Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (Luanar) Vice-Chancellor Professor Emmanuel Kaunda has urged universities to focus on innovation that addresses the real needs of ordinary people.
Speaking in Lilongwe yesterday during the opening of the 2025 Alliance for African Partnership (AAP) Consortium meeting—co-hosted by Luanar and Michigan State University (USA)—Kaunda emphasized that the future of Malawi and Africa depends on collaboration rather than competition.
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The three-day meeting has brought together university leaders, researchers, and policymakers from Africa and the United States.
Kaunda stressed that Luanar is committed to practical, impactful research. “If Malawi and Africa are to achieve meaningful transformation, knowledge must benefit the people, not sit in books or labs,” he said.
Michigan State University Vice-Provost for International Studies and Programmes, Dr. Titus Awokuse, explained that AAP was initially created to build human capacity in African universities, but now also supports research on food systems and farmer productivity.
Also speaking at the event, University of Botswana Vice-Chancellor Professor David Norris lamented that a majority of African research never reaches its intended beneficiaries. “Sixty percent of research findings never make it to farmers. That’s a waste of valuable resources,” he said.
Principal Secretary for the Ministry of Higher Education, Dr. Levis Eneya, called the gathering a “convergence of minds and missions,” warning that “development without research is development without direction.”
The AAP Consortium Meeting concludes tomorrow and is expected to set a renewed strategic direction for strengthening African-led research partnerships with a focus on relevance, sustainability, and real-world impact.
