By Linda Kwanjana
President Dr. Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera has advised authorities at Malawi University of Science and Technology (MUST) to consider establishing a climate change
research centre at the institution.
Chakwera was speaking at MUST Campus in Thyolo on Friday 11th August, 2023 when he presided over the graduation of more than 400 students.
“I urge the leadership to consider initiating a climate change
research centre here that brings together experts from various disciplines to develop innovative solutions that promote sustainability and resilience in the context of Malawi’s unique vulnerabilities to climate disasters,” he said.
The president said the centre can then collaborate with government agencies and non – governmental organizations to implement practical interventions that safeguard our environment and protect the most vulnerable communities.
“This climate change research centre would actually go well
with the establishment of a community impact program,
encouraging students, faculty, and staff to actively participate in projects that address pressing societal challenges emanating from such disasters. These are the kinds of innovation that will keep MUST on the frontlines of national development and sustain its
supremacy as a bastion of prestigious learning,” he said.
President Chakwera expressed his pride in the institution’s achievements, referring to it as a game-changing and pacesetter university. He emphasized the importance of higher education for the country’s development and the achievement of Malawi’s Agenda 2063.
The graduation ceremony was so unique having diverse group of graduates, with 260 males and 150 females successfully completing their studies.
The graduates represent various fields, including Biomedical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Metallurgy, Information Technology, Earth Science, Meteorology, Medical Microbiology, and many others.