Malawi Adventist University (MAU) has graduated 440 students from different programs in its 10th graduation ceremony which was held on Sunday at Lake View Campus located in Mlangeni, Ntcheu district.

Speaking during the graduation, the guest of honor Dr Dalitso Kabambe who is also a Reserve Bank Governor commended MAU administration for enrolling a lot of students for higher education in their various institutions in Malawi and in so doing they are helping the government in making sure that people are having higher quality education.

Kabambe further said that education is about acquiring knowledge and now that the graduating students have the knowledge, it is not just for them to stay on the existing knowledge that they have learnt but that through education they must broaden their horizon and capacity to do critical thinking, challenge the current understanding that has been imparted to them as a way of developing new information. “In the past, economies used to rely on commodities such as gold, diamonds, but today economies are relying much more on knowledge and they are those that are able to generate new and important knowledge that are capable to drive the economies moving forward,” said Kabambe.

Kabambe encouraged the graduates to be extra ordinary and change the shape and development of Malawi by making a difference through new knowledge that they are going to develop in different industries they will be in.

He added that life rewards people for their hardworking and capability so they should not limit themselves but rather they should start business, join different stakeholders and challenge the world that they can do better and make a difference.

Speaking in an interview, the University’s Vice Chancellor Professor Sharon Pittman said they are excited with the progress they are making because they have graduated a large number of people and this shows the potential that Adventist universities have in Malawi for higher education.

“Today is such a great day that is symbolizing the growth of Malawi Adventist Universities as well as the achievements that the graduating students have made and this also just show where we are going and we are hoping to introduce more graduate programs,” said Pittman.

The graduates came from the faculties of Biomedical sciences, Public Health, Agriculture, Agri-Business, Education, Business Management, Theology and Clinical medicine. Rosemary Banda the only female out of 77 graduates in Bachelors of Arts in Theology said she is very happy that now her dream of becoming a pastor has come true. “I started as a bible worker but now I have become a pastor and I am excited because of the achievement I have done today. Being the only lady, at first it was difficult for me to concentrate but I coped up with the environment and now here I am and I am ready to work for the Lord,” said Banda.

Banda further said that God commanded His people to go into the world and spread the gospel and he did not specify that only men should go and preach the gospel but he commanded every human being and that is why she chose to study theology and being the only lady in class should not be an obstacle to work for the Lord.

In her remarks Banda encouraged women who are willing to study theology but they think it is a program for only males that everything is possible and they can also do better and change the world.

One of the graduating students in Bachelors of Arts in Agri-Business, Kadyampakeni Jackson said it is great achievement and cannot wait for his contribution in the industry. “I am not just saying this for myself, but I am also thinking of the contribution that my team is going to have on the development of the country because the world now needs not so much people of great interest but it needs people with noble character and people with a hardworking spirit,” said Jackson.

Jackson further said Malawi Adventist University gives training for a noble character to develop students not just intellectually but giving them steadfast principle that they may control themselves and conduct themselves accordingly out there.

MAU is affiliated to University of Eastern Africa, Baraton of Kenya and has two campuses, Lake View campus in Ntcheu and Malamulo college of Health sciences campus in Thyolo.