of infrastructure development and rehabilitation at MZUNI by the World Bank and AfDB has significantly boosted the ability of the institution to deliver quality programmes.

To improve its relevance and responsiveness to national priorities, MZUNI has decided to restructure its faculties for the 2017/18 academic year from five to six, namely Education; Humanities and Social Sciences; Environmental Sciences; Health Sciences; Science, Technology and Innovation; and Tourism, Hospitality and Management Studies. This new faculty structure will be operational from September 2017.

In all this, MZUNI recognises that strategic partnerships are important for academic and economic development.

Dr FELIX MLUSUAwarded a MZUNI Honorary Doctorate in Business Leadership for an exemplary illustrious business career in Insurance and other Leadership. With this award, MZUNI proudly honours Dr Mlusu for his ability; pioneering spirit to champion initiatives and take them to fruition; focused determination to achieve; intellectual contribution to a wide range of boards, businesses and financial services sector; and for having reached the pinnacle of his career in the four decades he has been in the insurance industry.

Dr NapoLEoN DzoMbEAwarded a MZUNI Honorary Doctorate in Entrepreneurship for an enduring spirit of dedication and inborn desire to use his resources to serve, uplift and empower people including the vulnerable. With this award, MZUNI proudly honours Dr Dzombe for his enterprising and generous spirit; for his ability to create jobs; and for being an “entrepreneur with a heart.

Dr CLaUDE boUChEr ChISaLEAwarded a MZUNI Honorary Doctorate for his true missionary work couched in education, training and ethnology, and for making religion accessible. With this award, MZUNI proudly honors Dr Claude Boucher Chisale for his selfless immersion into the Malawian culture and traditions without reserve and promotion of these locally and abroad; for his research into Malawian culture and sharing the history of Malawian people; the development and growth of Mua Mission; and simply for his love of Malawi and its cultural traditions.

Mzuzu university 18th Congregation speCial report WEDNEsDAy 29 MArcH 2017 3

honouring outstanding achievers

Mzuni Trailblazing alumniWhere are they now?

Rachel Sibande (L) receiving a prize from Minister of Education Science and Technology, Emmanuel Fabiano. Sibande is the of Founder of mHub and Deputy Chief of Party: Palladium Group Graduated from Mzuni with MSc Information Theory, Coding and Cryptography, 2009

Viwemi Chavula, Deputy Country Director: National Democratic Institute, Graduated from

Mzuni with BA Education, 2002Mbata man Lusungu Mkandawire

Alfred Gunda, Chief Executive Officer: Football Association of Malawi, Graduated

from Mzuni with BA Education, 2003

Mary Chitsulo, District Coordinator: Save the Children Graduated from Mzuni with

Bachelor of Arts, 2005

Lieutenant Colonel John Isaac Maseko Deputy Chief of Staff: Malawi Defence Force Graduated

from Mzuni with BSc Security Studies, 2009

Hastings Chiumia Assistant Director Clinical Services: Ministry of Health Graduated from

Mzuni withBSc Health Sciences, 2004

Maxwell Ng’ambi Marketing Manager: AHL Group Graduated from Mzuni with

Bachelor of Arts, 2003

In sahau Village, in the area of Traditional Authority Jalavikuba Munthali in Mzimba district lives a man by the name of Lusungu Mkandawire. He is no ordinary man amongst his peers. He is a Mbata man.

Mbata is a traditional wind instrument made from the horn of a cow which is blown in order to summon people to a village gathering place.

This is where the chief would address his people regarding developments in the village, be it the coming of development projects that would require participation of the whole community; to listen to visiting government officials from the Boma who want to communicate to the villagers or indeed war as was the case in the olden times.

Lusungu is the man who blows such an important instrument whenever the need arises.

Mbata is therefore a symbol of urgency to find out what, why, who and probably how: The urgency for action. This perhaps is the reason Mzuzu University (MZUNI) adopted this cultural vestige as their symbol during graduations.

Mkandawire has not only managed to earn himself an enviable position in his village but also amongst the learned and learning as he is the one who blows the Mbata during the MZUNI graduation ceremonies.

During the recent Mzuni graduation ceremony that was held at Bingu International convention centre (BIcc) in Lilongwe, Mkandawire said that he feels honoured to be the one to blow the traditional wind instrument for the school.

“Traditionally, whenever the sound of the Mbata is heard, everybody comes to hear what the chief wants to communicate to his people, usually it is communication about development projects or some developments in the community but in the past, the issues included war as such when coming the people, especially men had to come prepared for anything in case of advancing enemies,” Mkandawire said of the importance of the Mbata.

