Lilongwe – The U.S. government, through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), is investing an additional $17 million (approximately 17.5 billion kwacha) over the next five years to bolster higher education in Malawi. USAID’s new Transforming Higher Education Systems project, implemented by Michigan State University, will help more students enroll in and complete higher education in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. The project will expand high-quality, market relevant university programs for students and boost the ability of Malawian universities to advance innovation, productivity, and competitiveness of Malawian industry.
USAID’s Transforming Higher Education Systems project will partner with the Ministry of Education, three anchor universities (MZUNI, MUST, and LUANAR), and several other Malawian public and private colleges and universities. It will also engage the National Council for Higher Education and the Higher Education Student’s Grants and Loans Board to improve access to higher education. The new project will strengthen student support systems, increase experiential learning opportunities, and engage private sector actors through increased internship opportunities and research innovation.
This latest partnership with the Ministry of Education is a systems-wide approach that will remove barriers for marginalized and vulnerable youth and support students to thrive in the higher education system. The Transforming Higher Education Systems project will help foster an enabling environment that empowers youth to build their own successful futures, and play a leading role in forging an inclusively wealthy and self-reliant nation.