The Malawi University of Business and Applied Sciences (MUBAS) held its first graduation ceremony on 29th May, 2024, at its main campus in Blantyre. The ceremony, which was the first congregation after MUBAS was unbundled from the Federal University of Malawi in 2021, also installed His Excellency, Dr. Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera, President of the Republic of Malawi as the first Chancellor of the University. The new Chancellor of MUBAS and President of the Republic of Malawi, reaffirmed his government’s commitment towards the development and strengthening of institutions of higher learning in order to promote innovations in the country. The president said Malawi’s industrialization drive can only be achieved if the country embraces innovations in all sectors and he urged the graduands to produce impactful innovations for the nation and beyond. "When I look at the development projects we are carrying out across the country, I feel excited at how much the face of Malawi will change in the next few years but when I also look at these projects, I look at the indispensable role that our innovators will play in the achievement of our developmental goals," Chakwera further said. Chakwera urged the graduating students to produce impactful innovations for the nation and beyond. He also encouraged them to embrace entrepreneurship as one way of self-upliftment and job creation. "My dream is that you will marry the innovations you are going to create using the skills you have gained here with the spirit of enterprises in order to turn your innovations into wealth creation engines that will create jobs for other Malawians," said the Malawi leader. The President also appealed to the graduands to illuminate the torch of inspiration to others by providing exemplary leadership as the country seeks to attain the 2063 vision. "My dream is that you will remember that in our primary and secondary schools are millions of youths that need your inspiration, your mentorship, your example and support to follow your path," he said. In her remarks, MUBAS-Vice Chancellor, Associate Professor Nancy Chitera, expressed gratitude to the president for his government’s commitment towards increasing access to tertiary education. "This journey began with the bold step in 2020 as the three federated institutions embarked on a path for autonomy, paving a way for innovation, healthy competition and growth. This direction has set the stage for growth and expansion with potential to significantly impact higher education delivery," she said. She added that MUBAS will compliment government’s efforts in increasing access to higher education by expanding student enrollment from ten thousand to thirty thousand students by the year 2030. Madalisto Nkhata, who graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Procurement and Supply Chain, said the knowledge she has acquired throughout her studies will be pivotal in her career. "The knowledge I have gained here will assist me in management of public funds," she said. 114 graduates, 30 of which were female, were awarded certificates and degrees during the congregation. MUBAS offers over 115 programmes at both undergraduate and post graduate level.

“There are a lot of bad reasons to start a company. But there’s only one good, legitimate reason, and I think you know what it is: it’s to change the world,’’ Phil Libin, former Chief Executive Officer of Evernote once said and keeping in tune with such wise words, Malawi University of Business and Applied Sciences (MUBAS) through its Business Incubation Centre conducted a Business pitching activity, on January 18 and 19, 2024, at its main campus in Blantyre. The initiative comes following the University’s Zantchito entrepreneurship project launched in November 2023, aiming at supporting budding entrepreneurs. Speaking during the event, Upile Mawenda, the Business Incubation Centre Manager at MUBAS, said that the centre organized the business pitching activity to provide incubates with an opportunity to present their business ideas. Out of 49 shortlisted ideas, only the top 30 outstanding ones will proceed to the next level. "We have 49 incubates that are participating in pitching their business ideas, and only 30 will be selected. The whole purpose of this activity, is to provide incubates with the opportunity to convince the funder that their business ideas are viable. We hope that from this, we will have the number that we are looking for,’’ said Mawenda. The Business Incubation Centre Manager added that the project is currently targeting the idea stage, supporting the Small and Medium sized Enterprises (SMEs) that have just started. The selected ideas will proceed to the next stage of developing prototypes. Hastings Lisuntha, one of the incubates pitching his business idea in the ICT sector, expressed his excitement and hopes that if his business secures funding, he will be among those contributing to solving challenges in Malawi’s ICT sector. The 49 incubates went through an intensive training, and they presented diverse areas of focus including Agriculture, Cosmetics, Food processing, and ICT . MUBAS secured a grant from The European Union (EU) to fuel the aspirations of young entrepreneurs. Through this initiative, successful incubates will each receive support of not less than US$2250.

