On August 6, 2026, Malawi’s Minister of Education, Science and Technology, Bright Msaka, delivered a pointed challenge to graduates of the Malawi University of Science and Technology, urging them to put their knowledge and creativity to work in driving the country’s industrial transformation.
The call came during MUST’s seventh congregation ceremony, held on the university’s campus in Thyolo under the theme « Innovating for Resilience: Science and Technology for an Industrialised Malawi. » The event drew a mix of public and private sector figures, including representatives from the Chinese Embassy, alongside university staff and proud families. In total, 746 students graduated with undergraduate and postgraduate qualifications, and the ceremony also marked a historic first for the twelve-year-old institution: its first two ever PhD graduates, Mayamiko Nkoloma, director general of the Malawi Communications Regulatory Authority, who earned his doctorate in innovation and development, and Wongani Langa, a research fellow at MUST’s Institute of Industrial Research and Innovation, whose work focused on an open innovation partnership model for industrialisation.
In his address, Msaka told graduates that their degree gives them knowledge, but innovation is what they choose to do with it. He said government believes the greatest investment any nation can make is in its people, through education, research and technological advancement, describing these as essential drivers of Malawi’s development ambitions that equip citizens to devise solutions, generate wealth and improve everyday livelihoods. He pushed the graduates to move beyond simple resilience and become genuine innovators capable of solving the country’s real problems, urging them to become job creators rather than job seekers. Msaka promised government support, while also making clear that the institution itself would be held accountable for results, charging graduates to expand research addressing Malawi’s own challenges, strengthen partnerships with industry, and ensure no qualified student is left behind.
The minister was careful to frame industrialisation as something broader than simply building factories. He described it as a wider mission that includes adding value to local products, developing homegrown technologies to solve local problems, manufacturing goods the country currently imports, and creating meaningful employment opportunities for young Malawians. He also stressed that innovation has become essential to addressing global pressures such as rapid technological change, climate uncertainty, and shifting labour markets, arguing that countries willing to invest in innovation are better positioned to build industries, create jobs, and generate wealth for their citizens.
The ceremony also marked the end of an era for the university. Outgoing Vice-Chancellor Professor Address Malata, who has led the institution for a decade and was the first woman to hold the role in the country, gave an emotional farewell address. She reflected on watching students arrive on campus uncertain about their future, only to leave years later as fully formed engineers, scientists, innovators, and leaders in their own right. She thanked government, the university council, staff, students, and her family for their unwavering support throughout her tenure. MUST Council Chairperson Noel Mkulichi described the minister’s presence at the ceremony as symbolic of three milestones coming together at once: honouring the graduates, formally handing over institutional leadership, and celebrating the university’s first ever PhD graduate