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MESSAGE FROM THE DIRECTOR-GENERAL OF THE HIGHER EDUCATION AUTHORITY, PROFESSOR KAZHILA C. CHINSEMBU, ON INTERNATIONAL LABOUR DAY 2025

May 1, 2025 Featured

Theme: “Shaping the Future of Work in Higher Education through Home-Grown Solutions for Inclusive Economic Growth”

Colleagues, fellow citizens, and partners in transformation,

As we commemorate Labour Day 2025, we do so not merely to honour the contributions of workers, but also to reflect on the transformative journey that our higher education sector has embarked upon. This journey began in earnest a year ago when I assumed office as Director-General of the Higher Education Authority (HEA).

In my maiden message, “Transformation of University Education in Zambia,” I articulated a vision for a new higher education architecture, one built on the principles of relevance, inclusivity, and innovation. Our goal has always been to reimagine universities not only as academic institutions but also as engines of inclusive economic growth through home-grown solutions.

Reflecting on Our First Year: Milestones Achieved

Over the past twelve months, the Authority—together with its stakeholders—has made meaningful progress:

  1. Curriculum Transformation: We began aligning academic programs with national development priorities such as the Eighth National Development Plan (8NDP), ensuring they meet the demands of Zambia’s labour market.
  2. Stakeholder Engagement: We established multi-stakeholder platforms to draw in voices from students, faculty, industry, and civil society to inform our regulatory and reform agendas.
  3. Quality Assurance: The Authority reinforced its regulatory framework to ensure that higher education institutions uphold academic integrity, relevance, and global competitiveness.
  4. Promotion of Indigenous Knowledge: We advocated for the integration of indigenous knowledge systems into curricula, embracing our heritage as a tool for innovation.

Aligning with the Labour Day 2025 Theme

The theme for this year’s Labour Day, “Shaping the Future of Work in Higher Education through Home-Grown Solutions for Inclusive Economic Growth,” reflects the very core of HEA’s mandate.

It urges us to:

  1. Innovate Locally by tailoring academic programs and research to Zambia’s contextual challenges and opportunities.
  2. Foster Inclusivity by ensuring equitable access to higher education for all Zambians, regardless of gender, geography, or socioeconomic status.
  3. Drive Economic Growth by repositioning higher education institutions as centres for innovation, entrepreneurship, and skills development.

Honouring Unity and Our National Identity

As we recently celebrated the birthday of our founding father, Dr. Kenneth Kaunda, we are reminded of his enduring legacy and the importance of working together. “One Zambia, One Nation” is more than a slogan; it is a national ethos. HEA reaffirms its commitment to fostering unity within the higher education sector to help build a prosperous and cohesive Zambia.

Looking Ahead

In our second year, HEA will intensify its efforts to:

  1. Support research and innovation that responds to national challenges.
  2. Promote institutional accountability and autonomy, ensuring public funds and trust are well placed.
  3. Expand access to higher education, with particular focus on marginalized groups and rural communities.

This Labour Day, let us recommit ourselves to shaping a higher education system that is locally grounded, globally competitive, and socially inclusive. By working together, we can realise a future where higher education becomes the starting point for economic transformation and national unity.

One Zambia, One Nation.


Professor Kazhila C. Chinsembu
DIRECTOR-GENERAL
HIGHER EDUCATION AUTHORITY (HEA)

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The Higher Education Authority (HEA) is a grant aided institution established under the Higher Education Act No. 4 of 2013, to ensure quality of delivery of services by Higher Education Institutions (HEIs).

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