Held under the theme “Practical Systems for Consistent, Transparent and Ethical Review,” the visit provided an opportunity for the institutions to share experiences and explore practical approaches to improving the efficiency, transparency and integrity of research ethics reviews.

The CUNIMA delegation was led by Research and Publication Manager Sainala Kalebe and welcomed by Associate Professor Peter Mhagama, Chairperson of the MUBAS Research Unit.

Kalebe said CUNIMA chose MUBAS for the visit because of its experience in research ethics review, the work of its Research Unit and its established reputation in the field.

She explained that the visit was intended to help CUNIMA understand how MUBAS manages research processes, conducts ethical reviews and develop research protocols.

One of the key areas of interest was the automation of ethical review processes to accommodate the university’s growing student population while maintaining the standards required for responsible research.

“With a large number of students, we need to automate our ethical review process without compromising the values and principles of ethical review,” Kalebe said.

She also highlighted opportunities for continued collaboration, including the possibility of the two institutions supporting each other in managing research review workloads.

Under such an arrangement, MUBAS and CUNIMA could explore possibility of referring research protocols to one another for review when workloads become demanding, subject to their respective procedures and requirements.

Prof. Mhagama said the visit provided an important opportunity for MUBAS to share its research ethics review systems and protocols while encouraging knowledge exchange between the institutions.

He noted that collaboration between a public institution such as MUBAS and a private institution such as CUNIMA creates opportunities for mutual learning and the strengthening of research practices.

Prof. Mhagama expressed hope that the knowledge shared during the engagement would translate into practical improvements in CUNIMA’s research processes.

The visit highlights the importance of institutional collaboration in strengthening research governance, promoting transparency and upholding ethical standards in higher education.

Through such engagements, MUBAS provides opportunities for knowledge exchange and institutional cooperation aimed at supporting responsible and credible research in Malawi.