๐๐๐๐, ๐๐ข๐๐ ๐๐ง๐ข๐ฏ๐๐ซ๐ฌ๐ข๐ญ๐ฒ ๐๐จ๐ง๐๐ฅ๐ฎ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ฎ๐ฅ๐ญ๐ฒ ๐ญ๐ซ๐๐ข๐ง๐ข๐ง๐
Posted By
James MphandePosted on
30th Jul, 2026
The week-long faculty development workshop, jointly organized by MUST Design Studio and Rice University, successfully concluded on Friday, July 17, 2026.
Funded by the Lemelson Foundation, the training brought together faculty members from both MUST and Malawi University of Business and Applied Sciences (MUBAS) to equip them with advanced teaching methodologies and communication.
Speaking during the closing ceremony, MUST Vice-Chancellor, Professor Address Malata, commended Rice University and its programme coordinators for introducing international best practices to Malawian higher education.
She said traditional lecturing is no longer sufficient in a rapidly changing academic landscape.
"Higher education is changing quickly," Professor Malata noted.
"Traditional lecturing is insufficient to prepare students for an automated and innovative world, hence the need to bridge theory with practical societal solutions."
She challenged participants to immediately implement their new skills, urging them to redesign at least one course module using active learning frameworks covered during the workshop.
Echoing these sentiments, MUBAS Representative and NEST360 Principal Investigator, Professor Theresa Mkandawire, reminded participants of the broader economic impact of their teaching strategies.
"I therefore challenge you to use your classrooms as conduits of transformative learning," Professor Mkandawire said.
MUST Biological Sciences lecturer, Dr David Mzinza, speaking on behalf of participants, described the training as transformative.
He highlighted techniques such as the "think-pair-share" strategy, as powerful tools to foster critical thinking and student collaboration.
"Moving forward, I plan to integrate these practical strategies into my classroom to create a more interactive and meaningful learning environment," Dr Mzinza said.
On her part, workshop facilitators, Ann Saterbak, described the event as a huge success, noting that all planned objectives were fully met.
She congratulated participants for their high level of responsiveness, engagement and attentiveness throughout the five days.