US aid freeze halts top science programme, disrupts research

Just over a year after the United States government, through the agency USAID, introduced a five-year, US$17 million initiative to strengthen higher education in Malawi through science projects, the programme has been abruptly closed, disrupting research and innovation, one of the affected universities has confirmed, writes Charles Pensulo for RFI.

Several institutions that received financial support amounting to thousands of dollars include Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Mzuzu University, Kamuzu University of Health Sciences, and the Malawi University of Science and Technology (MUST).

The USAID-funded Transforming Higher Education Systems project, implemented by Michigan State University, targeted students aspiring to enrol in and complete higher education in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Its objective was to enhance the mission and capacity of Malawian universities to drive innovation, productivity and the competitiveness of Malawian industry. However, Professor Alfred Maluwa, director of research and outreach at MUST, told RFI that they had received an official communication in February, instructing them to terminate the project.
Full report on the RFI site