CIIR African Drone and Data Academy – Malawi University of Science and Technology

Africa Drone and Data Academy

Prof Malata and University Registrar Dr Tarsizius Nampota (L) being briefed on Drone Technology by Prof Kevin Kochersberger of Virginia Tech

The MUST Vice Chancellor Prof Address Malata (4th L) speaking to students and delegates at the official opening of the Academy

The African Drone and Data Academy (ADDA) aims at providing education programmes that advance expertise in drone technology and entrepreneurship. The programme was officially launched on January 13, 2020 at the Daeyang University in Lilongwe. The ADDA is being led by Virginia Polytechnic Institute and University (Virginia Tech) based in Blacksburg, Virginia, USA and UNICEF is providing the funding.

The ADDA will initially start with short training courses that will equip Malawian and international students with necessary skills to command usage of drones for different applications, including assessing agricultural productivity and establishing malaria hotspots. In addition, the initiative will also see Virginia Tech working with MUST to train future drone operators for various development needs across Malawi. In the same first phase, the ADDA will also aim to develop a masters’ degree programme in drone innovation, operations and information science (MDIOIS), which will be launched in 2021.

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CIIR Vision

A modern and dynamic academy of excellence recognised for championing Science, Technology, Innovation (STI) and Entrepreneurship for transformative industrialisation in Malawi.

CIIR MISSION

To accelerate transformative industrialisation in Malawi through human-centred and demand-driven industrial research, innovation, technology development and commercialisation.

KEY PRINCIPLES

Partnerships

Excellence

Teamwork

Futuristic

Critical Thinking and Creativeness

Continuous Learning and Improvement

Back-Front-Back Menrship

STRATEGIC GOAL

To advance STI through quality research, capacity development, application and commercialisation of outputs

STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES

SO-1: To build the capacity of Malawians to create, apply and scale innovations that use STI to promote socio-economic development.

SO-2: To champion transformative agro-industrial research, business and skills development in food and nutrition engineering.

SO-3: To accelerate translation of scientific and innovative ideas into new products, and services in areas of focus

SO-4: To drive and support commercialisation of technologies and services for transformative industrialisation.