Minister of Higher Education, Dr. Jessie Kabwila, has challenged the University of Malawi (UNIMA) to prioritize quality tertiary education and ensure the institution remains competitive on the international stage.

Speaking at UNIMA offices in Zomba during her tour of higher learning institutions, Kabwila expressed concern over some college graduates’ inability to articulate issues and deliver expected results despite holding degrees.

She said the UNIMA and other colleges in the country should strive to produce well baked students that should work everywhere in the world.

“We want our degrees to be equal to that of China, USA and other countries. Our graduates should be able to find jobs on the international space with degrees they get from a Malawian college,” the minister added.

She said Ministry of Higher Education will soon be tabling education bill in parliament which will among others sanitise education systems in the country on top of checking on the mushrooming of “fake universities, buying of degrees and shortcuts in acquiring tertiary education,

“We have over 56 universities in the country and some are not up that standard. We want this to stop so that people should enroll with well-established colleges where lectures are qualified,” Kabwila said.

Accommodation Challenges Impacting UNIMA Quality Education

Apart from improving quality of education, the minister also appealed to the UNIMA to consider providing accommodation for students, observing that poor accommodation outside the campus compromises quality education.

“Something has to be done on accommodation. There is no way that only 1, 200 students should be accommodated in the campus out of the total 16,000 students,” she said.

UNIMA, Vice Chancellor, Prof, Samson Sajidu promised to uphold standards of education and keep the university competitive.

Prof Sajidu said the University is proud to have produced quality graduates who are contributing to national development and beyond.

“As a university, we have developed a number of policies aimed at improving education. We will strive to uphold standards of education by all means,” the Vice Chancellor added.

On accommodation, Sajidu said UNIMA was looking for partners willing to support construction of student hostels.

Earlier in the day, the minister visited Domasi College of Education in Zomba where she emphasised the same.

The minister was yet to visit Malawi College of Accountancy, University of Business and Applied Sciences (MUBAS) formerly Malawi Polytechnic, Kamuzu University of Health Sciences (KUHES) in Blantyre, Malawi University of Science and Technology (MUST) in Thyolo and Catholic University of Malawi at Nguludi Chiradzulu on Wednesday and Thursday,  

Kabwila also toured National Council of Higher Education (NCHE) offices at Area 47 in Lilongwe on Tuesday.