The University of Malawi says the partnership it has made with the Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research will improve the quality of research that the university does, which will in turn shape better policies in the country.
The remark was made in Blantyre during the opening of the University of Malawi and the Max Planck Partner Group (UNIMAX Group) two-day kick-off workshop.
Executive Dean of the School of Humanities and Social Sciences, Dr. Emmanuel Ngwira, said the partnership is essential as researchers from the university will further develop their skills and share their knowledge with other researchers globally.
“The biggest gap we have in terms of research is capacity in terms of skills, resources, as well as methodology. Therefore, working with the Max Planck Institute, we look forward to learning new skills and methods and filling the gap that exists in research at the University,” explained Ngwira.
In his remarks, Director at the Max Planck Institute of Demographic Research, Mikko Myiskia, said the partnership is important for the advancement of research.
“This partnership will help the institutions to pull together resources and expertise to increase quality of population data,” said Myiskia.
The UNIMAX Group aims to, among others, understand research using underutilised demographic data sources and will run for a period of five years.