The Vice Chancellor of the Malawi University of Business and Applied Sciences (MUBAS), Associate Professor Nancy Chitera, has assured newly enrolled students at the university that the university will deploy all resources at its disposal to ensure that students successfully complete their studies. Chitera made the remarks on 23, January, 2024 during the orientation session of new students at the University’s main campus in Blantyre. She added that MUBAS remains undeterred towards its mission of being a university that seeks to create a vibrant and intellectual environment in order to produce influential, entrepreneurial, and innovative graduates who can drive the pace of transformation locally and globally. Chitera said that from the rock of the University’s mission, hewed out are the core values of excellence, integrity, responsiveness, diversity, discovery, and innovation. "You are joining a university that envisions to be a centre of academic excellence and this vision can only be achieved if we produce graduates that can create positive impact in the Malawi society and beyond. And to achieve that vision, the university will give you all the support for you to excel in your studies. All we ask from each one of you is to devote your time to studies,’’ said Chitera. Furthermore, Associate Professor Chitera assured the students that MUBAS has well trained and professional staff. She also encouraged the students to utilize the abundance of knowledge that the university offers. "All our executive deans and heads of academic departments are PhD holders, which is a clear testimony to our commitment of delivering quality research and education, so as you embark on this phase of your academic journey, tap knowledge from the different professionals and experts you will meet in your lecture rooms," added Chitera. Thokozire Mafeni, one of the newly enrolled students, expressed gratitude to MUBAS management for organizing the orientation session pointing out that it has provided some insights to students on what university education is all about. "The orientation has helped us to know what university life is all about. We have also been briefed on the University structures and processes and we know which offices to go when seeking assistance," Mafeni said. Before the orientation sessions, MUBAS management engaged parents and guardians of the newly enrolled students, and during the interaction, the MUBAS Vice Chancellor urged the parents and guardians to collaborate with the University in shaping the future of their wards. Chairperson of MUBAS Parents Association, Paul Chikwekwe, implored his fellow parents to take an active role in the academic lives of their children and engage the University management whenever they want to be updated on the academic performance of their wards. Over 3000 students have enrolled for various programmes in the 2024 academic year, bringing the total number of students at MUBAS to over 10,000.

Minister of Education, Madalitso Kambauwa-Wirima, MP, has said human capital development is a key enabler of the Malawi 2063 blue print. Kambauwa Wirima made these remarks on 31 January, 2024 as Malawi University of Business and Applied Sciences (MUBAS) launched the Institute of Continuing Education (ICE), formerly the Continuing Education Centre (CEC) in Blantyre. Wirima said through education, Malawi can produce citizens who are desirous and visionary about creating a better future for the country. Kambauwa-Wirima therefore hailed MUBAS for establishing ICE as it offers an opportunity for continuous learning to Malawians. She further said that ICE will complement government’s effort of increasing access to higher education in line with the 2020-2030 National Education Sector Investment Plan – NESIP, which aims at creating a learning environment that empowers learners to be creative and innovative. "Education is a corner stone of progress, it’s a key that unlocks the door to the better future, so as a nation, we must increase access to quality education to produce a well-trained workforce that can drive the country’s development agenda," she said. "Education is not just about the certification, education is about instilling values and character building and we must ensure that we deliver quality education," added Wirima. Making her remarks, MUBAS Vice Chancellor, Associate Professor Nancy Chitera, said the establishment of ICE is a clear testament of the university’s vision and dedication to increasing access to tertiary education for Malawians. Chitera also said that MUBAS is geared to provide relevant and quality education that is demand driven to address society needs of the country and promote positive change in the country. Chitera added that ICE will develop flexible modes of delivery to give chances to as many Malawians of acquiring university education. "MUBAS is also in the process of developing a prior learning policy as one way of opening up university admission to many Malawians," said Chitera. In his presentation, ICE Centre Manager, Dr. Andrew Chimpololo said ICE has now been given mandate to venture into research and innovations and such initiatives will transform the landscape of continuous learning in Malawi. Chimpololo further said ICE will develop more relevant local demand driven programmes as one way of saving the country’s forex which is drained through payment of fees to foreign examination bodies. ICE currently has a student population of over two thousand and it has evolved over the years to meet the demands of the industry and the country at large. ICE, with the new mandate, will now incorporate all academic programmes that were previously being offered at Management Development Centre (MDC), another arm of MUBAS.

