26 February, 2018

UNIVERSITY OF MALAWI ASSURES GOVERNMENT OF ITS COMMITMENT TO CONTRIBUTE TOWARDS HUMAN CAPITAL NEEDS

The Vice Chancellor of the University of Malawi, Professor John D. Kalenga Saka, has reaffirmed the University’s commitment to contribute to the required and rising human capital needs to the Government of Malawi, consistent with the National Education Sector Plan and Malawi Growth Development Strategy III.

Professor John D. Kalenga Saka was speaking during the first 2016/17 graduation ceremony held on 21 February 2018 at the Great Hall, Chancellor College in Zomba. Professor Saka presided over the graduation ceremony in delegated capacity from the Chancellor, His Excellency Professor Arthur Peter Mutharika.

“I would like to express my sincere gratitude to His Excellency, Prof Arthur Peter Mutharika, President of the Republic of Malawi and Chancellor of the University of Malawi for delegating me to preside over this Congregation. It is therefore a great and singular honour to represent His Excellency, the Chancellor”, he asserted.

The First Lady, Professor Getrude Mutharika was among the dignitaries who graced the graduation ceremony in the magnificent Great Hall in Zomba. The First Lady attended the function as a parent to celebrate her nephew’s achievement who was one of the graduands at master’s level.

Said the Vice Chancellor, “Let me also join the Chairman (of the Council of the University of Malawi) in welcoming Her Excellency the First Lady, who herself is a member of the Alumni Community of this great University”.

Speaking under the theme “‘‘Growth of and Benchmarking in the University of Malawi”, the Vice Chancellor demonstrated the significant contribution University of Malawi has made in its first graduation of 2016/2017 through the statistical presentation of the graduands.

“Today we rejoice and celebrate the graduation of 687 graduands (which includes 355 females, representing 51.7%), who will receive various degrees. The graduands are in various disciplines including 265 Medicine and allied professions, 242 Nursing and Midwifery, and 100 Engineering, and Applied Science at first degree levels”, Professor Saka narrated.

“We will celebrate 11 distinctions and 69 credits/second class upper. Further, there are 80 higher degree (Postgraduate Diploma/Masters) graduands including 31 female candidates in various disciplines. There are 33, 23, 1 and 23 candidates from Chancellor College, College of Medicine, KCN and the Polytechnic respectively”, he said as he congratulated the graduands for a job well-done.

Professor Saka also offered free advice to the graduands, “It is very important therefore to know that: if you keep on learning from your successes, always striving to build the value and following your heart, your life in this world will be long, enriching, satisfying and above all rewarding. Ensure that diligence/hardwork, commitment, patriotism, integrity and professionalism characterize whatever you do. Never, ever lose your moral compass. This entails regularly engaging in self-conversation and being independent. It will be a lot easier to think entrepreneurial for personal growth, the Vice Chancellor empathized.

The University of Malawi will hold the second graduation ceremony of 2016/17 on 28^th March 2018 whose details will be published on this website and the local press.