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By Chisomo Phiri
Ministry of Education (MoE) has gazetted 4th May 2021, to be the commencement date for Acts of Parliament Nos 18, 19 and 20 of 2019, that established the three Universities, namely: University of Malawi ( UNIMA), Malawi University of Business and Applied Science( MUBAS) and Kamuzu University of Health Sciences (KUHes), respectively through Government Notice Nos 27, 28 and 29 of 2021 Published in the Malawi Gazette Supplement, dated 26th April, 2021.
According to the press release the Ministry has released, dated 26th April, 2021, this follows the position of the Malawi Government to proceed with delinking of the University of Malawi colleges into stand-alone universities, communicated at a meeting held in Lilongwe on 18th February 2021, chaired by the Vice President, the Right Honourable Dr. Saulos Klaus Chilima and attended by the University of Malawi council, officials from the Ministry of Education, the Department of Statutory Corporations and the public Sector Reforms Directorate.
To ensure smooth transition, the Ministry has established a Transition Unit (TU) to oversee and conclude all transitional activities and issues that may arise during de-linking process by 31st December, 2021.
The TU is composed of a steering committee comprising the following members: Professor Emmanuel Kaunda (chairperson), Associate Professor Asyatu Lorraine Chiweza, Dr. Phillip Kaonda, Dr. Tasokwa Kakota-Chibowa, Dr. Macphail Magwira, the Director of Higher education and the Secretariat composed of a lean staff from UNIMA central office headed by the current University of Malawi registrar, Dr. B.W. Malunga as a TU Coordinator.
The press release further indicates that the Transition Unit started its work on 15th April, 2021 and has since met with management teams from all the four UNIMA colleges and will from 27th April until 4th May, 2021 be conducting press briefings and meetings with the including current UNIMA council, staff unions/welfare committees leadership, student unions leadership from all UNIMA colleges, the parents Association of UNIMA students ( virtual meeting), the National Council for Higher Education ( NCHE) as well as the Higher Education Students Loans and Grant Board ( HESLGB).
From 4th May to 31st December, 2021, the Transition Unit (TU) will be working with the Ministry of Education (MoE) and councils of the three universities to ensure that all requirements for an optimal transition take place as outlined in the 2018 Report by the Taskforce on delinking of UNIMA constituent colleges.
“Following this development, selection of students into public universities will from this year include the new universities. Therefore, applicants are advised to check and familiarize themselves with new codes for courses under the Polytechnic now (MUBAS), College of Medicine and Kamuzu College of Nursing now (KUHeS) that the universities will soon produce during the forthcoming universities selection process harmonized by the National Council for Higher Education (NCHE)”, reads the statement.
The Ministry is further advising the general public to contact Dr. Levis Keliyasi Eneya Director of Higher Education in the Ministry of Education on 0993881 933 or Email to dhe@education.go.mw, for extended details and enquires.