Chairman of the Malawi University of Business and Applied Sciences (MUBAS) Council, Professor George Kanyama Phiri, has commended MUBAS management for initiating various commercial endeavours that will assist the university in generating income and serving the Malawian public better. Kanyama Phiri made the remarks on 2 February 2024 when MUBAS council members toured some of the developmental projects taking place at the university. He also assured MUBAS management that the council will provide all necessary support to ensure that MUBAS can be self-sustaining. "MUBAS is sitting on a gold mine. The university has so many facilities and expertise that can be used by the public at a fee and help the university generate income. As a council, we will guide management on how we can tap into the vast resources at our disposal to sustain the operations of the university and serve the public better," Kanyama Phiri said. MUBAS is developing a University Innovation Pod (UniPod) with funding from the United Nations Development Fund (UNDP). The UniPod will create a space for innovators and creators to help solve social challenges through inventions and ideation. Once operational, the UniPod will revolutionize the innovation and creativity industry in Malawi. Apart from the UniPod, MUBAS is also setting up an industrial park which, apart from offering training, will also be producing tomato puree and fruit juices among its products. The council members also visited the mining engineering laboratories and were visibly impressed with the top-notch equipment available. Secretary for Education, Mrs Chikondano Mussa, who was part of the council team, encouraged MUBAS management to collaborate closely with the industry so that the facilities are fully utilised. "We must make sure that the main players in the construction industry and other related fields are aware of the various tests that these laboratories offer, let`s fully utilise these facilities," advised Mussa. MUBAS Deputy Vice Chancellor, Professor Ishmail Kosamu, assured the council members that the university will strive to utilise all the resources at its disposal to serve Malawians better. He said income generation was at the centre of the university’s strategic plan as government funding alone cannot sustain the operations of the university. As part of commercialising some of its activities to generate income, MUBAS is establishing a full-fledged commercial subsidiary to oversee the university’s investments.

The Malawi University of Business and Applied Sciences (MUBAS) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Chalimbana University from Zambia aimed at enhancing cooperation in curriculum development and delivery, research and consultancy and student exchange programmes. The signing ceremony that took place on 14 February 2024 at MUBAS’s main campus in Blantyre marked a significant step in strengthening the ties between the two institutions. Speaking during the MOU signing ceremony, MUBAS Vice-Chancellor, Associate Professor Nancy Chitera said she was extremely happy that the collaboration has come at the right time as it will contribute to the development of highly qualified and innovative human capital for the two nations and beyond. “The MOU provides a great opportunity for MUBAS to learn from our neighbouring sister university on how they are managing the academy. Through this partnership, we will share different expertise in our universities and the two institutions would be able to produce and prepare future national leaders who are innovative and capable of spurring the economic and social development of our two great nations,” said Chitera. On his part, Chalimbana University Vice-Chancellor, Professor William Abwino Phiri described the collaboration as key to solving problems that Malawi and Zambia face. He emphasized that relevant research is one of the key solutions to our challenges. “If we put our efforts together, we believe that this partnership is going to benefit the two institutions and our two nations. Investing ourselves in solution-based research that can be used in policy development and help in decision-making will create better nations”, Phiri said. The MOU will also involve providing training and internships to the students and staff from the two institutions.

University of Malawi Vice-Chancellor, Professor Samson Sajidu, has urged higher education institutions in the country to work together if they are to make the Malawi 2063 vision a reality. Sajidu made the remarks on 8 February 2024 when Vice-Chancellors from Malawi`s public universities, Principals of Domasi and Nalikule Colleges of Education including some senior government officials toured the University Innovation Pod (UniPOD) at the Malawi University of Business and Applied Sciences in Blantyre. Sajidu said the coming up of the UniPOD will promote greater scientific achievements and described the UniPOD as a moment of realizing a dream for Malawi. He implored all universities in the country to shed off negative competition and instead complement each other by bringing together different ideas that can accelerate the pace of innovation to meet the aspirations of all Malawians. "The state-of-the-art equipment and infrastructure, including the personnel at the UniPOD will help our ideas come to fruition. It is therefore extremely important that as universities we work together in the field of research and innovation which will contribute to the social economic development of the country", said Sajidu. The creation of the UniPOD at MUBAS has been made possible with funding from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) aimed at promoting creativity, ideation, learning, innovations and entrepreneurship among others. Students, innovators and creative artists will have access to the UniPOD. The centre has an audio-visual studio, virtual reality space, and metal, plastic, electronic and wood workshops among others. The UniPOD will also offer services to the public at a fee for its sustainability.

