By Chisomo Phiri
The final-year engineering students at the Malawi University of Science and Technology (MUST) on Saturday held their first-ever engineering symposium at Amaryllis Hotel in Blantyre.
The symposium, held under the theme ‘Engineering for Humanity,’ acted as a platform for these final-year students to showcase what they have been learning for five years at the Malawi’s prestigious high learning institution.
In an interview with journalists, Head of Engineering Department at MUST, Dr. Richard Nkhoma, described the symposium as an important platform for the students as it gives them a chance to interact with their potential employers.
“This symposium is a great opportunity for our students to showcase their innovative projects and network with industry experts, which can lead to job opportunities and collaborations,” Nkhoma said.
On his part, Press Cane Limited Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Bryson Mkhomaanthu, who was one of the invited guests at the symposium, encouraged the students to become engineers who will bring solutions to the challenges Malawians are facing out there.
“As you go out there, remember that engineering is not just about designing and building, but about bringing solutions to real-life problems.I urge you to be engineers who will make a difference in people’s lives,” Mkhomaanthu said.
MUST is Malawi’s fourth public university established by an Act of Parliament Number 31 of 2012.
Situated in Ndata, Thyolo, its groundbreaking ceremony took place on April 11, 2011 and was led by the founder, then President, His Excellency the late Professor Bingu wa Mutharika.
MUST was officially opened on October 24, 2014 by then president, Professor Arthur Peter Mutharika.
The university has five engineering programs which include;Bachelor of Engineering (Hons) in Biomedical Engineering,
Bachelor of Engineering (Hons) in Chemical Engineering,Bachelor of Engineering (Hons) in Metallurgy and Materials Engineering, Bachelor of Engineering (Hons) in manufacturing engineering and Bachelor of Engineering (Hons) in Textile engineering.
