Invest in higher education for human capacity development- Chakwera – Malawi Voice

by Patricia Kapulula

Lilongwe, Mana: President Dr Lazarus Chakwera has called on African countries to launch a campaign that will invest in higher education that transforms and improves relevance in research to improve human potential development.

He was speaking at the Kamuzu Palace in Lilongwe on Monday during the release of the Africa Tertiary Agriculture Education book and the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Government of Malawi and the Regional University Forum for Capacity Building (RUFORUM) for capacity building in agriculture.

He added that higher education supports advancement, modernization and expansion and is credible for the advancement of instruments such as the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the African Union Agenda 2063 and Malawi 2063.

“Investing in higher education to build human capacity for development is non-negotiable. As such, our need to campaign and call for investment in higher education is critical.

Therefore, he added that Africa is facing similar challenges, therefore universities need to take the lead in facing and addressing such challenges and have a way to tell their story if the continent is to provide the right kind of support. There should be a platform for

Africa has a story of resilience and solidarity, so the book launch will go towards telling that story, he said.

“The launch of the book will help tell that story. A book that elevates an approach to success for tertiary education driven by stakeholder needs, a book that explains change and improves relevance in teaching and research. This is a book that has a story worth telling,” he said.

The Minister of Education, Agnes Nyalonje stressed the need to learn from good practices and major efforts being made to uplift African countries by developing the agriculture sector through the development of higher education for agriculture.

RuForum Board Chairperson, Prof. Theresia Akenzi-Nkuo stressed the importance of deliberating on issues of higher education and its role in supporting Africa’s development to make Africa a competitive continent.

He called for efforts by universities to reshape the narrative about Africa’s experiences by providing credible propositions.

In June, 2021, RUFORUM established President Chakwera as a champion of higher education in Africa. In 2007, at a meeting of vice-chancellors in Maputo, Mozambique, it was decided that RUFORUM should recognize individuals who have made significant contributions to higher education.

RUFORUM, a federation of 161 universities from 40 countries in Africa, was established in 2004 by 10 vice-chancellors and is coordinated by a secretariat hosted by Makerere University in Kampala, Uganda.

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