The Malawi University of Science and Technology (MUST) held its seventh graduation ceremony at its Thyolo campus on Thursday. The event featured an emotional farewell from outgoing Vice-Chancellor Professor Address Malata. According to Nyasa Times, Malata is stepping down after a ten-year tenure as the institution's inaugural leader. During her address, she thanked university staff and the government for their support and confirmed she will hand over leadership to Associate Professor Mwapatsa Mipando following a three-month transition period.
Minister of Education, Science and Technology Bright Msaka presided over the congregation. Reporting from Nyasa Times and AfricaBrief confirms that Msaka urged the graduates to apply their knowledge to solve national challenges. He challenged the graduating class to use their science and technology skills to drive local industrial growth, noting that government investment in higher education and research is essential for long-term economic development.
In other education news, students from the United States-based Binghamton University recently completed a service-learning trip in collaboration with the Malawi Children's Mission. Binghamton News reports that the visiting students engaged in community-based social work and educational support. The partnership focused on community school models, which helps the mission support vulnerable children from preschool through to college admission.