Higher Education in Moral and Ethical Emergency – Professor Chinsembu
Higher Education Authority (HEA) Director-General, Professor Kazhila C. Chinsembu, has said that the higher education subsector is in a moral and ethical emergency.
Professor Chinsembu said this on Monday, 15th July, 2024, when he was paid a courtesy call at his office by the Christian Colleges and Universities Association (CCUA).
Professor Chinsembu stated that he had reiterated this message to public universities as well when he gave his maiden address which focused on transformation of university education during a meeting with Vice-Chancellors of public universities at Mulungushi International Conference Centre in Lusaka on Thursday, 25th April, 2024.
“One of the things that we highlighted (at the meeting with Vice-Chancellors) is that we are in a moral and ethical emergency and, as such, we need to have courses in morality and ethics at 1st year of university and these need to be compulsory to all our students that enter university,” Professor Chinsembu said.
The Director-General stated that this guidance was given in order to address the moral and ethical decay not only in the higher education subsector, but in the Zambian society at large.
“So, we are hoping that the higher education system can contribute to the remedial actions that we seek for ourselves as a society and a nation,” he said.
The Director-General further stated that many of the social, political, ethical and moral challenges that are faced by the Zambian society are due to the dysfunction of higher education.
“We want to use higher education to correct and cure this problem,” he said, continuing, “therefore, we look forward to your efforts as an association and all the (Higher Education) Institutions under your umbrella of Christian Colleges and Universities Association as you are very important in providing the impetus that we require to instil values that support the fight against corruption and the fight against moral decay.”
The CCUA delegation was led by the Chairperson of the Association and the Founding Chancellor of African Christian University, Dr. Conrad Mbewe.
Dr. Mbewe was accompanied by the Ambassador-At-Large and Founding Chairperson of the Association, Dr. Lazarus Phiri.
Additional reading:
Read the Director-General’s Maiden Address on Transformation of University Education here:
Professor Chinsembu welcomes the CCUA Delegation.
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