The University of Zambia and the Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation have signed a Memorandum of Understanding that will see a more strengthened partnership between the two institutions.
The signing ceremony comes after the initial meeting between ZNBC and UNZA earlier this year, where the two institutions agreed to formalize collaboration in areas of mutual interest.
UNZA Vice-Chancellor, Professor Luke Mumba, said the background to the memorandum was anchored in the shared mandate of both ZNBC and UNZA which was to communicate and educate the public.
He said that UNZA, like ZNBC, belong to the Zambian people which exist to serve the public interest.
“The public out there is in need of information about what we are doing in the area of research outputs to address the many challenges our society faces. The public out there is also looking for expert information and objective scientific and philosophical analysis of economic, scientific, cultural, educational, health and medical matters. We are the thought leaders and we are required, as a matter of national duty, to inform and educate the public in a purely professional manner in all disciplines,” Professor Mumba said.
Speaking at the same event, ZNBC Director General Richard Mwanza, said UNZA is a key institution to Zambia’s socio-economic development as it provides human resource, which is the most important resource needed to develop the country.
Mr. Mwanza added that public institutions like ZNBC and UNZA have a huge responsibility to address concerns and challenges affecting the general public.
He said that the formalized partnership between UNZA and ZNBC will guarantee the university success in the area of information dissemination to the public because ZNBC is well positioned and equipped to produce high quality and tailor-made advertisements and programmes on behalf of institutions such as UNZA.
Mr. Mwanza is pleased that through the MoU, ZNBC will be able to broadcast educational content to the audience in line with its key pillars which are: to inform and educate the public.
Through this MoU, UNZA and ZNBC, are setting out to achieve a collaboration on broadcasting services, training, technical support, and provision of expert analysis available from the pull of experts at UNZA.
The only news from UNZA is “lecturers have not been paid salaries”. There are no thought leaders at UNZA. The thought leaders are Prof. Ndulo, Prof. Saasa, Prof. Chinsembu, Chibamba Kanyama, Dr. Hamalengwa, Trevor Simumba, etc etc. who are not at UNZA.
John Chilembwe: Commenting on issues in the media is not what makes an academic.
Commenting on issues in the popular media isn’t what makes an academic.
Because that’s what you just know. Illiterate mind claiming to be literate.
This is a great deal. E.g the school of agriculture is in a wrong position and the MOU will really help cover it’s intended purpose, why don’t you think in those lines than trying to discredit things that matter.
You are privileged to be out of Zambia, which is a good thing so stop imposing a bad image of us who are still in the boundaries of Zambia to the diaspora.
Next you will hear that they are teaching Mandarin at UNZA in lectures as part of this MOU …just pay lecturers
Rubbish!
Both are dead.
Actually whenever the lecturers issue a statement about delayed salaries deadnbc doesn’t even give cover them!
Ok let’s transpose this article to say USA and it reads, “Harvard and fox news sign MOU.” See that’s how it reads to netizens. I hate to criticize news from back home coz there are people putting in the work and keeping the engine running smoothly, but come on ba VC, as an ‘academic’ you can make headlines like, “UNZA signs an MOU with ERB to provide solutions to the electricity crisis.” That is the role of the university, provide innovative solutions to pressing social-economic issues.
What nonsense is this? So, one needs to sign an MoU in order to be covered by a public broadcaster? Crap!!
I have also been wondering what the actual benefit of all this is. The DG seems to be on a spree of signing MOUs with whomever, whatever for, only he knows.
There are two types of people that can offer long lasting solutions to many a social–economic problems. 1. is the entrepreneur(inventer/innovator) 2. The academic(student/researcher). On the academic side both groups in the parantheses have greatly failed to deliver to the Zambian enterprise. Too much misplaced priorities, politicking instead of researching/publishing. Hence these MOU’s, running away from real pressing issues.