Vice Chancellors approve SAVE project funding restructure
Participants posing for a group photo after the meeting
Vice Chancellors of Malawi’s Public Universities have approved proposals to restructure funding allocations for their institutions under the Skills for A Vibrant Economy (SAVE) Project.
With funding from the World Bank, the K180 billion project aims to increase equitable access to market-relevant skills in priority areas of the economy, especially for females and vulnerable youth.
The restructuring follows a project implementation Mid-Term Review (MTR) conducted by the World Bank from October to November 2024, which established that the funding allocations per institution were under-budgeted.
The situation has been exacerbated by the downturn in the economy since the SAVE Project was rolled out in 2021.
Speaking at the meeting held at the Malawi University of Business and Applied Sciences (MUBAS) in Blantyre, Secretary for Education, Associate Professor Mangani Katundu, emphasized the critical role that Higher Education Institutions play in human capital development.
According to Katundu, these institutions impart relevant knowledge that enhances the skills base needed to generate innovations in various sectors of the economy.
“The Ministry will always depend on your knowledge, skills, expertise, experience, and capabilities to provide overall strategic guidance towards achieving the project development objective (PDO),” explained Katundu.
He further noted that the main objective of the meeting was to review, confirm, and consider proposals submitted by the institutions to the Project Implementation Unit (PIU) to ensure adequate funding is allocated to complete planned activities on schedule by June 2026.
“I need not overemphasize that the SAVE project has come at the right time when we are implementing the Malawi 2063 agenda, which recognizes the role and importance of human capital development in realizing the aspirations of Malawi we want to see by the year 2063,” he said.
On her part, the Vice Chancellor of MUBAS, Associate Professor Nancy Chitera, informed the academicians that the SAVE Project was already making an impact at MUBAS and expected even greater results by 2026 when the project concludes.
“We have seen growth in student enrolment, which is very critical and important,” she explained.
Eight institutions of higher learning, including the Kamuzu University of Health Sciences (KUHeS), Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (LUANAR), Malawi University of Business and Applied Sciences (MUBAS), Malawi University of Science and Technology (MUST), Mzuzu University (MZUNI), and the University of Malawi (UNIMA), are also beneficiaries of the SAVE Project.
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