New Confucius Institute buildings at KUHeS mark major boost for Malawi-China educational partnership

Lilongwe, May 24, Mana: Minister of Higher Education, Dr. Jessie Kabwila, has described the construction of morden buildings for the Malawi Confucius Institute (CI-Malawi) at Kamuzu University of Health Sciences (KUHeS) Lilongwe Campus as a vital milestone in enhancing the country’s educational infrastructure.

Speaking during the official handover ceremony of the CI-Malawi at KUHeS in Lilongwe, Kabwila commended the partnership between Malawi and the People's Republic of China. She highlighted the institute's state-of-the-art facilities, which include classrooms, a library, and a multipurpose hall, as crucial for expanding access to quality education.

“This development aligns with the Malawi 2063 agenda of building human capital and achieving inclusive wealth. It provides our students and citizens with the opportunity to gain language skills and cultural knowledge vital for global competitiveness,” she stated.

She emphasized the importance of infrastructure in transforming education and applauded the dedication of all stakeholders involved in the project. She reaffirmed the Ministry of Higher Education's commitment to increasing access to higher education, in line with the National Education Sector Investment Plan (NESIP) 2020–2030.

The minister highlighted the need to embrace the opportunities the institute presents, ensuring that the Confucius Institute thrives and continues to enrich the academic landscape at KUHeS, UNIMA, and beyond through the sharing of Chinese culture and values.

In her remarks, the Chinese Ambassador to Malawi, her Excellency Lu Xu, expressed that her government regards Malawians as brothers and sisters.

She stated that China firmly believes that through shared development and common prosperity, the two nations can uphold equal rights and enjoy lasting peace and stability around the world.

She highlighted that the spirit of unity and cooperation is at the heart of China's engagement with Malawi.

Ambassador Lu indicated that China is committed to being a reliable partner to the Malawian government, stating that Chinese government continues to support Malawi’s essential development efforts, especially as the country advances through industrialization and modernization.

"This project reflects our longstanding emphasis on the importance of higher education—both in China and in Malawi. We are proud to support Malawi’s progress in this critical sector and remain dedicated to helping elevate the standards and accessibility of higher education for the benefit of future generations," she said and advised students and staff to take good care of the facility.

In addition to infrastructure development, the Chinese government has also donated four vehicles including a bus to ensure that transportation needs at the institute are adequately addressed.

CI-Malawi started as University of Malawi project before delinking of the constituent colleges of UNIMA, and will continue to be overseen by the two universities, UNIMA and KUHeS, and open to the public to access it's services.

The just handed over Confucius Institute is expected to be officially inaugurated soon during a high-level event. However, with the handover done, the facility has already started being used, and will host Chinese musical concert on 24th May, 2025.