Malawi to benefit from Comesa university
With an aim to enhance the generation and dissemination of research related to regional integration, Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) Council of Ministers in its 34th meeting at the African Union Headquarters in Addis Ababa has agreed to establish a virtual university that will work in a collaborative initiative with a network of universities.
The institution will incorporate an Academy of Science, Technology and Innovation as well as Research Networks.
The Council directed the operationalization of plan for the establishment of the virtual university which will progressively transform into a permanent autonomous University to be launched in October 2015.
According to the Minister of Industry, and Trade Joseph Mwanamveka, who also attended the COMESA Council of Ministers Meeting, the Council adopted the implementation plan of the COMESA Virtual University that will culminate with the formal launch and the inaugural guest lecturer and launch of a Masters’ Programme in October 2015.
He said during the discussions it was agreed that the plan will include the recruitment of a management team, the signing of Memoranda of Understanding/Host Agreements with partner universities and the main hub, the establishment of a mentorship and fellowship scheme, design and establishment of online e-learning knowledge and training platform, establishment of resource centre/library and Research Network and finalization of curricula design and development.
Mwanamveka said Malawi will also be the beneficiary of this University being a member stats.
The move to establish the COMESA University of Regional Integration will actualize an earlier decision of the Council made in 2010 that proposed the setting up of a professional or graduate school of regional integration.
The Council of Ministers noted that no institution on the continent had graduated students with a degree in regional integration.
The council noted that the regional integration is a complex process and to navigate this important process requires expertise for policy formulation and analysis, managing the process, negotiating treaties, protocols and other regulations/policies, understanding the process, participation in the process – to exploit opportunities, and training/teaching about the process.
The Ministers noted that at the regional level, a lack of appreciation of regional interests was reflected during negotiations whereby negotiators tended to take a national rather than a regional approach to regional integration.
They said this has the potential to produce programmes that are merely a reflection of the interests of a few Member States and not a reflection of the Region.
At the national level, there was apparent need for capacity building for the coordinating units in Member States to enhance their effectiveness in fulfilling their mandate in facilitating and implementing regional integration programmes.
The Ministers noted that there seems to be inadequate appreciation and lack of prioritization of regional integration policy and implementation issues by some government officials primarily involved in policy making and implementation
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Mavuto akamatisata ndiye kuti lapezamo solution mwa ife. Let us accept that we are a solution to any infirmity.
Tisamanyozane guys tonse ndife Malawi ok!!
Oky Malawi will benefit, but will that beneficial be equal?
Ka Ben Phiri kakuoneka nkhongo kuseri kwa Chaponda ko . Kodi kamapita nawo kulikonse? Mwinatu ndi ku toilet komwe. Nanga paliponse Pali Mutharika iko kali pompo.
Will the selection criteria still be quota? If yes,save some of us the international embarassment of sending non deserving students in the name of “representing”malawi,so that they fail exams and fail to even express themselves in basic english,like what is happening at the university of malawi and other public universities , and paint a bad picture as if thus our sample,no,please apa pokha use merit,enough of international embarassments,We have had enough already,what is happening to UNIMA now is pathetic.By 2020- malawi will be full of very incompetent graduates,Lord have mercy.