President Lazarus Chakwera has challenged fresh university graduates to be productive and participate in activities that contribute to the country’s economic growth.
Wearing the hat of Chancellor for the Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (Luanar) during the first session of the eighth congregation of Luanar yesterday where 689 were awarded diplomas and undergraduate and postgraduate degrees, the President said Malawi can recover from the challenges it is facing such as climate change impacts through systematic thinking, and not subsistence.
passed with a distinction
Said Chakwera: “The university graduates students who are not ordinary, but systematic thinkers and high experts in different sectors that would make the world better.
“The university imparts knowledge in various fields such as Agriculture Engineering and Agriculture Innovation that can sustain economic self-reliance and drive industrialisation.”
On his part, Luanar Council chairperson Professor Zachary Kasomekera said the congregation marks not only a celebration of academic excellence, but also a pivotal moment in the university’s broader vision for the future.
The ceremony was held alongside the university’s double launch of the Luanar E-Campus and holding company aimed at modernising and diversifying its educational offerings.
Kasomekera said the E-Campus will open new opportunities for remote learning, making Luanar’s programmes more accessible to students across the country and even beyond Malawi’s borders.
He said: “The holding company will help to further develop strategic partnerships and investments, strengthening the university’s capacity to contribute to the growth of Malawi’s agricultural and natural resources sectors.
“Most importantly, self-funded research capabilities for our staff will be a key outcome.”
Kasomekera observed that the autonomy will enable the university to identify and tackle pressing national issues, develop homegrown solutions, foster innovation and entrepreneurship, and enhance our contribution to Malawi’s development.
The eighth congregation was held under the theme ‘Investing in agricultural and natural resource human capital development: Paving the way for Malawi’s social and economic transformation’.
During the graduation, Chakwera awarded eight students who graduated with distinction with K200 000 each, as a token of appreciation for their hard work and academic excellence.
