Airtel discusses innovations with Malawi University of Science and Technology students
Airtel Malawi has pledged to continue supporting government to facilitate the creation and transmission of knowledge for Malawi to effectively compete on the global economic front.
Airtel Malawi’s Enterprise Director Rachael Mijiga made the pledge Friday morning during an interface meeting with students pursuing a Masters Degree in Innovation at the Malawi University of Science and Technology-MUST.
Mijiga said Information and Communication Technologies-ICTs have enormous potential to increase information flows and empower poor people in the country, thereby enhancing their performance in economic activities.
“There is now alignment of what the industry expects of graduating students and that students have seen for themselves first-hand the massive network architecture that is Airtel, what is involved to keep it up and running 24/7 . This means that courses will be designed with the employer in Mind.
“As Airtel we support education because we understand that intellectual capital is the very determinant of economic growth for any nation e.g. India invested heavily in education and we can see the results,” said Mijiga.
According to Mijiga, Airtel – Malawi leading mobile telecommunications operator – will be heavily investing in the internet in the next two years, and will also continue investing to innovate and offer value add solutions that both consumers and Corporate markets require.
“We will soon be talking of LTE Speeds (115MBps). We need as a country to start talking, E-Banking, e-commerce, E-Government leading to increased demand and supply of goods and services including export, stimulating greater financial development which is a backbone of economic development,” challenged Mijiga.
“Internet can get around inefficient delivery systems and other physical barriers such as geography and transportation problems in facilitating knowledge transfer and creation hence our strategic focus in the medium –to long term is internet,” added Mijiga.
One of the students, Roe Zenengeya was overwhelmed with innovations at the company like Airtel Money, admitting that MUST has shouldered a huge innovation task in the country.
“I know we have a challenge to innovate, but I promise you that we won’t just relax. We are the first cohort and everything has started. We have appreciated what Airtel is doing and we want to do more, innovate more,” challenged Zenengeya.
Among others, MUST students were oriented on the Airtel network, systems, Airtel Money and others.
Follow and Subscribe Nyasa TV :
These are the initiatives that we want. Airtel must think outside the box. Good initiative. rachel,congrats!
Commenter number 3 feel ashamed. This has nothing to do with uhule. Ma comment achikaletu amenewa, tamaganizani motsogola. Bravo to Rachel, just laugh off some of these commenters
Number 3 nsanje a Malawi mmene walankhulira Mkazi apa Za nzeru palinso Za hule learn to give credit where it is due the lady works very hard and she is one of those few intelligent people
Hule la chilima. Amunake saona ndiye anangodyeeeetsa. Sad mweee mpakana uyooo ubwana. Eish
I also hope Macra is looking at encouraging our Information and communication technology companies to invest in innovations surrounding cyber crime and putting in place legislation to prevent and protect Malawians from this vice.
Bravo Airtel for encouraging innovation (& invention). However, let us also work towards putting in place legislation to reward, incentivise & protect innovation & invention, & I am talking of a well-balanced intellectual property regime that should not thrive on pieces of legislation churned as far back as 1958. Other countries have special ministeries for intellectual property. Where is the Malawi Intellectual Property Policy finished as far back as 2011? If well supported & challenged, these kids can offer lots of solutions to this economy. Keep it up Airtel!