By Jonathan Phiri, LCC4

The Malawi University of Science and Technology (MUST) on September 18, 2024, hosted delegates from the Botswana Defense Force (BDF) and Malawi Defense Force (MDF), who wanted to appreciate the university’s work and explore opportunities for collaboration.

Speaking on behalf of the Deputy Vice Chancellor, Dr Atikonda Mtenje-Mkochi, who is Executive Dean of Bingu School of Culture and Heritage (BISCH), welcomed the delegation and expressed enthusiasm about the visit and the potential for mutual growth between the institutions. 

"The visit highlights the university’s commitment to the People and Society Pillar of the just launched MUST strategic plan which emphasizes strengthening of relationships with surrounding communities and beyond. Through our partnership with the MDF and now the visit by the BDF, we look forward to find synergies where we can learn from each other in order to strengthen relationships between our institutions and also build capacity in various critical areas," said Dr Mkochi.

She also thanked MDF for valuing the relationship between them and MUST for, among others, considering the university as a priority whenever they have visitors.

The MDF lead officer, Lieutenant Colonel James Kalimbuka, expressed appreciation to MUST for the hospitality and the existing collaboration.

In his remarks, BDF head of delegation, Colonel Stuart Molefhe shared his thoughts on the visit and potential for collaboration with MUST.

"In our course we offer military education. This visit allows us to not only understand innovations being done at MUST but also explore opportunities for empowering our military people academically in order to advance security in region," he said.

One of the highlights of the event was a presentation by Dr Michael Zimba, Executive Dean of the Malawi Institute of Technology (MIT) at MUST, who shared his insights through a presentation titled “Enhancing economic integration amidst emerging security challenges”, where among others, he emphasized the need to leverage emerging technologies, Artificial Intelligence (AI) in particular, to enhance security and defence.

"Currently, we are facing a very interesting era of security challenges. Integrating AI can transform defense operations by among others enabling faster and more accurate data analysis, and automated routine tasks, allowing military personnel to focus on more strategic operations. I can guarantee you, it will not be the strongest soldier that will win war, but the smartest of them all,” he said.

“The better way of embracing these technologies is collaboration. At MUST, we know about technologies and a collaboration with the military could go a long way for the betterment of our nations.”

Dr Zimba further highlighted several areas the BDF and MUST could collaborate on, including cybersecurity, and the development of intelligent systems that can support defense strategies. 

Also present was Professor David Mkwambisi, Director of the MUST Institute of Industrial Research and Innovation (MIIRI), and other members of staff.

The BDF delegation comprised of officers and students from their Command and Staff College and apart from the presentation, they toured MUST’s campus to appreciate works under the African Drone and Data Academy (ADDA), the Design Studio, the University Technology and Innovation Garage and the ceramic studio where they interacted with students and staff working on various technological innovations.

The visit marks the beginning of what is hoped to be a long-standing partnership between BDF and MUST to drive innovation in security and defense.