MUST to host Cultural and Research Innovation Festival.

Malawi University of Science and Technology (MUST) is set to host the Cultural and Research Innovation Festival from the 4th to the 5th of October.

The festival, themed “Culture: A niche for science and innovation,” highlights the crucial role culture plays in driving innovation and technology.

The event aims to bring together individuals from diverse tribes and innovators to celebrate Malawi’s rich cultural diversity and explore how research and innovation can enhance the culture sector.

Speaking at a press briefing, Executive Dean of the Bingu School of Culture and Heritage Atikonda Mtenje-Mkochi, asserts that culture is the backbone of innovation, and by embracing our heritage, we can unlock new ideas and solutions that will propel our country forward.

“So there is a great connection between culture and innovations. At the Malawi Investor of Science and Technology, as a science and technology university, we believe in creating or having technologies and innovations that are rooted in culture, that understand the cultures of the people, that understand what Malawi wants, what the society wants, what the society envisions.

So we don’t want our innovations and our technologies to be useless. We want them to be indeed solving the problems of Malawi. And in order to do that, you have to understand the Malawi people and you have to understand their cultures. This festival is there to synergize culture and science” Mtenje-Mkochi explained.

MUST Technology Transfer Officer, Zalerapi Chirwa Mhango emphasized that the festival is a unique opportunity for collaboration, knowledge sharing, and cultural exchange.

” Everybody is recognized, according to African culture, we’re recognized by culture, a name, and a religion. So dwelling on those philosophies, I feel that this event is an important event for each and everyone else.

This is an investor of the people. If it’s an investor of the people, even the events that we make, they’re those events that are targeting to benefit people. And we would like to see a lot of people come here and patronize it. Basically, we target all areas, but due to limited resources, we normally maybe target a few of those, and we try to make sure that we increase the amount the following year.

For now, we are targeting the areas of agriculture we’re targeting the areas of medicine, climatic change and natural resources” she said.

The festival will feature performances by artists like Jetu, Slyc, Akamwire Junior, and MUST students.