Unima honours John Tembo, others
President Peter Mutharika has challenged the country’s universities to influence Malawi’s destiny by teaching wisdom to find solutions that will take the country to prosperity.
The President said this at Chancellor College in Zomba during a University of Malawi (Unima) graduation ceremony where veteran politician and former Malawi Congress Party (MCP) president John Zenus Ungapake Tembo, alias JZU, was awarded an honorary doctor of philosophy in management and leadership for his contribution to the nation.
Unima also honoured its former vice-chancellor Professor Brown Chimphamba and Professor Peter Mwanza, a former vice-chancellor of Mzuzu University (Mzuni), with doctors of philosophy in leadership and management for their national achievements.
The university also conferred on two ladies, Alinane Linda Nyondo-Mipando (a doctor of philosophy in health systems and policy) and Edith Chimwemwe Shame (a doctor of philosophy in linguistics).
Mutharika said for the country to survive in the global village, graduates are necessary to provide solutions through various skills gained to improve social and economic values of the society.
Speaking earlier, Unima vice-chancellor John Kalenga Saka said the honorary doctorates are conferred on individuals who bring honour and prestige to the nation with significant contribution at national and international levels.
He also highlighted the Unima strategic plan covering 2012 to 2017 saying most of the main key issues are under implementation citing introduction of new degrees, notably bachelor of commence (Tourism), master and doctorate degrees at various colleges such as master in medicines and PhD in mathematical sciences among others.
He also said Unima has introduced diplomas in statistics, mining, geology and computer engineering to enhance enterprise development and create more employment in line with African Union (AU) Agenda 2063 and other national policy documents.
Born in 1932, Tembo was touted as having played a significant role in the fields of politics and public sector governance in the country.
Tembo, a holder of BA in history and political philosophy from Roma University in Lesotho, has served as governor of the Reserve Bank of Malawi, Unima Council chairperson and several companies.
The graduates were from three of the four constituent colleges of Unima—Chancellor College, the Polytechnic and College of Medicine. Others were from Bunda College, previously a Unima constituent college, now under the Lilongwe University of Science and Technology (Luanar).