Mbata: a summon for actionMZUNI Vice Chancellor Dr Robert Ridley receives the 2016 Chartered Institute

of Customer Management Award for Service Excellence

Mzuzu university 18th Congregation speCial report Wednesday 29 March 2017 7

HIGHLIGHTS•First Place Winner of the2016 Chartered Instituteof Customer Management(CICMA) Award for ServiceExcellence in the TertiaryEducationcategory.

•Restructuring of FacultiesfromfivetosixandincreaseinthenumberofMastersandPhD programmes offered atMZUNI(2016/17).

• Increase of studentenrolment from 60 in 1998to4,067in2016.

•Development of a GenderPolicy funded by the UNDP(2016)

•Launch of MZUNI’s 2016 –2020StrategicPlan

•Establishment of theMzuzu University StudentsScholarship Fund (MUSSF)in 2014 to enable equitableaccess to quality highereducation through provisionof loans and scholarshipsto needy students. To date,MUSSF has raised over K17-million which has benefitednumerous students over thepast two years. In 2016, theFundawarded63scholarshipsofwhich24wereawarded tofemalestudents.

•Expansion of the Open andDistance Learning (ODL)modethroughestablishmentof World Bank-financedsatellite centres in Karonga,Lilongwe, Balaka andMulanjealllinkedtothemainhubatMZUNI.

•Construction of an AfricanDevelopment Bank-financedODL Centre at the MZUNICampus.

•Construction of the WorldBank-financed Tourismand Hospitality SkillsDevelopment Centre thatwill allow full internationalaccreditationoftheFaculty’sprogrammes.

•Community engagementin projects such as theTransformative CommunityDevelopment, Waterand Sanitation, BiogasResearch Project, Fisheriesand Aquaculture Projects,and Sustainable ForestManagement Projects,amongothers.

•MZUNI research on Waterand Sanitation published byRachel Holm (MZUNI Centreof Excellence in Water andSanitation) and former

Deputy Dean of EducationAmbumulire Itimu-Phiri inPLOS ONE, a renownedinternational peer-reviewedopen-access journal fororiginalscientificresearch.

•MoU signed betweenMZUNIand USA-based Banda BolaSports Foundation thatdonates various sportinguniforms and equipment totheUniversity.

•Vibrantcommunityoutreachthrough the MZUNIChildren’s Library wherestreetchildrenlearntoreadand write, and learnersfrom neighbouring primaryschools access books andothereducationalresources.

•Head of the EnglishDepartment and LecturerMisheck Banda’s filmAlufeyo, which highlightedthe impact of the HIV/AIDSpandemic on university-going students, launchedand screened on MBC TVand other entertainmenthubsaroundMalawi.

•Mzuzu University TheatreAction Group, under thedirectorship of award-winning theatre performerandMZUNIlecturerMeshackMzumara, staged the firstChichewa production ofWilliam Shakespeare’sRomeo and Juliet at the2016LakeofStarsFestival.

•40 Tourism and Hospitalitystudentsparticipatedintheorganisationandproductionof the 2016 Lake of StarsFestivalaspartofMZUNI’sskills development-orientedpartnership with theFestival.

•AnnualNationalBank“BestStudent Awards” acrossall Faculties and MalawiEnergy Regulatory Authority(MERA) Awards to the beststudents in theDepartmentof Energy and RenewableTechnologies.

•Newexecutiveselected intotheMzuzuUniversityStudentRepresentative Council(MUSREC) on 7th March,2017 using an electronicvoting system developedby Mzuni ICT students thatenabled the results to beknown immediately afterpollingwasclosed.

•Mzuni FC achieved 9thposition in the 2016 TNMSuperLeague.

Introducing Mzuni’s new Student Representative CouncilTheMZUNIActandStatutesprovideforitsStudentRepresentativeCouncil(MUSREC)toengageingoverningtheinstitutionthroughrepresentationontheMzuzuUniversityCouncil.

MUSRECtakesparticularresponsibilityadvocatingforstudentwelfareandotherissuesaffectingstudents.The20-memberstudentbodyisguidedbytheStudentGovernanceConstitutionandiselectedannuallybythestudentbody.ItisrepresentedontheCouncilbyitsPresidentandtheSecretary.MUSRECgetsitsmandatefromthestudentbodyviaaStudentAssembly,andworksinconsultationwithManagementandtheCounciltoaddressstudentissues.

