Malawi officials visit Stellenbosch University to benchmark new mining curriculum

A delegation from Malawi's higher education and mining sector visited Stellenbosch University (SU)’s departments last Thursday and Friday as part of their curriculum benchmarking.

The programme manager of the Malawi Universities Development Program (MUDEP), Dr Abraham Sineta, said they were facilitating the establishment of a new public university in Malawi with a niche in mining.

“We are at the stage where we would like to embark on developing the curriculum for this new university. As SU's Department of Earth Sciences has a comprehensive curriculum in mining, we are here to learn more," he said.

On the first day, specific emphasis was placed on studying the curriculum design; insights into the respective courses' content, modes of assessment, and balance between practical and theoretical skillsets.

The second day provided visitors with an overview of the instrumentation and services provided by the Central Analytical Facility, before further scientific and educational engagements with researchers from the Departments of Chemical Engineering and Civil Engineering who are working in the minerals sector, according to SU. 

The head of department of earth sciences at Stellenbosch University, Professor Susanne Fietz, said the visit would strengthen the relationship between the institutions involved. 

“By supporting Malawi's initiative to establish a new school of mining, we create new opportunities for joint curriculum development and student exchange across Africa. 

“We also identified synergies between the research interests of our Malawian colleagues and our departmental activities that we aim to explore further in future collaborations," she said.