State President, Dr. Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera, has described the newly established University Innovation Pod (UniPod) at the Malawi University of Business and Applied Sciences (MUBAS) as an icon of ‘’beauty, functionality, and purpose,’’ that will help Malawian innovators turn their vision into reality. Chakwera made the remarks on 6th March 2024 when he officially launched the UniPod at MUBAS. He praised the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) for providing support towards the establishment of the UniPod. He also hailed UNDP for its collaborative approach towards the economic development of the country. Chakwera said the establishment of the high-tech innovation centre at MUBAS has set the standard for the future of tertiary education in the country as Malawi evolves into the electronic sphere. "The establishment of the UniPod has exceeded my expectations. This moment signifies that the time for quality education is here and the time for building substandard structures is gone. Let me commend MUBAS Management and all the people who were involved in putting up such a beautiful structure. I am really impressed," said Chakwera. Furthermore, the Malawi leader challenged the academia to create space for all innovative and skilled minds to enable them to explore their full potential to create economic independence for the citizenry. He said the UniPod innovation centre will give impetus to Malawian innovators, creators and entrepreneurs, and give them an extra drive to come up with different innovations that can transform their lives and offer solutions to the problems communities face. "Citizens of this country should be given a chance to explore their ideas and gain economic independence. Economically liberated people feel free to criticize even the government when it comes up with bad policies because they are not afraid," Chakwera added. Chakwera then urged the youth to utilize the spaces being created for ideation such as the UniPod so that they gain economic liberation and remain focused and avoid being distracted by negativity that is propagated by some sections of the Malawi society. He also appealed to business captains and other partners to work with the government to accelerate the development agenda of the country. In her remarks, Ms. Ahunna Eziakonwa, the UNDP Assistant Secretary-General and Regional Director for Africa, underlined that the UNDP acknowledges Africa's ability to change its destiny and overcome its challenges. She also mentioned that the COVID-19 pandemic highlighted this capability, as many African societies, especially the youth, came up with home-grown interventions to fight the scourge when the global supply system was closed. Eziakonwa urged universities to open up and provide spaces and necessary equipment to the youth to enable them to grow their ideas. She emphasized that the Malawian youth have so much potential and eagerness to assist their communities and society at large. She said the levels of confidence, capability and collaborative spirit exuded by the many Malawian young men and women she interacted with during the tour of the UniPod, is a clear testimony that the country is on the right economic development trajectory. "An Africa without confidence is going nowhere, so the levels of confidence, capability and collaborative spirit shown by the young minds I met during the tour of the UniPod is a clear testimony of true leadership among our youth," said Ms. Eziakonwa. She assured Malawians that the establishment of the UniPod signals the beginning of prosperity for the country and urged the country’s leadership to create an environment where every citizen should have a chance at economic upliftment regardless of their background. "Many of our youth are ready to provide ideas and solutions that can assist this country and they do this not to enrich themselves but to transform their communities so let us give them support," Eziakonwa added. MUBAS Vice Chancellor, Associate Professor Nancy Chitera expressed gratitude to the Malawi government and UNDP for providing support towards the successful establishment of the UniPod at the university. Chitera said the cutting-edge technology and equipment at the UniPod are a huge encouragement to the academia as it strives to assist in accelerating the social-economic development of the country. She added that the UniPod is a significant milestone in the country’s entrepreneurial and innovation journey. "The UniPod will open opportunities for our innovators and entrepreneurs. It will cultivate the next generation of entrepreneurial and innovative leaders of this country," Chitera emphasized. The UniPod has top-notch workshops with state-of-the-art equipment for mechanical fabrication, wood and electronic workshops, a high-end computer laboratory and a high-tech audio-visual studio among others. UNDP pumped in over 2 million US dollars while MUBAS spent over 500 million kwacha towards the project. Students, lecturers and members of the general public will have access to the UniPod to experiment with their ideas and innovations.

