The Council of the University is the policy body appointed by the Chancellor and head of state and is provided for in the Malawi University of Science and Technology Act.
The Council is essentially a body corporate with perpetual succession and a common seal and is capable under that name, of suing and being sued; acquiring by purchase, gift, devise, bequest, operation of law, or otherwise, real or personal property wherever situated, or any right or interest therein, and holding the same in any capacity including that of trustee; granting, selling, mortgaging, hypothecating, alienating, assigning, leasing or letting real or personal property; and subject to the MUST Act, doing and performing all such acts and things as a body corporate may by law do and perform, or such as are incidental or appertain to a body corporate.
The MUST Council consists of eminent Malawians in various professions who come in through presidential appointments while others are ex-officio members representing various governmental ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs). Some members of the university’s executive management also sit on the Council together with some student leadership representatives. Specifically, the MUST Council comprises of a Chairperson, who is appointed by the President, the Vice Chancellor; Deputy Vice Chancellor; four independent members from the private sector, appointed by the Chancellor, two of whom are women; a member of the Senate appointed from its membership; two students (one undergraduate and another postgraduate), an alumni; and ex-officio members from the Secretary for Education, Science and Technology; Secretary to Trade and Industry; Comptroller of Statutory Corporations; Secretary to the Treasury and Director General of the National Commission for Science and Technology (NCST). These officers can appoint nominees to represent them in the MUST Council.
As such, the Council is a governing body of the university and is responsible for the management and administration of the university, its property and revenues, and exercises general control and supervision over all the affairs of the MUST.
To ably discharge its duties, Council has sub-committees in some critical aspects of university business such as Appointments and Staff Development, Audit and Risk Management. And Finance and Investment.
Chairperson: Dr Matthews Mtumbuka
Vice Chairperson: Mr Boyd Luwe
Members :
Dr Elizabeth Sibale
Mr Emmanuel Chapo
Mrs Priscilla Fatch , Rep, Secretary to Treasury
Mr Peter Simbani, Comptroller of Statutory Corporations
Mr Limbikani Kachiwaya, Rep, Secretary for Trade and Industry
Dr Mangani Katundu, SEST
Dr Gift Kadzamira, Director General, NCST
Professor Address Malata: Vice Chancellor
Professor Wilson Mandala: Deputy Vice Chancellor
Mr Alfred Chinombo: University Registrar and Secretary for Council
Mr MacDonald Hudge: Director of Finance and Investments
Dr Kondwani Wella: University Librarian
Dr Wilfred Kadewa: Executive Dean, NSCES
Mrs Ruth Masangano: Alumni member
Ms Tamara Chirwa: PG students’ representative
Mr Alexander Kude: MSRC president and representing undergraduate students
The University’s Senate consists of the following members: the Vice Chancellor, who is the chair; Deputy Vice Chancellor; Executive Deans; Heads of Department, Sections, Centres and Institutes of the University as prescribed by the Statutes; one member from each School; one female member and one male member elected by the MUST Students Representative Council; the Librarian; and such other members, not exceeding five, two of whom shall be full Professors. The Senate is serviced by the University Registrar as secretary.
Just like the Council, the Senate performs such functions and exercise such powers as prescribed by the MUST Act or the Statutes. Among others, it functions include making recommendations to the Council on matters affecting the academic policy of the university; reviewing the academic work of the university and report the same to the Council; making recommendations to the Council on admissions of students into the university; and making recommendations to the Council on academic programmes of the University.
The MUST Council consists of eminent Malawians in various professions who come in through presidential appointments while others are ex-officio members representing various governmental ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs). Some members of the university’s executive management also sit on the Council together with some student leadership representatives. Specifically, the MUST Council comprises of a Chairperson, who is appointed by the President, the Vice Chancellor; Deputy Vice Chancellor; four independent members from the private sector, appointed by the Chancellor, two of whom are women; a member of the Senate appointed from its membership; two students (one undergraduate and another postgraduate), an alumni; and ex-officio members from the Secretary for Education, Science and Technology; Secretary to Trade and Industry; Comptroller of Statutory Corporations; Secretary to the Treasury and Director General of the National Commission for Science and Technology (NCST). These officers can appoint nominees to represent them in the MUST Council.
As such, the Senate is ideally an academic technical committee through which Council carries out its functions.
At MUST, the student union body is called the Student Representative Council (SRC) although its functions are not different. Members to the SRC are elected by the rest of the student community through elections managed by a student established Electoral Commission. All students, mostly undergraduates, qualify for election. At present, the MSRC leadership is a s follows: Mr Alexander Kude (President), Mr Clever Sibale (Vice President), Mr Harry Mvula (General Secretary), Ms Mbilile Tambuli (Vice GS), Mr Kimberly Mkwindiza (Financial Controller), Mr Montfort Gobede (Speaker of the General Assembly), Ms Alinet Nkupatira (Director of Religious Affairs), Mr Hamza Nkhumbwa (Director of Academics), Mr Titus Mbewe (Director of Social Welfare), Mr Clever Chipembere (Deputy Director of Social Welfare-Men), Ms Nomsa Chapani (Deputy Director of Social Welfare-Women), Mr Edmond Mandindi (Director of Sports), Ms Tadala Menyauti (Director of Catering), Mr Yankho Makina (Director of Entertainment), and Ms Taonga Mwale (Director of Publications, Information and Public Relations).