MUBAS Vice-Chancellor Associate Professor Nancy Chitera said this on 19 January, 2026 at COMESA Hall in Blantyre during the opening of a one-week orientation session for the 2025/2026 first year students. She said since its establishment in 2021, the university has seen a steady rise of its student population through the introduction of new programmes and other deliberate policies that the university has established to absorb many deserving students into the university education system.

‘’ Apart from the National Council of Higher Education (NCHE) moderated selection into public universities, we have also introduced Open Distance and E-Learning (ODeL) Programmes, extended degree programmes and the economic payment mode of admission. All this is to ensure that all deserving students have a chance to acquire tertiary education,’’ said Chitera.

She added that with the current student population of over 11,000, the university is on course to achieve its targeted 30,000 student population by the year 2030.

The Vice-Chancellor said that among other strategies to increase the student intake, the university has established satellite centre in Lilongwe, Salima and Mzuzu, with plans to open another centre in Mangochi to cater for the Easten Region. She also disclosed that construction for a two-story building at Nanjiri in Lilongwe will be completed soon.

‘’ Several strategies have been developed to mitigate against some of the resource challenges that we have as a university. We have invested in an E-Library and free campus WI-Fi network just to give our students access to more learning resources,’’ she added.

On accommodation challenges, the Vice-Chancellor said the university continues to engage with various partners to solve this pressing challenge at the institution. She said currently MUBAS has engaged some leading financial institutions to explore public-private partnerships in the construction of student accommodation.

‘’ As we try to resolve the challenges of student accommodation, we have also formed a collaboration with private hostels owners to ensure that the accommodation being offered to our students outside the university campus meets the required standards established by NCHE in terms of safety, and other basic necessities,’’ said the Vice-Chancellor.

In his remarks, MUBAS Registrar, Lloyd Kambwiri advised the newly enrolled students to be focused on their studies, assuring them that university has put in place all the necessary structures to support their education.

Ahead of the orientation session, on 18 January, 2026, the university also organized an interactive session with parents and guardians of the new students in order to acquaint them with some of the academic and administrative process of the university. The parents and guardians also visit some of the university’s flagship laboratories and workshops, including the library.