Malawi to introduce levy on university education – President Mutharika

President Peter Mutharika has said Malawi government will introduce levy to fund research and infrastructure in higher education.

“We will introduce an education levy to fund research and infrastructure in higher education,” said President Mutharika on Wednesday during a graduation ceremony at Chancellor College in Zomba.

Mutharika, who is Chancellor of the University of Malawi, said the country should “rethink” its education funding models.

He said also said for the country to survive in the global competition, graduates are necessary to provide solutions to Malawi problems through various skills gained to improve social and economic values of the society.

Mutharika urged UNIMA and other public universities to review their curriculum so that they address the current social issues adding it was important for our universities to enhance research in various fields so that the graduates are able to generate local solutions in the global competing world.

He said research is the “heartbeat” of every university.

“We must think globally but solve our problems locally,” said Mutharika, adding the public universities must be more innovative and enhance research network.

“Research is the generation of new knowledge and solutions that serve a society,” noted Mutharika.

Mutharika also encouraged universities to take “tracer studies” for its graduates.

He also bemoaned that among all the Universities in the country, it was only the Chancellor College that accommodates special needs students, therefore, appealed to the other colleges to consider enrolling such students through provision of the required facilities to promote equitable access to higher education.

Speaking earlier, Vice Chancellor, Professor John Kalenga Saka sidelined the UNIMAs strategic plan 2012-2017 saying most of the main key issues are under implementation citing introduction of new degrees, Bachelor of Commence(Tourism), Master and Doctorate degrees at various colleges such as Master in medicines and PhD in Mathematical Sciences among others.

He also said UNIMA has introduced diplomas in statistics, mining, geology and computer engineering to enhance enterprise development and create more employment in line with African Union agenda 2063 and other national policy documents.

The Vice Chancellor also said UNIMA has put in place a self resource mobilization strategy to supplement on funds that come from the Government.

The graduates that constituted the congregation were from Chancellor College, Polytechnic, College of Medicine and Bunda College now LUANAR.