University of Malawi to engage PPP to end accommodation woes
As University of Malawi (UNIMA) will be celebrating 50 years of existence, the university plans to use public private partnership (PPP) arrangement to build infrastructure in its constituent colleges.
Briefing members of the press at Mzuzu Hotel on Friday ahead of its golden jubilee slated for September 29 this year (2015), UNIMA Pro-Vice Chancellor, Professor Alfred Mtenje, said the university will engage private operators to construct hostels and classroom blocks in its drive to expand and take on board more students.
He said inadequate infrastructure at its campuses deters the university from enrolling more equally deserving students who qualify for the university’s colleges because of space.
“About 14,000 students apply for admission into our colleges each year, but we only enroll less than 2,000 because of space,” he said, adding that many promising young Malawians who also qualify are left behind.
Mtenje said it is for this reason that the university will engage Public Private Partnership Commission (PPPC) to advertise for private operators to construct hostels in its colleges to take more students on board.
On the golden jubilee anniversary, he said UNIMA has lined up a number of activities to raise funds for the celebrations budgeted at K200 million of which K65 million has been raised from government subvention, meaning there is a deficit of K135 million .
The Pro-Vice Chancellor said to raise the remaining amount of money, UNIMA has organized two golf tournaments to take place in Lilongwe and Blantyre, and gala dinners also to be held in the same cities. He added the university alumni will also be asked to contribute towards the cause.
Apart from fundraising activities, the university has engaged the services of artists to compose a UNIMA Anthem and design a flag just like the rest of international universities have.
“UNIMA has got no anthem and flag. As you know, an anthem is a symbol of an institution or organization’s identity; we want to have one just like the rest of international universities,” he said.
In international universities, he added, it is the flag that greets people when they enter their premises.
The senior academician also disclosed that on the last week of September, there will be an international conference which will be attended by all the university’s alumni including those from the diaspora.
About 40, 000 people have passed through the corridors of UNIMA since its establishment in 1965.
Follow and Subscribe Nyasa TV :
vital
40,000 alumni minus deaths we may be btn 30,000-35,000. this international conference to be held at Kamuzu Stadium. As some say, the prob with UNIMA is stagnant mindset accompanied by kusolola. It reminds me of my money that was eaten there at University office when I was repaying my loan. This deters people with good intentions. You may think mk200,000 is a lot but it’s not. just a few cashgaters can raise this, fortunately most of them are alumni!
Where is the blue print proposal. Walk the talk man. No written proposal, just talk. How much will it cost?
50 years but UNIMA doesn’t expand and just taking limited learners, to my understanding UNIMA was suppose to be mother UNIVERSITY of all universities in Malawi. UNIMA just look at UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH AFRICA does accommodate everyone that is why is called MEGA university in Africa as it has UNISA colleges throughout country (South Africa). You need to build UNIMA colleges throughout Malawi so that everybody may have access to university rather than say we are celebrating 50 years of existence whereas UNIMA accommodate less than 2,000 learners per year SHAME, SHAME, SHAME on you Indeed we have to appreciate… Read more »
It is not just a matter of contributing. There must be utmost accountability from the University.
If each one of the 40,000 alumni contributed K50,000, you would get the K200 million. No need for golf tourneys which will raise less than K20m.
Great ideas. Hopefully they will be implemented. Universities in the developed world are usually financially supported by the alumni and private sector. Koma ku Malawi kaya zimakanika pati. We lack vision as a nation.