KUHeS Welcomes over 400 Postgraduate Students
In an auspicious event, Kamuzu University of Health Sciences (KUHeS) conducted its annual orientation program for the incoming postgraduate students for the academic year 2023/2024, commencing from September 4th to September 8th, 2023. This orientation was held at both the Blantyre campus Sports Complex and the Lilongwe campus. The ceremony was graced by the presence of 353 students at the Blantyre campus and 99 students at the Lilongwe campus, all of whom are embarking on their postgraduate studies across a diverse array of academic programs offered by KUHeS.
The Director of Students Affairs, Associate Professor Benjamin Kumwenda, extended a warm welcome to the postgraduate students, representing the Vice Chancellor and the university’s management. He conveyed heartfelt congratulations to the students for securing admission to KUHeS, underscoring the institution’s reputation as one of the preeminent institutions in Malawi and Africa. He further encouraged the students to consider entrepreneurship as a viable pursuit, emphasizing that the acquisition of knowledge and skills should empower them to create employment opportunities. He remarked, “Many of you are doing further studies to get better jobs, but you can create jobs with the skills and the education you acquire because looking forward to being employed is a slave mentality and a product of colonialism.” Associate Prof Kumwenda also assured the students that his office would be readily available to assist with non-academic challenges that may hinder their academic progress.
Additionally, the Acting Director of the Institute of Postgraduate Studies and Research, Professor Angella Chimwaza, extended her best wishes to the students as they embarked on their postgraduate journeys. She underlined the paramount importance of self-discipline in the pursuit of postgraduate studies, emphasizing that students must efficiently manage their schedules to balance academic commitments with other responsibilities, in order to avert the risk of academic setbacks. Professor Chimwaza stated, “There are other responsibilities outside studies to attend to as postgraduate students, and you need to practice self-discipline and plan your schedules properly to fit in your studies to avoid failure.
The opening ceremony featured introductions and presentations by the Executive Deans representing all five schools within KUHeS. This was complemented by informative sessions that encompassed financial matters, registration procedures, institutional regulations, mental health awareness, information technology resources, library facilities, access to online resources, guidance on engaging with the College of Medicine Research and Ethics Committee (COMREC), scholarship opportunities, student affairs, sports participation, and departmental visits.
