The guest of honour Mr. George Chitera, our trustees, headed by the Deputy General Secretary, Reverend Jimmy Banda, members of the University Council, headed by Associate Professor Mphatso Kamndaya, the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Livingstonia, Professor B. Kamanga, our guest preacher, Reverend Dr. Chitsulo, distinguished faculty and staff, members of the clergy, proud parents and guardians, graduating class of 2026, ladies and gentlemen.
Today, we gather to celebrate a milestone in the life of our university and most importantly, in the lives of our graduating students. This is, as you’ve heard several times, our fourth graduation ceremony at the University of Blantyre Synod, a testament to our growth, resilience and unwavering commitment to excellence in high education.
Let me say a little bit more about the theme that was well explained in the preaching of our Reverend Dr. Chitsulo. Our theme, Transformed to Transform, speaks directly to the heart of education. Each of you has been transformed through knowledge, discipline, and faith. Graduation is not merely the end of academic study, it is the beginning of a greater calling. The theme reminds us that education is not only about personal achievement, but also responsibility.
Now you are called to transform the communities you serve, whether in the classrooms, hospitals, businesses, churches, or public and private service. Transformation is not passive, it is active. It requires courage, integrity and a deep sense of purpose. This transformation is not just for you alone. It is a call to service, a call to impact, a call to transform the communities, institutions and the nation you will touch.
Now let’s look at the achievements of UBS since its inception in 2018. Guests of honour, as we celebrate this occasion, it is also important to reflect on the achievements that we have made since we embarked on the transformation journey. I want to look at the student growth and I want to start with 2023 because that’s the year that I entered into the University of Blantyre Synod.
I found 69 students and today we have 418 students. In 2023, there were 12 full-time academic staff. Today, we have 49 full-time academic staff. Graduation numbers, in 2022, our first graduation, we had 18 students and they were all from the Faculty of Theology. In 2023, we had 20 students graduating. And in 2024, we had 53 students graduating. And today, we have 171 students graduating.
In terms of the curriculum development, in 2023, we had six registered and accredited programs. And today, I should say next week, we have the National Council of Higher Education visiting our institution and we are presenting before them 11 new programs at the University Blantyre Synod.
I also want to talk about significant collaborations that the University has. The most significant collaboration is with University of Livingstonia. With them we share the program on education. And so as we graduate 121 university certificates in education students and 10 Bachelor of Education students, we do so sharing that credit with the University of Livingstonia. So, we appreciate this partnership and it is something that we want to nurture more and more.
Now, I’m also glad to announce renovation projects that we’ve had. We are grateful to our trustees for giving us HHI buildings, to use them to accommodate this growth that I’ve just described. And so, to turn this place into a university, we’ve had the support and the funding coming from other partners. For example, the Church of Scotland, and the Reformed Church in Switzerland.
We are at phase one of this transformation, which is ongoing. And in phase two, we will also focus on the development of the library, the systems in our student facilities for sports, and more lecture rooms. We are also thinking of multiple delivery sites. At the moment, we offer everything from the campus at the Blantyre Mission, but we are extending to Mulanje to include the nursing and midwifery school there, and in future, we are also looking at a faculty of agriculture at Namingadze. So, with this, I want to thank all those that have foresight for the growth of this institution, especially our trustees and our council.
To the faculty, thank you for shaping the minds and nurturing character. To the parents and guardians, we thank you for your sacrifice, which has borne fruit today. To the graduating class, your perseverance has brought you here, and your journey is only beginning. So, I charge you to go out into the world to be leaders of integrity, be agents of positive change. Let your transformation inspire others, uphold the values of faith, service and excellence that define this institution.
Remember that true success is measured not by what you gain, but by what you give back to the society. And in closing, graduates, go forth with confidence. The University of Blantyre Synod is proud of you. Malawi and the world are waiting for your contribution. May you continue to be transformed and in turn transform the lives of others. Congratulations to the class of 2026.
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