Dr Mwanza bemoans UNZA brain drain

Dr Mwanza bemoans UNZA brain drain
By Patson Chilemba
Saturday July 14, 2007 [04:00]

THE University of Zambia (UNZA)’s reputation has in the perception of many declined in the last 15 years due to brain drain that led to low staffing levels and instability brought about by student and staff unrest, UNZA chancellor Dr Jacob Mwanza has said. And UNZA vice-chancellor Professor Stephen Simukanga has appealed to the government to allow the university to start charging economic fees to help offer quality instruction to students.

But University of Zambia Students Union (UNZASU) president Sage Samuwika said instead of increasing school fees, management should demand increased funding from government.

During the 37th Graduation Ceremony at the UNZA Great East Road Campus, Dr Mwanza yesterday said in the last 15 years, the reputation of UNZA had declined in the perception of many.

He said with the recent appointment of Prof Simukanga as vice-chancellor and the recruitments in other principal officer positions of UNZA provided a unique opportunity for renewal and regeneration under a new leadership.

"I therefore call upon the various interest groups in the university to allow the new administration a quiet period for reflection on how the university should get to where it ought to be; an institution of service and excellence with all its lost glory," he said.

About 1,741 students graduated in the bachelors degree, undergraduate diploma, certificate in adult education, postgraduate diploma, masters and PhD categories.

And Dr Mwanza told the graduands that Zambia needed leaders like them to contribute to the new knowledge-driven economy. Prof Simukanga said there was need to review the level of fees that the university charged students.

"At the moment, the university is charging one third of the current economic fee per year. This affects the quality and levels of instructional activities that could be offered in terms of equipment and practical assignments," Prof Simukanga said.

"My passionate plea to government is to allow the university to charge reasonable, if not cost-effective, fees which would help it offer quality instruction to its students."

Prof Simukanga said inadequate funding was the key challenge facing UNZA.
"The government grant for the University of Zambia does not cover all the needs," he said.

Prof Simukanga said the other challenge was that of indebtedness. He said UNZA owed its retirees and serving staff billions of Kwacha, which could not easily be disposed of with the current levels of funding.

Prof Simukanga said addressing challenges facing society today meant that “we must come to terms with the present and plan for the future”.

“In this regard, it is central that we recognise our place in Zambia and our historical context; claim our rightful place in the intellectual community of scholars; be flexible on access, and activity in redress and rigorous on success; promote equal opportunity and the development of human potential; strive for inter-disciplinary and inter-institutional collaboration and synergy, and above all, value the contributions all our members of staff make to the realisation of our mission,” he said. But Samuwika said management should demand increased funding from government rather than increasing tuition fees.

"As we go to the national symposium which the Ministry of Education is organising, we shall emphasise on the need for the government to increase the funding," Samuwika said. "It's not right now to increase the fees because the first and second year students are paying fees that are different from those of the third and fourth year students. Also, the fifth year students goingup wards are paying their own fees, so why increase the fees?"