Christian Colleges and Universities Association Pledges to Make Positive Contribution to Higher Education
The Christian Colleges and Universities Association (CCUA) has pledged to make positive contributions to higher education in Zambia with a particular reference to a Christian worldview.
These sentiments were made known when CCUA paid a courtesy call on the Director-General of the Higher Education Authority (HEA), Professor Kazhila C. Chinsembu, at his office on Monday, 15th July, 2024.
Speaking during the meeting, CCUA Ambassador-At-Large and Founding Chairperson of the Association, Dr. Lazarus Phiri, stated that university education is a very critical time for the development of young people and should incorporate moral and character development.
“It is a very critical time for young people when they get to university as it is a time for more than just mental development but also moral and character development,” Dr. Phiri said, adding, “faith-based Christian (Higher Education) Institutions (HEIs) will reinforce that, nurture it, and promote it so that we have a holistic development of our children, particularly when they are going through university.”
Dr. Phiri stated that in a country like Zambia which was privileged to have had the Declaration of the country as a Christian nation, there was need to emphasise this aspect.
“One of the demonstrations of that Declaration would be promoting Christian values in Higher Education Institutions and we would hope that you (HEA) would accept our hand of cooperation,” he concluded.
And speaking during the same meeting, CCUA Chairperson, Dr. Conrad Mbewe, stated that the Association represented the best interests of faith-based HEIs.
“(When launching the Association) we bore in mind the fact that we have quite a number of faith-based universities and it was important that we put our efforts together in aiming for excellence in the delivery of higher education,” Dr. Mbewe said, adding, “in terms of primary and secondary school, religious institutions, in terms of education, are among the best in the country but at tertiary level we have been late in coming in and so we felt the need to try and catch up with our friends in the lower education levels.”
The CCUA Chairperson further stated, however, that the overall aim of the visit of the Association to HEA was to welcome the Director-General in his new position.
“We recognised the sense of partnership that the Christian Colleges and Universities Association inevitably has with HEA and we realised the need for us to maintain the relationship with your office, as we had done with your predecessor,” he said, continuing, “and, so, we thought that we should come and present ourselves to welcome you.”
Dr. Mbewe made an appeal to the Director-General for faith-based HEIs to be given some room and partnership with the Authority.
“Apart from welcoming you to this very important role, we also wanted to make the usual appeal that we make for faith-based (Higher Education) Institutions to be given some room and partnership as you hold stakeholder meetings and other relevant events that we are invited in so that we represent the (Higher Education) Institutions whose interest we are seeking to serve,” Dr. Mbewe said.
CCUA is a network of Christian Colleges and Universities in Zambia that is dedicated to promoting a biblical worldview, academic programme excellence and advocacy benefitting Christian higher education in Zambia.
CCUA comprises the following registered HEIs: African Christian University, Ambassador International University, Berea Theological University College, Central Africa Baptist University, Harvest University, Justo Mwale University, Northrise University, Zera international College of Health Sciences, and Evangelical University.
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