IN A CLASS OF OUR OWN

Wazamazama Katatu (President)

Alfred Chuma (Academic Affairs Director)

Wilson Jaisa Mhango (Entertainment Director )

Yewo Mgomezulu(Secretary)

Chinsisi Maseko (Social Welfare Director)

Lizzie Thondoya (Women Affairs Director)

Okomaatani Kayenda(Vice President)

Charles Kachitsa (Deputy Academic Affairs Director)

Blessings Trinta (Deputy Intertainment Director)

Aggie Majawa(Vice Secretary)

Glyn Synos (Deputy Social Welfare Director)

Edna Kambauluka (Deputy Women Affairs Director)

Malachi Bright Phiri (Speaker)

Kingdom Chipaza (Publication Director)

Hastings Santana (Catering Director)

Brent Sharma (Treasurer)

Jafali Lyland Mr DC (Off Campus Director)

Jafali Lyland Mr Dc (Off Campus Director)

James W Kayira (Deputy Speaker)

Limbani Gama Vote (Deputy Publication Director)

Jujuu Mthilakuwiri (Deputy Catering Director)

Dumisani Harawa (Vice Treasurer)

Jameel Moustaf (Mandevu) (Deputy Off Campus Director)

Jameel Moustaf (Mandevu) (Deputy Off Campus Director)

Looking to acquire more knowledge and develop new skills and insights? Look no further! MZUNI offers the following internationally-recognised post-graduate programmes.

Masters Programmes•M.Ed.TeacherEducationProgramme•M.Ed(LeadershipandManagement)•MATheologyandReligiousStudies•MScInformationTheory,CodingandCryptography•MScLibraryandInformationSciences

Mzuzu university 18th Congregation speCial report WEdnESdAy29MARCh2017 8

•MScEnvironmentalSciences,incorporating:oMScSanitationEngineeringoMScFisheriesoMScTransformativeCommunitydevelopmentoMScForestry

PhD Programmes• PhdinEnvironmentalSciences,incorporating:o PhdWaterandSanitation

• PhdInformationTheory,CodingandCryptography• PhdTheologyandReligiousStudies

Go further with Mzuni SoMe factS anD StatS

In my educational journey I have met many ups and downs. When I was in secondary school I used to wonder why people failedtoscoredistinctionsbutafter getting to MZUNI in my firstyearIrealizeditwasindeeddifficulttoachievedistinctionsbecausetheworkwastoughand assignments kept piling upbutIdecidedtoworkhard.KumbukaniVizyalona-BachelorofScience(Education)

IthasnotbeeneasyIhadtolearntobefriendpeople,exploremore and representative. MZUNI has helped shape me into a betterandresponsiblepersonwho can make sound decisions andnotregretlater.TroySamuelViyazi-BachelorofArts(TheologyandReligiousStudies)

Life at MZUNI was good despite theworryoffailingexaminationsbutexcitementwasatitspeakwheneverIpassed.AtMZUnIIhave learnt quite a lot in terms ofbeingagoodteacherandimpact I could make in the education sector in my nation. EthelKwisongole-BachelorofScience(Education)

It was a very wonderful experienceandIhavegainedmore knowledge which has contributedtomycompetenceineducation. With the knowledge andskillsgainedIwillbeabletoeffectivelymanageeducationalinstitutions.hartleyKaluwa-MastersinEducationalLeadership and Management

VOX POP How has your experience been at Mzuni?ForthepastfouryearsIhavelearnthowtobeindependentspiritually,academicallyandpersonally. MZUNI has taught metobefocusedandtoachievemoredespitetherehavebeentimes where I had low moments buttodayIamgladIhavebeenabletoachievemorethanadegree.TrynessChiwaka-BachelorofScience(WaterResourceManagementanddevelopment)

•Studentsenrolledin2016 4,067

•2015/16Graduands 852

Male 587

Female 265

Bachelor,diploma,Certificate 807

Masters 43

Phd 2

MyexperiencehasbeengoodespeciallywhenIpassedbutfrustratingwhenIfailed.Attimes I would feel as if I will not passbutIstillworkedhard.Mzunihashelpedmerealisemypotential.VelinerJakapu-BachelorofScience(Education)

• Faculties 5(6fromSep2017)

• AcademicStaff 180

•non-AcademicStaff 284

•StaffwithPhdQualifications 37

•StaffpresentlystudyingforPhds 30

•Publications(2013-2016) 123