Mr. Douglas Munsaka Syakalima – Higher Education Authority

IN PICTURES: A “Boss” Moment Between the Honourable Minister and the HEA Director-General

HEA — Sun, 23 Nov 2025 07:04:24 +0000

In this commanding image captured yesterday, Thursday, 20^th November, 2025, at the 3^rd International Conference on Health and Allied Sciences (ICHAS), the Honourable Minister of Education, Mr. Douglas Munsaka Syakalima, MP., shares a light, energising moment with the Higher Education Authority (HEA) Director-General, Professor Kazhila C. Chinsembu, as they interact with delighted students, perfectly reflecting the spirit of collaboration, leadership, and youthful enthusiasm that drives Zambia’s higher education transformation.

Read more about ICHAS here: https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1G7bvkNP54/

Image courtesy of the Ministry of Education.

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Director-General Pays Courtesy Call on Minister of Education

HEA — Wed, 22 May 2024 12:08:13 +0000

The Director-General of the Higher Education Authority (HEA), Professor Kazhila C. Chinsembu, paid a courtesy call on the Honourable Minister of Education, Mr. Douglas Munsaka Syakalima, MP.

The delegation from HEA was led by the Chairperson of the Board of the Authority, Prof. Levy Siaminwe, who was formally presenting and introducing the Director-General to the Minister.

Addressing the delegation, the Honourable Minister congratulated the Director-General on his appointment as the Chief Executive Officer of HEA, emphasising that it was now time to take higher education on another level.

Mr. Syakalima stated that there were a lot of expectations on Professor Chinsembu and that the Director-General was expected to address the concerns of the declining higher education standards in the country.

Mr. Syakalima further thanked the Board Chairperson and the HEA Management and Staff for having held down the fort as they waited for the Director-General to be found and for him to take up the position.

Professor Chinsembu was appointed as the Director-General of HEA on 22^nd April, 2024.

The Honourable Minister of Education and the Director-General of the Higher Education Authority.
(L-R) Prof. Siaminwe, Honourable Syakalima, and Professor Chinsembu
(L-R) Prof. Siaminwe; Mrs. Tafuna Mumba-Phiri, HEA Legal Counsel and Board Secretary; Honourable Syakalima; Dr. Martin Mushumba, Director – Quality Assurance; Professor Chinsembu; Ms. Kasiku Mufana, Personal Assistant to the Honourable Minister; Mrs. Gertrude Mweetwa Mubika, Personal Assistant to the Director-General; Mr. Christopher Imakando, HEA Purchasing and Supplies Officer; and, Mr. Birbal Boniface Musoba, HEA Corporate Communications Officer.
The Minister of Education and the HEA Delegation pose for a picture at the entrance to the Ministry of Education.

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Minister of Education Tasks DG to Reconfigure Higher Education Subsector

HEA — Tue, 14 May 2024 15:59:21 +0000

The Honourable Minister of Education, Mr. Douglas Munsaka Syakalima, MP., has charged the Director-General of the Higher Education Authority (HEA), Professor Kazhila C. Chinsembu, with the task of reconfiguring the higher education subsector.

Speaking when he officiated at the engagement meeting HEA had with public universities at Mulungushi International Conference Centre in Lusaka on Thursday, 25^th April, 2024, the Honourable Minister congratulated Professor Chinsembu on his appointment as Director-General, and, immediately thereafter, told him to hit the ground running.

“Before I take my seat, allow me to congratulate the Director-General, Professor Chinsembu, we congratulate you and welcome (back) to Zambia after a long time,” he said, adding, “we are hoping that you will lead our nation, that you serve, in reconfiguring the state of higher education which has been a little bit limping.”

The Honourable Minister of Education further challenged the public universities in helping to chart a new course to make sure that universities behave like universities.

“I want to repeat what I said when I spoke on academic freedom 2 years ago of how to ensure that a university behaved liked a university,” Mr. Syakalima said, adding, “I am not ashamed to say what I am about to say now: in the last 10 years, there had been too much toxicity in our institutions of learning, from early childhood to our universities, (there was) too much politics.”

Mr. Syakalima stated that what was important and needed of public universities was to foster universities that were free of politics by ensuring autonomous universities.

“We don’t need politics in our school systems, it ended in 2021,” he said, continuing, “Anyone of you will be promoted on merit so there is no one who is going to have a job because you know somebody; you don’t know anybody.”

Professor Chinsembu was appointed as the Director-General of the Authority on 22^nd April, 2024. He is a full professor of molecular biology and drug discovery. The University of Namibia promoted Professor Chinsembu to the rank of full professor on 1^st September, 2020.