Unima in research workshop for staff, students
The University of Malawi (Unima), in collaboration with Africa Centre of Excellence in Public Health and Medicine (Acephem), is conducting a research methodology workshop in Blantyre to develop participants’ capacity in research methodologies.
The five-day workshop, which started yesterday at the College of Medicine (CoM), is engaging students and lecturers from Unima constituent colleges of The Polytechnic, CoM and Chancellor College and Kamuzu College of Nursing; Malawi University of Science and Technology (Must) and Mzuzu University; and health personnel from Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital (Qech) and Zomba Central Hospital.
In an interview on the sidelines of the workshop yesterday, one of the facilitators professor Ademola Ajuwon from University of Ibadan in Nigeria said the workshop is targeting young faculty members to equip them with skills in research designs, methods and ethical issues.
“This workshop is important because it will develop the capacity of young faculty members— those who are likely to be the next generation of researchers. We want to improve their capacity to do good quality research that will help solve some of the health problems in Malawi,” he said.
He said at the end of the workshop, participants will be able to write good proposals, research plans and deliver good research studies.
One of the participants, Wilfred Kantchilala, an intern pharmacist at Qech, commended Unima and Acephem for facilitating the workshop which he said will deepen his research skills.
“I understand that there are a lot of areas in which we can venture into as pharmacists. Acephem is trying to bridge the gap between herbal medicine and conversion medicines, so it requires a lot of research. As a pharmacist, I saw a need to attend the workshop,” he said.
