Japanese scholarships should be change-agents, says envoy

Japanese Ambassador Kae Yanagisawa has urged recent Japanese Government scholarship recipients to be change-agents in their various sectors.

Speaking on Friday at a welcome reception for recent alumni of Japanese scholarships at her residence in Lilongwe, Yanagisawa said the scholarships are not just a means of attaining a certificate, but to produce agents of change.

She urged the alumni to join other stakeholders in developing Malawi.

In his remarks, one of the alumni Vincent Mwagomba, a teacher at Chinkhuti Secondary School in Lilongwe, said he learnt a lot which he will share with his fellow teachers.

“I learnt new techniques to enhance students’ understanding and also to develop low-cost teaching materials and I have plans to train my fellow science teachers and develop programmes to motivate students,” said Mwagomba, who completed an 18-month postgraduate course at Tokyo Gakugei University.

On his part, Secretary for Education, Science and Technology Justin Saidi, who was the guest of honour, hailed the Government of Japan for the support rendered to Malawi, especially in the construction of Nalikule Secondary School Teachers Training College and Domasi Teachers Training College, among others.

He urged the alumni to apply the knowledge obtained in Japan to their respective sectors.

The recent alumni underwent 18-month postgraduate certificate and two-year masters degrees programmes in education, agriculture and mining.

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