Mozambique: UEM transforming into a research led university

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Mozambique: UEM transforming into a research led university

9:04 CAT | 13 Jul 2018

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Mozambique’s oldest institution of higher education, the Eduardo Mondlane University (UEM), is working to improve its quality of education and depth of research.

These issues are the focus of a three-day meeting of the University’s board of directors which began on Wednesday in Maputo. The meeting takes place under the theme “from ideas to action: opportunities and challenges in operationalising the strategic plan 2018 – 2028, as a contribution to development in Mozambique”.

Speaking at the opening session, the vice-chancellor, Orlando Quilambo, explained that the strategic plan is an instrument to transform the university from being a predominantly teaching-driven institution into one “in which research is the foundation of teaching and learning, extension, innovation, and governance”.

Quilambo explained that UEM has drawn up a plan to mobilise funds to help finance this transformation. He stressed that it is not possible to begin this process without a strong financial base, adding “one of the biggest challenges is to formalise the level of training of our teachers by investing in human capital and improving working conditions. For this, it is necessary to find partners that can help”.

Quilambo stressed that the strategic plan defines the goals and the indicators which will allow for the monitoring of progress and partial results in the various stages of implementation.

For many years, UEM focussed on teaching undergraduate students. However, it aims to become a research-led university and has been introducing postgraduate courses, basic research and applied community support.

The vice-chancellor explained that the rationalisation of human and financial resources is, for the university, a fundamental precondition for achieving its objectives. However, he recognised the achievement in developing masters’ and doctoral programmes in a relatively short time, considering the difficult financial situation in the 1980s and 1990s.

The extended board of directors is a consultative body on matters of management composed of the vice-rectors, and the directors of the university’s various bodies.

Eduardo Mondlane University was established in 1962 and currently has more than 36,000 students, of whom over ninety per cent are undergraduates. It has eleven faculties, six schools of applied science, and eight research and advocacy centres.

Source: AIM