UNIMA Human Resource Management Students Launch Professional Association
Students pursuing Human Resource Management (HRM) at the University of Malawi (UNIMA) have established a Human Resource Management Students Association to provide a platform for professional development, practical learning, networking and engagement beyond the classroom.
The association was launched on 18 September 2026 during an event that brought together HRM students, academic staff and a delegation from the Institute of People Management-Malawi (IPMM), led by its immediate past president, Mr Godwin Sam Ng’oma, who was also the guest of honour.
The launch also provided an opportunity for first-year HRM students who have recently joined the University to meet and interact with continuing students.
Speaking at the launch, Ng’oma challenged students to look beyond obtaining a degree and begin preparing themselves for the realities of the professional environment.
He said obtaining a degree should be viewed as the beginning of a professional journey rather than its conclusion, emphasising the importance of developing a broader understanding of the industry in which HR professionals work.
“It isimportant to get the degree, but it is not the end of it. It is just the key to the future,” he said.
Ng’oma said HR professionals aspiring to leadership positions need to understand the operations and demands of the industries in which they work.
“If you are to be an HR professional, you need to know the industry you’re working in. If you are an HR director for a bank, you need to know the whole banking industry because your job is to create the human resource that is going to run that bank,” he said.
One of the HRM students who attended the launch, Immaculate Kachingwe, applauded the establishment of the association, saying it would provide an opportunity for students to connect classroom learning with the practical demands of the workplace.
“This society will help me connect the things that I have learned in the classroom and apply them in the workplace,” she said.
Kachingwe added that activities organised through the association could help students develop skills such as public speaking and communication, which would be important as they transition from university into the workplace.
The Head of Management and Leadership Studies Department, Dr Tiyesere Chikapa Jamali, said the association will help students organise themselves around professional activities beyond their classroom studies.
She said the association will, among other things, create opportunities for students to engage guest speakers and gain exposure to practical aspects of Human Resource Management.
She also highlighted networking as an important benefit of the association, saying students will have opportunities to interact with peers from different years of study as well as professionals outside the University.
Student associations at UNIMA provide platforms for students pursuing particular programmes to come together around their academic and professional interests.
While the HRM programme was introduced at the University several years ago, students had not previously established an association dedicated to the programme.
The new association adds to the growing number of programme-based student associations at UNIMA, creating opportunities for students to learn from one another and engage with professionals in their respective fields.
Through such networks, students access knowledge and opportunities that may not be readily available through classroom learning alone, including mentorship, internship opportunities and guidance on practical skills such as CV writing.
