Mzuzu University is a

public university A public university, state university, or public college is a university or college that is State ownership, owned by the state or receives significant funding from a government. Whether a national university is considered public varies from o ...

Malawi Malawi, officially the Republic of Malawi, is a landlocked country in Southeastern Africa. It is bordered by Zambia to the west, Tanzania to the north and northeast, and Mozambique to the east, south, and southwest. Malawi spans over and ...

. The university is located in Luwinga, Mzuzu City, in the northern region of Malawi. It was founded in 1997 after being transformed from a teachers training college established in 1970s. It accepted its first students in 1999. At the time the university opened its doors, the Chancellor was Malawi's former president

Bakili Muluzi Elson Bakili Muluzi (born 17 March 1943) is a Malawian politician who was President of Malawi from 1994 to 2004. He was also chairman of the United Democratic Front (UDF) until 2009. He succeeded Hastings Kamuzu Banda as Malawi's president. He al ...

and the first Vice-Chancellor was Professor Terrence Davis. Professor Peter Mwanza, who later entered politics and became a cabinet minister, was active in establishing the university. He was Chairman of the University Council, and later Vice-Chancellor.

Academics

MZUNI is a dual mode University. The ODeL Centre offers courses through face-to face and open, distance and e-learning modes. Some of these programmes are available on block, week-end and vacation release.

Faculties and departments

The University consists of the following faculties and departments: * Faculty of Education ** Educational Foundations ** Teaching, Learning and Curriculum Studies ** Inclusive Education * Faculty of Environmental Science ** Agri-Sciences ** Built Environment ** Fisheries and Aquatic Science ** Forestry and Environmental Management ** Geo-Science ** Water Resources Management * Faculty of Health Sciences **Biomedical Sciences **Nursing and Midwifery **Optometry Faculty of Humanities and Social Science ** Language, Cultural and Creative Studies ** Communication Studies ** Theology and Religious Studies ** History and Heritage Studies ** Information Science ** Governance, Peace, and Security Studies * Faculty of Science, Technology and Innovation ** Mathematics and Statistics
Mzuzu University mathematics department
** Physics and Electronics ** Biological Sciences ** Renewable Energy Technologies ** Chemistry *
Information and Communication Technology
* Faculty of Tourism, Hospitality and Management Studies ** Tourism ** Hospitality Management ** Management and Entrepreneurial Studies ** ** The Mzuzu Open and Distance Learning (ODL) campus centre is the focal point for providing education off-campus, including continuing education. Undergraduate Programmes Faculty of Education Bachelor of Education (Languages) Bachelor of Education (Arts) Bachelor of Education (Science) Bachelor of Education (Information Communication Technology) Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences Bachelor of Arts Communication Studies Bachelor of Arts (Theology and Religious Studies) Bachelor of Arts Library and Information Science Bachelor of Arts Security Studies Bachelor of Arts Politics and Governance Bachelor of Arts Development Studies Bachelor of Arts International Relations and Diplomacy Bachelor of Arts (History and Heritage Studies) Faculty of Health Sciences Bachelor of Science (Biomedical Sciences) Bachelor of Science (Optometry) Bachelor of Science (Nursing and Midwifery)

Open and Distance Learning Centre

The Open and Distance Learning Centre at the university was opened in 2006 and enrolled its first group of students in 2011. Interest in Open and Distance e-Learning (ODeL) is growing in Southern Africa. This mode is increasingly seen as an alternative route to for

citizens to access higher education. The National Council for Higher Education administers access to six institutions with their public universities selection (PUS) process. ODeL offers school leavers and mature students an alternative route to access and enter into tertiary studies. The ODeL unit has five satellite ODeL centers. They are located in Mzuzu,

Lilongwe Lilongwe (, ,) is the capital and largest city of Malawi. It has a population of 989,318 as of the 2018 Census, up from a population of 674,448 in 2008. In 2020, that figure was 1,122,000. The city is located in the central region of Malawi, i ...

, Balaka, Mulanje and

Karonga Karonga is a township in the Karonga District in Northern Region of Malawi. Located on the western shore of Lake Nyasa, it was established as a slaving centre sometime before 1877. As of 2018 estimates, Karonga has a population of 61,609. Th ...

. Other public universities have followed MZUNI’s lead. For example, in 2016, Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (LUANAR) established an ODL unit on their campus.

Research

The school operates the following research centres:
Centre of Excellence in Water and Sanitation

The Test and Training Centre for Renewable Energy Technologies (TCRET)

Malawi eHealth Research Centre (MERC)

References

External links