UNIMA Joins READ Project to Advance Renewable Energy
As part of its internationalisation and research collaboration agenda, the University of Malawi (UNIMA) is participating in the Renewable Energy Advancement for Inclusive Development in Sub-Saharan Africa (READ) Erasmus+ Capacity Building Project. The initiative aims to strengthen renewable energy education, research, and innovation across the African continent.
Through this partnership, UNIMA joins 7 universities from Tanzania, Somalia, Turkey and Italy in a collaborative effort to transform African higher education institutions into centres of excellence in renewable energy. The project is expected to equip students with cutting-edge technical skills, support researchers in generating relevant and impactful evidence, and foster institutional partnerships that drive clean and inclusive economic growth.
The Malawi delegation attended the official kick-off meeting held in Mogadishu, Somalia, from 12 to 14 January, 2026. The meeting, hosted by SIMAD University, brought together consortium partners to formally launch the project. The Malawi delegation comprised Dr Cyprian Kambili and Dr Spy Munthali from the School of Law, Economics and Governance (LEG), as well as Dr Evance Mwathunga and Dr Justice Mlatho from the School of Natural and Applied Sciences. UNIMA’s participation in the project follows its successful response to a call targeting institutions already engaged in renewable energy, environmental research, training, and outreach in Sub-Saharan Africa. The University is actively involved in these areas through the Directorate of Research, Innovation and Postgraduate Studies (DRIPS), the Department of Geography and Earth Sciences, the Physics Department, and the Economics Department.
Dr Spy Munthali explained that UNIMA’s existing academic and outreach structures present an opportunity to scale up environmental training and promote community-level adoption of renewable energy solutions.
“UNIMA is well prepared to participate in the READ Consortium capacity-building project due to the strong technical expertise available within the University and among its industrial outreach partner institutions in the renewable energy sector,” he said.
He added that the University’s contribution will be coordinated through the Directorate of Research, Innovation and Postgraduate Studies (DRIPS), with a focus on strengthening renewable energy capacity and supporting poverty reduction efforts, particularly in rural communities.
The READ project, which will run for 36 months, seeks to enhance universities’ capacity to deliver industry-aligned training programmes that equip students, faculty, and entrepreneurs with advanced technical, policy, and business competencies in clean energy. Over the implementation period, participating institutions will undertake structured work packages, including a kick-off meeting in Mogadishu, curriculum development activities, undergraduate course delivery, entrepreneurship training aligned with industry needs, and an academic research conference.
