Mzuzu, August 21, 2015: President Professor Peter Mutharika has disclosed that Government allocated funds in the 2015-2016 National Budget to compensate communities around Choma area in Mzuzu where the university intends to open a second campus.
Mzuni has not yet assumed ownership of the land for its new campus because communities around the site have not been compensated.
The university was given the land at Choma in the outskirts of the city by Senior Chief Mtwalo in 2006 to open a second campus to expand the university’s space but the land has not yet been developed as communities have not been compensated for them to relocate from the area.
President Mutharika, who is also Chancellor of Mzuzu University, made the disclosure about availability of compensation funds Friday when he presided over the institution’s 17th Congregation at the university.
With the funds available, Mzuni is expected to start developing the long awaited new campus to increase learning space for the college. However, the college will need to look for more funds if construction is to effectively start.
Mutharika, an academician himself, stressed the need for Malawian universities to concentrate on building research capacity and undertake relevant research for the country.
“The academia have always been one of the fundamental pillars of socio-economic development through high quality research and teaching, it is a dedicated duty of the academia to challenge our traditional way of thinking to inspire us into new framework of thinking,” he said.
Being tool for development, Mutharika said the entire education system must fully support a national vision by developing the intellect, character and skills of the citizens.
“We need skills development because we need to create more jobs. We need to create the missing middle class of the Malawian society and the university must think how best we can contribute to this vision,” Mutharika said.
In a bid to assist the country’s universities to enhance skills development, Mutharika, who is also University of Malawi Chancellor, also disclosed government has signed a loan with the World Bank amounting to US$9 million (over MK4 billion) for skills development within the higher education. Mzuni will also benefit from the fund over a period of four years.
To allow more students to access loan, he said government has set into law the Higher Education Student Loans and Grants Act which was passed in Parliament.
“These loans will be restricted to the students most in need but over time, we hope that this will lead to a more sustainable solution to providing support for university students,” the president said.
Reports indicate that over 100 students from Mzuni have reserved their places because they could not pay their fees balances. This has forced the institution to establish a students’ scholarship fund for needy students.
Vice Chancellor of Mzuzu University, Dr Robert Ridley, earlier said the university is trying its best to be self reliant instead of just relying on government subventions.
The creation of Mzuzu University Students Scholarship Fund (MSSF-to be launched soon) is one of the steps the university has taken to achieve that goal.
This year, 832 students have graduated with certificates, diplomas and degrees from the university.
The university also awarded honorary degrees to Qabaniso Malewezi (a Degree of Doctor of Creative Arts) and Anna Msowoya (Doctor of Social Entrepreneurship- Honoris Causa) for their outstanding roles in the society.
