With this in mind, the Malawi University of Business and Applied Sciences (MUBAS) has been leading a nationwide effort to prepare secondary school students for university success through free career talks and outreach programmes.

Secondary school is a critical stage where young people make life-shaping decisions, and without proper guidance, many capable learners risk missing the opportunity to pursue university education.

Since its establishment in 2019, MUBAS has reached to over twenty thousand of students from secondary schools across the country, including those in hard-to-reach areas where access to information on higher education opportunities is limited.

In 2024, the university conducted education outreach activities in secondary schools across all four regions of Malawi—Northern, Central, Eastern, and Southern. These visits included government, mission, and private secondary schools. The outreach programmes are conducted annually as part of the university’s commitment to lifelong learning and community engagement.

During these career talks, the university focused on the following key topics:

• Inspiring students to pursue Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) fields.

• Educating students on programme requirements.

• Raising awareness about gender-based violence.

Some of the schools visited by the MUBAS team include Namitete Secondary School in Mchinji, Ntcheu Secondary School, Karonga Secondary School, Saint Mary’s Secondary School, Chitipa Secondary School, Lirangwe Community Day Secondary School, Saint Michael Girls Secondary School, Mtowe Community Day Secondary School and Ntaja Community Day Secondary School.

The impact of these efforts is already visible. Some students who once attended these motivational talks are now walking the corridors of MUBAS.

Preparations are currently underway for the 2025 outreach programmes.