UNIMA School of Law, Economics and Government celebrates postgraduate excellence
The University of Malawi (UNIMA), through the School of Law, Economics and Government (LEG), has recognised outstanding postgraduate students for excellence in coursework, thesis research, publications and doctoral research during its Postgraduate Excellence Awards Ceremony held on Friday, 30 October 2026 in the New Economics Building.
The ceremony brought together staff and students to celebrate students whose academic performance and research contributions exemplify excellence in postgraduate training, with the Head of Postgraduate Studies, Dr Jupiter Simbeye, as the Guest of Honour.
The awards recognised students in four categories: Best Student in Coursework, Best Student in Thesis, Best Student in Publication and Best Student in PhD Thesis.
Speaking at the event, Dr Simbeye, who was representing the Director of Research, Innovation and Postgraduate Studies, commended the School for recognising outstanding student performance, describing the initiative as central to research and knowledge generation.
“This is very key as far as research and postgraduate studies are concerned because we need to recognise excellence,” said Dr Simbeye, adding that the Directorate was proud of the School for acknowledging students who had performed well.
Dr Simbeye encouraged continuing students to draw inspiration from the awardees, noting that recognition of academic achievements can strengthen graduates’ competitiveness when applying for further training, grants and other opportunities.
“I hope the initiative will be adopted by other schools across the University because outstanding students in other disciplines also deserve to be recognized too,” he said.
Executive Dean of the School of LEG, Professor Happy Kayuni, said the awards have served as a motivating factor, noting that more academic programmes have now performed well as compared with previous editions.
Professor Kayuni said the initiative was aligned with the University’s and School’s strategic plans, particularly in promoting quality, increasing research publications and enhancing institutional visibility.
He added that high-quality research should contribute to national development, including the aspirations of Malawi 2063.
“This event is linked to the University’s strategic plan which seeks to increase publications and innovations,” said Professor Kayuni, reaffirming the School’s commitment to supporting initiatives that promote postgraduate excellence.
Among the awardees was Dr Patrick Mogha, who received the Best Student in PhD Thesis award for his doctoral research in Public Administration. His study examined the effectiveness of public procurement reforms in controlling corruption in Malawi between 2003 and 2025.
Dr Mogha said his findings showed that the reforms had made some improvements, particularly in strengthening regulatory frameworks and internal control systems. However, their effectiveness had been constrained by factors including institutional and legal capacity gaps, politicisation of reform processes and weak implementation.
Roselyn Banda, who received the Best Student in Coursework award while pursuing a Master’s degree in Development Studies, attributed her achievement to hard work, self-belief and the support of people around her.
“Although this award has my name on it, it is more about my friends and my family who believed in me,” said Banda.
The ceremony also provided an opportunity for awardees to share brief reflections on their achievements and encourage fellow postgraduate students to remain committed to academic excellence.
The School of LEG Postgraduate Excellence Awards reflect UNIMA’s continued commitment to promoting quality postgraduate education, strengthening research and publication, and recognising students whose work contributes to knowledge generation and national development.
Through initiatives such as these, the University seeks to foster a culture of excellence and motivate postgraduate students to produce impactful research while preparing them for further academic and professional opportunities.
