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Prof Mwansa retires from ZAOU
Lusaka, Apr 19/13, ZANIS——The Zambian Open University founder, Dickson Mwansa, has disclosed that he has planned to retire as Vice Chancellor of the university in December, this year, and concentrate on his personal Kindergarten in Kabanana in Lusaka.
Prof Mwansa disclosed this during the official opening of the Zambian Open University Residential School for returning students at Government Complex Conference Hall.
He said he has made his contribution which has seen academic opportunities created for many Zambians who had no chance to be absorbed in the conventional universities at the time they wanted to but had now a chance to study while working.
Prof Mwansa said he had been at the helm of the university from inception in 2005 which has seen four graduations from 2009 to 2012 with 2,484 graduates with Bachelor’s degrees and 24 with Master’s degrees who have gone out to impact the country in a positive way.
He said he would make his last appearance at the ZAOU graduation in December this year and devote his time and concentration on the kindergarten in Kabanana which he has developed from his personal resources as a contribution to the less privileged.
Prof Mwansa said he will remain connected to the university in a small way until he ends his earthly journey in peace.
He said he has seen signs of ZAOU graduating three or four doctoral candidates who will be presented to the Chancellor for the award of PH Ds in 2013.
Prof Mwansa was Dean of Students in the School of Education at the University of Zambia before the passion for university education enhanced accessibility by the Zambian community compelled him to galvanize the necessary support from like-minded academicians to found a university that has been a window of hope for many Zambians to access university education regardless of age.
He said out of 63 successful candidates who sat for the Zambia Institute of Advanced Legal Education examinations for admission to the bar as lawyers in 2012, 18 were from the University of Zambia and 15 were from the Zambian Open University while the rest came from other institutions which was a demonstration of the positive impact ZAOU was creating on the Zambian society.
He said in 2012, ZAOU was given a first prize in the ‘Training Service provider’ category at the Zambia International Trade Fair in Ndola and got the second prize at the Lusaka Agricultural Show in the ‘Best Education Institutional Exhibition’ category.
Prof Mwansa added that the university was planning to open a regional centre in the newly created Muchinga Province so that university education was not just a preserve of urban dwellers because every.