The Malawi University of Business and Applied Sciences (MUBAS) has graduated a total of 1269 students who were enrolled during the Federal University of Malawi era, representing 56% of the graduates. The graduation ceremony, which was held on 13 and 14 March 2024 at the Great hall in Zomba, was presided over by Professor Samson Sajidu, Vice-Chancellor of University of Malawi (UNIMA). Speaking during the graduation ceremony, Professor Sajidu congratulated the graduands for their achievement. “Today marks a significant milestone in your journey. You have been provided with necessary knowledge and skills in respective disciplines to discover, succeed and offer solutions for our country,” Sajidu said. The UNIMA Vice Chancellor also urged the graduands to embrace uncertainty, take risks, and dare to dream big as they step into the world. The graduation was attended by a number of high profile personalities from Malawi Government such as the Director for Higher Education, Dr. Levis Eneya, who represented the Minister of Education. Also gracing the occasion were Vice-Chancellors from MUBAS, Mzuni and KUHeS. Five Executive Deans and council members from MUBAS also availed themselves for the ceremony. One of the graduands from MUBAS, Debora Mkwinja, who graduated with a first-class in Mining Engineering-Honours, could not conceal her joy: “I am very much excited because I never saw this coming, but it is God’s grace that I have made it this far”, said Mkwinja. Mkwinja added that she will utilize the knowledge she has acquired to help providing significant solution to the mining industry. Another graduand, Ratio Chiumia, who graduated with a Bachelor of Commerce in Tourism and Management from MUBAS, spoke confidently as he said: "We have been equipped with skills in entrepreneurship and introduced to creativity as well as innovations, and our country needs a lot of solutions. I am well prepared for the industry. Considering the knowledge that I have acquired, I believe that I will not look for jobs but rather endeavor to create jobs,” said Chiumia. Graduands were awarded certificates, diplomas, and degrees. Of the 2255 students from MUBAS, KUHeS, and UNIMA who graduated, 44.1% are females and 55.9% are males.

The Malawi University of Business and Applied Sciences (MUBAS) held its first women in business training on 1 March 2024. The training, which was conducted through the Management and Development Centre (MDC) at MUBAS main campus in Blantyre. The training aimed to equip businesswomen with skills in managing business finances. In her closing remarks, MDC Manager, Dr. Ella Kangaude Nkata described the training as a cornerstone for achieving success in businesses."In this training, we are targeting women who are doing various businesses, and our main objective is to help them in managing their finances having observed that managing finances has been the biggest obstacle to most women in business," said Nkata. She added that the biggest challenge most businesses face is capital misuse which consequently impacts their business negatively, and through the training, women were equipped with knowledge and skills that will help to avoid such demeanor. She urged all the participants to make good use of skills acquired during the training for a positive impact on their businesses if they were to prosper. Martha Jana, a Kaunjika business lady, expressed gratitude to the centre for organizing such training which will have a huge impact on their businesses. "There were many things most of the participants and I didn’t know about on how to handle finances in business, but through the training, I am confident that what we have learnt will help my business grow," she said. During the training, women learned how to manage their working capital, business data, creditors, financial tips and services among other aspects. The training is part of the core mandate of the Management Development Centre in training various individuals in business, leadership, and management among others. The MDC has lined up several professional trainings, targeting business owners, managers, as well as leaders in our society.

The Malawi University of Business and Applied Sciences (MUBAS) Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Professor Ishmail Kosamu has called upon all academic members of staff to continuously embrace and adopt more innovative and creative skills in teaching and learning to live up to the expectations of the ever-evolving world of knowledge. Professor Kosamu made the remarks on 12 March 2024, when opened the Certificate of University Teaching and Learning (CUTL) workshop at Victoria Hotel in Blantyre. "As a university that values excellence and integrity, this workshop is aimed at promoting professionalism in teaching and learning for both staff and students," said Kosamu. "The presence of so many academic members of staff at this workshop demonstrates your commitment to improve your skills in teaching and therefore this must be commended," he added. The CUTL workshop which ran from 11-13 March 2024 aimed at equipping lecturers with skills in content delivery, class management, research supervision, planning, and examination management which included testing and measurement and professional etiquette among others. Speaking in an interview at the end of the workshop, the Head of Academic Quality Assurance at MUBAS, Dr. Adamson Thengolose, said the workshop was organized to enhance teaching and learning at the university. "We need lecturers who are always on top of their work so that we give good service delivery to the students and that they satisfy the stakeholders," said Thengolose Tamanda Kajaye, an Associate Lecturer in the Department of Journalism and Media Studies said the workshop was an eye-opener as it has shed more insights on the dictates of university teaching and learning which will help her to improve her teaching. "This workshop was very important, especially to those of us without prior experience in university teaching as it will help us to effectively teach at the university level. It will bridge the skills gap that existed in our professional journey in the academy," said Kajaye. Over seventy lecturers including technicians and part-time teaching staff attended the workshop.